The Gun transaction from Hell.

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The problems started long before the pricing error was discovered. Thirty min., the first evening, without ever getting anyone to help me. The second day it two hours just to get to the point to ring up the sale.
I never demanded that they sell it to me for $269, but I did tell them that I would like it at the marked price. On the third day I was lied to twice in a matter of 30 min. about why they could not mark it down. After pointing out the lie, the third manager was rude to me. I was polite the whole time.
When I called the home office, I was polite. The person I talked with was polite. When the manager(Alex) called me from the local Walmart store where I went to buy the gun, he was polite. On the third time Alex called me, he offered the $100 gift card. I never demanded that they sale me the gun for $269. He knew that it was less then the error in pricing and even stated that, and asked it that would work for me. I probable could have pushed the issue and gotten it for $269, but I only wanted to be treated fairly.

I get it. My point is, I'd expect any gun transaction at Wal Mart to take a long time - issue #1. Had the price issue not come up, there's no more issues and you don't get 'lied' to, and you're out of there in about the (from my experience) expected timeframe. But, price (issue #2) brings about everything else. I would expect a big issue asking for the marked price error and not the actual price. Since three people told you the same thing, I'm guessing they were all told the same thing. I suppose it is technically a lie, but since the gun price was not actually marked down, and a gift card had to be used, I'd think there is at least some truth to the policy even if it isn't 'federally mandated'. Probably a gun or specific product issue, or perhaps the amount of the discount having to be provided and price of the product. Normally a manager could make the adjustment at the time and be done with it.

I just bought one of the 10/22's from Wal Mart with their recent sale ($124). First store told me they had one in the back, but the guy at the counter refused to go get it and scan it. Took about 20 minutes to get the guy to the gun counter. Said the price is $209. I left. Went to another store (25 miles away) where I knew they also had them in stock. Took 30 minutes to get anyone at the gun counter. Another hour+ to do all the paperwork. I then have to come back three days later to pick up. Another 15 minutes waiting for anyone at the counter. 15 more for a manager to come ring up and walk me out. Over three hours total in the store to complete the purchase.
 
Not worth the hassle to buy from Wal-mart. I stop there for pretty much everything I buy. As far as firearms and ammo go, nope. I will never buy another firearm from Wal-Mart. And their ammo is typically junk too.
 
I can't say for certain that its the same in all states, but I can tell you for certain Walmart managers can lower the price on a firearm here in Tennessee. I actually worked at a local Walmart in the sporting goods department in my teenage years and witnessed it happen multiple times usually for the item being incorrectly labelled. My local Walmart is also able to tell how many of a certain gun they have on hand through a PC they have behind the counter and the inventory counts are almost never off when it comes to firearms. It sounds like you found a store either full of people that didn't know what they were doing, or were trying their hardest not to lose money correcting their mistake like they should have.


Gee a store full of $11.00 per hour people and ALL were morons? And the surprise is where?
 
Sooooo...I’m accidentally in the local Wally World looking at firearms. They have an Axis II 6.5 Creed with Accutrigger for. $296.

Good deal or no?
 
I get it. My point is, I'd expect any gun transaction at Wal Mart to take a long time - issue #1. Had the price issue not come up, there's no more issues and you don't get 'lied' to, and you're out of there in about the (from my experience) expected timeframe. But, price (issue #2) brings about everything else. I would expect a big issue asking for the marked price error and not the actual price. Since three people told you the same thing, I'm guessing they were all told the same thing. I suppose it is technically a lie, but since the gun price was not actually marked down, and a gift card had to be used, I'd think there is at least some truth to the policy even if it isn't 'federally mandated'. Probably a gun or specific product issue, or perhaps the amount of the discount having to be provided and price of the product. Normally a manager could make the adjustment at the time and be done with it.

I just bought one of the 10/22's from Wal Mart with their recent sale ($124). First store told me they had one in the back, but the guy at the counter refused to go get it and scan it. Took about 20 minutes to get the guy to the gun counter. Said the price is $209. I left. Went to another store (25 miles away) where I knew they also had them in stock. Took 30 minutes to get anyone at the gun counter. Another hour+ to do all the paperwork. I then have to come back three days later to pick up. Another 15 minutes waiting for anyone at the counter. 15 more for a manager to come ring up and walk me out. Over three hours total in the store to complete the purchase.
There are states that have laws that state the seller has to sell the merchandise at the marked price, even if it was priced in error. LA. has such a law but it is not as clear as other states.
Yesterday when I bought the rifle the sales clear said to me, "Oh, your the one they were talking about. She did seem a little nerves and entered my DL expiration date wrong . I had to point out to her that she had entered 2012 instead of 2021. She apologized and I told her that I mixed numbers up sometimes myself. I did see the manager that was rude to me. When she saw me she turned and walked away. The manager Alex did tell me that some employees would be getting training in store policy and customer service.
But when it comes to markdowns in a Walmart, the lady at the home office said that the store manager had the final say so, including firearms.
I can't tell you the last time I bought a gun from Walmart, but if I ever do again, it better be one hell of a good price and I will video everything that goes on while I'm there.
 
[QUOTE="GunnyUSMC, post: " I will video everything " [/QUOTE]

Don't blame you, it is just too bad that things in the present times we now live in come down to having (video) proof!
Think about it, your long transaction was probably recorded!
 
It's usually an hour to buy a gun at Walmart during normal hours. I have no problem waiting a while to buy a half price rifle. For a regular price gun I will have it ordered by local gun store.
 
Gee a store full of $11.00 per hour people and ALL were morons? And the surprise is where?
There are many intelligent people who work at Walmart, and not all of us are management. But there are some doozies, too. :uhoh:

The manager Alex did tell me that some employees would be getting training in store policy and customer service.
Yes, they will. :evil:
 
I bought a 10/22 from the Jackson, KY (about the gun friendliest place you can imagine) Walmart in 1988. Even then and there they walked me out of the building.
 
Some years back I bought a shotgun at Wally World and they wouldn't let me buy any ammo with it. I had to go out, put the gun in the trunk, then come back in for the ammo. I guess they figure that if someone wants to buy a gun to shoot the place up, having to make two trips to the gun counter instead of just one is going to dissuade them from carrying their plan through to completion.

:D

One evening I had an overtime special assignment. There were not enough department issue shotguns for the extra car. I got authorization to use my own. Went in to Walmart a couple days before the OT and bought the shotgun. I'm in a police uniform, with duty pistol on the belt. The manager would not sell me practice ammo for it before walked me out of the store carrying the taped shut box, handed me the box, watched me lock it in the trunk of the patrol car, then walked back to sporting goods with me to tell the clerk it was okay to sell me the shells now.

They had a Marlin 336W for $337 or so, down about fifty from what it had been, and Remington had another $50 rebate going on.

I gave up trying to buy one from them during that sale. Finally I walked behind the unoccupied gun counter to take a crappy cell phone pic of the sale tag. Went down the street to Academy. They were happy to sell me one. So happy in fact they price matched it plus 10%. When the manager doing the 4473 saw the veteran tag on my license he gave me another 15%. Don't even try to buy guns at Walmart anymore.
 
Never spent more than about an hour purchasing a firearm from Wal-Mart.

Did find it funny carrying on my person while the lady manager (both times) walked me out.


Would have never jumped through the hoops you did from a place like WM, unless they we're giving away free guns. Even then...ehh
 
Just to re-iterate: That whole "law disallows honoring our price mis-mark" thing is 100% bogus. The law cares not one whit about whether or how much money is exchanged for a gun - only whether and to whom it is transferred possession physically, and under what circumstances. You have a lot of patience. Nice gun. I came pretty close to shelling out for a Sav. 10 in .338 federal on gunbroker a couple days ago - it was only $340 buy it now. and brand new with a green stock. The feeling passed, but it's neat how you can get better deals on guns in chamberings that were passing fads or were supplanted by the latest whizz-bang chambering.
 
Let me just start from the beginning. On Wednesday September the 27th my son Isaac and I were in Walmart around 6pm. I stopped to look at their gun display and saw that they had a heavy barreled Savage rifle priced $269. I thought that was a pretty good deal and wanted to have a look at the rifle. After waiting 30 minuets, I left the gun counter, finished my shopping and went home.
The next day I went back to the store after work and there was a person behind the counter. I asked to look at the rifle. I was handed the rifle and the tag on the rifle stated it was a Savage Axis. I told the nice lady that I would take one. I filled out the 4473 on the computer everything went good. She started putting the SN# for the display gun on the paperwork. I asked if they had another rifle in the back. She said she would check , but would have to have someone watch the counter for her. About 20 minuets later someone showed up to watch the counter. About another 20 minuets later I was told that was the only one they had, I said I would take it. She comes to the counter with the rifle box and finished the paperwork and then called for a manager to ring up the sale. Well we waited a good while while before a manager showed up. The paperwork was double checked the they rang up the rifle. And told the total was $437. Now I know that our tax is not that high, I said that the rifle had a tag saying it was $269. This is when they discovered that they had the wrong tag on the rifle. They asked what I wanted to do, I said buy the rifle for the marked price. The manager said that she could not mark it down because it was a federal regulated item. I said that was BS. I was told that I would have to come back the next day. By this time Two hours had passed and I went home.
Friday I got off at noon and went back to the store. The department manager was there and I told her what had happened. The first thing she says is that guns were Federal regulated and she couldn’t mark it down. I told her that was BS and that she needed to get someone above her pay grade to talk with me. Another manager showed up a short time later and advised of the situation. First she tells me that guns are Federal regulated and could not be marked down. I told her that she was the third person to tell me that same lie. She then told me that she was not going to mark the gun down and that was it. I asked her for the home office phone number. With as much attitude as possible she said. “It’s 1-800- Walmart, and you can call them if you want “ . That was another 30 minuets wasted at Walmart.
When I got home I called the home office. A very nice lady took my call. I told her about the situation and the amount of time it took. She apologized and told me that the store manager was the one that had the final say so in the store. She said she would contact the store manager and that I shop be contacted on Monday.
About an hour later a manager from the store contacted me to ask what had happened. I advised him of everything that had happened and he said he would get back to me. Saturday morning he called me back and said there must have been a miscommunication about the price of the gun when I went to buy it. I told him that there was no miscommunication, that the gun was clearly marked $269. He told me that he had to check something and would get back to me.
He called back later and said that he had talked to the store manager and they were willing to give me a $100 gift card to put towards the purchase of the gun or use as I saw fit. I told him that would work for me.
Today I picked up the gift card and went to buy the rifle. About an hour and fifteen minutes later I left the store with the rifle. That is the longest it has ever taken me to buy a Gun.
Here’s the gun.
View attachment 805782 View attachment 805783 View attachment 805784

Thats a lot of work for an Axis, betcha its a shooter tho.

There are times Im sad walmart here dosent carry firearms, then I go online and read stuff like this.

Much like buying anything else there, if I cant pick it up and walk out with it, Ill get it somewhere else.
 
I refuse to give Walmart any of my money because of similar reasons to what you have experienced. I can find everything I need for equal or better pricing elsewhere. Incompetence abounds, especially in the sporting goods section. And you know? I dont miss it.
 
Forcing someone to sell you something at a loss because they made a mistake? Pretty low. They are not legally obligated to do that, regardless of what dime store lawyers tell you.

How would you feel if you listed a car on Craigslist, left a zero out of the price, and then had someone badger you to sell it for 90% off?

It's too bad they lied to you about their ability to discount it, but taking advantage because of an error is not right.
 
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There must be a lot of differences in the merchandise Wal-Mart stores carrying across the country. The Wal-Mart closest to us seems to be putting most of the Sporting Goods items in locked glass cases.

We brought a new Zebco 33 fishing reel a couple of months ago and all of the reels were in a locked cabinet.

I want to get another battery powered lantern and they have all of them locked up in a glass case. I'll probably buy one from Cabelas. It will cost more but I can inspect and make sure I am getting what I what.

The department is usually not staffed so they probably are locking things in glass cases to prevent theft. It is probably working pretty well as there are not employees around to unlock the case!
 
Forcing someone to sell you something at a loss because they made a mistake? Pretty low. They are not legally obligated to do that, regardless of what dime store lawyers tell you.

How would you feel if you listed a car on Craigslist, left a decimal point out of the price, and then had someone badger you to sell it for 90% off?

It's too bad they lied to you about their ability to discount it, but taking advantage because of an error is not right.

So you are ok when you are buying groceries that the clerk ringing up the sale adds another $10, $20, $30 to the total because they made a pricing mistake? Why not just have a blanket policy of adding 25% to the total just to cover any mistakes they may have made?

Laws requiring stores to sell merchandise at the price that is marked exist because so many retailers that engaged (and still will if given the opportunity) in false advertising.
 
Forcing someone to sell you something at a loss because they made a mistake? Pretty low. They are not legally obligated to do that, regardless of what dime store lawyers tell you.

How would you feel if you listed a car on Craigslist, left a zero out of the price, and then had someone badger you to sell it for 90% off?

It's too bad they lied to you about their ability to discount it, but taking advantage because of an error is not right.
There you go again with your negativity, You should drink more beer, or maybe less.
Where did you read that I forced them to sell me anything? Where did you read that I talked to a lawyer or got advise from one?
I did state that each state has laws related to the marked price on merchandise. CA. is one of the states that is very straight forward in that the store has to sell you the item for the marked price.
Here’s a link to the LA. State law. https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017/05/09/LOUISIANA.doc
I didn’t know what the Savage Axis Rifle sold for. I just saw a rifle with a good price and knew that Walmart had been putting guns on clearance from ready post here on the forum.
I think it’s pretty low of you to come here and accuse my of being low when it appears that you didn’t even take the time to read what I posted.
Also I did not put in my original post that the store also wanted to give me another $25 gift card for one inconvenience of waiting two hours the night I tried to buy the gun. I refused it and told Alex that the $100 gift card was more then enough.
 
Laws requiring stores to sell merchandise at the price that is marked exist because so many retailers that engaged (and still will if given the opportunity) in false advertising.
Yep, that's exactly the reason for those laws.
 
Buying from WalMart (or Sam's Club, for that matter) may be a bit of a hassle but I shop there all the time.
Just not for guns - primarily because I rarely buy new guns.
Anyway, paying retail for durable goods is almost against my religion.
 
I had a horrible experience with the local wally world a few years back. The uninformed folks led me on a runaround for a couple of hours. I vowed I would never buy anything firearms related from them again. I have kept my word.
 
This is what the Federal Trade Commission says on the subject:

In many jurisdictions, companies are legally required to charge no more than the advertised or shelf price for a product, so good pricing practices are important for both customer satisfaction and a company’s bottom line.
However, retail pricing is actually governed by state laws, and many include provisions that excuse businesses for unintentional mistakes they quickly correct. For example, let’s take a look at Massachusetts law. The section of the law pertaining to correcting such errors states this:
It is an unfair or deceptive act for a seller, manufacturer, franchisor or distributor who discovers a material error in an advertisement subsequent to the submission date of the advertisement to fail to either honor the terms of the advertisement prior to correction, or to promptly correct any material misrepresentation … .
The law goes on to say that corrections should be published in the same medium as the original advertisement, if possible, or at the very least posted at all store entrances and by the sale item.

Check with your state attorney general’s office for the specific law in your area. However, as a general rule, if there has been no correction posted, you could get away with demanding the retailer honor a misprinted ad. But if a correction has been published, you’re probably out of luck.
 
A guy here is the champion of mismarked underpriced merchandise, he has bought a lot of stuff for less than the dealer would have liked. The clerks don't care, they just ring it up.
The extreme case was when the barcode on a case of ammunition scanned at the single box price. This was too much for even his ethics and he pointed it out to the store clerk. She argued with him that the computer could not be wrong and insisted on selling him a thousand rounds for $3.87.
 
Why do you shop at Walmart? I don’t think I have ever been in one,, at least not in twenty years, and am doing just fine.
 
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