There's don't care, REALLY don't care, and then there is Wal-mart

[Capt.S.G.Wiseman]

This all started about a month ago when I thought I was buying a new Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow pack. When I opened it, I realized that the figures were about 3 to 5 years old with a custom paint job. I didn't have internet at the time, so i asked my cousin to check it out. He confirmed my fears that I had been screwed, because other than the figures not being there, neither was the Rescue Doc sticker.

 

A week later I spotted a Scarlet/Gen. Hawk pack that had been replaced with a Valor vs. Venom Duke and a generic C.O.R.P.S figure. The front pictures of Scarlet and Hawk were removed, the comic was gone and of course the Doc sticker. I first brought this to a floor associate and told him what was wrong with the product. I told him that Wal-mart had already been ripped off, but if someone were to buy this, they would be ripped off. He thanked me and assured me he would take care of it.

 

The next day, the pack was back on the shelf.

This time I took it to customer service and asked for the manager. Someone other than the manager asked me how they could help. I explained to them the situation and pleaded with them to remove this item form the shelf and to be weary of people returning these 2-packs. They thanked me very much and assured me they would take care of the situation.

 

The next day, it was back on the shelf. Not only that, but some of the other packs had been cut on the side so they could get to the sticker. I called Wal-mart and demanded to speak with the manager. Assistant manager "Linda" answered my call. I explained not only what was happening, but what I had done previously. Linda was glad that I brought this to her attention, and assured me the product would be removed. I offered to come in on a Saturday and explain to the customer service and floor associates what to look for so that no other customers would be ripped off.

 

That very weekend, I went back and saw it was never removed. There it was, looking right at me. As I was shaking my head in disgust, the toy department manager happened to be there. She asked me if there was something wrong. I told the whole story. She was amazed, and proceeded to blame he "zoners". I showed her the pack, and all the other ones that had been cut open. She thanked me very much for explaining everything.

 

The next day, you guessed it, back on the shelf. @bH@

 

A couple of days later I spot a Joe two pack with some old crappy G-Bots in it with a Spiderman comic inside. I had to laugh at this one. I hand it to an older lady doing the returns and told her strickly "Give this to Linda. She's going to know what I'm talking about." Since then I haven't seen either the fake Duke pack or the Go-Bot pack, but man. Talking about not caring.

[Pit Viper]

It might just be a communication problem. Wal*Mart employees a lot of people. It could be that these things were placed in a damage bin or what not and whoever has to go through that stuff looked it over not seeing why it would be considered damaged and put it back on the shelf. Or it could be that they just told you that they were going to take care of it to get rid of you.

[Capt.S.G.Wiseman]

It might just be a communication problem. Wal*Mart employees a lot of people. It could be that these things were placed in a damage bin or what not and whoever has to go through that stuff looked it over not seeing why it would be considered damaged and put it back on the shelf. Or it could be that they just told you that they were going to take care of it to get rid of you.

 

I honestly think your right about them wanting to get rid of me, but there was no lack of communication because I literally was pestering everybody.

 

For weeks.

[Tazzzman]

This all started about a month ago when I thought I was buying a new Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow pack. When I opened it, I realized that the figures were about 3 to 5 years old with a custom paint job. I didn't have internet at the time, so i asked my cousin to check it out. He confirmed my fears that I had been screwed, because other than the figures not being there, neither was the Rescue Doc sticker.

 

A week later I spotted a Scarlet/Gen. Hawk pack that had been replaced with a Valor vs. Venom Duke and a generic C.O.R.P.S figure. The front pictures of Scarlet and Hawk were removed, the comic was gone and of course the Doc sticker. I first brought this to a floor associate and told him what was wrong with the product. I told him that Wal-mart had already been ripped off, but if someone were to buy this, they would be ripped off. He thanked me and assured me he would take care of it.

 

The next day, the pack was back on the shelf.

This time I took it to customer service and asked for the manager. Someone other than the manager asked me how they could help. I explained to them the situation and pleaded with them to remove this item form the shelf and to be weary of people returning these 2-packs. They thanked me very much and assured me they would take care of the situation.

 

The next day, it was back on the shelf. Not only that, but some of the other packs had been cut on the side so they could get to the sticker. I called Wal-mart and demanded to speak with the manager. Assistant manager "Linda" answered my call. I explained not only what was happening, but what I had done previously. Linda was glad that I brought this to her attention, and assured me the product would be removed. I offered to come in on a Saturday and explain to the customer service and floor associates what to look for so that no other customers would be ripped off.

 

That very weekend, I went back and saw it was never removed. There it was, looking right at me. As I was shaking my head in disgust, the toy department manager happened to be there. She asked me if there was something wrong. I told the whole story. She was amazed, and proceeded to blame he "zoners". I showed her the pack, and all the other ones that had been cut open. She thanked me very much for explaining everything.

 

The next day, you guessed it, back on the shelf. @bH@

 

A couple of days later I spot a Joe two pack with some old crappy G-Bots in it with a Spiderman comic inside. I had to laugh at this one. I hand it to an older lady doing the returns and told her strickly "Give this to Linda. She's going to know what I'm talking about." Since then I haven't seen either the fake Duke pack or the Go-Bot pack, but man. Talking about not caring.

 

I am not surprised at all, same thing exactly happened to me at the Wal-Mart in Santa Clarita, I told the manger, the customer service person and still the packed remained, I also saw that they replaced the figures and even one time put a VvsV CG in place of the 25th aniversary CG, ohh well. I am going to ask that HASBRO use the UPC as the battle points or proof of purchase next time when I go to the con this year.

[Capt.S.G.Wiseman]

I am going to ask that HASBRO use the UPC as the battle points or proof of purchase next time when I go to the con this year.

 

I think that would have been the real way to go. They really left it too easy for the cons to take advantage of their packaging. All they had to do was cut the tape on one side and BAM, it's done. @hmmm@

[ARROW]

You have to think of this in terms of scale.

 

You are complaining about a $5-$7 item--the principle here being relevant to you, but not to them.

They see it as stock, something that has items in the package that, if someone buys it and does not return it, will no longer be their problem.

For all intents and purposes, that single item is technically written off already, likely under some threashold of acceptable losses and shortages. They can still get $$ for it, selling it to someone else under the principle "caveat emptor".

Its not so much that they do not care by choice , their store system is set up to "not care" by unintentional design--because its geared towards moving so much volume in the most expeditious manner possible. If a $5 item isn't what its supposed to be........in the big picture, its nothing to them. They WILL put it back on the pegs as just another sales item. You could go to the regional manager, the head of the company, and it will make no difference.

They do not care if you shop there or not, because someone else will take you place--that's the indifferent truth about it.

 

That's what happens when a lot of people shop at Walmart.

You'd NEVER see that kind of swap attempted on an item sold through a smaller retailer, like a comic shop--simply because the margins are so tight they will scrutinize returns.

 

The swap-outs will not stop until the stores institute a rigid policy of policing every return, and the larger chains like Walmart will not do that because keeping MOST of the customers happy is the key to their profits. As long as the ignorant staff persist in being clueless about the stock on their shelves, the swap-thieves will have free reign.

 

Its another reason I simply do not rely on chain retailers like Walmart.

[Tazzzman]

Its another reason I simply do not rely on chain retailers like Walmart.

 

I completely agree. That is why I pre order from BBTS, and hopefully my proofs or purchase /stickers will be in the comic packs when I get them since Admiral Hunter stated that one of Nok's packs did not come with filecards or the proofs.

[MUNDO]

Bring a marker with you next time. If you see one of these packs, make a nice big note on the bubble to let them know.

[Glue]

I had a similar incident in which I mentioned a completely torn open w1 CC package which had been replaced with the w4 figure (yeah, go figure..). After speaking to the asst manager, who also happened to be named Linda, she told me.. pretty much what they figure the customer wants to hear!.. except with the small dose of reality of, "Yeah.. there really isn't anything we can do to prevent this because we can't watch the aisle all the time. So the only thing we ever can do is just return it to the manufacturer for credit."

 

She was aware of me being another of "those toy collectors" who obviously care, but as ARROW says it's pretty much a non-issue to them. They probably put up with a lotta demands from collector requests already.

 

The upshot of all this is that, as that small demographic of collectors, we're on our own to come up with a solution or at least workaround. The sticker theft is low -- you know that takes another collector or ebay scalper -- but the theft of the actual items of the package itself is just brazen. Always check the tape for tampering and the blister for discrete or not-so-discrete slices, and the figures of course.. but yeah, Wal-Mart doesn't give a hoot 'n a half.

[Capt.S.G.Wiseman]

You have to think of this in terms of scale.

 

You are complaining about a $5-$7 item--the principle here being relevant to you, but not to them.

They see it as stock, something that has items in the package that, if someone buys it and does not return it, will no longer be their problem.

 

 

I understand what you mean. If the product is damaged goods, then any price Wal-mart can get out of it is good for them. The part that bothers me is that I presented this problem to the workers who only make $5-$7 dollars an hour. It's no money in their pocket if the item gets sold, they still get their fix income and Wal-mart gets their money. Why not help their fellow customers instead of kissing Wal-mart's @$$.

Wal-mart also has a insurance program called Loss-Prevention. They get a percentage of their money back regardless.

[RobbieDigital]

They just really don't care........plus I'm sure that they have a million other huge problems that go on day to day in the store than "Something in the toy section." People just don't really care.......if I ever find anything like that I just hide the thing somewhere in the store......just so some kid doesn't come up and pick it up.

 

It sucks but........what can you do??

[heikks86]

i worked at walmart for awhile and most employees will say they will take care of it, so you will leave them alone. It seems most walmart employees hate being asked questions by customers. Besides the cheap prices at walmart the stores pretty much suck. Target is a much better place to buy toys from

[ARROW]

Part of the problem is that toy departments are traditional money-losers for retail chains.

They are notoriously difficult to keep clean, stock is often strewn around the aisle by children, packages opened on the spot, again by children=and the goods that survive for any length of time on the shelf frequently look like they have been #$@#-canned. Compare the aisles of a TRU to a Walmart---TRU being a dedicated toy store and Walmart not--huge difference. Heck, most toy departments these days really are just magnets to get families into the store, like grocery aisles.

 

 

Quite a few large department store chains have dropped toy departments because they actually reflect badly on the stores.

I think, with that in mind, its no wonder the staff treat the toy aisles and toy returns with indifference.

 

 

Now, they have the means to prosecute these swap artists. The underlying foundations are there.

They have photo records are every person entering the store and apporaching the returns desk, they have the reciept records for MOST of the items being returned-usually--and they have the items themselves on the pegs to compare the reurned goods with.

The reason they will not prosecute is time and cost.

To train the staff to either recognize the 10's of thousands of items the store carries, or to go to the pegs and attempt a comparision takes too much valuable time out of the staff's day compared to the cost of that item. They do the check for a $500 refridgerator, because of the price point, but its not wirth their time to do it for a $5 toy.

 

 

Honestly, this bugs the piss out of me too. I've seen many a swap in my day and almost been suckered by one or two myself. Its a royal effin' pain when you hold up the ONLY package of that one toy you've been hunting for......and the good are swapped out.

That's just one more on the list of reasons I don't go out of my way to hunt for toys in stores like Walmart.

[Capt.S.G.Wiseman]

Ya, Wal-mart blows, because I brought this up to Target, and they did fix the problem.

[Ren]

I've bought 4 packs in the last two weeks, all were missing stickers and papers. @grumpy@ Bought them from Wal-Mart and Target.

[Blackmada]

My brother told me before that Wal-Mart employees do not ever communicate with each other. I doubt anyone passes information on to whoever needs to know it.

 

Wal-Marts have got to be the worst stores when it comes to orginization. They throw away way too much money.

[slim19722]

I saw this at Target & Wal-Mart with the Star Wars Lucas Stormtrooper mail-away figure. Both stores had the mail-away forms stolen and those figures sat at Target for months, until Target clearanced all the Star Wars figures and this was after I had told the store what had happened, by taking the figures to the customer service desk. I was told they would take care of it, but the fig's made their way back to the shelves. Did the same thing at WM and same results happened. So when I saw this at Target again with the Joes, I told them 6 of their comic packs were torn open and was told the same thing they said about the Star Wars situation. Those Joe packs are still there and have been there for months(first wave of comic packs to hit), so I don't even bother telling retailers when they've been ripped off. Waste of time.

[DOCHOLIDAY56]

I REALLY THINK THE WAY TO END THIS UPC/STICKER STUFF BEING STOLEN OR BOUGHT TAKEN OUT AND RETURNED

 

HASBRO JUST NEEDS TO MAKE PEOPLE INCLUDED THE ORIGINAL RECIEPT ---------OR RECIPETS, MY MOM DOES ALOT OF COUPONS AND REBATE STUFF ALL THE TIME, SHE SOMETIMES WILL BUY THE PRODUCT A FEW TIMES AND GET A FEW REBATES BACK BUT THEY R USUALY ONE PER HOUSE HOLD------SO SHE'LL HAVE ME PUT THE STUFF TOGETHER AND SEND ONE TO MY HOUSE TOO

 

YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL RECIPT ------THATS WHAT HASBRO NEEDS TO DO -----YOU STILL GOTA BUY FOUR PACKS BUT YOU GOTTA INCLUDE THE RECIEPTS ALSO -------ITS A PAIN IN THE BUTT FOR US BUT WHATS MORE OF A PAIN ---

 

SAVING THE RECIPTS OR GETTING SCREWED BY THE SCAMMER SEALING THESE?

 

WHO IT REALLY SUX FOR IS THE 10 YEAR OLD WHO WANTS DOC AND GETS MESSED OVER LIKE THIS, YOU THINK HIS PARENTS R GOING TO RETURN THE PAK----PROBABLY NOT,

 

MAYBE SOMEONE NEEDS TO WRITE WALMART ABOUT THIS LIKE CORPRATE---IF THEY EVEN CARE BUT BASICALLY WHAT THE R DOING IS STEALING BY RETURNING THE FIGURES OR NOT

 

LIKE IF YOU BOUGHT A DRILL AND THE BATTERY WASNT THERE-------NO DIFF

 

 

 

DOC

[ARROW]

MAYBE SOMEONE NEEDS TO WRITE WALMART ABOUT THIS LIKE CORPRATE---IF THEY EVEN CARE BUT BASICALLY WHAT THE R DOING IS STEALING BY RETURNING THE FIGURES OR NOT

What's corporate going to do about the theft of $5 toys??? That kind of loss really isn't worth their time............which is the crux of the whole problem.

If this kind of rampant swapping was done with big-ticket items like barbecues, appliances, furniture etc, then policies would change to combat it.

Thing is, very few crooks are stupid enough to try that kind of swindle, because its so blatant.

Swapping out toys persists because BOTH the stores and the crooks see it as a "victim-less" crime.

[nevermore]

Bring a marker with you next time. If you see one of these packs, make a nice big note on the bubble to let them know.

 

Great idea!

[pesatyel]

I once saw the Scarlett/Hawk pack with Hawk replaced.....with Stalker.

 

This all started about a month ago when I thought I was buying a new Snake-Eyes/Storm Shadow pack. When I opened it, I realized that the figures were about 3 to 5 years old with a custom paint job. I didn't have internet at the time, so i asked my cousin to check it out. He confirmed my fears that I had been screwed, because other than the figures not being there, neither was the Rescue Doc sticker.

 

A week later I spotted a Scarlet/Gen. Hawk pack that had been replaced with a Valor vs. Venom Duke and a generic C.O.R.P.S figure. The front pictures of Scarlet and Hawk were removed, the comic was gone and of course the Doc sticker. I first brought this to a floor associate and told him what was wrong with the product. I told him that Wal-mart had already been ripped off, but if someone were to buy this, they would be ripped off. He thanked me and assured me he would take care of it.

 

The next day, the pack was back on the shelf.

This time I took it to customer service and asked for the manager. Someone other than the manager asked me how they could help. I explained to them the situation and pleaded with them to remove this item form the shelf and to be weary of people returning these 2-packs. They thanked me very much and assured me they would take care of the situation.

 

The next day, it was back on the shelf. Not only that, but some of the other packs had been cut on the side so they could get to the sticker. I called Wal-mart and demanded to speak with the manager. Assistant manager "Linda" answered my call. I explained not only what was happening, but what I had done previously. Linda was glad that I brought this to her attention, and assured me the product would be removed. I offered to come in on a Saturday and explain to the customer service and floor associates what to look for so that no other customers would be ripped off.

 

That very weekend, I went back and saw it was never removed. There it was, looking right at me. As I was shaking my head in disgust, the toy department manager happened to be there. She asked me if there was something wrong. I told the whole story. She was amazed, and proceeded to blame he "zoners". I showed her the pack, and all the other ones that had been cut open. She thanked me very much for explaining everything.

 

The next day, you guessed it, back on the shelf. @bH@

 

A couple of days later I spot a Joe two pack with some old crappy G-Bots in it with a Spiderman comic inside. I had to laugh at this one. I hand it to an older lady doing the returns and told her strickly "Give this to Linda. She's going to know what I'm talking about." Since then I haven't seen either the fake Duke pack or the Go-Bot pack, but man. Talking about not caring.

 

 

Wait, someone took the time PAINT old figures to replace them?

 

And you think Linda is going to give rat's about your little "joke"? I don't mean to be negative, but it isn't just that people there don't care. Its also that they aren't knowledgeable about the products.

 

If I showed you, say, a Bratz doll and told you it was the wrong figure in the package, or the wrong purse, or whatever, how would you KNOW? Why, really, would you have reason to care?

 

If the item is BROKEN, then you probably have good cause to complain. But wrong item? Hell, even the packaging normally says "product may vary" (or some such "colors may vary" etc.) Your going to prove its the wrong item?

 

Look, at this way, if someone is dumb enough to buy the switch pack, their tough luck. Yeah, we'd all like to see annoying crap like that stop. But, really, the only way to be certain to stop it is to stop selling the product.

[Admiral Hunter]

Hey, Tazz... Worst case scenario, I've got three two-packs left to open... And two EXTRAS if you want to play with them for doc stickers!

 

For the record: Wild Weasel is the best 25th figure to date.

 

-Kevin

[ARROW]

Bring a marker with you next time. If you see one of these packs, make a nice big note on the bubble to let them know.

 

Great idea!

 

LOUSY idea.

 

That's vandalizing/damaging store property, and can get you arrested. Its up to the stores to police this, there's little we, as collectors, can do. Just gotta grit our teeth and bear it.

[Goldbug]

Hey, Tazz... Worst case scenario, I've got three two-packs left to open... And two EXTRAS if you want to play with them for doc stickers!

 

For the record: Wild Weasel is the best 25th figure to date.

 

-Kevin

 

I disagree. Torpedo far surpasses Wild Weasel!

 

I haven't seen any CP vandalized yet. Besides I already have my 6 stickers so I probably won't be looking for any anymore.

[gossamer]

Yeah Wal-mart is real bad when it comes to that stuff. Not to mention how they represent 75 billion dollars on the latest Forbes list and yet continue to pass the cost of healthcare for their employees onto the rest of the community that pays taxes in the area. Also they are pretty bad when it comes to locking illegal aliens in the store at night and not letting them out until morning after the store has been cleaned. Oh yeah and that thing about pushing American manufacturers to China so that they will be granted access to Wal-Mart's market share. Yeah come to think of it they are pretty annoying.