WALMART Return Practice

[kman223]

So I had bought 2 Cloud Cuckoo from Walmart last week, but both boxes were beat up pretty bad.  I found CC at a few other places and decided that I would just return the two beat up boxes along with three Turbo Tank mini's that I had picked up as well.  I got up to the service desk and the clerk looked at what I was returning and asked why I was returning them.  I told her because the boxes were beat up, and that we changed our minds about the turbo tanks.  She examined the seals on all the boxes carefully, looked at a co-worker and asked"We have to open these right?".  Needless to say I was a little surprised, but seining the condition the two CC boxes I figured that was the reason.  But after opening both CC, she proceeded to tear open all three Turbo Tank boxes, which where in perfect condition.  I asked if they did that for all Lego returns and she said yes.  Is this common practice at all Walmarts?

[meowingthings]

I have heard this on here before. I think it varies by store. Can't imagine it is a corporate policy. I have returned Legos to Walmart a couple times and had no such issues.

[MartinP]

I have heard this on here before. I think it varies by store. Can't imagine it is a corporate policy. I have returned Legos to Walmart a couple times and had no such issues.

Same here. Every time I returned  a Lego set to Walmart, they didn't care and I had no issues.

[Curtis]

I've found walmart to be all over the map with this stuff. There are some stores where even when you cite the corporate policy to them they openly decide to make up their own rules. It's very frustrating and I've shopped there much less as time goes on.

[MartinP]

I've found walmart to be all over the map with this stuff. There are some stores where even when you cite the corporate policy to them they openly decide to make up their own rules. It's very frustrating and I've shopped there much less as time goes on.

That is one of the many reasons why I like shopping at Target, but I have found very few good clearance deals at Target. They all seem to be at Walmart for me.

[kman223]

Walmart is definitely my least preferred store as well. 

[segreto]

What do they check for after they open them?  Do they actually count the number of bags listed in the direction books?  Or are they simply making sure it is not puzzle pieces and a towel?    I returned one large set to a Walmart, and they just asked me if I had opened it.  I was bewildered, as the tape was still on, but this was before I read about Lego buyers switching contents.    And what happens if you tell them you had opened it? 

[MartinP]

What do they check for after they open them?  Do they actually count the number of bags listed in the direction books?  Or are they simply making sure it is not puzzle pieces and a towel?    I returned one large set to a Walmart, and they just asked me if I had opened it.  I was bewildered, as the tape was still on, but this was before I read about Lego buyers switching contents.    And what happens if you tell them you had opened it? 

I have never encountered questions like that from Walmart. I returned only one opened set to Walmart and they asked why I was returning it. I replied, because some of the minifigures were taken from the set.

[stephen_rockefeller]

This is definitely not common walmart practice.......the person working returns and or the person supervising seems to be an idiot that's all.

[kman223]

She Told Me It Was Store Policy To Open All Lego Sets That Are Returned. I Was Shocked To Say The least

[Mos_Eisley]

I've seen it happen at TRU, Target and the LEGO store (stuff I've seen happen and on counters that I've asked about, I don't return LEGO sets). If they think that anything might be missing, they can't resell it so they may as well check it out first. It doesn't matter to the store, it's TLG that takes the loss. The sets are sent back to TLG for credit.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I've seen it happen at TRU, Target and the LEGO store (stuff I've seen happen and on counters that I've asked about, I don't return LEGO sets). If they think that anything might be missing, they can't resell it so they may as well check it out first. It doesn't matter to the store, it's TLG that takes the loss. The sets are sent back to TLG for credit.

 

Which is why you see TLG changing policies more often than the actually retailers like changing whats in what bags and switching things around. The good thing is at least TLG can fix them in the end with a rebox or whatever else.

[kman223]

That's true, all she did was look to see if the bags were sealed.  Didn't even sheck to see what was suppose to be in there.

[Shislerocco]

I bought a slave 1 a long time ago at a walmart on clearance. Opened to build and there were bags opened and figs missing. The seals and box looked perfect. I contacted lego and they were going to replace the missing pieces. I returned them to walmart and got a replaced sealed box. Checked that one as soon as I got home. I let lego know that walmart replaced the set and no longer needed the parts.

Was very surprised that this was even possible. Opened a battle of endor set to check I had bought at the same store. Wasn't going to be stuck without all those figs when the set hit EOL.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Some of the nicer sets with very wanted figures, like the Hulk set, I just open them when I buy them and check them.

 

In reality, it doesn't affect the price I get and its worth it.

[Shislerocco]

Found a weather top LOTR set at walmart yesterday of all things. Box was a little beat up and one seal looked tampered with. Opened it tonight to check contents. I knew I was in trouble when I cut the second seal and the flap didn't come up. YUP! GLUE! Sure enough bag 1, that I assume held the figures, was pretty much empty yet the bag was sealed and no loose pieces in the box.

Some jerk went to long lengths to pull this off.

I hope people that do these kinds of things have a special place hot place in you know where reserved for them.

I'm all for the retailers opening returned sets to keep this from happening.

I was extremely excited to find this retired set to ad to my collection. Now extremely disappointed.

[Jojoyojimbi]

Walmart employees are so stupid 99% of them don't even know their own corporate policies and think that anything they make up on the spot will stick.

 

I've found that carrying around laminated return, price match, and sale policies helps immensely, as well as having the district manager's number on hand for especially belligerent and disrespectful managerial staff who don't want to honor sales/discounts/coupon matching/etc/whatever

 

this all stems from one store where the lady was so belligerent she tried to call the cops on me for calling the district manager to complain about her right there and taking her photo to email him.  And all because I was trying to get a pricematch for a flyer to another store, something she was supposed to do in the first place.  Luckily I've never seen her again since that day, I assume she got fired hopefully.

[BricktasticBlocks]

The humanity!!!

Have a Bricktastic day!!!

[ltbuyer]

Found a weather top LOTR set at walmart yesterday of all things. Box was a little beat up and one seal looked tampered with. Opened it tonight to check contents. I knew I was in trouble when I cut the second seal and the flap didn't come up. YUP! GLUE! Sure enough bag 1, that I assume held the figures, was pretty much empty yet the bag was sealed and no loose pieces in the box.

Some jerk went to long lengths to pull this off.

I hope people that do these kinds of things have a special place hot place in you know where reserved for them.

I'm all for the retailers opening returned sets to keep this from happening.

I was extremely excited to find this retired set to ad to my collection. Now extremely disappointed.

 

Exactly why my understanding is that LEGO would prefer no retailer accept returns on LEGO.  THey would prefer to deal with the customer support instead of the bad reputation they get when people find trashed sets.  But then again that's the long/painfull process as a customer!!

[cladner]

in a sort of related post - i went to pick up an SSD for instore delivery last night.

the guy goes to the back and so says "oh this is a big one".

then comes walking out with what initially I thought was a used Star Wars pi

[Young_Gun21]

in a sort of related post - i went to pick up an SSD for instore delivery last night.

the guy goes to the back and so says "oh this is a big one".

then comes walking out with what initially I thought was a used Star Wars pi

[Mos_Eisley]

in a sort of related post - i went to pick up an SSD for instore delivery last night.

the guy goes to the back and so says "oh this is a big one".

then comes walking out with what initially I thought was a used Star Wars pi

[mcortez]

It goes back to TLG for credit. Then TLG sends all the damaged/returned stuff out to a handful of stores that are able to sell damages.

 

I've also seen things like this go out into the clearance aisle, or sent to salvage (goodwill / salvation army / etc...)

[imirish11]

Walmart, and just about all major retailers including Amazon sell their unsold clearance and damaged items, etc. to wholesale resellers by the truckload. It's like storage wars but the storage lockers are those trailers that they use to store their unsold merchandise. If you have 20-50k, you can buy one. The wholesalers then sell the merchandise to any business with vendor's license by the pallet. I found a few companies like this with the google. I've seen quite a few retired sets in various shipping manifests, but there's so much other crap included that I didn't find it worth it to make a purchase.