Posted on 12/14/2006 5:07:03 PM PST by publana
My parents who are in their seventies, retired, and on Social Security stopped at Walmart on US Hwy 80 in Mesquite, TX to get gas. After paying at the pump with a Walmart Gift Card and retrieving the receipt, the woman in the booth comes over the speaker and asks him how he intends to pay.
My Dad tells her he has already paid and shows her the receipt through the window. They argue a bit, then she asks him to see the $500 Walmart Gift Card. Instead of telling her to buzz off, he hands her the card. She tells him the card isn't any good and she isn't returning it. He shows her the balance of $414.18 printed on the receipt and demands the return of the receipt. Another customer sees what is going on and calls the police.
The police come, run his license to see if they can arrest him for anything, takes the woman's side and does nothing other than to tell her to return the card. My parents leave. After driving about a mile, my mother says to go back and complain to the manager at Walmart.
The manager at Walmart looks at the card and checks it. It shows a zero balance. It also is a much older card than the card my Dad had recently purchase. It had a creation date of October. It dawns on my Dad that the woman switched the card. Although, the manager agrees with my Dad, he says there is nothing he can do. He suggests he calls the police for the woman's theft.
The police come back and do nothing. They say it's a matter for Small Claims Court and refuse to file a report. My Dad wants a report filed because he realizes this woman has a great scam going. Switch cards, keep the one with the money. The customer will not notice the money is gone until the next time he goes to Walmart to make a purchase with the card. By that time, the person will not even remember handing the card to the employee.
My parents, being retired and on social security, could not afford to lose $400 at Christmas time.
Be careful out there!
It does. I just called my Dad to ask about the card he does have. I was incorrect before.
My Dad's card was older not newer. The card the woman gave him was created on Oct. 30 for $30. There was a purchase of $21 on Dec 9, and another purchase TODAY for $9. Since his receipt shows that he paid $49.32 for gas, and the Walmart Manager saw this was the wrong card, surely this should prove to Walmart AND Murphy that a switch was pulled.
Lorne Vaclaw
Retail Fuel Operations
(870) 881-6707
Thanks! I'm going to email every version of whulse@murphyoilcorp.com that I can think of.
Katie Sandifer
Community Relations
P.O. Box 7000
El Dorado, AR 71731 (870) 881-6866
ksandifer@murphyoilcorp.com
Thank you, Muleteam. It would be great if he knew who to call to get something done!
The woman from the article I posted got her money back.
Yes I know. There is no reason that Walmart wouldn't pursue this.
That makes no sense. What freaking good is the receipt, then?
Since the card they think your dad had was empty, are they going to sue him for the gas that he "stole"? /sarcasm
I live in the area, also. I think I'll pay that Walmart a visit on Saturday. I won't buy anything, but I'll return a couple of the WM gift cards I bought and let them know why. That tee's me off, royally.
Hope your parents don't buy $500 gift cards anymore.
Yes, I saw that, but publana was unable to make contact with her.
Especially during Christmas... the busiest time of the year for any business.
They surely won't after sending them the link to the story that this has been going on for 2.5 years! I am shocked. I use gift cards, too. Such as when I return something to Lowe's, I just tell them to put it on a gift card because the return is less painful that way. Never again!
I believe Walmart will pony up the loss if your folks will just continue to press them. However, your folks need to get on them right away. If the store manager will not listen, take it to the district manager, and keep going up. If I get any useful information from my bro-in-law, I will let you know.
Indeed. Exactly my point.
Next time he sees this cop give him the definition of Fraud
intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right
Using a Gift Card - Gift Cards - Products and Merchandise - Help - Wal-Mart
From the web page:
Lost or Stolen Gift Cards
"We're sorry, but Gift Cards are just like cash. If you lose your card, we cannot replace or refund the money. If you have stored your Gift Card information, you may still use that Gift Card to make online purchases, provided the lost or stolen card has not been redeemed by someone."
Seems like we know the thief!
Thanks.
I just called him and told him much of what you guys have all said, plus discussed the article. He's feeling much better and feeling more confident that he will get his money back. He was devastated earlier.
I won't be sending THAT link to my Dad. :/
I also talked to him about not using gift cards anymore, and he said he wasn't. He explained that he'd been using this SAME gift card for years (I didn't understand that earlier) and just refills it. It should have a long history on that card IF we can just track it down. I find it hard to believe that Murphy can't track that card with the numbers on the receipt, the location and TIME it was used, and the amount.
Bursting bubbles and such, but you could also ask a lawyer to return the retainer.
Yes, on Saturday, when I return 2 of them, I'm going to ask to return them directly to the manager and tell him it's because I am afraid of spending it with or returning it to just any employee at his store because of what happened to the couple at his gas pump....hehehe....FreeRepublic is damn sure better than any other news source.
ROFL! That is wonderful! His name is James Bozard.
Thanks so much!
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