[publana]

I am so angry that somebody can do this and get away with it that I'm spitting bullets.

[OldFriend]

There must be a phone number for the Corporate office of WalMart. Give them a call and explain what happened.

[publana]

I should also mention that the gas station at Walmart is run by Murphy Oil. We contacted them, earlier today, but have yet to receive a reply.

[firewalk]

bttt

[xcamel]

I think if you call the regional office thay will happily replace the card with the full amount.

[DemforBush]

Is there an "investigative reporter" at one of the local television stations? The public spotlight might make Wal-Mart management a little more receptive to you parent's situation.

Just a thought. Hope your parents get some justice here.

[Bahbah]

I am sure you are angry, but you have also just performed a great service. With your permission, I will copy the essential parts of what happened with all identifiers removed and email it to friends and family.

[TomGuy]

There is also another scam with gift cards:

You buy the gift card. Thief has already copied down the access number which was visible*. After a few days, thief checks to see if the card has been activated. If it has been activated, thief empties the account with (online) purchases.

---

*Many stores are aware of this scam and are now packaging the cards so that the access number cannot be seen.

[Panzerfaust]

I'd go to the service station and visit the clerk in person. I'd have the money in five minutes, or at least my $400 worth of satisfaction. I don't like thieves.

[Bender2]

Well... I'm visiting a friend in Corsicana and he's dull as hell... So I may just mosey up to Mesquite and have a talk with that crooked sombitch!

[Enterprise]

Unfortunately for your parents, they drew a dumbass cop. This is not a small claims matter, it is a theft. In Kaleefornia it would be a felony because the value was over 400 dollars. Too bad.

[Enosh]

Walmart is not a bank. Nor is Borders.

... or any other corporation.


US Fed is a pretty good bet, but that sometimes looks odd too.

Switzerland - That is a bank.

[Hardastarboard]

Instead of telling her to buzz off, he hands her the card.

Brassy thief, combined with an honest, decent citizen, led to this. A good lesson for all of us.

[al baby]

That women that works at wall mart makes very little money prolly has kids come on Its Christmas she needed the money I for one feel sorry for her

[rwilson99]

There is a record of the sale, and a record that the clerk was in possession of the card.

You have all of the evidence you need to get satisfaction from Murphy Oil and Walmart.

[VOA]

Thanks for relating your family's sad tale.

IF and ONLY IF you can't get satisfaction soon...read below.


My inexpert suggestion (and thus probably foolish) would be to really go over
your folks story. Make it short, sweet and direct.

Call the local newspapers and TV stations. At least one is likely to
have a "consumer affairs" or "scam" reporter that would salivate over
a story like this.
And a story about grinch behind plexiglas robbing an adorable
senior-citizen couple AT CHRISTMAS TIME...that's red meat for most journalists.

Be prepared for WalMart/Murphy Oil and the local police to fire back.

But sometimes, going public is the only way for the disinfectant
of exposure to the light of day to clean up these infective insults to
a daily civil life.
And prevent the scammer from getting away with it over and over again.

And I'm no lawyer, but I think your folks have been the victim of
a real crime, and a felony at that.

[HitmanLV]

Why do people do what people tell them to do? If I know I'm in the right and confronted in a situation like this, I tell the person to call a cop and we'll settle this. Otherwise, I'm outta here.

People need to develop some of that NY Attitude, I tell you.

Feel bad for the old folks, though. But a healthy disrespect for the authority of strangers has never let me down in all my 38 years!

[NonValueAdded]

If he has the receipt, there should be a computer trail back to the card id that he used. He should demand that Walmart freeze that card (probably too late but worth the shot) while things play out. He should also demand the card's transaction history and register video. It was a Walmart employee who perpetrated the fraud so Walmart should be the defendant in small claims court. And tell them never, ever get a debit card or a gift card, certainly not in large demoninations.

[HAL9000]

The whole event was probably videotaped by a security tape. Get that tape.

[Taxman]

Hire a junk-yard-dog-mean attorney and sue the ass off of Wal*Mart!

[Buddy B]

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.

Would the purchaser of the Gift Card have his Gift Card Number somewhere / somehow?

Would his receipt for the $414.18 balance have his Gift Card number?

If the clerk was not smart, his card would still have his finger prints on it?