Posted on 10/14/2013 4:04:56 PM PDT by abb
SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) -
KSLA News 12 obtained video of overflowing shopping carts, excited shoppers, and empty shelves throughout Walmart in Springhill, Louisiana. The frenzy was reportedly created this weekend by a food stamp glitch in the system. That glitch allowed EBT card users to seemingly shop without a limit. But there was a limit the whole time.
According to the state, the retailer is on the hook for the overages.
The Department of Children and Family Services oversees those benefits, called SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
DCFS tells KSLA News 12 that no EBT card is ever limitless, and that when these outages happen, the retailer has a responsibility to implement emergency procedures. Those procedures include placing a phone call and verbally approving a spending limit for the customer. Trey Williams with DCFS says some retailers chose not to do that.
"These businesses are only reimbursed for the benefits on the card, and they are completely responsible. So if someone had 50 dollars on their card, and they spent 100, the retailer, in this case Walmart, would be on the hook for the other fifty.
So, isn't this fraud? The state has a way of tracking welfare fraud with GPS based software. DCFS knows who purchased what, and how much was spent. That information is available to be passed on to law enforcement, should it be requested. The information is there, the question is now, what will they do with it?
“Those procedures include placing a phone call and verbally approving a spending limit for the customer.”
Just a thought regarding the manager’s decision: Did he avoid a riot by allowing the gibsmedats to take what they want? I live in a low socioeconomic area and if our gibsmedats had no limits they would demand just that.
Yes. The alternative is to have the taxpayer suck it up.
Do business with with EBTers and pay the piper. If you don’t like it, sell the stock. I would never own WMT stock for this very reason.
Hmmm... wonder how that works. I can see where, once the card is swiped, the state would know who and where, but how does the "GPS based software" enter into this? Why is it needed?
I cannot find ONE grocer, in the Houston area, that does NOT accept the Lone Star/EBT card. In fact, you can even have your groceries DELIVERED...with your EBT/Lone Star card....
Except that shoplifting is a crime.
No no.
Pay for cameras and armed security. If anyone acts up and refuses to leave, or comes back in after being bounced out, you can cuff them and legally detain them. Don’t enable the behavior. The animals will respect you and behave next time. The wilder ones will go someplace else.
That’s how the night clubs do it.
Thank Democrats for this unlawful behavior. They create a dependent society, teach people they are entitled to other peoples’ or businesses’ money, and preach that it’s unfair to be a “have” when you’re a “have not.”
The GLITCH was in the food stamp program.
Why would the retailers be responsible.???
Does a retailer get info that says how much is still available on the card BEFORE the shopper goes thru the checkout???
Correction, people who spend their own money at Walmart are on the hook as Walmart will have to do something to make up the loss of income and that means passing it on to the paying customers.
Or file theft charges, Walmart does prosecute.
The best thing stores could do in the event of an actual emergency involving EBT cards is let the shelves be cleared as quickly as possible, then lock the doors, leaving the lights on so anyone can see there’s nothing left inside. At least that might minimize the damage of vandalism and fire.
And Walmart allows a fair amount of shoplifting to go on as a normal part of doing business.
My sister has worked for Walmart for years and says anything under $1000 doesn’t even warrant a phone call to police. They let it go and claim it as a loss.
It’s real simple...if the system has recorded how much they stole; and if the local law enforcements don’t want to prosecute; then there’s the “simple” solution of the gov’t overseeing the program suspend these people’s cards until the equivalent amount is “garnished” from their upcoming monthly freebies.
Or file theft charges, Walmart does prosecute Non-EBT paying customers.
Fixed it.
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