Does Wal-Mart sell returns as new?

[HermDogg]

So I went down to the local Wal-Mart today so I could get my hands on a Nintendo DS, since I've been debating between it and a PSP and decided I do enjoy having some money. So I waltz in, buy it, and take my baby home. I plug it in, and it charges for about 3 minutes before it stops.

I'm confused at this point, so I open it up, and BOTH SCREENS show signs of being used. The top screen had small droplets of dried liquid on it, while the bottom was scratched (not terribly, but it sure as hell wasn't new). To top it off, there was no wrist strap in the box. I'm taking it back tomorrow to see if there are actuallly any "new" DS'es there, otherwise I'm getting my money back. Is this a common practice, at Wal Mart or elsewhere?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Originally posted by: HermDogg
Is this a common practice, at Wal Mart or elsewhere?

Well, at Fry's they at least put a sticker on the box saying when it was returned.

 

[Rumpltzer]

I was in line one day to return something at a Wal-Mart. The lady in front of me had a Wal-Mart bag and was talking loudly with some guy who came with her.

When she got to the counter, she set the bag down and held up a Zip-Loc bag with water in it. She was returning a tropical fish!

I couldn't believe it.



They had to call someone from the pet department to identify that she was bringing back the fish that was on the receipt. No bar-code, I guess.

 

[Kyle]

it's very common- I know at radioshack they do it- supposed to put a sticker on it but when I worked there no one ever did...

 

[nsafreak]

It's common and illegal. You can not legally sell used merchandise as new. You can resell it but you MUST mark it in some shape or form as used. The only time you can legally resell an item that has been returned as new is if the product was never opened. I used to work in the retail sector so I know a bit about this kind of thing.

 

[LtPage1]

Why are you shopping at Wal-Mart?

 

[amdskip]

If something appears new and unused I will put it on the shelf. Otherwise it goes to the back for them to take care of it.

 

[MX2]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
Why are you shopping at Wal-Mart?

:roll: Not another one of you

 

[WobbleWobble]

I bought a tower fan from them, took him home and noticed it's obviously been used. Returned it for a refund, but that really turned me off of Walmart.

 

[Blayze]

I've had that happen with a video card that I got at Best Buy.

 

[wetcat007]

Originally posted by: Blayze
I've had that happen with a video card that I got at Best Buy.

Really? Supposed to get an open item tag and 10% discount...

 

[Aoleleb]

My friend bought a rice cooker from wally world and it had some old rice in it when he opened it up... so ya wal-mart sells returns as new.

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: nsafreak
It's common and illegal. You can not legally sell used merchandise as new. You can resell it but you MUST mark it in some shape or form as used. The only time you can legally resell an item that has been returned as new is if the product was never opened. I used to work in the retail sector so I know a bit about this kind of thing.

this is not true. Show me documentation that states it is illegal to resell something without marking it.

-=bmacd=-

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
Why are you shopping at Wal-Mart?

 

[John]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
Why are you shopping at Wal-Mart?

Wally World is less than 1 mi. from my home, and I enjoy shopping late and night or early in the morning when most of the locals are sleeping.

 

[Ornery]

If a customer returns something, and said they never opened it, what do you suppose is going to happen to it? And don't even TRY to tell me this doesn't happen at every single retail store in the country!

 

[spaceman]

they put all returns into a large bin which is fed into a machine that cnages all returns into "people pellets" that they ship overseas and empty into troughs to feed the workers manufacturing the goods. this gives them a literal peice of material culture and nourishment to keep toiling away.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: HamburgerBoy
Well, at Fry's they at least put a sticker on the box saying when it was returned.

Yup, those stickers are unbelievably common at Fry's.

 

[LikeLinus]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
Why are you shopping at Wal-Mart?

just to piss you off. fun isn't it?

 

[GoingUp]

common to do that at Compusa. I can tell by the shrink wrap. Store done shrink wrap is a lot harder and less stretchy than manufacturer based stuff.