E-Mail from Customer Who Hates Wal-Mart:
"Hello, here's a customer service nightmare story for you. I have never been an employee of Wal-mart's but I have been a customer for the past several years and have spent literally thousands of dollars at the Ceres, California store on the corner of Hatch and Whitmore Avenues. Today I had the most humiliating, degrading, horrible incident I have ever had to suffer through at the hands of ANYBODY. I entered the store with my 15 month old son and went to the customer service desk with two returns, both of which I had receipts for. The item most important here is a "Loot Bag" for kids to use on Halloween. It was a big monster hand at the end of a short plastic pole with a bag hanging from the hand to collect treats on Halloween. This item was purchased on October 19,1998, that night we discovered that the item was defective and I placed the receipt in the loot bag and placed it in my car so I could return it. Well I have four young children and time is scarce, so I made it back today (November 4, 1998) and was dismayed to see a sign in the customer service center that said - "No refunds on Halloween items after Halloween". This sign was not displayed in the Halloween section when I purchased the item nor on the cash registers or anywhere else. If it had been I would have made an effort to return the merchandise before Halloween. I thought it wasn't fair that customers had not had fair notice and since this was a defective item and I had the receipt I explained to the employee at the counter my position and she said I could talk to a manager since she could not disobey store policy. No problem. A woman walked up to me and introduced herself as a supervisor. I again explained my position citing that no signs were up when I purchased this and I didn't think it was fair that I now had to eat the $6.00 for this defective merchandise. She was absolutely no help at all except that she did establish the fact that the first signs were put up in view on Halloween day! Not alot of warning to the general public, how convenient. Calmly I asked to speak to her supervisor and this is where the story takes a turn into the twilight zone. A man by the name of Rob Lopez came up and introduced himself as the Assistant Manager, I again explained my position and Rob agreed that I did have a valid point, however I still wasn't going to get my money back and he asked rather rudely " What did you wait until November to return it for?" As if Halloween wasn't four short days ago!!! I told him that I didn't think that was fair and that I'd like to speak to his boss, he clearly became very agitated at that request and curtly replied "My boss will be in at 7AM tomorrow, not that I think she's going to tell you anything different than I have already told you today, but you can speak to her at that time if you wish. Until then I think it would be best if you left the store." My eyes grew as wide as saucers, mind you I never yelled, shouted, cursed, or even flailed my arms about, I had remained calm but insistent the entire time. "Your kicking me out?" I asked in utter disbelief. "Ma'am," he replied, "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave the store at this time, you may return at 7AM to speak with the store supervisor." My jaw was almost touching the ground now,"I have other shopping to do, are you serious?" I asked again. "Yes Ma'am, I am" came the reply from Rob. Now in utter shock I said "Your kicking me out of this store because we differ in opinion? Are you kidding me?" He replied "Ma'am I'm asking you to leave the store because I am a retailer and I reserve the right to refuse service to anybody." Still not believing my ears I said "Do you have any idea how much money I've spent at this store? If you kick me out today I will never shop here again!" Without blinking an eye Rob retorted "Maybe that's best." I was completely blown away and replied, "Fine, then I want the money your holding of mine in Layaway, I'll get my money then I'll leave your store and never return." Rob took a step in front of me and said "No, you'll leave now or I'm calling the police." Please keep in mind I still have remained calm and unanimated and no foul language at all was used. "No," I said, "I'm not leaving this store without my money, how dare you try and tell me that I have no right to my money!" I wheeled the cart containing my infant son around Rob and started walking towards Layaway, Rob called out "I'm going to call the police and have you arrested!" I stopped and turned around saying "Go ahead, I have done nothing to deserve this treatment and what do you think they're going to arrest me for? Calmly walking back to layaway to retrieve my money? As far as I know that is not a crime, and don't worry, as soon as I close my layaway accounts I will gladly leave this store, but not a moment sooner. So go ahead and do what you think you have to do, I'll be in Layaway." I turned and continued walking to Layaway, I didn't say a word to anybody on the way, in fact my mouth was shut the whole time as I walked back to layaway in total shock. Standing in line at the layaway department I suddenly felt the prescence of someone right on my back. I turned around to see Rob joined by a huge shaved headed Mexican man about 25 years old and approximately 250 lbs., (I'm a 5 foot 1 inch female and I have my baby with me), looking at this hulk who was glaring at me with crossed arms I said, "Who's this? The bouncer? You've got to be kidding me!" The mean looking mexican glared at me and sneered "You'll be getting your money from layaway and then you'll be leaving, right?" I couldn't believe it , I was being physically threatened! "Then I'll never see you in this store again, right?" He added sarcastically. "I don't have to talk to you." I calmly replied. Now he got louder "YOU WILL GET YOUR MONEY FROM LAYAWAY AND THEN YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE THIS STORE, RIGHT??? AND I'LL NEVER SEE YOU IN HERE AGAIN, RIGHT???" I stared staunchly ahead refusing to be degraded in this way, and refusing to answer him. This of course pissed him off and he added "And don't bother coming back tomorrow to see the Supervisor either." Rob stepped in at this point and said "No that's OK, I'll allow her to come back tomorrow and speak with Maria." Now I turned to face him "You know what? Just forget it," I said, "I wouldn't come back here if somebody paid me to." The big mean looking Mexican said "Good. Because after you get your money I won't be seeing you in this store anymore, right? You do understand that, right?" Silence from me as I purposely ignored his questions. " He repeated, " After you get your money you'll leave this store and never come back, RIGHT????" Silence from me. Rob eventually replied for me by saying "Yes, I'm sure that is understood." Then he added with a sneer "If you would have just come in tomorrow she probably would have refunded your money." That's not what he had said five minutes ago to me in customer service!!! I continued to stare straight ahead, as they turned and walked away the the big mean looking Mexican said (in the most condenscending voice I've ever heard in my life) "Have a nice day, Ma'am." You could almost "hear" the smirk on his face when he said it, you know? Keep in mind that layaway was full of customers and employee's and I have never been so humiliated or treated so badly in my entire life. I've never been kicked out of a store anywhere, ever, and most of the employee's at that Wal mart know me on a first name basis. This was totally uncalled for, unproffesional, inhumane, and unneccessary. When I told my husband about it he immediately called the store and guess what? The employee who answered the phone said that the same manager had kicked her daughter out of that same store the other day for trying to return a Halloween item too!!!!! She referred us to the 1-800-Walmart number and we called and placed a complaint right away, the operater couldn't believe my story and said that he should be fired, I agree. I will have to say this though, the district manager's assistant called me within the hour to make sure she had all the details for her boss when he comes in tomorrow. I took great pleasure in telling her to pass on the message that as soon as I left their store I promptly drove to Target and dropped a cool $250.00, all of which would have gone into Wal marts registers if it hadn't been for the outrageous behaviour of one of their managers. I've considered contacting an attorney about being publicly humiliated and degraded for no good reason. I'll let you know how it turns out, I can promise you one thing, this isn't over by a long shot. Oh and by the way, I hope nobody misconstrues the Big bad looking Mexican statement, my oldest son is half Mexican, my stepfather is Mexican, and although I am fair complected and have blue-green eyes I am a full blooded Puerto Rican, so please do not take my comments as bigotry, they are only observations, if I would have seen this guy on the street, I would have crossed to the other side, he was not only scary looking, he looked like a "Gang-banger" and I'm sure Rob chose him to join him for sheer intimidation reasons. I felt physically threatened and kept looking over my shoulder on my way through the parking lot expecting him to pop up again and harass me some more. I expect a formal letter of apology, a refund, and a gift certificate of substantial portions to make up for my experience. My next step is to call the local news station and ask them to do a story on customer service ( or the lack thereof).

Sincerely, Darlene - Mother, Web author, HUMAN BEING!!!!!!!"