I have never tried the price match at Walmart defore but after reading this post I will start watching for any possible ones I could get and give it a try. We have three Walmarts in our area and I like one much better than the others. It is also the closest and least crowded, but they also have a much friendlier staff to deal with. I am really surprised that they do not match their online prices but I have had similar experiences with other stores. I will look up an item to get an idea of price and then check to see if the local store has it in stock. I would rather go pick it up than pay for shipping and wait for the item to arrive. Once I get to the store, the price is higher than it was on thier website. When I have asked about matching the online price, they won't.
I never had the guts to walk up and ask someone to compare prices. I would think they would do everything in their power to find a flaw in the system. I always wondered if that price match policy was actually true. I've tried it once at another store, but it wasn't a price match. I took the newpaper ad to the counter and showed the clerk that the in store price was different from the newspaper price. They took the newspaper from me and closely inspected that in fact what I was saying was true. The manager was called and he asked if that was today's paper. I checked again and it was last weeks paper, I felt so embarrassed I just covered my head in shame. The manager and the clerk were great sports about the mixup, they gave me the CD for last weeks price. That's very rare for a store to do that, Walmart are sticklers about their price policy. I will try to see if I can find a price match to try at Walmart, and I will come back and post my experience.
I do price matching at Walmart all the time. I have no problems, and have even price matched without ads. My local Walmart has ads for each cashier, so they are knowledgeable on possible deals. I have even price matched stores that are further away, although I might just be getting lucky on those days. I am always sad to hear the problems everyone else has with Walmart price matching, maybe I just have a really awesome Walmart.
I also have not tried to do it at our local Walmart, but know a couple of friends who have and who have been given quite a hassle about it. They were hassled about dates, area of the ad, etc. It has really turned me off from trying it because it seems like too much trouble for the few cents that I might save from it. I used to really love Walmart, but recently they have not been very impressive to me with their service. Good thread and a lot of great responses - it is nice to be able to hear other people's experiences!
I'm in Canada, and I've used the price match many times and I've never had an issue with it. I always bring the flyer with me to show the price so they can never argue it. We have a Zellers here that is supposed to offer the same thing and I've had times where they would not price match. I don't shop there very often because of it.
I've never used it, but have seen other people do it, it seems to be a very painless thing to do. You just need proof. Some stores don't even ask for the proof as they already have all the fliers at the till, all you have to do is ask! This is one of the main things I love about shopping in North America!
Unfortunately they do not do the price match when the other store is a Walmart as well. There are 5 Walmarts within about an hour and a half drive of each other, in the area of Pittsburgh, Pa I live in. The one day I stopped in the one Walmart, looked around at a few things. I decided I would wait until the next or so to actually purchase the items, so I could go shopping without my daughter being with me (it was for her birthday). I wanted to purchase a toy vanity set for her, and based on the price I saw at the one Walmart location I was going to be able to afford it! The next day, I got dressed and headed to a different Walmart, just due to convince, and the same exact vanity was $25 more. Naturally I questioned this giant price difference, and asked about the price matching. It was then the manager informed me that the price matching is only for competition. Each walmart location can set their own prices, as long as they are more reasonable than the competition in their surrounding area. Be careful! Even with Walmart you have to shop around.
Some Walmarts will limit what they will match and how many they will match. Sometimes it is good to ask before you pile everything up on the conveyor belt so know ahead of time.
I have used Walmart's price match so many times. We have a great Walmart. I don't even take an ad in. I had an employee from Walmart once tell me that we don't need to bring an ad in. She said that I just need to tell them that it was cheaper at a certain store and they will match it for me. I have done that so many times before. I just purchase several different fruit that is cheaper than Walmart is and tell them what the price is at our local Aldi's and they automatically match their price with no ad and no questions asked.
