metalfan

I went to Walmart today to return Season 1 of the X-Files I got as a gift. It was missing the second disc in the set. I didn't have a receipt so I didn't know what to expect. So I go in and tell the CSM that I needed to return it. She told me to go to the electronics section and grab another one. Well there weren't any back there. I told her this and she said she would give me a giftcard. Well when she scanned it, the price came up like $118 or so. She jokingly asked me if I paid that much for it and I said no. She said she had to ask someone else about it so she talked to maybe 4 or 5 people. After standing there for about 30 minutes, the last person she talked to said no. She said that it was too big of a price and "something to do with copyright laws". I was like wtf? I have never heard such bullshit before. Then she said that the best thing I should do is find another Walmart that had it in stock.

I called another Walmart about 10 minutes away so I didn't have to deal with traffic and stayed on hold for 25 minutes with several different people for them to tell me they didn't have it in stock.

So now I have Season 1 of the X-Files with no second disc and they have stamped a big void on the front. There is one more Walmart about 35 minutes away I am gonna try and if they don't have it I don't know what to do.

Any suggestions?

calhoun07

Other than finding a store with one in stock, if it has been opened, you are probably SOL. I have heard that copyright laws prevent stores from giving refunds/credits for opened merchandise because people could copy it and return it without penalty. That's nothing new. Even before DVD, stores would refuse to take back opened game software.

Maybe you could contact Fox. Their phone number is listed in the customer service thread, which is a sticky at the top of this forum.

dvd-fanman

I'm guessing the person you got it from as a "gift" didn't buy it at Wal-Mart either, so we could say you are in the wrong to start with, but I'm going to be on your side here.

When you enter Wal-Mart there are big signs that say "You Must Be Satisfied. It's our Guarantee!" Now that holds within reason. I can certainly understand them not wanting to give you $118 worth of credit. However, they should have been willing to make some kind of accommodation as they can return the set to the manufacturer for credit, so they will not lose out no matter what they tell you. It's also just good customer relations.

They are wrong for stamping on your set "VOID." Now it's marked like it's got the plague. NO store is going to want to touch it. If I were you, I'd call 1-800-WAL-MART and explain calmly what was done at the store and how they have now defaced your merchandise and not rectified the situation by somehow working with you to an amicable resolution.

The representative on the phone will document the call and it will be forwarded to the Store Manager of that particular store who will be required per Wal-Mart policy to contact you and attempt to rectify the problem. In all likely-hood, you'll either be required to take some kind of store credit, or exchange the set for more DVDs equal to or in excess of the amount that they are going to give you credit for.

Hope that helps.

metalfan

Thanks alot for the help guys. I really appreciate it. I will explore these avenues and see what happens.

TNDVDFAN

I work for Wal-Mart and can tell you that if a disc is missing out of a box set, Wal-Mart does NOT get credit. As far as the CSM or Service Desk writing VOID on your item, I have NEVER heard of that being done.

Tracer

My experience with Walmart in exchanging a defective DVD is similar. Purchased a DVD for a friend as a gift which turned out defective. Took it back for an exchange for the same movie with the receipt and before handing me the replacement they proceeded to open the package almost destroying the case in the process.

When I asked them what they were doing they said they had to by law.

I really wonder if there is an actual law or just a standard answer they give to make returns/exchanges more difficult.

rich-y

What exactly do you mean by this statement? I've never had WalMart physically deface any of my DVDs (returnable or not) nor have I ever heard of such a practice. Please fill us in.

metalfan

There are three voids on the slipcover. It is not a sticker you can peel off. You almost have to scrape it off. I have never seen anything like it.

rich-y

Wow! This simply doesn't make any sense.

First, WalMart refused to give you a refund. Then, instead of giving you back the DVD and sending you on your way, they instead ruined your product by tagging it all over with some sort of stamp!?!

What did you say when they started stamping it? I would have raised holy hell!!

Any chance you can scan the box or take a photo and post it? I'm sure a lot of folks would be interested in seeing it!

metalfan

Well they must have done it when I went to the back to see if there were any more in stock because I didn't see anyone do it. I didn't notice it until I got home. I will try and scan it today as I don't have a digital camera.

^MuYa^

It sounds like they have may used some of kind of tape to seal the box set. This tape is probably used to keep employees from stealing the discs. When the return didn't pan out the tape was removed and the "void" was left behind. This would be like those stickers on the side of rental vhs tapes that keep you from opening the case and swapping the tape.

metalfan

Well I called Walmart's 1-800 customer service line and they said they would hand my case over to merchandising department because apparently, at least the first season of the X-Files has been discontinued. So I guess I will be hearing something within the next few business days.

calhoun07

If they defaced one of my DVDs like that, whether it was one I bought with my own money or it was a gift from somebody else, it wouldn't get to their customer service number before I started to raise holy hell.

My personal experience is that Wal Mart has some of the worst customer service of any retailer. But defacing this DVD case takes the top in any bad service story I have about them. That's just one more reason to avoid them at all possible costs in my book.

Gizmo

Well, first off, I doubt if any Wal-Marts have Season 1 of X-files. Infact, I have NEVER seen an season of the X-Files at numerous Wal-Marts I have visited. Second, no recipt. Even thought Wal-mart does returns without a recipt, its usually because its sealed, not open. Third, its missing a disc. Wal-Mart will NOT receive a credit of any kind because of that.

So, to sum it up, you received this item as a gift that was not purchased at Wal-mart, and expect to receive another set free of charge, or a giftcard for $118 for your 'troubles' of getting this as a gift at a store which did not sell it. Wow.

metalfan

Well I have seen these sets in Walmart before. The person that gave it to me said that is where they got it at. And I didn't go there expecting to get a $118 gift card for "for my troubles". I just wanted to get a replacement set and I wound up getting nothing but my dvd defaced. Wow indeed.

dvd-fanman

If the item shows a price when it is rung as a return Wal-Mart has carried the item. If the price is not in the local store's system, the Host will query the Home Office servers to see if the item is on file in the main database in Arkansas, if it is, it then returns the price to the store that is current in the master item file.

This is kinda like when items go on clearance at Wal-Mart stores. If they have been on clearance for so long, they will be deleted from the local store's database. If you scan that item on a price scanner in the store you'll see "See an associate for help." When the associate scans the item as a price check the item is not in the local store's file so it queries the database at the Home Office. The item files there are not usually kept in line with local store clearance prices and thus that "clearance" item is no longer on clearance because the store gets loaded with the Home Office price. It would take a Dept Manager or higher to edit the item file to bring it back to the local store's clearance price.

tasha99

I can't believe you accepted it back. I really hope you get this straightened out because defacing your property was just wrong.

whizzo555

Is the "VOID" small and white? When I have returned an item for credit they put a little pink sticker on the merchandise as I come in the door. You go to customer service to get your refund and they peel the sticker off. When they peel the sticker off, it leaves the white "VOID" on the product. I don't know why it does this though. Maybe so you can't go shop and place the sticker on a more expensive item and try to get store credit for it...

tonyc3742

If they damaged *your* property, I would definitely be raising cain. Either they should have taken it back and tried to take care of you, or said We can't do that and sent you on your way.
I have gone to Target before to return something without a receipt [I actually had the receipt and had bought it from that Target, it was at home, I had just bought the same thing cheaper at BJ's and didn't want to make another trip], but they said they don't do returns over 75 bucks without a receipt.
I don't know about 'copyright law', I don't know if there's a law saying you can't accept returns of opened media, but since there are certainly copyright issues, retailers probably err on the safe side with the no-open-returns policy [which is not a new policy].
I'd second the suggestion of calling Fox directly and explaining the problem to them, they may be able to send you a replacement disk for a small charge. Other that that, try to ask the person who gave it to you if they still have the receipt, and try returning it to that store as 'defective' [or technically, 'misrepresented/fraud' if you wanted to get mean--your friend bought a 6 disk set [or whatever], he only got 5 disks. That sounds like fraud to me, if they gave any grief about it.]

I'm still confused about the VOID thing. I have had both WM and BB put a sticker on the item when I come in, to show the returns person that I didn't just take it off the shelf and want to 'return' it. But why would they knowingly deface product that could be resold? Unless they don't resell any returns?

calhoun07

I am still confused about the void thing as well. Does the white "Void" come off after the tape has been removed? If not, they should not be defacing DVDs unless they know they have a replacement. And why don't they just use stickers that leave no residue or marks on the DVD? Best Buy's stickers are easilly removed without damaging the case.

metalfan

That is what it looks like except void is on there like three times. You have to damn near scrape it off to get it off. I have never seen any damn thing like it. It seems to me they could put a sticker on there that could be peeled off easily.

I think I am gonna try this avenue first. If this doesn't work I will look into contacting Fox. But from what I read on their website, you have to mail the whole box set back to them.

eau

If the VOID marks are glue based (ie left after removing a sticker), perhaps Goo Gone can get rid of them with minimal damage to the product.

buckee1

They were absolutely wrong for stamping your case. There is no justifiable reason whatsoever for them to mark your item while not accepting it as a return. Definately contact Walmart @ their CS # and complain until they do you right.

The other option you have available would be to check with BB in their previously viewed sections to see if that disc pops up on sale.

The second bit is definately a long shot so, If I were you, I'd worry the crap out of Wal-Mart until I got some satisfaction. You might also want to check with the manager at the store where you were "stamped" for some resolution. As it happened there you may find a sympathetic ear in someone in authority rather than the counter personnel.

dvd-fanman

Wal-Mart most certainly re-sells their returns.

In fact I've known one store to sell knowingly water damaged merchandise and their customers were unaware of it unless they knew an employee at the store, but that's a story for a different time.

dvd182

I believe it is the law, as my Best Buy did this last week when one my Monty Python CE discs had hot glue melted on its underside from the box's strange packaging. I was told to get a new one, and the girl opened it at the counter before handing it to me. I'm not positive why they do it, but I think it's supposed to combat you from just returning that one for credit.