Double_Oh_7

It works exactly like in-store pickup at Best Buy, except they have it in a few days instead of just a few hours.

OmahaStar

I've used it a few times and have been *mostly* happy with it. I've done it ... four times now, I believe. Three of them were absolutely painless. I ordered things that were on the site but listed as "online only" ... With free shipping, the price on each item was much lower than I could find elsewhere, and I pass the Wal-Mart store on the way to work, so it's not out of my way. I went in each time, showed my ID, and had the item. Maximum of three minutes from the time I entered the store to the time I left each time. Didn't have to show the paperwork or anything.

And then there's the fourth time.

wm.com screwed up. Even though I selected the same store, and my email confirmation showed the same store, it was shipped to the WM on the other side of town, a good half-hour drive under normal conditions, an hour or more during rush hour. When I finally made it to the store, I had a hell of a time finding anyone to help in the site-to-store area, and then I had to fight with them because they insisted I had to have my paperwork (the confirmation email says otherwise, just make sure you have your confirmation number just in case), and then insisted that since the name on the order did not match the name on my ID (my ID includes my middle name ... since the order didn't, the sales idiot insisted it wasn't me), he wouldn't let me pick my stuff up.

So I found a store manager, who was able to find the package. Still, makes me wonder if their people even get training - in that store.

joe_b

I know, old thread. But I picked up my first ever Site to Store order this morning and the employees were as clueless about the process as I might have expected. I ordered the Fanboys BD for $6.50 when Amazon still had it for $7.99 just before Black Friday. It only just arrived at the store after being shipped two weeks prior. I go to the service desk in the back of the store that has a tiny "Site to Store" sticker on the front. I guess no one in my town uses this option, because this back area (formerly layaway) never has anyone behind the desk.

There are some policemen right outside this area handing out presents to children. There is one female employee standing nearby. I go up and ask if she is working in this department. "Yeah," she replied, dismissively - clearly more interested in watching the kids get their presents. That's all well and good, but she IS on the clock and I can't stand around all day either. "Well, I had an online order scheduled for pick-up and it was supposed to be back here". "Sir," she began, treating me like I just asked her if she believed in alien life - "I have NO IDEA what you are talking about!" Then she simply waddles away leaving me in the lurch.

I hung around a minute to see if she had actually gone for help, but ultimately had someone at the jewelry counter page another associate. A much nicer lady (who'd at least heard of the 'Site to Store' concept) went rummaging in the back room and finally emerged with my BD about 15 minutes later. Only she tried to get me to pay for it - AGAIN. I had a hard time convincing her it had actually been billed to a credit card, as the invoice has nothing about payment listed. She finally checked the computer to verify that online orders are not shipped to store locations unless they are paid for first.

Never again. Next time, I'll just spring for the extra buck fifty and go with Amazon. Man, what an unnecessary ordeal.

b2net

I find that when I use this service (which I have for quite a few items), that I always have to tell them to look in the cage for a small package. This speeds up the process because they always seem to be looking for a big box or something. I think the smaller items are in an actual cage so no one there walks off with them.....

Cardsfan111

This has actually been my experience of late. Fortunately, I've not been in a hurry, but the amount of time I've had to wait to get some help has been ridiculous.

kd5

I've used Site To Store a couple of times, the first time went painlessly but the DVD was defective (sound issues) so I had to return it & exchange it for another. Pick up was relatively painless, returning it was relatively painless, picking up the replacement was relatively painless. The 2nd time I stood at the Site To Store desk for 15 minutes waiting for someone to show up, rang the buzzer a couple of times, watched employees walk past, look at me, and keep going. Finally someone showed up, spent considerable time locating my package, and I was on my way.

It's nice to not have to pay shipping, I expect it will take longer to get there because of it, I would NEVER order something Site To Store that I could buy in the store unless there was considerable savings to be had.

I don't know where WalMart gets their employees but there sure is a lot of blissful ignorance going on. Not saying they're all ignorant, no offense intended to anyone here, I'm just sayin'... -kd5-

chino77

i used it once and it was very easy and quick. its kind of pointless for small items though. i bought a weight machine and shipping would have been over $200 if i wanted it delivered to my home. picking it up in store was well worth the money i saved.

DarkRavenII

I just used it last night with no problems. They even let me open the package this time to verify the contents. Last time they took a box cutter to the package and I feared they'd slice my DVDs. The best thing to do is to go in the very day they get your stuff in as they keep it up front. I mean FedEx just handed it to them. It goes in a cabinet close by. After that it ends up in the back where they may not find it easily and/or may get smashed in storage back there. I also usually go pick mine up around 9PM as there is no line (Site-to-store closes at 10 PM) and some stockboy or employee nearby just does it real fast. No red tape sans the I.D. check they have to do.

But yes, during the daytime with a line and bitchy staff back there and you waited like three days so they have trouble finding your package and give you attitude like it's killing them to go get it ... they look at your I.D. like three times treating you like some crook whose trying to pull something on them. That could really suck!

Hope anything I said here helps out.

Cardsfan111

Used this service again this week--nice when you find something available online for a better price than it is in store (I ordered Lost: Seasons 4/5 for $15 each when they're $18 if you can find them in store).

Figured out a "trick" to making this experience less painful for me. After observing the always-vacant site to store area in the back of the store, I went straight over to the photo developing department right next to it and asked an associate if anyone was back there to help. She immediately said she could do it and came over to take my info/locate the DVDs and I was on my way much quicker. I'm much more inclined to continue using the site-to-store process going forward, but I'm definitely no longer going to stand back there waiting for someone to help me.

Sasskitten

Well, while I don't know how much this can help you this late I can say that at my walmart when you go to pay your order in cash at the store It says on the paper pay at any cash register that would include the checkout ones upfront. Well, My brother went with me and this woman was beyond stupid. I mean she made stupid people seem like they were smarter then her. She kept telling us where to pick up our order at and I kept saying I am not picking up I am paying and it says pay at any cash register. I told her that like ten times and she finally got what I was saying and said "I can't do this here. I don't know how." She was so rude when she said it so my brother got rude back and said to "find someone who can."

It even had instruction on the order paper on how to do it but she wouldn't even try. Then she said we need to go up to customer service and my brother said then she needs to have someone from up there come to her and do it. I have you know she was refusing to do that and my brother said. "Lady, I worked in retail for ten years and managed five departments in one day everyday." And she still was rude to us and was telling us she can't do it and to go up to customer service. Finally my brother had enough of her and said "I want to see your manager. Call him over here." She did and then she did the one thing no cashier is allowed or should do. She ignored us the rest of the time and started ringing up the next customers orders. Now correct me if I am wrong but aren't they supposed to wait until the other problem is resolved before helping the next person in line?

To make it even worse, when we were telling the department manager of the woman's rudeness and unwilling to listen she opened her mouth and told my brother to shut up. Now, I may not know the crap a cashier has to deal with day to day but I do know they are not to tell the customer to shut up. So, my brother said "You shut up because I am talking to him." She wasn't even letting him finish the sentence because she started in with how she is grown and don't have to shut up.At some point my brother said forget it. I want to speak to the actual manager of this woman's area not the manager of customer service. Needless to say by the time we left the store, my brother had three names and one phone number written down. We let that order cancel itself and I just redid the order the 15th and am now waiting for it to arrive. I hope I don't have this much trouble picking up my item. but I will let you know.

Oh, there is a way to track your order and it is kinda interresting to see where it goes and where it has been.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

Depends. If it's not going to be long, then they might make the people in line wait longer. If the cashier can get the line moving again while you need to wait, it's better to get the line moving instead of having everyone stand there doing nothing, with everyone in line getting more and more pissed at the guy having the issue in line and not going to customer service.

I know you don't need to go to customer service but the average person just sees you slowing the line up for something that could be taken care of at customer service to get the line moving again. Other stores usually have workers on the lookout for issues like this and direct people to another line or open a new one but this is Wal-Mart we're talking about.

Sasskitten

But the cashier does not have the right to tell a customer to shut up. Well, anyways I went to the site to store part because I hadn't heard anything about my purchase and they said it should be in tomorrow and asked me for my number so that they could call and tell me when it comes in. And the guy was really nice and even went into the back to look after he checked the computer just to make sure. So, I hope I get it tomorrow.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

Exactly but if they do, then they've done it. I'm just saying don't get hung up on the principle of the matter because those are the battles you end up putting much more into it than you'll ever come close to getting back.

You can be 100% in the right but realistically speaking, there are better battles to pick.

OldBoy

anyone ever pre-order a movie for site pick-up? i thought there used to be the option, but i don't see it on site anymore. only shipping as an option...

slybone

I've never done a pre-order from WM, just stuff that was in stock and ready to ship site-to-store, so I guess you can just consider this a bump.

I will say that in the past month Wal-Mart has had the best price on 2 items I've ordered, which is quite strange in my experience with them, Amazon usually beats them on price. I think they must be feeling the hurt from them. I saw the other day that WM has a new 2 day free shipping option on some items with no subscription fee, sounds like a direct answer to Amazon Prime.

I will also say that WM has also improved the site-to-store pickup experience with the mobile app. The one and only time I've used it went great, a guy was standing there waiting for me, even called me by name before I spoke. Maybe they've figured out that customer service is what makes the difference these days.

BobO'Link

The availability of site-to-store pickup on a pre-order is dependent on just how long until the product is available. I don't know for sure but I believe I've seen that option appear once you're within a week or two. I normally just do shipping to home on pre-orders as all of them I've every done have shipped free - even for 1 item at ~$15. If I can get free shipping to my house I'll take that any day over site-to-store. While the experience has gotten better in the past year, it's still a hassle if I've nothing else to purchase while I'm there.

kd5

I saw they had the Arrow SE BD release of Pray for Death in-store, they had a slightly better price on it online, so I did Site to Store, picked it up the next day (because they had it in-store). If it's something they don't have in-store, prepare to wait 10 days +/- for it. To me that's a long time to wait for something I'm used to having within 3 to 5 days from other online sources. Sometimes the price is right though.

slybone

I'm glad it worked out that way for you, but I'm surprised they filled your order with store stock. I've had at least 2 situations (maybe more) where they wouldn't do that. They always have contended that if you order online (even if the store has it in stock) that it must be filled by the warehouse and sent in. It always seemed idiotic and wasteful, maybe they finally figured it out!

JoeySeven

Got Tomodachi Life - Nintendo Selects Edition for Nintendo 3DS for my kids.

The pickup area had A little booth with two workers.Got the game super fast.
Plus they had free cookies,candy,xmas pencils and bottle water.
I was in A state of shock and forgot to grab A bunch of cookies.

BobO'Link

My last experience was a vast improvement over prior ones. When I placed the order, on the 2nd, I was given a choice of pickup dates (?!) so I selected the earliest one as it was also the most convenient (a day I'd be in the area for other business) not expecting them to actually get it there on time. Surprise! I got the "It's ready" email the morning it was supposed to arrive. When I got to the store, they actually had the barcode scanner working so I scanned the code and someone arrived within 30 seconds to tell me they were going to go get my order from the back (a larger package). That took about 4 minutes as I had another pickup I wasn't getting which confused them as I'd not scanned that barcode so they had to sort it out to make sure I got the correct package. As both had shown up on the pickup screen (I thought that was odd as I'd not scanned the other barcode) I expected them to show up with both packages. They came back with the single, correct, one.

When they mentioned the other package I told them I'd tried to cancel that order within an hour of placing it but the system never processed the cancellation and it was over a week before it shipped so there's no excuse why it wasn't cancelled. I explained that I wasn't picking that one up and was just going to let it expire and auto-refund. The person helping was an assistant manager (!?!) who suggested I try to cancel it again and, if that didn't work, pick it up and do a return. Sure... not going to happen. It still shows "Cancellation requested" on the order page (even the pickup notice email give the option to cancel that way but it just doesn't work - don't they check these things?). Supposedly they'll "send it back and cancel the order" if I don't pick it up by the 8th (yesterday). I'm curious to see what'll happen.

So... it was a 5 minute detour, a 5 minute pickup process, and out the door.

MLBFan24

I did site to store for my friend’s bday gift - a John Wick Funko Pop figure. I was expecting it to arrive slightly damaged (the box), so I ordered two of them just in case (eventually return one of them).

To my surprise, both arrived in mint condition. Maybe I should keep the extra one. It’s John Wick!