A Wal-Mart boycott - gone horribly wrong

I have reconnected with a friend from High School on Facebook, Curtis Taylor and he was boycotting Walmart.  He drifted astray on Black Friday and here are the results.  Thanks Curtis, for letting me repost this

I said it, I'll never buy anything from Wal-Mart. I had kept that promise for a year. I hate the poor quality, the limited selection, and mostly what they think they can and can't do. Then black Friday came around.

I got caught up in the electricity, the talk, the ads. At Thanks giving all my in-laws sat around the kitchen table and formulated a plan to hit the stores. I have to admit I was jealous, I wanted in. But, I had made my stand, and now it was getting in the way. What to do, I racked my brain. What could it hurt if Ronda and I went out on black Friday? So many stores, Wal-Mart would not be a problem. I decided - we are going.

At 2:30 am mind you, we are up and getting ready. For some reason I am excited! I can't wait! For the first time ever, we have money on black Friday, and like the rest of the world, we are going to stimulate the economy. First we try Target. It was truly a test of patience, and we wound up empty handed. Remember this is our first time out, we did not think about needing tickets or standing in lines for hours over a limited quantity of product. It was a lesson we learned quickly. Off to the next store.

Somehow, some way, we wound up at Wal-Mart. My senses are going crazy, like walking on the bad side of town, or feeling a fart and the most important people in the world are standing beside you. You just don't like the feeling.

I went in. The layout was easy. We knew what was up. We had a plan. We divided and conquered. We got everything but a TV, which was supposed to be given one per customer, but the guy passing them out, could not count to one. Some received as many as five in a cart. They ran out two from where I was standing. But the prize that I went after, I got. An HP note book with a 15.5 inch screen and all the goodies. It was a steal. I thought I saved $200 bucks on this thing, and then I got it home.

I waited until the time was right, as it was hidden under our bed. It was a gift to Ronda, for her school work and stuff. She never looks under her side of the bed. It was a perfect hiding place. I got it out to set it up and then wrap it. I put it together and the first thing I see, is an orange screen and a pop up that says "this computer needs service ", I could not believe it. My worst nightmare had come true. Wal-Mart screwed me again.

I took it back, they had no more. I didn't want a refund, I wanted another one. They suggested I go to another Wal-Mart to see if they had one. They were too busy to check for me. I left boiling. Within 150 miles of my address, there are 89 Wal-Mart’s. After calling 23 of them I found that they had a system to check other stores. Why the first guy didn't tell me this is totally beyond me. I guess it would have required thought. I found out that they were no more. Step two, call Hewlett Packard. Tell them what the deal is, send it in, they send me another back, I pay for extra speed postage, and it's all good. Yeah, only in the movies.

I call HP, I get John, he doesn't understand me, I can't understand him. In frustration I hang up. It is 8:00 am. I call back. I get Paul. He understands me, I understand him. We agree to talk slowly and clearly to each other. He tells me that they will repair it, and send it back to me. I tell him I did not pay half price for a repaired computer, I want a new one.He tells me they have to try and repair it first. I have the manual in front of me and it says "repair or replace", I tell him to replace it. He transfers my call, I find out that "Paul" is located in the Philippines. It is 9:30. Now I talk to Ron. The transfer took some time, so I pull Hewlett Packards web site. They have made over $126 billion in revenue this year and their mission statement says "they put the customer first". Their commitment is to "establish customer loyalty through product and service". I feel that I am armed to the teeth!

Ron wants me to run the computer thru some steps, which I refuse." If your car has no windshield there is no need to turn the wipers on". We do the same song and dance over the same thing. I want a new one, he wants to repair it. The one thing that is blowing me away through this whole thing is that they keep telling me to take it back to Wal-Mart and trade it, even though they have a flyer in the box that states '' STOP! Do not return this product, for faster, better service, call the 800 number!" Keep telling HP that I cannot take it back for a trade, they are sold out.

Ron says their is nothing he can do for me, He is sorry. He works in Georgia. It is 12:00 pm. I call corporate. It is in California. I tell the operator I need to talk to the president. Sandy Sandoz come on the line and assures me she speaks on behalf of the president. I know better, but what else is there to do. But this time, I have a case number she can pull up and see. She knows I have been all over the world on the phone.

Sandy informs me that corporate backs up the decision of their tech’s. It is the policy. I read to her what I thought the policy was, as it is on the web site. She tells me it is not necessarily the case. She then again informs me that what the tech department decides, they will back up. I ask her "if the tech decides that I am right and replaces my computer, and then decides to give my 5 more for pain and suffering, will they stand behind that", she said no. So I pointed out that the policy can be side stepped. She suddenly stated that she will have to review this case and give me a call, no later than Monday the 20th. I asked before she got off the phone, "What is the integrity of HP worth? A billion? A million? or $300 bucks?" She said she would let me know. It is 3:45pm on Thursday.

I found out a few things during all this. I found out that Wal-Mart received the computers from a middle man who bought the parts from HP, and that not even the numbers matched on the computer and battery, or the box. The order was just for Wal-Mart for black Friday. That is why they are no more. Which is also why they want to repair instead of replacing. You can't replace what you don't have.

It is not Wal-Mart who is at fault here. And not everyone who works at Wal-Mart are dimrods, there are a lot of good people who work there. I only get the dimrods! I knew going in what my odds were, and they did not disappoint - You can't get something for nothing.

Most importantly, if you make a stand on something, and you compromise it, it is you who winds up on the short end of the stick.

I'll get back to you if they call me on Monday or not.