The purpose of this thread is for Digital Home members to review and relay their experience buying consumers electronics at Wal-Mart Canada

This thread is strictly for reviews and is not for discussion. If you have any questions about what belongs in this thread, then please this thread (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=511105) prior to posting.

When you post, please try to include the following information:


What product or service you purchased.
Approximate timeframe you ordered the product
What location you dealt with if it’s a company with many stores or service locations
Your overall level of satisfaction
If you had a positive experience, please explain what made it such a positive experience.
If you had a negative experience, please read our guidelines below.

For the most part I'm a happy WM shopper.

However, I discovered a crappy little policy of their's the other day.

I recently purchased a new Sanyo Cordless phone from them, one of the new DECT 6.0 ones (terrific phone so far by the way).

Anyways, I found the same phone cheaper at Dell.ca. WM typically has a terrific return and match policy so I printed off a copy and went back to the store.

I get to the counter and they tell me that it's "Wal-mart corporate policy to not match online pricing". Needless to say I was a little taken back. I could see this a few years ago, but now? I tried to reason with them but to no avail. The staff were good and appologetic, but their hands were tied.

Thats when you buy the phone online, and return the phone to walmart!

What product or service you purchased.

--- Constantine HD DVD

What location you dealt with

--- Baymac Walmart

Your overall level of satisfaction

--- Extremely dissatisfied

If you had a negative experience,...

--- The disc is loose inside the case resulting in severe scratches. I explained that I want to EXCHANGE the HD DVD with the same title. Unfortunately they have no replacement title so they told me to choose between keeping my (severely scratched) copy or exchange it the regular DVD (which I already own). Took me about 30 minutes arguing with 4 people (because... SURPRISE! the manager wasn't around) to get my money back. Thanks to several people behind me who naturally understand the logic (which none of the Walmart workers seem to understand), they help me argue with these 4 workers. In the end I get a store-credit.

That was the last HD DVD (or any movies) I bought from Walmart. Before that, I used to buy 10 movies a month.

I think Wallmart will price match to a competitor's flyer regardless if competitor has said item in stock. Handy if somebody is sold out of a sale item and you want to price match. Just walk in with the flyer.

I think Wallmart will price match to a competitor's flyer regardless if competitor has said item in stock. Handy if somebody is sold out of a sale item and you want to price match. Just walk in with the flyer.
It could depend on the WM... I've walked in with flyers before and they called the competitor to make sure the item was in stock.

Do not buy a cellphone at Wallymart until the salesclerk writes in blood the return/warranty policy.

My daughter got hosed (return-wise) for a $250 cellphone. Fifteen days exchange is not a warranty, it's a pat on the head.

Service is now third party and off-site.

there is no such thing as return policy for cell phone at any store.

We were looking to exchange it for a working unit.

It quit after 32 days. If that is an industry 'norm', that's fooked.

Whenever I drop into their electronic department, most of the sets are Digimate or Protron as they don't seem to carry many major brands in their Canadian stores.
Their Canadian website has one HD set on display. It's a 26' set that has no brand name or logo! The U.S. site has much more variety to choose from including some well-known electronic manufacturers.

We were looking to exchange it for a working unit.

It quit after 32 days. If that is an industry 'norm', that's fooked.
yes it's f-ed-up but unfortunately it's the industry norm. That's why I'd rather buy my mobile phones from eBay because they're usually only half the price of full Canadian retail and beyond a couple of weeks you're f-ed either way.

there is no such thing as return policy for cell phone at any store.
Fido gives you two weeks when you shop at their stores. If you buy the phone and don't like it, return it for a refund.

Pro: Has good prices and quick turnover of stock. Con: Every time we go there, we are bombarded with very loud and annoying staff announcements! The staff should be given instructions on how to use a P.A. system correctly as they all seem to think (mostly young women) that they have to yell into the microphone and speak very rapidly and often repeat the same irritating message several times because the person they are trying to contact probably can't understand their rapid fire delivery!

true, also they speak to closely to the microphone.

Time for miking technique lessons.

I went to the Erin Mills Wal-Mart on July 12 and purchased a Nintendo DS for my 6 year old son's birthday. Once I got home and looked at the box, I noticed one of the seals was tampered with. I suspected I had a returned unit. I opened it up and found the unit to be clearly used. It had smudges and fingerprints all over. I packed it back up and headed back to the store.

At the store, the returns clerk opened it up and informed me that the serial number on the unit didn't match the serial number on the box and receipt. She called her manager. The store assistant manager shows up an would not even listen to my story. She didn't believe that I was telling the truth (I returned about 2 hours after buying it and realizing the unit was not new). In her words, there was no conceivable way in which a returned unit could be put back inside their locked glass shelves to be re-sold. She didn't say it, but certainly inferred that the only explanation possible was that I was trying to perpetrate a fraud by returning a different unit. I asked her if there was anyway she could check if the unit had been previously sold. She wouldn't even listen to me and just walked away after telling me I have to take it up with Nintendo. My kids and I were left standing there, stunned at what just happened. The value of the DS wasn't an issue, it was the implication that we were dishonest. My kids were quite upset.

Furious, I went home and gave Nintendo a call. They ran a check on both serial numbers and found a match on the serial number of the box. It had been sold at that same store on June 20. I was vindicated! I called the store and told the assistant manager this information. She said to come on back and she'll let me exchange it.

I went back to the store and wasn't in the mood for politeness. The assistant manager wasn't very apologetic. She wouldn't even give me the satisfaction of showing her an e-mail from Nintendo stating that the serial number in question had been previously sold by that store. She asked me to go with her to the electronics section to pick out a new one and open it to make sure it is new. After telling her that I try to live an honest life and don't appreciate being called dishonest, I informed her that I no longer have any confidence in the stock being sold by her store. If one returned unit can end up there, who knows what kind of stuff they are selling. I asked for a refund and got it.

A formal complaint to the store manager and Wal-Mart Canada is currently under way. That assistant manager needs to have her ass handed to her. And by golly, I'll be the one handing it to her.

I can't imagine what my options would have been had Nintendo not helped me out. That reminds me, I need to send a letter to Nintendo to thank them.

I bought a squirt-gun for my son in 1989 and haven't been back since. This is one US retailer that will not get a penny from our family. We'll pay more or do without.

I only buy DVD/BluRays at Wally World. I picked up the PS3 there because I figured I would have less of an issue if I had to return open boxed for some reason to FS or BB for example. I wouldn't buy a DVD player or TV from them though as those knockoff just aren't work it.

Dropped into the New West Wal-Mart the other day looking for Wii Mario Kart game for our grandson but came up empty. While there, I noticed that they now stock name brand HDTVs at very competitive prices.
Once again we were subjected to a constant barrage of very loud, completely unintelligible announcements coming over the P.A. systems. I asked a male employee what was this girl yelling and he just shrugged and said he couldn't make it out either and he hears her all day long (the poor bast--d)!

Walmart almost always accept return (without reciept sometimes, and even without box). That's one good thing for Walmart.

But I don't recommend buying electronics in Walmart. They just carry low-quality products for low price many times.
Also my dad likes Walmart TOO MUCH. Even though he can buy things at Zellers or Canadian Tire on Millwoods Town Centre, he always goes to Walmart(it is in South Edmonton Common, Supercentre). It's a waste of oil.

Wal-Mart has to be my favourite retailer (tho it's be interesting to see how Target does).

Wal-Mart prices here usually are comparable to the US counterpart for many items when I cross check my local store and Walmart.com - rare for the Canadian market.

I'm not sure why people are so hard on the value electronics sold there - the build quality is usualy find since Wal-Mart doesn't tolerate less from it's suppliers (and if they don't the supplier is gone).

I still have booting around here a 5 yr old Symphonic PVR with 80GB HDD and a Venturer HTiB that works great to this day. Just because one brand of value electronics is junky doesn't mean all are.

I also got my cellphone and computer from them without having to deal with that upsell or extended warranty harassment found at other retailers like Future Shop - and for a cheaper price than any other retailer.