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Old September 5, 2008, 07:44 PM   #1
johnwilliamson062
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Walmart thinks I want to make a straw buy

I am sure there is a thread like this, but I can not find it. Too many random threads with walmart in them.

I wanted to buy the all weather 10/22. I figured since I know exactly what I want I will pick it up at walmart and save some money. I call my local gun selling walmart and try to get a price. They are 25 minutes away so I didn't want to waste the time driving to talk to them. THe clerk basically accused me of making a straw buy and did not want to give me the pricing info. Apparently b/c I was calling on the phone so someone else could go pick it up for me. What a load of crap. Checked around with my local shops, one sells it for 239, only $4 more than walmart and they were not only behind the counter when I arrived, but happy I stopped in.
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Old September 5, 2008, 10:14 PM   #2
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Ive yet to meet a salesperson in the gun department at any Walmart who has a clue about guns. Sounds like you did good, supporting your local shop.
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Old September 5, 2008, 10:34 PM   #3
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Walmart in NM is not military friendly!

My daughter went into Walmart to cash her check and was turned away because they could not take her military identification. Artesia NM is not a military friendly town in general, but considering all of the hype from Walmart about how they help the military I didn't expect this kind of treatment. I still don't get there reasoning, because it takes more paperwork and proof of identity to get a military id then it does to get a drivers license.
I agree that we should use our local merchants as much as possible. Especially for items like firearms because we really do need the expertise that I have NEVER seen at Walmart. You are lucky to see anyone in that department, much less someone that knows what is going on.
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Old September 6, 2008, 10:43 AM   #4
12GaugeShuggoth
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Sorry for making my first post such a long one, but I feel pretty strongly on this as well.

+1 on keeping business away from Wal Mart. For some reason the most unhelpful, lazy, and absolutely clueless employees seem to be in the sporting goods department. A few months ago I broke my rule and went to buy some ammo from the Wal-Mart in Franklin, VA. Normally I wouldn't have done it, but I was riding with a friend who had to stop and get some groceries and figured I'd buy something as well.

I walk up to the sporting goods counter and greet the two........ummm, gentlemen who are there. One is sitting on the counter, back turned to me and reading a magazine. The other is leaned up against the ammunition case eating a cheeseburger. I asked how they were doing, and after looking around for a few minutes asked for 3 boxes of Federal Premium 2 3/4" 20 gauge #3 buckshot. The cheesburger guy says they only carry 12 gauge buckshot. The other guy says they don't carry ANY buckshot until deer season. Hmmmm, I'm standing here looking at boxes upon boxes of buckshot, and can clearly see the Federal shells I requested.

So, I point over to the shells in question and ask for 3 boxes of them. Cheesburger guy walks over and looks at them, and then tells me that they aren't what I asked for............ok, standing where I am I can clearly read the side of the box, and it's exactly what I asked for. So I once again ask for 3 boxes of these shells, and I'm told that the shells I'm looking for don't even exist, and that I must be confused. Frustrated and becoming a little impatient, I decided to just abandon the whole idea and leave empty-handed.

At this point though, as I'm beginning to walk away, I hear cheesburger guy mumble something.........I didn't catch it at first, but once I did it was very clear. I won't quote it, but it had to do with the color of my white skin. Rather out of character for me, I bit my tongue and walked away.

Needless to say I don't care to give my money to Wal Mart, I have to drive a little farther to get certain things, but it's more than worth it in my book. I won't even go in to what happened several years ago when I tried to get a job at the Suffolk Wal-Mart.......I was asked to leave the store for that one
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Old September 6, 2008, 10:49 AM   #5
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If you were sure that was what you wanted, you could have gone to see the big man and told him what they were doing.
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Old September 6, 2008, 10:58 AM   #6
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"walmart" you get what you pay for

the walmart in my town sells rugers for 40 bucks less than any gun store. i asked around why this is and the most common answer is they are a cheaper grade of 10/22 with some plastic parts. i find it hard to belive but i know walmart has been known to have companies build them special "cheaper" products so they can cut cost. anyone else heard of this?
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Old September 6, 2008, 11:03 AM   #7
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Um, even if you found Sam; there's not much he'd say about the matter.
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Old September 6, 2008, 11:03 AM   #8
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^^^
BS, covered many times here and elsewhere...
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Old September 6, 2008, 11:10 AM   #9
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I don't understand the "BS" part. Sam really is gone. I just hope he's got Old Roy on point.
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Old September 6, 2008, 12:26 PM   #10
hoytinak
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Quote:
and the most common answer is they are a cheaper grade of 10/22 with some plastic parts.
I'm pretty sure this was the BS statement he was referring to. (if not then I'll refer to it as BS ) Walmart's rifles come from the same distributors as the gunshops.
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Old September 6, 2008, 04:22 PM   #11
ringworm
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i was buying a licence at walmart once and found the counter unmanned and the Firearms Disposition log laying open on the counter. The log lists buyers name, address, DL#, firearm purchased and serial number.
When the clerk came to the counter I said the log shouldnt be left out in the open.
The clerk, smartly, responded "We aint got no rules bout it".
I said "Well I bet you will by next week becasue I just changed all the 3's to 8's on the serial numbers" then walked out.
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Old September 6, 2008, 07:43 PM   #12
johnwilliamson062
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"I walk up to the sporting goods counter and greet the two"
you lucky SOB, when I first started shooting trap I bought my shells at walmart and had to search for ten minutes to find one person. That person usually had to search for another ten minutes to find someone with a key to open the ammo cabinet.

Quote:
I'm pretty sure this was the BS statement he was referring to. (if not then I'll refer to it as BS ) Walmart's rifles come from the same distributors as the gunshops.
Walmart buys direct from companies in most cases and handles their own distribution. I am not sure about firearms though. I am fairly certain they are the same as what distributors have though.
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Old September 6, 2008, 07:51 PM   #13
hoytinak
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Quote:
you lucky SOB, when I first started shooting trap I bought my shells at walmart and had to search for ten minutes to find one person. That person usually had to search for another ten minutes to find someone with a key to open the ammo cabinet.
Yeah I know how you feel. I walked out of our Walmart about 3 hours ago today cause there was no one in sporting goods, I went to the paint dept. they called someone to sporting goods, some one shows up 15 mins later and them tells me she can't get into the ammo she needs to find the guy with the key....I told her to forget it and walked out. All I wanted was 2 boxes of .22 CB Shorts.
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Old September 6, 2008, 08:19 PM   #14
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Quote:
THe clerk basically accused me of making a straw buy and did not want to give me the pricing info. Apparently b/c I was calling on the phone so someone else could go pick it up for me.
Not going tp defend Wal-Mart or anything like that but aren't you providing the perfect example of a straw purchase? One person goes and buys a gun for someone else.

Last week I went to the local Wal-Mart to get some WWB ammo. After being unable to get anyone to open the shelves so I could get it I left and went to Dicks. We have two WM in town. One I call the Rednect WM and teh other the Mexican WM. I feel safer in the Mexican one even when the gangs hold there quarterly rumbles at the food counter.
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Old September 6, 2008, 08:45 PM   #15
12GaugeShuggoth
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Quote:
"I walk up to the sporting goods counter and greet the two"
you lucky SOB, when I first started shooting trap I bought my shells at walmart and had to search for ten minutes to find one person.
I guess I got "lucky" then ...........:barf: I hate buying ammo from WM, but occasionally find myself in a pinch and swallow my inhibitions towards it. Of the 3 WM within 30 minutes of me, 1 of them won't ever have anyone in the sporting goods area, 1 of them has several people who are as helpful as if they weren't there at all, and the last one actually has decent employees who seem to know what they are doing......that last one is where I will occasionally buy the ammo from....but that's rare as well.
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Old September 11, 2008, 07:20 PM   #16
johnwilliamson062
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Not going tp defend Wal-Mart or anything like that but aren't you providing the perfect example of a straw purchase? One person goes and buys a gun for someone else.
To clarify, the Wal-Mart is 20 minutes away and I was going to drive over and buy it after they gave me the price if it was reasonable. They thought I was going to have someone else buy it.

I wrote a letter to corporate. I received a call from the store manager on Tuesday. He apologized and said he would schedule a training session for the employees in sporting goods. No discount offered, but hey it is something. Still do not feel satisfied though.
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Old September 11, 2008, 07:50 PM   #17
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I woke up early a few saturday's ago and figured I would beat the crowd at wally world and pick up some ammo. First time ever there was a guy right there with the key Only problem was the register wouldnt let him ring it up. Said they are prohibited from selling ammo after 10pm and before 6am. I asked him why, and he replied "because Wal Mart is F#$@$ing stupid" I chuckled then walked around for 10 minutes and came back and bought the ammo. Kind of a hassle but hey, cant get it anywhere else at that hour either I guess.
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Old September 12, 2008, 05:34 AM   #18
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Quote:
To clarify, the Wal-Mart is 20 minutes away and I was going to drive over and buy it after they gave me the price if it was reasonable. They thought I was going to have someone else buy it.
I misinterpreted your post. You wound up doing the right thing.
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Old September 12, 2008, 06:19 AM   #19
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At this point though, as I'm beginning to walk away, I hear cheesburger guy mumble something.........I didn't catch it at first, but once I did it was very clear. I won't quote it, but it had to do with the color of my white skin. Rather out of character for me, I bit my tongue and walked away.
I'd a wipped cheesburger guy's @$$ and shoved the cheese burger down the other ones throat.
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Old September 12, 2008, 04:11 PM   #20
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I overheard a clerk tell a man that 10mm ammo was illigal for civillians to by and that it was law enforcement only, BUT that he could sell him some 9mm and it was nearly as good.
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Old September 12, 2008, 04:31 PM   #21
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I wrote a letter to corporate. I received a call from the store manager on Tuesday. He apologized and said he would schedule a training session for the employees in sporting goods. No discount offered, but hey it is something. Still do not feel satisfied though.
Excellent strategy. Better than dealing with the store manager who would probably have swept this under the carpet. Good on ya.
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Old September 12, 2008, 04:39 PM   #22
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the walmart in my town sells rugers for 40 bucks less than any gun store. i asked around why this is and the most common answer is they are a cheaper grade of 10/22 with some plastic parts. i find it hard to belive but i know walmart has been known to have companies build them special "cheaper" products so they can cut cost. anyone else heard of this?
I am not sure about guns but it is absolutely true with electronics and vacuums. I checked into a serial number of a flat screen there once and called the manufacturer since the number was slightly different than the number on the one at Best Buy. They said they produce a variant specifically for Wal-Mart and it does not use the same high end components as the standard model sold at other stores. They said they had to downgrade some video components to be able to sell them to Wal-Mart at the price Wal-Mart dictated.

I later got the same story about a vacuum cleaner from a different manufacturer.
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Old September 12, 2008, 07:10 PM   #23
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I have heard that about some manufacturers, such as Marlin, and Remington, whose product are at Walmart.

Didnt know that the electronics were also that sub-par. Guess I'll stop using their pricing to figure out my home entertainment needs.
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Old September 12, 2008, 07:50 PM   #24
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Lower quality for the box stores is pretty common now. If you ever bought an American Standard toilet at Home Depot it was a Depot special. Youbwould have to go to a supply house to get the real thing. I think Anderson windows are the same. I see no reason for it to be different with guns.
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Old September 13, 2008, 07:35 AM   #25
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SInce this thread has digressed Sears was famous for buying from a "name" manufacture and having them modify the product. If ever you would buy some thing from Sears and needed a part for it you would have to go back to Sears for that part. They would intentionally modify the sapcings between the handles on a faucet so they would only fit a Sears sink. They would take a Briggs & Stratton small engine and modify the gas tank or similar. Tandy (Radio Shack) did the same with their PC's. You could fit any standard expansion card in them but unless you bought it from Tandy you couldn't put the cover back on.

If you go matress shopping you can't find the same model in two different stores all because they do that to confuse the buyers. Just be very careful shopping at teh "Big Box" stores and don't assume.
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