I was shopping at my local Walmart in West Mifflin, PA and I needed a small item. It was a little part for my computer. The Walmart.com website had the item for $9.99 and in the store the shelf said $13.99. When I asked the Walmart employee in that department to match the lower website price from Walmart.com he flatly refused. Going to the customer service area at the front of the store one of the managers looked at it and saw it on Walmart.com, but he told me that price was only if I bought it on Walmart.com. Consequently, this item was being sold on Walmart.com by Walmart not a marketplace seller. Therefore, how do you get Walmart or Target online price in the store?
Some retailers’ website will sell stuff that company never intends to stock and some of those prices are all over the place. But, most if not all retailers, will match the website price in the store if it’s an item the company itself is selling. They usually aren’t matching a marketplace seller’s price and that is fair.
On the other hand, a number of years ago I bought a digital answering machine in Target and was treated differently. I looked at their website and found one for about $11.00 and when I went to the Target store about two miles from my house, the price was slightly more. I told them about it and they matched the price on the spot. The Walmart manager should have done the same thing but refused. I didn’t have a smartphone on me at the time, but Walmart.com does say they would match website prices that Walmart itself was selling. This manager didn’t know his store’s policy about their website vs. in-store prices I suppose? Sometimes, you have to educate the store employee. That’s why checking online first regarding company website prices is important for savvy shopping to get the price you are entitled too.
These cases I gave were small purchases, but they add up! For this reason, comparing online prices is going to save you money, especially if you’re making a large purchase such as an appliance, television, or maybe a computer. I bought a washing machine that was kind of pricey and the local Home Depot had it, or a similar one. I was comparing prices and found a different model that was the same washing machine but the model number was slightly different with a longer warranty from the manufacturer. The price was the same but I got a better warranty.
Using online comparison of prices and item available is easy and will save you time and money in the long run. That washing machine did need service, but not because it broke. This happened because the washing machine was installed incorrectly and the store and the manufacturer Maytag stepped up and took care of the problem. But I see prices varying all the time between the website and the store. This Walmart was the first time a retailer gave me a problem about this retailer price difference.
Had I had my smartphone in my hand I could have bought the item and had it shipped to the store and I would have got the lower price. All they would have done was get a message and some employee would pull the item and take it to the pick up area, probably the same customer service. I tried that once in this store, but this particular Walmart store must have a problem keeping their inventory up to date. I knew that they had the item I wanted on the shelf. At one point they were remodeling the store and products were shifted everywhere and inventory got out of whack, but that was a long time ago. So when I thought of ordering another item I decided just to check the store itself since I was going to be there. So the website said I could pick it up after noon that day.
When I got to the store there was nothing on the shelf. I have been looking for that item for months. The Walmart website says they have it and when I get to the store they don’t. It’s a smaller purchase so ordering shipped to my house by itself would have cost more money. You can ship it to the store for free and in this case I won’t go there that same day. Instead, I will wait for the maximum amount of time I can so once they try to pull it and can’t find it, it will be pulled from their inventory in the distribution center. This is one way for how to get Walmart online price in the store.
Don’t write off Ebay because I found the same brand-new item online far cheaper there than Walmart with free shipping. I don’t how they can do it. But it was new and is working well. I thought I needed it sooner and so I went to Walmart. Also, I found it on Ebay so I ordered one and then returned the Walmart one.
Actually buying small cables, printer ink, and smaller accessories like the HDMI to VGA adapter can be found on Ebay for a fraction of what you can get them in stores. Some things you wonder about if they are counterfeit but the camera cable I bought more than two years ago is still working!
How to Get Walmart Online Price in Store
It’s really important to be a savvy shopper and know your prices. You can’t check all of them and sometimes it’s not worth the time it would take but if you have the time check that price. Certainly on big purchases this could mean large savings utilizing frugal shopping tips.
Checking the specs on an item might prove that good deal wasn’t really that good if the item had a better model that gave you better features. I’ve done that and I found in the case of that washing machine the price was the same. However, I just went to a different retailer.
Try to check your prices and know the store’s price match policy. I wouldn’t accept what some manager tells you for the most part. I would look for “a price match” on the store’s website and prove your case with their own website. Many of these employees can’t be aware of everything. Just showing them the facts could actually help them since and result in fewer customer complaints!
