Feeling bad about scamming Wal-Mart?

[JimmieMac]

http://www.iht.com/articles/511351.html

Summary, They're rich and they keep getting richer.

Not that I condone any foul behavior, I just figured I'd post this.

[elprincipe]

If you don't like their being rich/their business practices/whatever, that's no excuse for making them the victim of criminal acts or, indeed, stupidly throwing away your own moral values in a foolhardy attempt to somehow hurt them. Boycott them, demonstrate against them, call them and complain, write your congressman and senators, do whatever you want within the law. But, bottom line, respect the fact that stealing is illegal and that, hey, you wouldn't want Wal-Mart to steal from you, would you? That's all I have to say.

[Wshakspear]

...But, bottom line, respect the fact that stealing is illegal and that, hey, you wouldn't want Wal-Mart to steal from you, would you? That's all I have to say.

Actually, there are many documented cases of Wal-Marts bullying there way into small neighborhoods, killing all the local jobs, and then when they realize they wont make any more money, close-shop. So, yeah, Wal-mart does steal...from the community.

wow, that sounded like a PSA...

[Mr Unoriginal]

...But, bottom line, respect the fact that stealing is illegal and that, hey, you wouldn't want Wal-Mart to steal from you, would you? That's all I have to say.

Actually, there are many documented cases of Wal-Marts bullying there way into small neighborhoods, killing all the local jobs, and then when they realize they wont make any more money, close-shop. So, yeah, Wal-mart does steal...from the community.

wow, that sounded like a PSA...

The more you knoooow.....

[metroidkiller9]

i have never personally ripped off walmart but i always feel bad when i see those commercials they have with the blind lady or that funny old man.

[Anonymous]

elprincipe
Cheap Ass Veteran


Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Posts: 317


Posted: March 22, 2004, 11:53 am
Post subject:

If you don't like their being rich/their business practices/whatever, that's no excuse for making them the victim of criminal acts or, indeed, stupidly throwing away your own moral values in a foolhardy attempt to somehow hurt them. Boycott them, demonstrate against them, call them and complain, write your congressman and senators, do whatever you want within the law. But, bottom line, respect the fact that stealing is illegal and that, hey, you wouldn't want Wal-Mart to steal from you, would you? That's all I have to say.



They can't steal from me, I'm a supersecret ninja man.

[LV-426RS]

Actually, there are many documented cases of Wal-Marts bullying there way into small neighborhoods, killing all the local jobs, and then when they realize they wont make any more money, close-shop. So, yeah, Wal-mart does steal...from the community.

wow, that sounded like a PSA...


Not to mention they do not sell their old buildings, leaving them dirty and rundown, for fear a competitor may move in that space and provide competition.

[doraemonkerpal]

did you see who is second on that list? exxon mobil... bastard oil tycoons. i pay like $2.30 a gallon for my gas! :(

[Wshakspear]

Actually, there are many documented cases of Wal-Marts bullying there way into small neighborhoods, killing all the local jobs, and then when they realize they wont make any more money, close-shop. So, yeah, Wal-mart does steal...from the community.

wow, that sounded like a PSA...


Not to mention they do not sell their old buildings, leaving them dirty and rundown, for fear a competitor may move in that space and provide competition.

True too.

Now, im not saying being Robin Hood is good, but its almost excusable. Id understand more if you were a former employee/resident, but otherwise its still a harsh BAD.

Then again...i remember the X-mas right after Zelda came out on gameboy, i put it back in its box and exchanged it for another game at Toys-R-Us. I felt guilty...but then again, Yoshi! was fun.

Lesson learned...keep your old games, you'll miss them later.

Yo Joe.

[E-Z-B]

did you see who is second on that list? exxon mobil... bastard oil tycoons. i pay like $2.30 a gallon for my gas! :(

As Jay Leno said, ""The price of oil hit a 13-year high. What a coincidence, wasn't it 13 years ago the last Bush was president?""

[PsyClerk]

As Jay Leno said, ""The price of oil hit a 13-year high. What a coincidence, wasn't it 13 years ago the last Bush was president?""

Also a coincidence...the world kicked Saddam in the butt around the same time. Oil producing Arab countries (ie all of them) get antsy whenever they're reminded that their thousands of years of conflict means very little to civilized people. So they raise gas prices to make themselves feel better.

On Wal-Mart: Don't hate Wal-Mart just because it's a succesful company, and an enormous one at that. I'd like to see some hard examples of Wal-Mart turning a town into dust as cited in the posts above. I can see businesses going under due to competition from Wal-Mart (I worked in a department store that felt that crunch years ago). But if Wal-Mart leaves, the town doesn't dry up because of that. If there was a market there, stores will open to meet the market. If the market was gone, then no wonder everything closed down.

/soon to be a libertarian

[LV-426RS]

I'd like to see some hard examples of Wal-Mart turning a town into dust as cited in the posts above.

read it from the people


http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/talkback3.html

[jmcc]

did you see who is second on that list? exxon mobil... bastard oil tycoons. i pay like $2.30 a gallon for my gas! :(

Just be glad you don't have to pay European prices.

[PsyClerk]

That article (or rather, the feedback) was pretty amusing. My favorite quote so far:

"But the more important issue is that why are the majority of Americans so eager to simply follow the herd, and not live their own lives?"

Live their own lives? What a bunch of vague idealistic bullshit.

Wal-Mart provides goods at a price the lower classes can afford. Don't expect the less educated people with less money to give up the chance at owning 'stuff' that was beyond their reach before the advent of Wal-Mart just because it satisfies some hippie 'don't feed the corporations' philosophy.

And if it's really that bad, you'd think people wouldn't shop there.

[dtcarson]

Exactly.
WalMart isn't going to save the world, but neither are they going to destroy the world.
If WalMart is so evil, how come they are the richest company in the world?
I have to laugh, at all the people who say things like 'Keep the jobs in the US!' and 'Higher wages for everyone!' then spend hundreds of dollars weekly at WalMart, which has a whole lot of Made-Somewhere-Else products, and generally pays their non-managerial staff not a whole lot. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
Either those people are being hypocritical, or at least they're not being honest--they can say 'I'm concerned about the little guy,' and 'Poor Joe lost his job,', but as long as they shop at WM for the cheap prices, ultimately, the thing most important to them, is their own wallet.
Disclaimer: I'm not a WM fan, nor do I want to blow up their buildings, but I do shop there a lot because, well, on many things their prices beat the crap out of anywhere else. However, I will pay more to support the 'little guy', if he offers something that WM doesn't [which could be something as simple as a friendly greeting upon entry and me-focused customer service.]

[vshekar]

I'd like to see some hard examples of Wal-Mart turning a town into dust as cited in the posts above.

read it from the people


http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/talkback3.html

I remember seeing the documentary on which that Forum is based. It was about a small town whose residents didn't want Wal-Mart to open a large store there. Well, it wasn't all the residents that were against it, but the small business owners, such as the local coffee house, definitely were. The mayor was in favor of it, if I recall, and eventually it did open up there. The small businesses didn't go out of business immediately, but their revenue did decrease. I saw the show a couple years ago so some of this may be off. Anyway, it was sad to see what happened to business owners, but I do think it's a bit haughty for a well-off healthcare worker to decry Wal-Mart, just because she has plenty of money to shop elsewhere (the second post in the PBS forum).

[ElwoodCuse]

Not to mention they do not sell their old buildings, leaving them dirty and rundown, for fear a competitor may move in that space and provide competition.

This is not always true, the Wal-Mart around here just moved to a bigger place and there are giant "FOR LEASE" signs all over the old one.

[elprincipe]

They can't steal from me, I'm a supersecret ninja man.

Funny, I thought you were squeakycleanskater. :wink:

[elprincipe]

Exactly.
WalMart isn't going to save the world, but neither are they going to destroy the world.
If WalMart is so evil, how come they are the richest company in the world?
I have to laugh, at all the people who say things like 'Keep the jobs in the US!' and 'Higher wages for everyone!' then spend hundreds of dollars weekly at WalMart, which has a whole lot of Made-Somewhere-Else products, and generally pays their non-managerial staff not a whole lot. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
Either those people are being hypocritical, or at least they're not being honest--they can say 'I'm concerned about the little guy,' and 'Poor Joe lost his job,', but as long as they shop at WM for the cheap prices, ultimately, the thing most important to them, is their own wallet.
Disclaimer: I'm not a WM fan, nor do I want to blow up their buildings, but I do shop there a lot because, well, on many things their prices beat the crap out of anywhere else. However, I will pay more to support the 'little guy', if he offers something that WM doesn't [which could be something as simple as a friendly greeting upon entry and me-focused customer service.]

This is so true. It's the same phenomenon as NIMBYism. You're all for something except when it affects you personally, or you're all against something except when it would help you personally. It's like the people who decry air pollution and drive SUVs around all day, or people who are against "sprawl" except when they want their nice house in the country or convenient shopping near them. I can respect anyone's reasonable beliefs, but some people are just so blindly hypocritical it is hard not to laugh :lol: :lol: :lol:

Note: I am not claiming any people on this thread are said hypocrites :P

[MorganWebbLover]

I don't hate Wal-Mart where else could I buy a brand new Gameboy SP for 40 bucks ?

[Theenternal]

Walmart is the most Evil company in the world? I thought it was Microsoft? Someone make up their mind, so I know which company i should hate the most.

[famousmort]

A brand new GBASP for 40$??! How?

[kaw]

I love how people think Wal-Mart is the great all-American company. Wal-Mart, if anything, is doing more to destroy this country than help it.

Fact: Wal-Mart, which in the late 1980s and early 1990s trumpeted its claim to "Buy American," has doubled its imports from China in the past five years alone, buying some $12 billion in merchandise in 2002. That's nearly 10% of all Chinese exports to the United States.

Fact: Wal-Mart workers make an average of $3 per hour less than union supermarket jobs, $2 per hour less than all supermarket jobs, and $1 per hour less than the average retail wage. An average Wal-Mart employee makes about $11,700 a year (working 30 hour weeks which is the national average in discount stores) — nearly $2,000 below the poverty line for a single mother with two children. A 40-hour week--which most Wal-Mart employees don't work--would figure out to $15,000 a year, which is the government's poverty level for a family of 4.

Fact: Wal-Mart employees working less than 28 hours need to put in two years with the company before they become eligible for health insurance--if they can afford it.

Fact: Studies show that for every two jobs created by a Wal-Mart store, the community loses three. Jobs are merely shift from local businesses to the giant retailer. In a 1994 report, the Congressional Research Service warned Congress that communities need to evaluate the significance of any job gains at big-box stores against any loss of jobs due to reduced business at competing retailers. The report also pointed out that these so-called new jobs "provide significantly lower wages then jobs in many industries, and are often only part-time positions, seasonal opportunities, or subject to extensive turnover."

The Real Story is that when Wal-Mart moves into the neighborhood, it devours local businesses and lowers community living standards.

Sources:
http://www.walmartyrs.org/
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

[camoor]

If WalMart is so evil, how come they are the richest company in the world?

That might be the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my entire life.

[KingDox]

walmart blows, they are always crowed and the shelfs are always a mess. Plus there are always women with 10 kids running around like lunatics. Parking is usually terrible too.

I know people shop there because it's "one stop shopping" but I'm not going to endure all that hassel to save 27 cents off a dvd.

[defender]

I saw that documentary too on PBS a couple years ago. Walmart sucks ass. I am just old enough to know what America was like before it became a template from town to town.

Now all across America each town is just about exactly the same. Companies like McDonalds and Walmart have really pushed it into a new level.

I hate McDonalds most but Walmart is VERY evil too. You will never get a Walmart to care about its workers...only the bottom line. I am having problems but I havent fired my employees because of it. Walmart would.

Because Walmart has such buying power they can demand cheaper prices from suppliers and also better terms. Small guys just get screwed. Eventually Walmart should face Anti-Trust charges. If you own a small business...no matter how many years you have been open. If a Walmart is coming...you are gonna be out of business really really fast. Once you lose your business...you have to work at Walmart for less money and worse conditions than before. America was built with the small business but it can be destroyed by big business.

Walmart has little incentive to treat workers fairly or to pay them well. I am always skeptical about companies that have minimum wage employees that work really hard so that some fat cat executive can make millions a year just to decide which pencils to buy for the chain.

I am a real capitalist but our laws are also meant to protect all businesses and to have a FAIR market. Walmart does not represent that at all.

If you agree then DO NOT SHOP AT WALMART. Its just that simple. There are other places to spend money to get products.

[defender]

OMG

http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/talkback3.html

Go read all the people who talk about how their towns are ruined by Walmart.

[LV-426RS]

Not to mention they do not sell their old buildings, leaving them dirty and rundown, for fear a competitor may move in that space and provide competition.

This is not always true, the Wal-Mart around here just moved to a bigger place and there are giant "FOR LEASE" signs all over the old one.

Wait until you see who gets to lease that property. It will not be anyone who can provide competition to WM. Chances are great it will be leased in 2-3 seperate sections. And they will not keep the property in good shape. Even around here WM own smaller stores are left filthy, with the concern centered around the Super WM's.

[dtcarson]

If WalMart is so evil, how come they are the richest company in the world?

That might be the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my entire life.

Excuse me? Perhaps my phrasing was a little off, but if you have a relevant opinion other than ad hominem attacks, feel free to share.
Many people are apparently of the opinion that Wal-Mart is EEE-vil [much like Microsoft, oh wait, Micro$oft, is that how it's done?]. Most people would not support EEE-vil [I would hope.] Yet WM is worth zillions of dollars, constant growth, the biggest retailer in the world, and wield massive power in the marketplace. Are those good things? Not necessarily. But they're not necessarily bad things. Does WalMart do bad things? Sure. Every company does. And hopefully they get caught and have to repair it [like the illegal immigrant hiring thing a little while back.]
So we have the following propositions:
A: WalMart is evil, because blablabla.
B: WalMart is the biggest retailer in the world.
C: To become biggest retailer, you must have lots of customers/revenure.
Thus: Either people are evil and support evil; either WM is not evil; people are hypocritical and don't care about evil as long as they save a few bucks; or, WM does some good things [give people a lot of products for reasonable prices], and some bad things [exist as unbeatable competition in many marketplaces.]

Do I like the cookie-cutter WM syndrome? Not especially. But it's not limited to WM. There's a busy commercial road near me, where they destroyed the one remaining corner with an actual tree and put in a coffee shop [not Starbucks, but do we need another coffee shop?] and an EBGames. Not 300 feet away, there was a strip mall with at least 5 open parcels. They are still open, I believe.

[camoor]

A: WalMart is evil, because blablabla.
B: WalMart is the biggest retailer in the world.
C: To become biggest retailer, you must have lots of customers/revenure.
Thus: Either people are evil and support evil; either WM is not evil; people are hypocritical and don't care about evil as long as they save a few bucks; or, WM does some good things [give people a lot of products for reasonable prices], and some bad things [exist as unbeatable competition in many marketplaces.]

I'm glad to see you're getting your money's worth from your "Symbolic Logic 101" class. However I strongly urge you to visit the sites mentioned above and read the stories about real American people. Remember that "Greed is good" speech from the movie "Wallstreet"? Well it was meant to be ironic.

[jdevlin7756]

I dislike Wal-Mart for forcing me to quit because I was friends with a guy who stole $2000 from them (at Sam's Club). Then two years later I was hired by a Wal-Mart and quite my other job. After one day of training they called and asked why I hadn't stated that I worked for Sam's. When I said I had put it on my application they said "Oh, yeah I see it. Well don't bother coming in for training tomorrow." What a bunch of a**holes

[JimmieMac]

I dislike Wal-Mart for forcing me to quit because I was friends with a guy who stole $2000 from them (at Sam's Club). Then two years later I was hired by a Wal-Mart and quite my other job. After one day of training they called and asked why I hadn't stated that I worked for Sam's. When I said I had put it on my application they said "Oh, yeah I see it. Well don't bother coming in for training tomorrow." What a bunch of a**holes


Their soul can only be purified by fire.

[dtcarson]

A: WalMart is evil, because blablabla.
B: WalMart is the biggest retailer in the world.
C: To become biggest retailer, you must have lots of customers/revenure.
Thus: Either people are evil and support evil; either WM is not evil; people are hypocritical and don't care about evil as long as they save a few bucks; or, WM does some good things [give people a lot of products for reasonable prices], and some bad things [exist as unbeatable competition in many marketplaces.]

I'm glad to see you're getting your money's worth from your "Symbolic Logic 101" class. However I strongly urge you to visit the sites mentioned above and read the stories about real American people. Remember that "Greed is good" speech from the movie "Wallstreet"? Well it was meant to be ironic.

Funny, because everything I see today is showing how greedy people are, or just 'wanting stuff'. Halfmillion dollar houses for single people or couples/no family, hundreds of thousands in credit card debt on 'stuff', oh, don't forget, the average new car price is now over 30k even without all the 'extras.' I'll be honest. Greed _is_ good. I want stuff. I want money. If I can get more stuff for less money [thereby keeping more of my money, or getting more with it], I will do so. Hence, oh, this website. Unmitigated greed, with no moral conscience, is bad. I say that to WalMart, Microsoft, and yes, everyone who 'feels' for the people while still shopping at WalMart to help their wallet. Anyone who invested in the dotcoms hoping to strike it rich, they think greed is good. Anyone who invested in daytrading in hopes of buying for 10 at 10, selling for 12 at 12, thinks greed is good. They may not admit it, but they live it. People can say anything, but actions are what counts. This wouldn't be an issue if people really did care about Joe SmallBusinessOwner more than his wallet, *and backed that up by shopping with J SBO instead of WalMart.* Obviously they don't. [By 'they' I mean the vast majority of the public.] Yes, in some cases people are put out of jobs by this. [I didn't read that link, I don't use random anecdotes as proof of an argument]. Not to be harsh, but that's the marketplace.
Real American people are able to buy DVD players for forty bucks; able to buy clothes for their kids for three bucks; can go to one store, spend a hundred bucks, and get groceries for the week and household appliances. Obviously they have something to offer, otherwise they wouldn't keep offering it.
And again, I'm not a WalMart cheerleader, if I go there and stay more than 30 minutes I start to go insane because that *$*# overhead intercom is jabbering every thirty seconds. But I still go there, because what costs 1.25 at Food Lion costs .98 at WM [when that item was 1.10 at FL, I bought it there, but if I can save 25%, I'm going to]; what costs 2.50 at Harris Teeter costs 1.66 at WM. Money talks. Sometimes it says bad things, but again, if there's a choice between my family's survival and prosperity and someone else's, someone I don't know, it's no choice at all. [Note: if my family survives and prospers, I am more than willing to help, give, donate to help other families. But my family comes first. And I think most other people, if they were honest, would say the same.]

jdevlin7756: Many states are at-will states, that is, the bond of employment between you and an employer, unless you sign a contract, can be severed at will by either party for almost any reason. If you were friends with someone who stole from them, I am casting no aspersions on you by any means, I can see why they'd no longer want you with them [I don't know what you mean by 'forcing you to quit.'] But that could happen from any company you worked for. The second scenario, I don't understand--unless they had in your Sam's file some note as to the circumstances surrounding your departure, and shared that with their sister company WalMart. How they handled it still sucks, of course.

[jdevlin7756]

dtcarson: No I understand that. All I'm stating is that when a company begins to act like a big faceless (and souless) corporation they shouldn't expect not to be treated like one. I've never stolen from Wal-Mart (you'll have to take my word) but I take every opportunity I can get to take advantage of them.

[jdevlin7756]

Oh, and forcing me to quit means that they basically told a seventeen year old that they were going to prosecute me if I didn't quit. In retrospect I should've let them try.

[dtcarson]

As long as you're taking advantage legally, and not outright thieving, go for it. They surely would do the same to you/us [like many big companies]. And I definitely don't think of WM as a big 'savior of America.' They allow lots of people to buy lots of stuff cheap. That's pretty much it.
That sucks about them threatening to prosecute you...especially when based on your first post, they had nothing to go on.

[defender]

Yes, in some cases people are put out of jobs by this. [I didn't read that link, I don't use random anecdotes as proof of an argument].

Those arent random anecdotes...those are real peoples experiences. Unless you are willing to listen to both sides of an argument you are not in the argument. I suggest you listen and read as to whats really going on instead of just stating your personal opinion.

I agree that greed America is what helps keep WalMart alive though. That doesnt change the fact that walmart is evil.

[dtcarson]

I am listening to both sides of the argument. 'I know someone who...' isn't an argument. Every negative anecdote can be countered by a positive one [and vice versa]. Anecdotes work by portraying a 'real person', thus personifying the point and bringing emotion into it. There's no difference between a 'random anecdote' and 'real peoples experiences'.
15000 dogs are killed accidentally each year [number chosen randomly as example].
versus
My neighbour's six year old had a 1 year old puppy, cutest thing you ever saw, until some jerkwad in an SUV speeding through the neighbourhood crushed it and didn't even stop!

And hey, my stating 'my personal opinion' is exactly what those anecdotes you are using are doing. How come they're allowed to and I'm not? True, mine aren't emotional and saying how WalMart crushed my house and starved my baby, and mine have a little logic to them.
WalMart is evil for providing products to millions of people? Perhaps they *do* evil things [as, well, most everyone alive or dead], but if that's evil, anyone who shops there is also. And don't forget, greedy gamers are what keeps CAG going. Cheapy, you are a doorway to evil.

And regarding argument: So far, what I've seen is:
"WalMart is evil."
"Here are some stories about bad WalMart."
"That's stupid."
"When WM leaves a store, the store who takes it over usually makes it a mess." [?]
kaw did add some facts to the discussion, which was nice.

Back to one of your earlier posts: Why would you not fire someone who caused you trouble? Depending on the trouble, of course. If someone is, say, stealing from you, I would *hope* you'd fire their ass. First, you're getting ripped off, and that's not right. Secondly, odds are, a thief will continue to do it if he keeps getting away with it. Which ultimately raises your overhead, your costs, and your prices--which pushes me toward WM. Especially if I know you keep someone who causes you trouble. I work in a call center, and yes, we try to coach people and help them improve, but either after a certain amount of time/attempts, or after a certain occurrence, we boot them immediately.
I don't expect a company to 'care' about its workers. I expect them to pay an agreed-upon wage for hours worked, and not abuse me while I'm working there. That's all they owe me as an employee. They don't even owe me a job past right now, or any money other than what I've earned. Really, those of you who don't work for yourself, do you 'care' about your company, other than wanting it to stay in business and do well [because ultimately, that affects your job and your pay]? And if you do, if a neighbouring company came and offered you twice the money for doing the same job, wouldn't you take it [all other things being equal]?
And our laws do not help business. Our laws are currently supportive of the individual worker, especially as regarding discrimination/abuse; and to support big business [regardless of who's in office]. The average small business has so many legislative and bureaucratic barriers in its place, just to get up and running, that it's a wonder any small business succeeds [although I'm glad they do, they are the cornerstone of our economy]. And every big business started as a small business--even WalMart.
I do agree wholeheartedly with one thing you say--if you don't like WalMart, their policies, their products, their prices, whatever, don't shop there. That is the true power of the marketplace. Unfortunately, like I said, most people listen to their wallets first; hence the size and power of WalMart [or Blockbuster, or McDonald's, or Microsoft, or even Best Buy].

Survey: Who here has EVER shopped at WalMart, WalMart.com, or Sam's Club? If you have, especially recently, *you are part of the problem* and have no moral high ground to say 'WM is evil' or 'WM is bad', without lumping yourself in with them.

[defender]

I dont shop at walmart or Sams Club at all and havent eaten McDonalds in years.


As for your 'I know someone who...'

Like I said..unless you are willing to look and listen then your opinion is worthless here.

The link is not to people who know someone...the link is to the people affected. From 3rd Person to 1st person is a big difference.

You can believe what you want but your opinion is discounted by your lack of understanding the other side.

[dtcarson]

Sigh....they're still anecdotal evidence. "This happened to me", while still poignant, is still a single example [or a collection of single examples] of anecdotes. Perhaps even more flawed, because odds are 99 to 1 that the person sharing the anecdote is going to share the parts that show them in a good light and the other party in a bad light--that's just human nature.
"I got fired! Big mean evil company!'
So, how was your work ethic?
"Um, I was late three times a week."
Hmm...how was your performance?
"I got written up last month."
Okay, how long have you been with the company?
"Six months."
I see. Damn that evil company!

Obviously that's not the case in many of these situations, but that is the hazard of listening to-and relying on-- this anecdotal evidence. I'm not saying it should be totally discounted, but it shouldn't be given the weight it appears to be receiving. We could go to bestbuysucks.com and blockbustersucks.com, and while we may not be fans of the companies [with valid reason], if we rely on those sites with their first person anecdotal evidence, we'd think that those companies are just one step up from Stalin.
I am listening--to you people. Who, again, basically say "WM is evil, listen to what these other people say!" Even apart from the fact that I see only a very few things or people as 'evil' [child molestation, Hitler, slavery, etc.], for the most part, all I'm seeing from participants in this thread--which is whom I'm debating with, not some unknown party posting on a PBS board--is vague emotion-laden words and 'You're not listening to anecdotes, so shut up.'
And actually, to hit a previous point, many of the laws regarding trade we have are *not* at all to provide a 'fair' market, but to protect certain industries and companies with things like beneficial trade policies and tax structures/benefits, and to weaken certain companies that it's politically expedient to dislike [like, for instance, the MS "antitrust" lawsuits]. We are not especially close to a 'free market', if we had a free market, products would cost as much as 2/3 less than they do, because companies' money could be used on production and r&d and improvement, rather than complying with sometimes wasteful, sometimes irrelevant, sometimes actively harmful legislation and standards.

Anyway, to get back on topic, if I'm allowed to have an opinion--judging by your feelings about WM, it's okay to steal from them because they're a big rich evil company?

[red flare graf]

I don't really like Wal-Mart as a company, but as a source for cheap things I need. :roll: The Wal-Mart closest to me just recently closed and they opened a Wal-Mart Super Center about half a mile away on one of the busiest streets in the city, just past the Mall.. by two busy intersections and a bridge which a hardcore construction filled highway happens to run over. I just think their lack of consideration is sickening, but I still have to shop there.

So if they can cause an extra 10-15 minutes each way from class for me that I have to sit there in traffic (yeah, it really has become that long) then I'll rip them off every chance I can get. Where's the Wal-Mart rainchecks? ;/

[dtcarson]

While I sympathize with your traffic issue [i despise waiting in traffic, and try to minimize it as much as possible, which is challenging at times], wouldn't your feelings be better vented at other parties, such as:
* all the shoppers who like the convenience of having malls and WalMarts together
* all the other stores that got there in the first place
* malls in general; they used to be what WalMart is now [huge, androgynous, unoriginal landsucking/competition-beating gatherings of shops]
* the legislators/politicians who gave WalMart a building permit to build there, especially while other construction is going on
* and of course whoever sold WM the land.

And while you're ripping them off, don't forget, you're not really taking money from Sam Walton Jr....he'll make his billions regardless of what you buy or don't buy; you're ripping off the local store, which now has to account for the lower sales figures and make up for them--they can't raise prices, so odds are, they're cut pay, cut hours, or fire somebody--that somebody may be your neighbour, earning 8 bucks an hour, who now doesn't have a job.
[Note: by 'ripping off' I mean actual stealing or cheating, which I am not accuring you of. Using WM's own policies, like a raincheck, does not count as this--those are valid loopholes.]
This is just to say that it's easy to call WM evil, and say They shouldn't do that, let's rip 'em off! But actions have consequences, and there's more to the story than is visible at first sight.

[kaw]

It's all a viscious circle. It's true, Wal-Mart has some of the cheapest prices out there. However, they can only afford to undercut the competition by cutting back in other areas (low wages, no benefits, importing cheap goods that I mentioned above).

1. Wal-Mart comes into town.
2. People start to shop at Wal-Mart.
3. Competition starts to go out of business.
4. Unemployed are forced to shop at Wal-Mart to save money.
5. Since competition is no longer around Wal-Mart gets more business.
6. Unemployed find lower wage jobs at Wal-Mart.

And this is how the beast gets fed.

It's ironic that Wal-Mart probably sees a higher percentage of earnings (compared to its competitors) when the economy is poor. More Americans are pinching every penny, which forces them to shop at Wal-Mart.

[jdevlin7756]

walmart

[jmcc]

what the shaq-fu was the point of this bump?

Maybe he's a old message board post historical recreationist? This could be his Antietam.

[neocisco]

Antietam!!! I love it! I'm more green than him and I know better than that. He should have at least wrote Target. Just another lonely night in Nebraska.

[Zenithian Legend]

not just the bump but the fact that there's no point to the bump...

TENT
CAMP
GAY

[Cracka]

Actually, there are many documented cases of Wal-Marts bullying there way into small neighborhoods, killing all the local jobs, and then when they realize they wont make any more money, close-shop. So, yeah, Wal-mart does steal...from the community.

wow, that sounded like a PSA...


Not to mention they do not sell their old buildings, leaving them dirty and rundown, for fear a competitor may move in that space and provide competition.

the walmart in my town shut down and they built a Super Walmart across the highway.... the old walmart is for sale.... so apparently they do sell them.

but it has been for sale for a couple of years.

[JSweeney]

Just when I thought that that entire deal was behind the board and I could just happily bounce between thread to thread and not have to deal with scams, these things rise to the surface again.

Yes, Walmart screws up local economies...
that doesn't give you the right to go and trade in games you bought for 5 dollars for 50 dollars credit... ever.

If you do that, you are just a little thief, and deserve to be treated as such.
Two wrongs never make a right... trying to use the misery of others to justify your misdeeds just makes you all the more selfish an asshole.

[Zenithian Legend]

I believe asshole is incorrect, as he prefers to be called an unfunny douche bag.

[JSweeney]

My statement is more of a general sanction against all the thieving little bastards who scam Walmart and not a personal attack on JimmyMac...
I wanted to nip this walmart scam BS in the bud before it turned into another week long flamewar wherein I pissed of about 3/4s of the CAG population.

considering the age of the original post, I doubt he still holds that same point of view.

[pimp_daddy_smurf]

i once bought 15 of theese phone things at the dollar store for 15 bucks, then brought them over to walmart and told them i bought them for all of my family members and none of them functioned properly and to do a recall on all of them

i got 15$ A PIECE for each one from walmart

so yeah i LOOOOVE walmart.......and flame me, i dont give a shit, im happy walmart gets what they deserve

[JSweeney]

Never mind that being a selfish prick in such a manner probably just cost one of those poor employees a couple hours work because corporate wants to run a couple skeleton crew to make up for slumping profits.

[DigitalSpace]

Just when I thought that that entire deal was behind the board and I could just happily bounce between thread to thread and not have to deal with scams, these things rise to the surface again.

Yes, Walmart screws up local economies...
that doesn't give you the right to go and trade in games you bought for 5 dollars for 50 dollars credit... ever.



JSweeney, your work is never done. :lol:

And I couldn't agree more.

[ElwoodCuse]

Not to mention they do not sell their old buildings, leaving them dirty and rundown, for fear a competitor may move in that space and provide competition.

There's a Wal-Mart where I used to live with "for sale" signs all over it. They moved to a bigger place down the street and those signs have been up since the place closed.