On December 27, 2021 we ordered two of these vacuum cleaners from the Walmart website.
On December 30, 2021, a FedEx driver left two big boxes on our front porch but when we went to retrieve them, we discovered Walmart had shipped us two baby seat/stroller combo units.
NOT what we ordered.
Not even close.
Since there is no telephone number listed on the Walmart Customer Service web page, I used the online chat to find out how the incorrect items were to be returned and exchanged for our vacuum cleaners.
It did not go so well.
Chat No. 1 with Kevin on the day of delivery (December 30, 2021) was an exercise in frustration.
"I understand how you feel, I am very sorry. I am going to take care of this for you right now. please allow me a couple of minutes while I look into this for you and see what I can do to make this better for you."
After a protracted back and forth about Walmart not being able to have FedEx pick up the boxes for return and my refusal to attempt to take the too-heavy and too-large boxes to FedEx, Kevin typed this response:
"I have spoken with my supervisor and as an exception for you I have manually contacted FedEx to pick these up for you, you will receive a confirmation email within the next 24 - 48 hours for this along with a free shipping label to print and stick on the 2 baby seat boxes and return to FedEx when they come at your house. I’m sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. We always want your experience at Walmart to be a good one. I’ve issued you a $10 promotional code for your inconvenience. You should receive a separate email that will include the code shortly. To use this offer, click “Add a Promo Code” in checkout, enter the code and then click "Apply.”"
The label was printed and applied to the boxes within 30 minutes
of Chat No. 1's end.
And then the two boxes sat on our front porch.
And they sat.
And they sat.
The morning of January 4, 2022, I once again resorted to the automated chat on the Walmart website to find out WHY the boxes were still sitting on our porch.
The "chat" with Rommel started this way: "I apologize for the inconvenience you have faced. I am very sorry. We will take care of your problem as a top priority for you. Please hold patience with us."
The end result of Chat No. 2 was this: "There no exact time for the carrier to pick up the packages, but please keep your lines open and anytime on January 6 the carrier will call you and pick up the return package. I am sincerely sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you, I know that you have invested so much time for this. This time i will rest assure that it gonna pick up."
Up to that point NO ONE had mentioned a phone call. (I have never had a telephone call from UPS or FedEx or USPS for a labeled return pick up)
An hour or so after Chat No. 2 ended, I discovered an email notice from USPS for a pick up order's creation for two boxes.
The RMA label sent by Rommel was for FedEx.
WHY was USPS now involved?
That turn of events led to Chat No. 3 that same afternoon (January 4, 2022.)
This time I was connected with Faran who tried to help but ended up telling me that I (repeat I, THE CUSTOMER) had to contact FedEx using a link she provided to arrange for Fed Ex to pick up the boxes.
REALLY?!!
In order to get things moving and to get the boxes off our front porch I did go online and set up the FedEx Ground pick up for January 5, 2022.
The boxes were picked up by FedEx on January 5, 2022.
Oddly enough, we received a USPS email confirmation of a package pickup on January 6, 2022.
FedEx delivered our return on Sunday January 9, 2022.
On Monday, January 10, 2022, I checked our order status on the Walmart website.
Nearly 24 hours after being delivered, the Walmart system still showed our return "In Transit"
I checked again on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, but the Walmart system still showed the return "In Transit"
(note - Walmart's return/exchange policy dictates that the return must be received before the replacement can be shipped, meaning our replacement order would be held until their system showed "returned" rather than the still-present "in transit" - despite the fact that FedEx tracking showed proof of the return's delivery)
Time for Chat No. 4 - this time with Wilbert.
He had the common sense to escalate the matter to a supervisor and ultimately to a manager to review the order and Wilbert assured me:
"I’ll take care of this, no worries I’ll make sure our higher team reviews this today, please be pendant of your email addres (sic) for any notice"
After not hearing anything from Walmart, I once again visited their "customer service" automated chat-bot on January 13, 2022.
This time I requested a telephone call - a Walmart agent named Areeb called me.
Areeb discussed the issue with his supervisor and came back with a long explanation about a "ghost return" and needing to escalate the matter to their "technical people" which meant another 48-72 hour wait.
At this point I cancelled the replacement order and requested a refund for our original order.
Areeb was only able to process a return for ONE of the two vacuum cleaners.
(the Walmart system would not allow Areeb to process a refund for the full purchase price)
I was assured that the second half of the refund would process within the next 24-36 hours and that I would receive an email confirmation.
We waited for SEVEN days.
No contact from Walmart.
No refund notification emails.
Nothing showing in our online credit card system.
Nothing showing in DH's PayPal account.
On January 20, 2022, I once again went online and initiated a Chat No. 5 through the Walmart Customer Service automated bot.
This time I was connected to an agent named Linda.
After she reviewed the notes I was told that the matter needed to be escalated to a manager to review directly with FedEx due to a discrepancy in the weight of the return. (yet another new "explanation")
I made sure she understood that I was not upset with her personally but that we were VERY upset about the way this matter had been handled.
During the "chat" that lasted nearly an hour I managed to obtain a telephone number for Customer Service as well as an email address.
While I was still on the "chat" with Linda, DH called the telephone number and was connected with Luis.
Luis did some checking and said he could see that we were indeed owed the second half of the refund.
He told DH that it would be processed and we should receive an email within 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile over at the concurrent "chat" with Linda: "I would have to transfer the case to an special manager so they can contact FedEx to start an investigation and do your refund as soon as possible.
this would take another 48 hours but I promise you it will be done since this time."
It is now January 25, 2022.
There has been no response from Walmart - none from the automated chat-bot promises or from the telephone conversation's assurances.
There has been no refund issued for the second half of our December 30, 2021 order.
So we are filing a claim against Walmart through DH's PayPal account to get the rest of our refund.
And I am pretty sure we will never (EVER) again order anything from Walmart.
Quiltdivajulie
-----------------------------------------------(and yes, I created copy/paste copies of the various automated chat-bot transcripts along with their Incident (reference) numbers, Agent names, and a chronology with detailed notes that will be shared with PayPal)