[K-9]

I tried checking the price of one of their TV's online. I'm sure you've all seen the sites that want you to put the item into your shopping cart to see the price. Well, Wal Mart has taken things a step further. You have to put it in your cart and then proceed to the checkout stage before even seeing the price. While you don't have to give any personal info before actually getting the price, you DO have to provide an email address. Just one more reason to go to Target or Target.com. I bet I will start getting all kinds of junk email from them now, just for seeing the price of their TV.

[jogiba]

It's 2011 and there are a zillion places to get TVs online with free shipping and zero sales tax. I would rather shop at Walmart than K-Mart in my local area since there is a much better selection.

[neil]

Wouldn't 'fake_email@whatever.com' solve your problem?

Hate seems like such a strong emotion for something so trivial. If you do really "hate" this company, why do you support them by shopping there?

[Colbyt]

I either don't use sites that require that or use an email like walmart@mydomain. Then when the junk comes I know exactly who sold or misused my email address and I just kill that address

[Parallax]

Wouldn't 'fake_email@whatever.com' solve your problem?

Sometimes, but sometimes if it isn't a legitimate address it will reject it. The best solution I have found is to use one of the free, receive-only services such as mailinator.com, or guerrillamail.com

[neil]

Sometimes, but sometimes if it isn't a legitimate address it will reject it. The best solution I have found is to use one of the free, receive-only services such as mailinator.com, or guerrillamail.com

That is essentially what I meant, I just didn't get it out too clearly (too early in the morning).

I have several email accounts setup on my server, through my ISP and freebies for just such a purpose.

[RioRico]

If they make you uncomfortable, do business elsewhere. Problem solved.

[SpecialK]

Use the unsubscribe link.

[reeftool]

I've never shopped online at Walmart. I'm in there weekly for groceries and check prices while in the store.

[K-9]

Wouldn't 'fake_email@whatever.com' solve your problem?

Hate seems like such a strong emotion for something so trivial. If you do really "hate" this company, why do you support them by shopping there?

If they make you uncomfortable, do business elsewhere. Problem solved.

I rarely shop at Walmart in person and have never ordered from them online. As I said, this is "another" reason for me to hate them and NOT shop there. I was merely comparing prices with them and other sites of the same TV and felt it way over the top to go through that many steps just to see an online price. It's absurd and unnecessary, regardless if I ever spend a dime there or not. It isn't my problem at all -- just another reason that I can point out how useless a store they are to me.

This is the first site I have ever seen that requires an email address to see a price. And I've been buying electronics and other items at numerous sites online since about 1996. Figures it would be Wal Mart leading the way on this.

[jogiba]

I rarely shop at Walmart in person and have never ordered from them online. As I said, this is "another" reason for me to hate them and NOT shop there. I was merely comparing prices with them and other sites of the same TV and felt it way over the top to go through that many steps just to see an online price. It's absurd and unnecessary, regardless if I ever spend a dime there or not. It isn't my problem at all -- just another reason that I can point out how useless a store they are to me.

This is the first site I have ever seen that requires an email address to see a price. And I've been buying electronics and other items at numerous sites online since about 1996. Figures it would be Wal Mart leading the way on this.

So tell us exacty what is your deep dark secret hatred for Walmart ? I am sure it can't be this because I put in my email address many times on many websites and Hotmail keeps my inbox clean of spam.

[neil]

So tell us exacty what is your deep dark secret hatred for Walmart ? I am sure it can't be this because I put in my email address many times on many websites and Hotmail keeps my inbox clean of spam.

There seems to be a lot of reasons not to like Walmart, take your pick!

Criticism of Walmart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[K-9]

There seem's to be a lot of reasons not to like Walmart, take your pick!

Criticism of Walmart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This

And this: Funny Pictures at WalMart

[RioRico]

There seems to be a lot of reasons not to like Walmart, take your pick!

Indeed. It's a suck-a$$ corporation that mistreats its workers and buys politicians. Alas, it's also necessary for those with low incomes. Some foods, medicines, clothes, other basics cost twice as much elsewhere, from other mega-chains that are just as soulless. I doubt that many in USA shop at Wally's because it's such a nice place; rather, because we must.

Personal note: We were in Zacatecas Mexico awhile back. Astounding high-elevation city; downtown is at 8500ft / 2550m, with upper suburbs going to 10000ft / 3000m. We went to the lower suburb of Guadalupe for some necessities. There was a WalMart -- and it was the HIGH-PRICED store in town! Much better prices at domestic supers. Zacatecas is NOT a poor city -- but Wally's as the luxury brand?!? Ay yi yi.

Then we returned to the nearby village of Jerez where we rented a nice new house, with housekeeper, for US$80 per month. That's the cost of a couple bags of groceries at a USA Safeway super. Gotta keep all this in perspective.

[magkelly]

It's not the best employer, but having a Walmart come to a dying town can provide hundreds of jobs to people who simply wouldn't have one otherwise. No, they're not exactly the most moral company out there either, but actually speaking as someone who has worked for several corporations that size they're no worse than some employers I've had from what my friends who work there have told me. Yeah, they put a lot of small businesses out of business. But so then does poor planning and poor customer service both of which I see far too often when I'm in small stores that should know better. I can't always get a knowledgeable sales person at Walmart and there are almost always far less cashiers, sales, and stock people than I'd like to see on the floor, but in the end I can get my info usually before I go and checkout and that's all I really need anyhow.

Walmart sells things that no one else in my area hardly sells. They usually (but not always) do it cheaper too and in the decade since I first stepped into one I think I can still count on one hand the number of rude staff people I've had to deal with and let me tell you in this area that's NOT the norm. 99% of the reason I shop at Walmart and places like it now is because when I do try to support my local businesses they'd treat me like crap and overcharge me on everything and frankly I got really tired of that.

Just to give you an example, and this is not an isolated incident. My local hardware store charges $8 for a can of this chemical I use that's half the size of the one I could buy at Walmart for $4. More than that when I went into the local place (closer to home) they couldn't be bothered to even point me to it on the shelf. It took me 10 minutes to find the same type of chemical there because it wasn't where I expected it to be. For those 10 minutes I was wandering up and down the aisles looking and no one even answered me when I tried to ask. They were too busy yacking on their cell phones and stocking overpriced goods onto the shelves to actually take care of the one customer that they had in the store. So I left and made the darned trip to Walmart and guess what? I was in and out in 20 minutes, paid half of what I would have paid at the local hardware store and actually got two other things I needed while I was at it.

and THAT is why 99% of the time I do end up at Walmart.

I've done my share of trying to support my local businesses, and I do make a point of still supporting the ones that make it worth my while, that actually try to keep customers happy, but you know what? My sympathy for a lot of local people is lessened a lot lately by the crappy service I get from them. No, I don't like a lot of what Walmart stands for, but the alternatives aren't so great either. No matter where you go anymore people just don't even care.

The local stores I do go to they've earned my loyalty. I'm not just a number walking through the door. They remember me, actually help me when I need it, make a real effort. The rest? I wouldn't really care if Walmart and Target came in, took up every other block, and kicked all of them out of business. At the rate they're going they'll all be out of business in a year or two and it won't be Walmart's fault either...