Walmart

We all have mixed feelings about Walmart being in our village in the sun of Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

As I am fond of saying I would not have voted for them to be here but now that they are I do use it not exclusively but I do use it nonetheless.

There have been a few issues with scams going on inside by perpetrators asking other shoppers for help and while they are distracted an accomplice steals their purse or wallet. My advice to that is if someone asks you for help refer them to the manager and move one clutching your purse firmly. I keep my pursed zipped and strapped into my basket when I shop at Walmart as an added precaution.

There has also been the issue of expensive items such as meat not finding their way into your basket after checkout. So I now watch that everything is, in fact, put into my basket before I head for the parking lot.

There have been complaints about some people working the parking lot with various scams so keep your wits about you and do not engage with anyone you do not know. Now there is another issue that has come to light not to mention the millions of dollars in bribes to get all the necessary permits to be able to build and open Walmart here in Mexico.

That issue is we all love the “roll back” prices and Walmart certainly does offer very good value. Sometimes, however, the advertised price of an item in the store does not make it into the computer system. So, for example, if you select a product that is “on sale” for $100.00 pesos you might find that it gets rung through at the price not on sale for $150.00-$200.00 pesos.

So now, while I am carefully watching that my pork chops get into my basket I keep my other eye on the price of each product as it is scanned through. You will find, unfortunately, many discrepancies.

At this point you can go to Customer Service and lodge your complaint and in all cases that I know of restitution is made.

Walmart is not all bad. The prices are good and the meat is excellent. If I do have a complaint, other that the ones I have heretofore outlined it is the lack of selection or, in some cases, of even one of something or the quality of the products.

In Canada and the US you do have the choice of inexpensive items but you also have the option of a higher quality item it you so choose. For example the in linen department (and I use that term loosely) the highest thread count seems to be 144 which to me is equivalent to a low grade sandpaper.

So, by all means, include Walmart into your shopping rotation but it seems to be a case of “buyers beware”.