A different kind of "The People of Walmart"

[greybeard]

Ignore if this has already been posted--I looked but didn't see it:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/walmart- ... picks=true

IMO, it's equivalent to me knowing I only have $100 in a checking account, but choosing to go ahead and purchase $500 worth of goods and services by writing a rubber check. Theft.
Noticed however, that Louisiana has put the burden of limit on the stores, not the customers. What happened to integrity and honesty? They became morons.

HOME>MONEY
Walmart to Get Stuck With Most of Food Stamp Shopping Spree
Oct. 14, 2013
By SUSANNA KIM
SUSANNA KIM More From Susanna »
Susanna Kim
Business Digital Reporter

via GOOD MORNING AMERICA
PHOTO: Walmart
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A couple of Louisiana Walmart stores will be stuck with most of the bill after food stamp recipients went on a colossal shopping spree when a power outage temporarily lifted their spending limits, state officials said today.

Police were called to Walmart locations in Mansfield, La., and Springhill, La., on Saturday as shoppers cleaned out store shelves.

Springhill Police Chief Will Lynd said some customers were pushing more food than any household could store in a refrigerator and freezer.

"I saw people drag out eight to ten grocery carts," Lynd said. One person hauled away more than $700 worth of groceries, the chief said.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services' spokesman Trey Williams said the retailers who chose not to use the emergency procedures that limit sales up to $50 per cardholder during an emergency would be responsible for any additional amount spent over eligible benefit balances.

"It was definitely worse than Black Friday. It was worse than anything we had ever seen in this town," Lynd said of Springhill, which is near the border with Arkansas. "There was no food left on any of the shelves, and no meat left. The grocery part of Walmart was totally decimated."

Lynd said that around 9 p.m. CT on Saturday, a Walmart employee made an announcement on the intercom saying that the computer system had been restored and card limits had returned. At that time, customers left shopping carts full of food in store aisles, he said.

"At that point in time, they knew the jig was up and they couldn't purchase what they wanted to," Lynd said.

In the Walmart store in Mansfield, about 80 miles south of Springhill, staff temporarily closed the store to new customers to prevent a fire hazard with the existing number of shoppers.

Mansfield's Chief of Police Gary Hobbs said no arrests were made and there were no incidents besides customers "pushing and shoving." Hobbs said there were reports that customers were checking out with six to eight shopping carts, then returning later in the day to purchase more.

Unlike Walmart, other grocery stores in town told customers they would not accept EBT cards until the card limits were evident again, Hobbs said.

The EBT system was affected in 17 states, where individuals and households access programs like Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and other programs.

 

[Ouachita]

Our government does it. It's the new trickle down economics. There was a reason the title "Fathers" was bestowed upon the founders, instead of the title "deadbeats"

 

[Ryder]

This was done in order to stimulate the economy. :lol:

 

[B&M Farms]

I'm with Greybeard. It's the same as writing a hot check and the people doing it should be treated by the law the same.

 

[GMN]

the people should pay back the money-what a bunch of thieves-time to hold them accountable

 

[slick4591]

Looks to me like those EBT cards should show a negative balance for a while.

 

[heath]

At least they should be permanently ineligible for food stamps.

 

[HDRider]

Theft takes many forms, this being one. An unfair tax burden is another.

 

[highgrit]

Shouldn't be to hard to figure out who is guilty. I do think Wall Mart should be held responsible for the debt. And I bet the majority weren't my color. It's not going to take long for the riots to start WTSHTF. Better buy more bullets.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

All that aside...

Wal-Mart attracts a large number of slobs, trailer trash, exhibitionists, and the attire-challenged genetically impoverished crowd. Apparently, Wally World doesn't have a policy against "no shoes, no shirt, no bottom biscuits" shown. Some human types are just totally oblivious to the way they look (or could care less). Thought there were various laws against "indecent exposure" in towns, cities?? Apparently WW is another planet...lol.

You'd never see these creatures at Macy's, Nordstroms, etc. Guess when you don't have the cash or credit (almost forgot...don't need if you have welfare tickets)...

 

[Commercialfarmer]

I would think that the obvious question would be, why is the system set up to show a limit and not an available balance like any other debiting system? If my card didn't show I had x amount in the bank to draft from, would the store automatically assume I had an infinite amount of dollars to spend and just let me walk out with said "purchases"?

It would be interesting to know a lot more about this, but at present, it sure appears that there was more than one problem child (the thugs and wallyworld) trying to take advantage of the situation.

 

[greybeard]

I would think that the obvious question would be, why is the system set up to show a limit and not an available balance like any other debiting system? If my card didn't show I had x amount in the bank to draft from, would the store automatically assume I had an infinite amount of dollars to spend and just let me walk out with said "purchases"?

It would be interesting to know a lot more about this, but at present, it sure appears that there was more than one problem child (the thugs and wallyworld) trying to take advantage of the situation.

The limit IS the available balance. When the glitch happened, it showed "zero limit" (actually, it showed nothing at all) By "Nothing at all" I mean it showed neither limit or balance--just an activated card. It only took the first few thru the checkout to realize they had more in their cart than what their usual limit was, and they were able to pay for (buy) more than normal. Also, didn't take long for that word to spread and the buying spree was on!!

 

[Bigfoot]

The store had to suspicion something?

 

[Commercialfarmer]

I would think that the obvious question would be, why is the system set up to show a limit and not an available balance like any other debiting system? If my card didn't show I had x amount in the bank to draft from, would the store automatically assume I had an infinite amount of dollars to spend and just let me walk out with said "purchases"?

It would be interesting to know a lot more about this, but at present, it sure appears that there was more than one problem child (the thugs and wallyworld) trying to take advantage of the situation.

The limit IS the available balance. When the glitch happened, it showed "zero limit" (actually, it showed nothing at all) By "Nothing at all" I mean it showed neither limit or balance--just an activated card. It only took the first few thru the checkout to realize they had more in their cart than what their usual limit was, and they were able to pay for (buy) more than normal. Also, didn't take long for that word to spread and the buying spree was on!!

I'm with you on that it showed nothing at all. Maybe a better way to say it, is that the system should be set up or have a safety mechanism in place that if a balance is not available, it should not allow a transaction to occur. I guess it would be like validating credit.

There are medical credit systems that during certain periods, the system may be down, and the bank cannot be contacted. If the merchant cannot contact the bank to verify funds, then the transaction is not allowed and the individual has to find other means of payment.


I guess my ultimate feeling is this. You won't hear of a bank in the world that would create a debiting system with a glitch as big as that. Even if people were held responsible for their purchases, the bank wouldn't allow purchases to be made over the credit worthiness of the individual. Too much risk.

Take this example, plus the ACA website and these are the people that will be managing our well being for the rest of our lives. Pretty concerning.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Shouldn't be to hard to figure out who is guilty. I do think Wall Mart should be held responsible for the debt. And I bet the majority weren't my color. It's not going to take long for the riots to start WTSHTF. Better buy more bullets.

Got that right when all you have had to do all your life is wait on the next government check.

 

[highgrit]

C.B. this kind of stuff really gets under my skin. Those sorry, worthless pieces of crap freeloading off of our hard earned tax dollars. Then when the chance comes to steal more free stuff and show the country why you are where your at, they do. And then Wal-Mart wanting every dollar they can get, proving don't care if they rip us and this country off. Kind of sad really when you think about the whole scenario. I guess the Waltons need some more money, I for the life of me can't see being so dang greedy.

 

[dun]

C.B. this kind of stuff really gets under my skin. Those sorry, worthless pieces of crap freeloading off of our hard earned tax dollars. Then when the chance comes to steal more free stuff and show the country why you are where your at, they do. And then Wal-Mart wanting every dollar they can get, proving don't care if they rip us and this country off. Kind of sad really when you think about the whole scenario. I guess the Waltons need some more money, I for the life of me can't see being so dang greedy.

It may have been cheaper for walmart to eat the loss then to repair the damage from the rioting if the mooches didn;t get to use their cards.

 

[highgrit]

Probably right on target there C.B.

 

[Caustic Burno]

C.B. this kind of stuff really gets under my skin. Those sorry, worthless pieces of crap freeloading off of our hard earned tax dollars. Then when the chance comes to steal more free stuff and show the country why you are where your at, they do. And then Wal-Mart wanting every dollar they can get, proving don't care if they rip us and this country off. Kind of sad really when you think about the whole scenario. I guess the Waltons need some more money, I for the life of me can't see being so dang greedy.

You should have dealt with some of the Katrina evacuees those people should have been put on an island somewhere and left.