58 replies to this topic

[Bopeep]

Did we talk about this, and I just missed it?

 

http://news.walmart....ack-friday-2013

 

New Process to Make Shopping Easier on Black Friday 

 

 

To help improve the shopping experience Walmart, for the first time in all stores, will hand out wristbands so customers can shop while they wait for some of the hottest items – like the new Sony PS4 and Microsoft Xbox One. Here’s how it works:

 

 

Prior to the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. events, customers need to go to the designated line within the store to secure a wristband for certain products. Wristbands will be distributed while supplies last.

 

 

Customers can shop for other gifts throughout the store while they wait for the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. events to start.

 

 

Then customers with a wristband simply need to come back to the designated line within two hours after the event start time to pick up their product.

 

 

A full list of these items can be viewed at http://news.walmart.com/blackfriday.

 

 

Simon added, “Some other retailers advertise great deals, but may only have a handful of products available, forcing customers to wait outside the store only to leave disappointed. Not at Walmart. Most of our stores are open 24 hours so customers can come inside. And we’ve improved this year’s shopping experience so customers can spend less time in line and get what they need without going anywhere else.”

 

[Dylansmommy]

I like this!!  I remember standing (actually sitting) in the can food aisle for hours waiting for a PS3.  I was so bored I actually started organizing the shelves!  

[premiumchip]

I just called our local Walmart in WV and found out that when they hand out the wristbands, they will hand out as many as they have quantity in stock for the sale and once the bands are gone, the product is gone. So, if the sale starts at 6pm, they are setting up the cue line at 3pm and beginning to hand out the wrist bands at 3pm. This means that the 6pm sale is really at 3pm if I want the big ticket items. I don't like this at all. The concept is nice that I don't have to stay in line but since they are giving the bands out so early, I will have to be there at 3pm and then stay in the store for 3 hours before I can get the item or go back between 6pm and 8pm to collect my item. urggg. There goes Thanksgiving completely. And I thought it was bad when it was 6pm. Does anyone else see the madness in this? 

[Dylansmommy]

They did this with tickets, but you weren't able to leave the line even if your had a ticket!  Lines start forming early anyways, so it doesn't make a differene to me if I go in early to stand in line or go in early to get a bracelet.  Maybe you can get your bracelet, leave the store and go back to pick up your item???   How would they know??

[riven3d]

They did this with tickets, but you weren't able to leave the line even if your had a ticket!  Lines start forming early anyways, so it doesn't make a differene to me if I go in early to stand in line or go in early to get a bracelet.  Maybe you can get your bracelet, leave the store and go back to pick up your item???   How would they know??

 

they wont... lol i was going to say the same thing, go in get your bracelet and leave come back when the sale starts

[suzy3333]

How would they know if you left the line once they gave you a ticket?  I would think that if you had to wait in line, what is the point in giving out a ticket or wristband?

[christina5704]

Ok, after reading this I am confused... It says you can get the item as long as they have the wristbands available BUT what about the one hour guarantee? What if you are in line before the 6pm start time for a particular item and they run out of the wristbands??? It says when the wristbands are gone the product is no longer available. That doesn't match the one hour guarantee. Am I missing something here or having a DUH moment?

[riven3d]

the 1 hour guarentee item is not wristband, those if they run out during that 1 hour you get a card to purchase to get the item at a later time

[christina5704]

It is for the ipad mini. It's posted as the one hour guarantee and as a hot wristband item. That's why I'm confused!

[christina5704]

This is just a partial list as I copied and pasted from the Walmart website... Sorry for the large letters, I couldn't adjust the size.

 

One-Hour Guarantee – It’s Back and Better!
In 2012, Walmart introduced the industry’s first One-Hour Guarantee, a Black Friday event that guaranteed customers select items during a one-hour period. Due to an overwhelmingly positive response from customers, the retailer is bringing it back and expanding from the three items offered last year to 21 One-Hour Guarantee items this year.

Customers who are in the designated lines at Walmart between 6 and 7 p.m. or 8 and 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, Nov. 28 can purchase top gifts at special low prices with confidence that they’ll receive the item either that night or before Christmas.

6 p.m. One-Hour Guarantee:

• Vizio^® 60” Class Smart LED 1080p HDTV - $688 (a $310 savings)
• Apple iPad^® mini Wi-Fi 16GB (two colors) - $299 with a $100 Walmart gift card  
• Funai 32” LED 720p HDTV - $98 (special buy)
• Furby Boom!^™ - $29 (a $30 savings)
• HP^® Pavillion TouchSmart 14-B109WM Laptop - $278 (special buy)
• Call of Duty^® Ghosts (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3) - $39.96 (a $20 savings)
• LG^® Blu-ray^™ Player - $38 (special buy)
• Graco ® Travel System (stroller and infant car seat) - $99 (special buy)
• 1 Carat T.W. Diamond and Sterling Silver Pendant and Earring Set - $98
• Assassins Creed, NBA 2K14, Batman, Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360 and Playstation 3)  - $34 each (a $25.96 savings)

 

 

 

Hot Wristband Items

Item

Event

Funai 32” LED 7209 HDTV

6 p.m.

Microsoft Xbox One

6 p.m.

Sony PS4

6 p.m.

Vizio® 60” Class Smart LED 1080p HDTV

6 p.m.

Apple iPad mini Wi-Fi 16GB

6 p.m

[riven3d]

so what it sounds like then is instead of standing in line they can get a wristband to insure they get the item, but there is that 1 hour time limit on it.

 

your best bet is to ask the store you will be shopping in how they will do things

[christina5704]

yeah, I am.. But why do they have to go and make things complicated? It sounds to me like they are looking for an out if things go way better then planned. I understand standing in line, but if you are in line and let's say the person in front of you gets the last wristband even though you were in line before the 6pm start time then you're screwed because they ran out. It defeats their own 1 hour guarantee. I'm not ranting at anyone here, I just think walmart needs to get it's act together and decide on one policy instead of all this flip flopping they've been doing the last couple of days.

[cab0ad]

I think you'll still get a guarantee card if you don't get the item.  the writst band sounds like a way of ensuring you get the item that night instead of having to settle for the guarantee card.

[riven3d]

I think you'll still get a guarantee card if you don't get the item.  the writst band sounds like a way of ensuring you get the item that night instead of having to settle for the guarantee card.

 

thats what i was trying to point out

[cab0ad]

the items they choose for wristbanding seems random too.  why not the touchscreen computer at 6:00?  I'd love to run to walmart, get the wristband, then go off on my merry way for a few hours to get that.  yet they are wristbanding for the furby booms?  weird....

[christina5704]

Prior to the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. events, customers need to go to the designated line within the store to secure a wristband for certain products. Wristbands will be distributed while supplies last.

 

Wristbands: Number of wristbands available for each item is limited to the quantity available. Customers who receive a wristband will have reserved that item and can continue to shop.

 

So... if you don't have a wristband you're saying they will back that up with the one hour guarantee?

[riven3d]

Prior to the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. events, customers need to go to the designated line within the store to secure a wristband for certain products. Wristbands will be distributed while supplies last.

 

Wristbands: Number of wristbands available for each item is limited to the quantity available. Customers who receive a wristband will have reserved that item and can continue to shop.

 

So... if you don't have a wristband you're saying they will back that up with the one hour guarantee?

if the item is a 1 hour guarantee yes. if no wristband you get in line during the 1 hour after the even starts for that item, you will still get the item, you get a card to purchase instead and then the item is shipped to the store, when it gets there you just go in turn over the card you got and you get your item that you already paid for

[bluebear]

The one hour guarantee doesn't mean you will walk out of the store with one, just that you can pay for it and will get it before Christmas.  The wristbands will be the number they have on hand, so if you have a wristband you will leave the store with one.  If you get eh guarantee card then you will pay for the item that night, and receive it later.

Hope this makes sense!

I think the 1 hour guarantee is a great idea, and I guess it worked out okay last year if they're bringing it back!

[brynnfromtheblock]

Maybe it's easier to explain this way Christina - One hour guarantee and wristbands apply to two entirely different things ....

The items that are a one hour guarantee are items that they have mass quantities of, and are prepared to give to EVERY person who is in line between 6 and 7, NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE. There is no wristband needed because they either a) hand you your item or if they run out of the item they give you a guarantee card which you take to the register and pay for the item, but don't receive it yet. On the card you have a few days to register the product, and walmart will send it to the store for you to pick up before Xmas guaranteed. (This happened to me last year and I preferred it because the kids didn't see me bring it home, I had less days to hide it, and there weren't expensive items in my car as I continued my BF shopping)

The wristbands apply to items that are doorbuster which are in high demand, but are limited in quantity. This is exactly the same as the old days when you would wait in line at Best Buy for 10 hours to be the first in line to get one of the 20 42inch TVs they had ... And they would come out and provide the first 20 people in line with a ticket (no ticket no tv at best buy=no wrist band no doorbuster at walmart). The added benefit here is that it sounds as if they'll give wristbands out earlier than one hour before like they used to and best buy still does ... Once you have your wristband you're free to shop or leave until the sale starts and are not sitting in a line all that time.

That being said since this is the first year I'm sure there will be some implementation challenges. I would find out what time your local walmart plans to start handing out said bracelets, there will be some people who just read the ad and show up to try and get the bracelets .... But there will be others who like you find out the time and wait .... So there may still be a line and waiting, it's just now for the bracelets instead of the actual item. I'm interested in seeing if it alleviates the waiting somewhat as they suggest, or ends up just causing a new line at an earlier time.

[riven3d]

Maybe it's easier to explain this way Christina - One hour guarantee and wristbands apply to two entirely different things ....

The items that are a one hour guarantee are items that they have mass quantities of, and are prepared to give to EVERY person who is in line between 6 and 7, NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE. There is no wristband needed because they either a) hand you your item or if they run out of the item they give you a guarantee card which you take to the register and pay for the item, but don't receive it yet. On the card you have a few days to register the product, and walmart will send it to the store for you to pick up before Xmas guaranteed. (This happened to me last year and I preferred it because the kids didn't see me bring it home, I had less days to hide it, and there weren't expensive items in my car as I continued my BF shopping)

The wristbands apply to items that are doorbuster which are in high demand, but are limited in quantity. This is exactly the same as the old days when you would wait in line at Best Buy for 10 hours to be the first in line to get one of the 20 42inch TVs they had ... And they would come out and provide the first 20 people in line with a ticket (no ticket no tv at best buy=no wrist band no doorbuster at walmart). The added benefit here is that it sounds as if they'll give wristbands out earlier than one hour before like they used to and best buy still does ... Once you have your wristband you're free to shop or leave until the sale starts and are not sitting in a line all that time.

That being said since this is the first year I'm sure there will be some implementation challenges. I would find out what time your local walmart plans to start handing out said bracelets, there will be some people who just read the ad and show up to try and get the bracelets .... But there will be others who like you find out the time and wait .... So there may still be a line and waiting, it's just now for the bracelets instead of the actual item. I'm interested in seeing if it alleviates the waiting somewhat as they suggest, or ends up just causing a new line at an earlier time.

 

 

if you read her post, there is one item that is both that she wanted, it says it is a wristband item and it is part of the 1 hour guarantee

[brynnfromtheblock]

Gotcha ... Didn't see that - I'd check with your local store, but if it's listed on the ad and website as a one hour guarantee I'm betting it's an error and you'd have no problem getting your item as a guarantee with ad in hand

[queenkishaa]

It sounds like if you have a door buster with limited quantity then you would stand in line until all the wristbands are handed out, if you miss out on the wristband you don't get the door buster that day but if you are there within the 1 hour guarantee you get the gift card and come back later when they have them in stock. Not sure if that's correct but that is how I understand it to be.

[brynnfromtheblock]

My dad is a pharmacist at Wm he checked with a manager there who didn't know why it was under both? But he said they were doing it as one hour ... Again it's probably a typo, but I would ask the manager of your local store how they intend to handle it, and make sure you get a name to escalate to on bf if need be.

[smohusted]

So if they are starting to hand out 6pm wristbands at 3 pm, what time is the store actually opening? I know the first sale starts at 6 so I had assumed that's what time the store is opening. Are they opening earlier than 6 or are they handing out wristbands to people lined up outside the store? This is why I haven't brick and mortar shopped Black Friday in years - it's so confusing!!

[dgiesb21]

Walmart is a 24/7 store.....you dont have to line up outside..(making it the only store I have shopped at for 8 years now)...lol

[speeddiva]

Walmart is a 24/7 store.....you dont have to line up outside..(making it the only store I have shopped at for 8 years now)...lol

Not all Walmarts are 24/7 stores.

[LCPanther1975]

Cookeville TN-24 hr SuperCenter Wal-Mart

Down low from a CSR today

Arm Bands will be handed out beginning at 4pm & you have one hour from the time of the sale to come back and get the item. (6pm sale items, you must pick up by 7pm)

Not all the guaranteed in stock items will have/need an armband.

My CSR said she was going to be on a arm band hand out queue-she said she thought it was a cell phone.

She said that they have TONS of the toys in stock this year and the stock room is full of the sale merchandise. She said she saw most people getting their items, if they show up at 4-5pm. She said that they had a meeting just this morning and they have gotten some rumors that some "kids" are going to try to start fights so they can post them on YouTube.

That is the only problem I see on the earlier start times, we never  used to see teenagers/early twenty-somethings and now they are everywhere! and not shopping but just getting in the way and filming everything on their phones!!!!

[rollingrock411]

Sounds like an attempt to appease the people who have complained about missing out on other deals because they are stuck sitting in a line for 4 hours. This will be interesting with wrist bands as you could manage to get several big ticket items if you so desired.

[fabnsab]

I like it in theory because I hate missing smaller deals while waiting for one big item BUT it also opens the sale to people who never wanted to come due to waiting in long lines. Not everyone is like us! Lol I think a new wave of people will be there for us to compete with due to this.

[fabnsab]

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Edited by fabnsab, Nov 23, 2013 - 4:51 pm.