Wal-Mart Threatens Legal Action Against GottaDeal.com

[snooze824]

Total newbie here that has been lurking. I've always checked this website out for the past 2 yrs for the ads. I've just never had anything to say to post in the past. However, after reading about the Walmart letter, I felt like I had to write to them. It's utterly ridiculous that they're even attempting this. I've emailed them and phoned them today and yesterday. Hope everyone keeps it up!

[cotejb]

I read this thread yesterday and am appalled that Walmart is being a big baby about the whole situation. I understand they don't want anyone to match their ads by seeing them but I don't think Target cares to put Garth Brooks and bath robes on sale...lol

 

 

Here is what I sent Walmart today:

 

 

I should have read yours before I sent mine! and got some ideas! lol....I loved your letter!

[dmmiller]

 

I should have read yours before I sent mine! and got some ideas! lol....I loved your letter!

There's always tomorrow.. and the day after that.

[6digmans]

I have to say this ad must really not be very good. If we stop and think about it years prior , when the ad was great no problems. NOW that the last few ads have been "leaked" over the years it seems they get more and more upset. This years ad probably had more of the robes from last year and all the other really ridiculous things.

 

They are afraid if we see the ad that we will go someplace else to get our items. they more then likely thought that we would of been the opposite..... us thinking that its a great ad and all that stuff .... the plan backfired~

 

 

I would like the ad out but I also know that if its not ,I have alot of other places to go and get what I want. I would rather give my money to a company that treats customers properly most of the time then to someones company is well..... you know.

 

All the sales they have now that they are talking about are probably there big sales , we just have not realize it yet.

Last year they had some bargins on items here and there.... seems its a repeat of last year.

[lovebears65]

Heck, you need Rosie to scream it out loud! It might make her feel impotant and needed again.

She is a avid Target shopper so she probably would go on board and yell out to walmart Someone should email her on her blog about it .. She hates walmart:tongue1: It would probably make the news then

[dmmiller]

I vote for someone thats articulate.

I ramble too much. :)

[jbdinos]

I should have read yours before I sent mine! and got some ideas! lol....I loved your letter!

THANKS!

 

That was so perfect! Can I copy and paste and send that too? Maybe the more they hear all those topics they will wake up! LOL

OF COURSE YOU CAN! Whatever it takes to get them to listen!!!

[darianwiccan]

Well, I just e-mailed W*lm*rt again. I hope they are getting REALLY tired of us. Perhaps they will soon regret their rash decisions in regard to the BF sales ad.

[klastar]

OK I have called, e-mailed and snail mailed them. Someone said something about Rosie well I wrote to her on her blog since she says this is her favorite store. I also sent e-mails to our 3 local news stations. I am a VP of a Non-Profit group and have gotten the word out all over the US and even farther.

 

Let's keep it up gang...day after day. heck we all spend our hard earned money in their store and this is how they want to treat us.

 

Brad we are all behind you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aprncess]

First they take away layaway and now this :gdenough:....they should be happy that so many see the ads ahead of time!!

 

Do they really think that we work all BF week as well as do our Thanksgiving shopping and cleaning, then cook all Thanksgiving day, entertain family and friends while trying to read the sale ads, only to go to bed and get up after getting a couple of hours of sleep, to stand in their long lines , be trampled half to death by other BF customers trying to grab one of the couple of greatly reduced priced items they got at the store, when 1000's have flocked there to get one and that we do it all without any pre planning......they need to get a clue its 2007 now!!

 

I use to be one of those people until I wandered across GottaDeal.com and I cannot be more thankful....I was no longer running around in every direction....I knew what I wanted, how much cash I needed and where I had to go and planned accordingly and even managed to get a few more hours of ....as far as I am concerned, whenever they had a great deal and I wanted it, after all the trouble to get there to get it, they only had about 5 so why bother, I would rather have the ads ahead of time, be able to plan and if necessary pay a few dollars more to not have a headache or the hassle....

 

I am on my way to email them and Ellen, make up a t-shirt, tell everyone I know to tell everyone they know, write it on my and might even see if my friend who does billboards along the highway can post something...there is strength in numbers, everyone stick together, a legal action against Gottadeal.com is ludicrous...this will just hurt them not us because there are many more stores that would be willing to take our cash on BF!!

 

Thankx GottaDeal.com for helping me out and taking the hassle out of BF.....now I want a T-Shirt so I am on my way to order it!!

[shoptiludrop07]

Well this comment might not sit well with most people, but what the heck I would assume this thread is for both sides of the story. My husband works in marketing for a large retailer, not the size of WM but he does understand the trade. I let him read these post and he said he can understand why WM and others don't care to have sale items posted early, he mentioned its not about taking away our early awareness of sales it's more about making sure that competition does not have time to adjust their pricing based on seeing others prices. He mentioned that if that were to happen WM or others that leak early could basically lose millions of dollars over it. So right or wrong there's another angle from a marketing person in the trade. I also like to know about the sales early but can see both sides of this.

[Brad]

Well this comment might not sit well with most people, but what the heck I would assume this thread is for both sides of the story. My husband works in marketing for a large retailer, not the size of WM but he does understand the trade. I let him read these post and he said he can understand why WM and others don't care to have sale items posted early, he mentioned its not about taking away our early awareness of sales it's more about making sure that competition does not have time to adjust their pricing based on seeing others prices. He mentioned that if that were to happen WM or others that leak early could basically lose millions of dollars over it. So right or wrong there's another angle from a marketing person in the trade. I also like to know about the sales early but can see both sides of this.

Their competitors' ads have already been prepared and printed, and in some cases their competitors' ads come out BEFORE Wal-Mart's ad. Other than add something at the last minute with a supplementary ad or an in-store flyer, there isn't much they can do this late in the game. And if Wal-Mart's ad comes out on 11/19 like they say it can, that still gives other stores 4-5 days to make last minute changes.

[krissy72]

Well this comment might not sit well with most people, but what the heck I would assume this thread is for both sides of the story. My husband works in marketing for a large retailer, not the size of WM but he does understand the trade. I let him read these post and he said he can understand why WM and others don't care to have sale items posted early, he mentioned its not about taking away our early awareness of sales it's more about making sure that competition does not have time to adjust their pricing based on seeing others prices. He mentioned that if that were to happen WM or others that leak early could basically lose millions of dollars over it. So right or wrong there's another angle from a marketing person in the trade. I also like to know about the sales early but can see both sides of this.

I see the other side of the issue as well. I get it. However, most stores price match anyway so there is no need for a competitor to undercut Walmart.

[becca0884]

I e-mailed Tara Raddohl, Tara Stewart, and Sarah Clark today along with the feedback form on the website. I got an Auto Reply from Tara Raddohl, that she was out of the office today on Friday October 20. LMAO, obviously she doesn't have a calendar.

 

I also received an e-mail from "Customer Replies" Here is what it said:

 

In the past, certain websites have posted seasonal promotion advertising from Wal-Mart -- and many other retailers -- without authorization. Because these websites have violated laws covering trade secrets and copyright protection, we have merely reminded them of their obligations under the law and asked them to observe those laws.

 

 

 

Thank you,

 

Wal-Mart Customer Relations

 

[pmdemey]

I played with google today and noticed someone had the ad already then Wal-Mart threatened them with that so called community e-mail.

[becca0884]

I played with google today and noticed someone had the ad already then Wal-Mart threatened them with that so called community e-mail.

I saw that too, but then again they could be lying and just posted the letter from Wal-Mart's lawyers, since it is "floating" around.

[Brad]

In the past, certain websites have posted seasonal promotion advertising from Wal-Mart -- and many other retailers -- without authorization. Because these websites have violated laws covering trade secrets and copyright protection, we have merely reminded them of their obligations under the law and asked them to observe those laws.

Why haven't they "reminded" us in the past? And if this is just a "reminder", I might just happen to "forget" and post the ad until they have to "remind" me again

[becca0884]

Why haven't they "reminded" us in the past? And if this is just a "reminder", I might just happen to "forget" and post the ad until they have to "remind" me again

Haha.

[aprncess]

Why haven't they "reminded" us in the past? And if this is just a "reminder", I might just happen to "forget" and post the ad until they have to "remind" me again

 

Well I will just wait right here for you to forget then...lol

[sandwish]

Wal Mart needs to get themselves headed in the right direction. After the fiasco last year with their website and POOR quality merchandise, I don't care what their ad says, I'll be spending my money elsewhere. This whole legal threat is just the clincher for me.

[sigrist_2000]

as i take other websites...the walmart ad had already been leaked???...but the sites has the same email or letter that brad must have gotten, so they took it down...or were they just saying that...(about having to take the ad down...)

 

but if the ad has been leaked...(hmmm...lol...maybe people could...ok im just being evil now...lol)....:)

 

BOO on Walmart...

[davephillyj]

We could all post it as "RUMORED" ads... That should cover it!

 

Then it would all be a rumor, that someone may or may NOT have visually witnessed.

Also we could round up the change (28.xx to $29) so that it is not EXACT price!

 

Hummm, just a thought:gdbees:

[mtallen]

I played with google today and noticed someone had the ad already then Wal-Mart threatened them with that so called community e-mail.

I saw this earlier today too...Was the ad already leaked and that is why they ***Wally World*** (Better not say there real name because I might get sued)are acting so silly?

I for one think it is great publicity for them if the ads do come out earlier than normal. It gives alot more people the chance to save even more money in hopes of spending more money due to their sales! Such a shame...

[Brad]

I am 99% sure the Wal-Mart ad has not been leaked already. Anyone claiming to have it is probably just saying that to get people to go to their site (or they have last year's ad).

[davephillyj]

I saw this earlier today too...Was the ad already leaked and that is why they ***Wally World*** (Better not say there real name because I might get sued)are acting so silly?

I for one think it is great publicity for them if the ads do come out earlier than normal. It gives alot more people the chance to save even more money in hopes of spending more money due to their sales! Such a shame...

Cut off their nose to spite thier face!

 

Large egos:g_thumbsd

 

Hope it keeps them from having a "black" Friday. Hope they stay in the red and all these talks of litigation makes the stocks slip!

 

Sam Walton is rolling over in his grave I'm sure!

 

This will give them a black eye with most of us!

 

May they hang thier heads in shame!

[davephillyj]

I am 99% sure the Wal-Mart ad has not been leaked already. Anyone claiming to have it is probably just saying that to get people to go to their site (or they have last year's ad).

Can't NO ONE post it till they all talk with the KING

[mamapenguin]

I will await official word from King Brad:eyepoppin

[Brad]

From today's article on CNet/ZDNet:

 

While Wal-Mart has attracted attention with the letter to Web site operators, other retailers expressed concern about the early Internet ads but have not moved to crack down on them.

 

"We're not going to spend our time trying to track down all those sites," said Brian Lucas, a spokesman for consumer electronics retailer Best Buy. "Our focus is so much on trying to execute Black Friday well that we don't really want to be distracted from that."

 

Many other retailers are also protective of their own advertising materials.

 

"We encourage consumers to consult and rely on the Circuit City ads that actually appear in newspapers nationwide on Thanksgiving," Jackie Foreman, a spokeswoman for Circuit City Stores said. "We do not confirm or deny content that appears on the Internet other than information on our own site."

 

So Best Buy and Circuit City seem to "get it". They know that a site like this won't hurt them in any major way and will likely help generate buzz for their sale. Sure they won't officially endorse the site, but they won't send the lawyers either.

 

(of course don't be shocked to see a letter from either or both of them in the coming weeks, lol)

[pparker]

Wow - I start planning for BF months ahead. I pretty much know most of the items I'm going to attempt to find. Walmart has been my primary source for the past 2 years. That can change though. There's a lot of stores doing BF. To be honest, I thought Walmart got on board late in the game. Now that they've become a player, they want to quit??? Odd.

[CoreyJep]

Brad,

 

I have used your site for a few years now but have never once posted. It is sad it has taken something like this to get me to do so, but I am now SUPER PISSED:mad: . Seems to me that WM's legal department is bored and is trying to find something to do. I have never thought their specials were anything to write home about, but have always gone there for a few of the smalled kids items. This is pushing more towards TRU and saying goodbye to WM's cheap knock off specials.

 

I too vote for an email system that says hose off to Wal-Mart. Let me know if these items are "accidently" leaked on someones MySpace account or something of the likes.

 

Corey