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posted Jan-24-2012

I purchased an Asus netbook bundle for my college age daughter as an affordable remedy to having her laptop stolen. The semester has already begun so receiving as expeditiously as possible was key. I requested rush delivery and paid the highest price for shipping.

I have never had an issue using the bank card I used for the purchase and have utilized it multiple times with online companies with my billing address and a different shipping address for my daughter. Apparently, Walmart does a CSI investigation of the purchase, as they say, to insure that everything “matches” up as a precautionary measure to insure no fraudulent charges. Apparently, if everything does not match up to their satisfaction, they phone your bank and then phone you. Apparently, something for me did not “match up” upon their investigation.

Unbeknownst to me the order was cancelled as it was indicated they left a voice mail with my bank at the "invoice" line and left a voice mail for me on my cell phone. Because they did not hear back from me or the bank to verify the charge, the order was cancelled.

I found this out the day the order was to be delivered. This was ordered online, an email confirmation was sent to confirm the order. However, no email was sent indicating they were attempting to contact me or that the order was going to cancel as they needed further verification from me. My cell phone was provided to Walmart and the number they have is correct.

You will not find a customer service contact number for Walmart.com. You will have to dig for it. When you call them you will get the lowest level of customer service as well as a representative that cannot help you and simply repeats the same responses over and over again. I simply wanted the order reinstated as the funds were still being held or the funds released so that the machine could be re-ordered.

It is amazing they had an issue with verification as the amount of 360.00 had no problem being held against my account. Meaning that those funds were frozen, unable to be spent until released by my bank in 5 business days. I asked them to revive the order since the funds had already been pre-authorized and they simply needed to submit the hard charge when the order shipped. No, they said, once an order is cancelled it is cancelled. Then went on to flippantly say but you can go back online and order anything you want.

So, I said then release the funds. Sorry, that is between you and your bank. I called the bank and in order to have the funds released sooner Walmart needed to fax a release to them on their letter head indicating that they had no intention of capturing those funds.

Walmart was unable to put me in touch with anyone that had the ability to provide this service. I asked for a supervisor and I got a snotty, unprofessional Michelle from the "Northwest Alabama Office,“ which is what was provided when I asked where she was located. She indicate that she was the floor supervisor and she had no manager when I asked to speak with hers. She was the highest in command at that location and there was no one else. She refused to help and insisted that this was an issue between my bank and myself.

Called the bank again who insisted that they receive many releases from walmart daily. Called Walmart back that representative said there is no way they can release the funds on her level. The only thing she could do was submit an email, a “ticket” to accounting which would be processed in the order received typically 2-3 business days and they still may not initiate documentation to my bank to release the funds. They kept insisting that it was not a hard charge and that it would drop pursuant to the bank policy.

All well and good Walmart. Actually what your policy should be or any companies policy for that matter, is that when you cancel an order for whatever reason, no longer in stock, your inefficient, matching up investigations to determine that I am actually placing an order with my credentials, etc., it should be automatic that a release is sent to the bank where a pre-authorization is awaiting a hard charge from YOU so that the customer is not out those funds for up to 5 business days and longer in some cases.

If you can’t figure out how to reinstate the order when a customer does get in contact with you and the funds are still in suspense, then you certainly should accommodate the process to release the funds upon their request. Once a preauthorize is presented to a bank, the customer must endure the waiting period for a hard charge to be submitted against that pre-authorization or the company placing the pre-authorization has to indicate to the bank they have no intention of capturing those funds.

Don’t preauthorize anything on a customer’s account until you are sure the item is in stock, will ship or they pass your “match” process which obviously is flawed as you had a concern this may be a fraudulent charge. However, I am left without the funds for 5 business days and no order that is ever going to be processed. I really consider that fraud. You took my funds for a week and delivered nothing but frustration and anxiety. Even when a remedy was conveyed to resolve the situation you have not empowered your first line customer service representatives with the ability to do anything more than frustrate the living daylights out of your customers. Shame on you!!!

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