Deals
Walmart Black Friday 2013: 1 Hour Guarantee Website Fails, In Store Issues Anger Shoppers
The Walmart Black Friday 2013 sales are not going as planned for many shoppers who skipped Target and Best Buy to take advantage of the Walmart 1 hour guarantee on 21 specific Walmart Black Friday 2013 deals.
Update: Walmart extends the deadline – Details here.
With the dust settling there are many reports that the walmart.com/1hourguarantee website is down or broken for many shoppers and at least one store reportedly refused to honor the in stock guarantee for shoppers that lined up for Black Friday deals.
Read: Walmart 1 Hour Guarantee Gotchas
Walmart introduced the system last year and expanded it to more items including several HDTVs and an iPad mini for the Black Friday 2013 ad. By promising that shoppers who waited in line for these items would get the deal even if their local Walmart sold out, the store was able to draw in big crowds, selling to over 22 million shoppers on Thanksgiving evening.
The Walmart Black Friday 2013 1 hour guarantee fails for many shoppers.
During the Walmart Black Friday 2013 sales, 5 million shoppers took advantage of the 1 hour guarantee, but things are not going very smoothly for all of these shoppers.
The deal included an iPad mini with a $100 gift card, deals on several HDTV models and much more.
Shoppers who missed out on the items in stock, received an access code to register online and get the item delivered by Christmas. For the shoppers who did get the code, the deal is not done. They must register online at walmart.com/1hourguarantee by midnight on December 1st to get the deal or the guarantee reverts to a normal gift card.
There are many reports that the Walmart One hour guarantee website is down on a tracking website and on Twitter where frustrated shoppers are complaining bout website errors.
I think the #Walmart 1 hour guarantee website was built by the same people who built https://t.co/1MR750t7Gk. #fail pic.twitter.com/sYunwAZDLM
— Greg Yarbrough (@GregYarbrough) November 29, 2013
https://twitter.com/cashabito/status/406462538188988416
RT @rodmoose "Dont leave @Walmart w 1 hr guarantee receipt unless checker follows instructions on card & access code on receipt…
— Rodney Mason (@rodmoose) November 29, 2013
What good is a one hour guarantee when the website doesn't work? #Walmart
— notreallyrogerlward (@rogerlward) November 29, 2013
https://twitter.com/sparksamanda/status/406477065714552832
https://twitter.com/NettaByoAzz/status/406466416548667392
Walmart wants "guarantee" an item but then they don't have it less than 24 hours later and want to give me a "comparable item"? No.
— rebekah blighton (@rebekah_lately) November 29, 2013
At this time it is not clear if Walmart will extend the hours to claim the one hour guarantee to handle the demand. We’ve reached out to Walmart for comment on this matter.
Shoppers can call 1-877-745-0190 to report a problem with the website or email [email protected] with “1-Hour Guarantee” in the subject.
In addition to the website issues, many shoppers report Walmart did not offer the Access code needed when they checked out or that the store did not honor the one hour guarantee for all shoppers in line. Jacksonville.com reports that a shoppers in Lutz, Fla. did not get the voucher even if they were in line. The publication says Walmart is looking into the problem.
Other shoppers report the access code did not print and other in store issues that a busy shopping day did not help. Here are common Walmart one hour guarantee complaints.
@walmart #blackfriday 1 hour guarantee receipt missing access code, store refund & re-ring both barcodes on card pic.twitter.com/hb27sHQKiQ
— Rodney Mason (@rodmoose) November 29, 2013
Walmart touts 1 hour guarantee but runs out of wristbands before it starts #blackfriday #angryshoppers pic.twitter.com/Qln1B3ZxQz
— Shelly Banjo (@sbanjo) November 28, 2013
@Walmart A store in Chicago did not honor the one hour guarantee, how do i solve this?
— Le'Queen Tasha (@iBeenOnHo) November 29, 2013
@Walmart your in-store guarantee codes are not working and your employees are not equipped to help. It's not my job to go back to fix it.
— Lindsey C. Holmes (@lindseycholmes) November 29, 2013
It will be interesting to see how Walmart handles this situation and what, if any, impact it will have on the retailer’s Black Friday plans for next year.
