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Walmart Black Friday 2013: 1 Hour Guarantee Website Fails, In Store Issues Anger Shoppers

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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.

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.

https://twitter.com/cashabito/status/406462538188988416

https://twitter.com/sparksamanda/status/406477065714552832

https://twitter.com/NettaByoAzz/status/406466416548667392

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.

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.

57 Comments

57 Comments

  1. ERIKA

    11/29/2013 at 12:29 pm

    GOT A 1HOUR GUARANTEE FOR FOUR TIRES AND CODES DO NOT WORK!!! NOW I HAVE TO GO BACK AND GET NEW CODES. MORE TIME IN WALMART. YEAH!!! OH BY THE WAY THE $98 TV IS A RIP OFF. WHEN YOU HOOK IT UP ..THE ACTUAL PICTURE IT SHOWS IS ONLY ABOUT A 20” … ITS SUPPOSED TO BE 32”.. ANOTHER WAY BLACK FRIDAY ADS ARE MISLEADING EVERYONE. ARE WE REALLY GETTING THE DEALS WE PAY FOR? I DONT THINK SO…

    • Renee Ross Hulon

      12/01/2013 at 10:12 am

      really!!!! that’s what i bought. am having a hard time getting it registered! this is so wrong if it shows only 20 inches! what???? omg! i will never do this again.ty 4 sharing ,, Rene’e

    • Michael Bush

      12/01/2013 at 8:57 pm

      You are obviously one of the idiots who can’t read instructions and you are clueless about technology. The tv will display hd fullscreen just fine. Maybe you dont have hd or you are watching a bluray which was filmed at a different aspect ratio. Not that you would know what that means.

  2. Chris

    11/29/2013 at 2:00 pm

    On your remote click the button on the top right directly under the source button this will change the aspect ratio to 16.1 and fill the whole screem

    • ClaireK

      11/30/2013 at 2:24 am

      Hi Leroy– the gift card number is the number that is revealed after you do the scratch off on the one hour guarantee slip. Good luck!

  3. Leroy Cheek

    11/29/2013 at 2:09 pm

    When I get to the end it asked for my gift card number so I punch in the numbers on the back and it saying invalid number plus they did not give us gift cards , they will never get me again.

  4. Traci A. Corbett

    11/29/2013 at 2:22 pm

    Could not even get on site. Tells me the web page cannot be displayed. What a pain. This is bull for parents that work a lot and have very little time to spend on doing this stuff. Why couldn’t they just call us when our stuff came in in and give a ticket number to pick up merchandise. This is just poor non- common sense and making it harder than it needed to be. Come on, Don’t need a degree to figure that out!!!! CEO? who was in charge of this crap?

  5. Pat & Vanessa

    11/29/2013 at 2:40 pm

    Walmart is only willing to give customers a refund if they complain not get the product ours was a TV for 98 dollars.
    They know the website is down and the 877number is busy.

    • Chanchal

      11/29/2013 at 5:28 pm

      I have been trying since last night I can’t get into their web sight the phone no is busy we paid for the product we should be able to get it we spend altogether three hours to enter the store three hour to able to get the products but not the product but slip but pay for it and they want us to register it which we cannot that is not fair to waste people busy holiday time

    • Cassie

      11/30/2013 at 7:25 am

      I have been dealing with this same thing all morning. What happens if the website stays down until after midnight tomorrow?

  6. emily crawford

    11/29/2013 at 6:24 pm

    i got a 1 hour card for the 50 in led tv. and I came home and tried to register it and it told me that I was to early . So the next morning I tried again and it told me I had a invalid access code. and was asking me to enter the correct access code. WTH we are extremely mad!!!!!! now I have to go back to walmart and im sure stand in one hell of a long line with a bunch of people with the same problem. All I have to say is I will not leave until I get a correct code and a guarantee that we will receive our t.v. that we already paid for!!!!! All this advertisement you would think that this shit would work . … #extremelymad

    • TMack

      12/03/2013 at 3:57 am

      I had the same thing happen. When I went to the store they told me thee 50″ TV was advertised by mistake and tried to give back my money and a gift card. I didn’t take it. I now have a case underway with the Better Business Bureau case # 19050605. I suggest you do the same. It is really easy to do.

  7. emily crawford

    11/29/2013 at 6:26 pm

    and now the website to register you code is completely down !!! this sucks

  8. Kelly

    11/29/2013 at 6:41 pm

    Stood in line to get voucher for 32 inch tv, stood in line to pay for it. Came home spent from 9-1:30 trying to get the site to register and get it sent. Kept refreshing and counting down from 30. Tried this morning, did the same thing. Have tried for 3 hours this evening. called the numbers, have been disconnected at least 8 times and still nothing. They wanted me to go back and get another code at the store, but the store has no more vouchers…..the money has already been taken out of my bank account, so Wal-Mart has their payment, but my child does not have his TV….what a scrooge-like rip-off.

    • Mary Lou

      11/30/2013 at 9:16 am

      Kelly, mine kept refreshing and I finally clicked on the “compatibility view” next to the refresh button on url bar and it worked. Not sure if that’s why but I had tried for two days and now have completed transaction… hope it helps you as well…

      • valerie

        11/30/2013 at 9:54 am

        THIS WORKED for me thanks

      • Lyndsey

        12/01/2013 at 11:15 am

        This worked for me also. Thank you so much!

  9. Erin

    11/29/2013 at 7:06 pm

    Bought the 32 inch t.v. Got the access code. Enter it and it is not valid. Called Wal-Mart they told us to come back and get a new access code. Went back to Wal-Mart waited in line for another hour and got new code. Drive home still not valid WTF…. Called Wal-Mart again in Corsicana,TX manager told me site was down because of Obama Care???WTF!!! I called again and asked manager if they still had any of the 32 inch for 227, he said yes, but we have put them back up to regular price 3?? and we will not honor the sale price because you are having trouble with the one you bought?? REALLY If anyone is going to file a law suit I’m with ya 100% THIS IS THE BIGGEST JOKE I HAVE EVER SEEN. TARGET CAN HAVE ALL MY MONEY!!!!

    • pamela

      12/01/2013 at 5:00 pm

      I sure have thought about filing a suit ! I am pissed ! went to the store at 5:15 and they had already given away all 25 tvs in stock ! they were gone 2 hrs before the sale even started ! it was my understanding it was 1 hr in stock guarantee to begin with ! how they gonna only have 25 tvs for 1000 plus ppl ? they had the hugest mess, tvs were over in food section ! people ramming buggies into each other, tempers flairing ! stood in line over 2 hrs including at the register for a piece of paper to register online, that took another 3 hours ! I wanna know how they intend to honor and ship all these ppl in the us tvs before Christmas ? this is false advertising ! same crap at 8pm sale no tablet long lines and a freakin piece of paper. no wonder I hate walmart ! only reason I went to the hell hole was they said in stock guarantee !

  10. Ram C

    11/29/2013 at 7:23 pm

    Use this link for 1 hour guarentee instead, works like a charm. I used it for registering my ipad mini https://www.walmart.com/onehg/index.jsp?wmlspartner=seiFDCjAK/U&sourceid=25933641584245126408&affillinktype=10&veh=aff

    • Rosemarie L Koss

      11/29/2013 at 9:51 pm

      I used yours and it don’t work either..what are u trying to prove…none of the phone numbers work nor do the sites..it is a scam..I have ruined my thanksgiving in the store and home calling and doing this on puter for 29 hours so far and it now has ruined the xmas for my grandson..it is a scam..it is fraud to print up thes 1 hour cards with codes and access codes you took my money for the tv and the I pad…walmart u suck no more you got me good this time but you will never get a chance at me again I will never buy or shop or go to any wal mart stores no matter what you are selling and what ever the price may be your jerks all of you to do this to so many people and no way can we all get threw by sunday the 1st no way..

      • Norma

        11/30/2013 at 3:05 am

        This is the time to make the people hold the power of shopping. I’m with you no more shopping at Walmart for me. In fact I will be taking everything back today and it total $588.21. I can do will all of the things I purchased anyway… More of us need to try this and see id Walmart fair this store.

      • Johnny Johnson

        12/03/2013 at 6:15 am

        I find it really sad that you would allow something like this to affect you to the extent that you are ruining Christmas for your grandson. You need to get a grip and not ruin Christmas for your grandson over some materialistic crap. I don’t care if you lost $1,000 on this Walmart mess, suck it up, put on a smile, and don’t ruin Christmas over this.

    • Melody

      11/30/2013 at 3:29 pm

      Thank you! I used my iPad with your link and got my boys there head phones. I had been trying two
      day’s with my PC!

  11. aniz

    11/29/2013 at 8:11 pm

    still not working

    • Rosemarie L Koss

      11/29/2013 at 9:55 pm

      that ram c is a liar must be the big CEO of walmart

      • CJ

        11/30/2013 at 7:51 am

        Not a CEO, just an affiliate…

  12. Rosemarie L Koss

    11/29/2013 at 9:57 pm

    plus there are more thank 16 complaints they keep clearing them out Wal mart how stupid do u really think all of are…

  13. Beth Carroll

    11/30/2013 at 2:57 am

    Talk about some bull…. I was there right before 6pm and of course they were out of the 60 inch Tvs so a sale’s associate gave me s card. When I asked about how it worked they told me all I had to do was go home and register the number on line snd I would be able to get it for the same price. Not once did they tell me I had to go through a cashier. When I got home I couldn’t even get the website to work. … said I was too early. After spending half an hour trying to get help on the phone I was then informed that I should have gone through the cashier. I called the store and no one could help me I missed out on the deal because I was misinformed. This was just a scam to get people in the store or this company is extremely unorganized. Either way, I have no desire to shop at Walmart ever again. I WAS a loyal customer.

    • Cheryl

      11/30/2013 at 3:30 am

      Wally World I am totally DONE with you!!!!! Some of us have to work for a living and have better things to do than spend hours trying to register on a bogus web site that you have already gotten our $$$$for!!!!!!should have gone to TARGET to begin with!!!!!!NEVER again!!!no desire to ever shop in your store again.

  14. Gigi

    11/30/2013 at 3:16 am

    Sucks that they are saying that if it doesn’t work, you can return to the store to get your $ refunded on a gift card! What makes you think I want to continue to spend my money with your store on what obviously looks now like a “scam”??!! WalMart, don’t boost your stores Holiday earnings on empty promises to your faithful customers!! GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY!!!

  15. Kelly

    11/30/2013 at 6:36 am

    have been at this for hours and still no T.V. for my son’s Christmas. I even tried getting up in the middle of the night and trying when perhaps there were less people. I have tried all the numbers and keep getting disconnected. I am so angry and sad .

  16. Coco

    11/30/2013 at 9:16 am

    Wal-Mart is the joke of the century. The website that directs customers to enter their 1-hour in stock guarantee code is down. The recording says they are receiving a large amount of phone calls and then hangs up on you. Store employees don’t know what’s going on and they said they did not receive any training. They finally re-issued me a new access code. I was finally able to go through the process. Once again, no one at the store knew about the $100 gift card. Ugg!!! I will never shop here again! Poor leadership, poor work process= POOR PUBLICITY! Note to customers: go to the store and get this resolved in person. It may take you some time but you will get through it hopefully.

  17. Mary Lou

    11/30/2013 at 9:19 am

    I am not sure if this will work for you all but mine kept refreshing and I finally clicked on the “compatibility view” next to the refresh button on url bar and it worked. Not sure if that’s why but I had tried for two days and now have completed transaction… hope it helps you as well…

  18. Vdj

    11/30/2013 at 10:46 am

    This worked for me as well. I was able to complete the transaction in no time. Thanks for the tip Mary Lou. Now I’m trying to figure out how to get my $100 gift card, as there is no $100 balance left over on the gift card after I make the purchase (only the exact amount that I paid for the ipad mini). Anybody know about this because obviously I was given the wrong info at the register..

    • Coco

      11/30/2013 at 11:26 am

      Vdj, You will get your gift card with your purchased item when you pick it up.

  19. anita

    11/30/2013 at 1:36 pm

    I also have been trying for the last 2 days and not getting any where I think its crap why do something like this if you are not going to stand behind it its not our fault their systems are down if they don’t honor it I wont go back to wal mart

  20. Melody

    11/30/2013 at 3:36 pm

    I used my iPad and got through! Registered for my 2 sons headphones, one after the other. I had been trying to use my laptop for two days! So if you have a iPad or know someone, use it!!!

    • steve

      11/30/2013 at 10:54 pm

      This just worked for me. I guess apple is the way to go.

  21. Ted

    11/30/2013 at 3:37 pm

    Well leave it to Wal-Mart to screw you again. Waited in line for the Funai TV for 98.00. Got the coupon for the One Hour Guarantee, paid for the TV, when to the site and it didn’t work until late Sat, then it said they were out and guess what? They wanted me to use the card to purchase a 899.00 Emerson TV. Sounds like a classic bait and switch to me. Went to the store and they said there was nothing they could do but give me my money back. No more Thanksgiving Day sales for me at Wal-Mart just for them to lie straight to your face.

  22. Julie

    11/30/2013 at 5:56 pm

    After fighting for 2 days trying to get my order with my computer and having the “Please enter a valid access code” message be as far as I could get. I entered my code over and over and over. I was about to go to the store for a new code, but decided as a last resort to try accessing the site on my phone. YAY!!! I finally got it to accept that my code WAS indeed a “valid” code. The tv they are giving me instead is an Emerson. SO, if you keep getting the error, try switching devices or computers. PS I deleted my cookies and browsing history, etc and it did not work, the only thing that worked was using a different device.

    • Yvonne

      11/30/2013 at 6:29 pm

      Julie, thanks for the tip. It worked for me!

  23. Yvonne

    11/30/2013 at 6:41 pm

    Everyone, try Julie’s suggestion and going to your phone if you were trying on your computer or use your computer if you were trying on your phone.

  24. michelle

    12/01/2013 at 2:16 pm

    How do you get the $100 gift card with iPad mini. Store told me I would get it in an email. I registered and got email confirmation but still no $100 gift card.

  25. tiffany

    12/02/2013 at 4:05 am

    I kept getting the invalid card number for my $178 laptop. I finally got frustrated and returned to the store in Southaven, MS. There were a total of four of us
    there for the same thing. People were coming in for the tvs and headphones as well. They ended,up giving us a different model. It is actually a better computer. I think the guarantee concept is good if they can work out the kinks but I was extremely disappointed over the entire experience

  26. MICHELE MARTINEZ

    12/15/2013 at 6:48 pm

    I HAVE A DIFFERENT CONFIRMATION NUMBER, AND NOW THEY SAY ITS NOT RIGHT AND WONT GIVE ME A TV

  27. Jagga

    12/15/2013 at 7:36 pm

    The Ipad Mini Walmart put on sale that day had “One Hour Guarantee”. That means in that one hour guarantee period, whoever got the ticket of that item and paid for that item must have the item too. They cannot say the item is out of stock, and especially, they cannot say the item is out of stock when they already get paid for the item 17-18 days ago. And now they sent me an email showing they canceled my order saying the item is out of stock. When I paid for the item on Black Friday night(17-18 days ago), the item wasn’t out of stock. On Black Friday, I stayed awake the whole night and got the ticket including excess code and paid for my ipad Mini, and registered my purchase online, and in few hours I already received the confirmation email from walmart, which showed my order will be ready between 12/14/13 and 12/22/13 at my local walmart store. And now on the 12/13/13, I received an email showed that walmart issued $328.16 to gift card and canceled my order. I didn’t stay awake the whole night on Black Friday to buy just walmart gift card. If I want to buy just Walmart gift card, I can go to the store anytime and buy it.
    I already bought the case cover for this ipad mini, and emotionally attached to this item, and have been waiting for since I paid for my item(17-18 days ago). If Walmart wasn’t sure whether that item would be “in stock or out of stock”, the Walmart wasn’t suppose to advertise “One Hour Guarantee” on the sale paper, and make customers paid for the item at the store right a way. It is really immoral if they cancel the order just like this saying the item is out of stock, especially in this case.

  28. Jyhwen Wang

    12/19/2013 at 1:32 pm

    My wife, my daughter and I went to Walmart store (Mountain View) on Thanksgiving (11/28) and purchased 3 iPad Mini with promised $100 Walmart rebate per order with 1-Hour In-Stock Guarantee. My daughter is 14 years old so I paid for her purchase.
    It is well within Walmart policy of 1 iPad Mini per person.
    Walmart did not have any of the guaranteed iPad Mini in stock and what we received were 3 Walmart Gift Cards. We then used the 3 Walmart Gift Cards to order the actual product on Walmart.com web site on 11/29.
    On 12/13, Walmart sent an email notifying us one of the 3 order has been cancelled.
    I asked Walmart for an explanation but they blamed the manufacturer.
    I believe this broken promise by Walmart or Apple should be exposed.

    • Tony

      12/19/2013 at 8:07 pm

      I ended up opening a complaint with BBC and I’m happy to say I’m sitting here with my 2 50in TV right now. It’s simple to do and very effective.

    • Jyhwen Wang

      12/19/2013 at 9:05 pm

      Did not like Walmart. Now I have reason not to go back except I still have the $100 rebate eGift card.

  29. ben

    12/20/2013 at 9:54 pm

    Im sure you all though you were thankful on thanksgiving next time celebrate it with your children and stop whineing about materials you don’t really need anyways people dont even get to have decent food on the table every night and you all are bitching about overpriced dr dre beats

  30. CAM

    12/22/2013 at 3:59 am

    Walmart helps ruin Christmas. I purchased items for friends from Walmart on Black Friday. Received their “One Hour Guarantee” for delivery by today. Some items have still not been shipped. After hours of trying last night I got into their phone system. An hour and a half on hold and I was told that I would receive an update in 20 minutes. Still nothing. Walmart bragged about having 55 million customers on Black Friday, but are unable to honor their commitment to deliver. And, they do not seem to care.

  31. juan vanegas

    12/22/2013 at 6:12 pm

    Hola mi nombre es juan vanegas y page una televisión de 32.pulgadas en walmart el viernes negro y no e resevido mi codigo de con firmacion me dijieron que yegava del 14 al 22 de diciembre y no e resevido nada y hoy fui ala tienda preguntar y nosaven nada mi correo electronico es . Com y mi numero de telefono es 708 4467203 porfavor ayuden me gracias

  32. Linda Williams

    12/23/2013 at 9:33 am

    I purchased the 32 inch TV. Got emails that the advertised brand was out of stock and would be substituted with another brand. I got and email that the TV would be shipped 12/22/13 and I would get an email advising me. Well, here it is 12/23/13 and nothing. They have used my $ since Black Friday and no TV so no present. Nope, Walmart does not need us next year!!

  33. hobart van valkenburg

    12/23/2013 at 10:30 am

    I to was to get the 32 inch tv by 12/22/13. got e-mail today saying it would not be here until 12/28/13. went to local store and all I got was a run around about why it didn’t arrive. Wal-Mart isn’t living up to their agreement. they wouldn’t even give me a substitute.

    • liuqlucia

      12/24/2013 at 11:21 am

      The same with me. Spent over 2 hours yesterday getting connected with walmart.com customer service and told me the Beats solo is in the store but not scanned yet. Took another 2 hours in the store and to be told the store doesn’t have it in stock! Additional 2 hours this morning with walmart.com representitive who keeps me waiting and waiting with no sympathy and bad attitude!

      NO TRUST FOR WALMART ANY MORE!

  34. Carol

    12/26/2013 at 7:20 am

    My husband and i purchased the 32” tv What a joke still have not received it. Sorry kids Santa Clause was not able to bring it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What it this was one of your kids…Mr Walton

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