Wal-Mart pricing

[Darth Michael]

Wal-Mart's recent $0.89 price increase on 3" Titanium toys is rather annoying. Taken singly, though, it is hardly worth the effort to recover that sub-dollar loss with a "price match" play. I got lucky at Wal-Mart recently and snagged two each of all five of Wave 16 plus two other pieces. Let's see: 12 x $0.89 = 10.68. I'll go for that.

I prepared by bringing a few receipts from Target and Toys'R'Us, and even some older Wal-Mart slips as well. I expected the encounter to be a breeze. Alas, not.

I was told that they would only price match against "in hand printed competitor advertisements". (No online ads. No photocopies.) I stood my ground, though, and claimed that nobody advertises these toys. And what about the Wal-Mart receipts? The representative claimed that the previous price of $4.99 was a promotional or sale price. I clearly explained: No, the $4.99 was the previous normal Wal-Mart price, and was the current normal price everywhere else.

In the end, the Wal-Mart chap relented and granted me the price match with the qualification that they have the right to refuse to price match future purchases. Lengthy and annoying process, but $10 in my pocket.

This got me to thinking, though. If I continue to buy Titanium's at Wal-Mart and decide to go for the price match gambit again... How can I stream line the process? Answer: Have some printed Titanium prices.

But does anybody print adverts for the small Star Wars Titaniums? I must admit that I haven't searched any recent Target or TRU flyers. If anybody does happen to notice printed Titanium prices, please chime in.

And then I remembered something today! After placing an order with the Hasbro Toy Shop, I received a couple of thin Hasbro toy catalogs in the mail. I distinctly recall that these had Titaniums in them. I don't recall if prices were printed though. And, I've long since discarded them. Does anybody have one? Were prices printed in there?

Lastly: Has anybody else battled Wal-Mart for their wayward $0.89? How did it go? (Or am I the cheapest skate on the boards?)

[Slicker]

You aren't the cheapest skate by a long shot.

Much like you I don't even bother to try and redeem my $.89 as dealing with morons costs me at LEAST $1.27 in brain cells.

There are several on the boards that price match constantly so don't feel bad. You're just stickin' it to the man.:thumbsup:

[Kidhuman]

I get them to price match them all the time without ads. Most of the employees at my Local WM know me as I have been shopping there for 6 years and getting SW stuff, so they take my word for it. Sorry you had to go through the trouble you did, it sucks.

[Warstar]

As long as I am not paying more than $6.50 per ship I don't mind spending the extra $.89.

I follow the First Rule of Toy Hunting which states: If you see it, buy it- because you may never see it again!

I mean if I passed up ships from Wal-Mart because of a lousy $.89 and then never found them again anywhere else and then those ships were gone from Wal-Mart? Then I'd have to resort to Ebay and I KNOW those will be more expensive due to shipping and possible higher costs...

...and what if I never found them again anywhere? Then, 10 years from now, I'd sit there and wonder "Why didn't I pay that lousy $.89?"

:bandit:

[Darth Michael]

The capitalist in me respects WM's right to raise their price (despite their television commercials). But it does irk me that (a) WM has raised this price while the competition has not, (b) it was a hassle to get them to price match even in the face of indisputable evidence, and (c) luck seems to be placing new Titaniums in the Austin area at WM just a little bit sooner than T or TRU lately.

Of course, if such a thing was the largest annoyance in my life, then I'd be living large indeed.

I certainly will not pass up any good purchases! I've paid substantially more than $5.88 for the odd rare Titanium at a local specialty toy store.

[Warstar]

True true- it is rather weird that Wal-Mart, which should have the cheapest price of these Titaniums anywhere, actually has one of the highest prices. I'll give ya that! :)

It is annoying, but until I can become a millionaire from selling Britney Spear's hair on Ebay, I'll live with it :)

(I still can't believe those hair auctions...wasn't selling her chewing gum a while back enough?)