be careful buying strips at Walmart

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turbocat

turbocat

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Not that there is anything wrong with their strips. To explain:

My husband was doing the shopping and we needed more strips for our ReliOn Confirm meter. I told him which ones, but he did not see exactly what I said, so he bought the Relion Ultima strips. (I guess he saw "ReliOn" and thought they were all the same.) He thought if they weren't right I could take them back and exchange them. I tried to, but Walmart will not accept returns for diabetic testing strips, due to "blood born pathogens". I told them that was stupid because it was unopened and all sealed up. They said they knew but still wouldn't take them. Is this normal? I've never bought diabetic supplies, so is this something I should have known?

I was aggravated but bought the right strips and decided I would make my husband take the other ones back and talk to a manager. He tried. The manager was going to give him his money back but the computers wouldn't let him. My husband said, "their should be a sign posted so people know these are non returnable, I thought you could return anything to Walmart." There was a sign by pharmacy, but some genius had taken it down and put it behind the counter. My problem with that is, you don't have to pay for them at the pharmacy counter. In fact, when I was going to the first time (because they were in this plastic theft deterrent box) the woman at pharmacy told me to take it up front, they could remove the box up there, too. So, even if there is a sign by pharmacy, a customer might never see it. They need to put the sign right by the shelves where the items are.

So my husband called Walmart corporate and registered a complaint. (They said we should hear something in 3 to 15 business days.) This was really irritating. With tax, those strips were $40! And what about elderly people on fixed income that might accidentally buy the wrong testing strips for themselves? It isn't fair, and it's ridiculous! "Blood-borne pathogens" from sealed up test strips?!

So anyway, when you buy your strips at Walmart make sure you have the right ones or you are going to be stuck. BTW, if we don't get any satisfaction from Walmart, does anyone need some Relion Ultima test strips? I can work out a deal for you. :roll:
 
Oh boy, how annoying. Simba has had diabetes for 6 years now, and it has never struck me what if I bought the wrong strips and are clueless what the pharmacy here would do even if the box was totally unopened.
 
It's not Walmart being a PITA, it's probably the law in your state; it is in mine-any products that can come into contact with blood cannot be returned. It may be an inconvenience for you, but blood-borne pathogens are a big deal, and they won't take the chance that they haven't been handled. For all they know, a hepatitis or HIV patient with diabetes could have drawn blood and then realized they needed a new box of strips, picked up the box, dripped blood on it...and presto, it's contaminated. It may seem like a long shot, but there are blood-borne illnesses that are devastating and incurable. The store isn't going to take that liability, especially if the law won't let them! Should they have had a sign, yes (mine has on on the diabetic supply shelf and the pharmacy counter (and at least at our local store, you have to ask for the strips; they aren't on the shelf.) But there's more than likely nothing the store manager or corporate can do on this one.

My Relion products warn on the box that they can't be returned to the store, and if you have any issues, to contact the manufacturer directly. I don't know if the strips say that or not (I get them in bulk online because it's cheaper, and they aren't packaged the same), but that's probably your best bet. There should be an insert with a contact on it if it's not in the box. If they can't exchange them, list them on your local Craigslist or on ebay.
 
I guess I can see some sense when you look at it that way. But in my mind, where do you draw the line? Random people can go around bleeding on random objects any time or place. And blood generally leaves a mark. I still think it's a stretch. And I think it should be posted in an obvious place.
 
I can completely relate to your frustration. I purchased needles from Sams Club (Walmart company). They where the wrong size. I didn't use any of them. They were all sealed in their clear packages & in the box. I had my receipt. I tried taking them back last week. They could'nt give me a refund. For the same reason blood born pathogens. After I left customer service I went to the pharmacy & talked to them. They told me the same thing...no refund. It's only $17 , but now what am I going to do with 100 needles that are the wrong size for Baxter?

It is very frustrating when the items are clearly sealed in original packaging & you can't get a refund. angry(2)_cat

I hope you are able to get your money back.
 
Laws on these types of things are inconsistent then. I sell body piercing jewelry and we are allowed to take it back from customers, we just can't resell it. These are items which people use to gauge their ears (make big holes) and there could certainly be blood involved.

Their rule seems more like a corporation being afraid of lawyers than anything. I hope you get your money back as that is the right thing for them to do. And a smart manager should have known how to override the computer system, that may have been a ruse. There is usually a generic code which can be used for situations like that. Now days though they fix the computers so you have to abide by its programming no matter what, so maybe they were right. I can see corporate programming it that way. Lawyers again.
 
I think the manager was going to take it back and just not put it back out on the shelves. I realize it was our mistake to begin with, but I'm pretty sure my husband wouldn't have bought it at all if he knew from the get-go it couldn't be exchanged.
 
Seems ridiculous that it's not clearly signed as nonreturnable. IMO they should give you a refund and fix their signage, your husband is surely not the last person this will happen to. If not you could always get an ultima meter to use as backup, preferably convince the manager to give you a free one;). Or you can always sell the strips as previously suggested. Or donate them to the free home testing kits program.
 
I've considered getting an Ultima meter to use up the strips. Donating them is also a good idea. If I know they will get used it makes the loss of money less painful.
 
Here's my story:

About a month ago, I decided to try the Relion Micro, because it used less blood than the Ultima.

Bought the Micro, didn't like it, tried to return it.

No can do, the customer service rep said, for the same reasons others have cited: If it comes in contact with blood, they can't take it back.

I was bummed of course, but it was only $9 and I figured I'd keep the Micro as a backup, or something.

I went over to the diabetic section to pick up the Confirm - the other ReliOn meter that uses a smaller amount of blood - and what do I see on the shelf? A boxed Confirm Micro...with the seal broken and the meter put in the box the wrong way. There's a fake meter-reading graphic on the clear plastic when the meter is boxed the correct way. On this package the meter was facing the correct way, but the graphic was missing - it was on the side of the package facing inside, the wrong way.

Obviously, this box had been opened, the meter had been taken out, and then everything had been repackaged, except whoever boxed the meter back up didn't realize that they had the plastic backwards.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Here I'd been told WalMart never takes returns on meters, yet here - on the shelf FOR SALE - was a box that had clearly been opened, and the meter had been removed and, more than likely, used.

I removed the meter from the shelf, took it to the pharmarcy, and asked the pharmacist if what the customer service folk told me was true, that they couldn't take returns on the meters. Yes, she said.

I then handed her the opened meter and told that I wasn't arguing with her or anything, but I'd just found this meter sitting on the shelf for sale and it had obviously been opened because the plastic was the wrong way out.

She blinked at the box, and stammered something about "the seal was probably sliced during unpacking."

No way, I countered, and pointed out that although the meter was facing the right way (screen side out) the graphic on the plastic wasn't visible, proof that someone had opened the box, removed the meter, and then repackaged it with the plastic packaging facing the wrong way.

The pharmacist then suggested that somebody just 'came along and opened the package', and added that they couldn't keep people from doing that. (this despite the fact that the diabetic supplies are literally about four feet from the pharmacy counter - how did somebody remove the meter from the shelf, open it, remove the meter from its packaging, then put everything back together without ANYBODY from the pharmacy noticing? Unless it was when the pharmacy was closed, which I suppose is possible...)

She took the package, and - I hope! - did not set it back out for sale. The thought that some unwary soul could have bought that used meter (the cashier probably wouldn't have even noticed the seal was broken) is pretty chilling. Someone at WalMart was really not paying attention.
 
Last time I bought strips my Walmart had the sign out, but it also had a number to call for returns...
 
We buy ReliOn strips there too, so we will definitely heed this warning! Agree that they should issue a store credit refund, dispose of the strips (or let you keep them), and eat the loss. Sounds like their fault for not properly displaying the sign. Good luck!
 
Call the 800 number on the side of the container, explain the situation and ask (if they don't offer) if they will send you a free meter to be able to use these strips. After all, you MIGHT buy more.

HUGS,
 
Squeaky and KT said:
Call the 800 number on the side of the container, explain the situation and ask (if they don't offer) if they will send you a free meter to be able to use these strips. After all, you MIGHT buy more.

HUGS,
Click to expand...
Great suggestion! Probably the one that they'll be most likely to do, too.

If, after everything, you get no satisfaction, you could offer them for sale on this board or donate them to the supply closet or DCIN. SOMEBODY can use them!

It does remind you, however, that we need to be very careful when choosing our supplies!

Thanks for sharing your experience!
 
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