HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Several viewers called the newsroom Friday to say they were being charged more in taxes than expected on purchases at Walmart.
A Walmart spokesperson confirmed the error in a statement Friday afternoon:
“Today, some Walmart customers and Sam’s Club members across Alabama were incorrectly overcharged in sales tax when shopping with us. Effective September 1, the sales tax rate for groceries nationwide was reduced by one percentage point. Our systems incorrectly calculated both the old and new prices at the time of sale.
The situation is [continuing to be corrected,] and not all Walmart stores in Alabama have addressed the issue. We ask potentially affected customers to bring their receipts to nearby stores or clubs to receive a refund of the higher sales tax.”
Customers are asked to bring their receipts to a nearby Walmart location to receive a refund of the higher tax amount.
One customer, who asked to remain anonymous, hopes the customers receiving the refund will feel sorry for the staff.
“When I went to collect the refund, the customer service representative told me that they were unable to issue the refund via the original form of purchase, my card, but that they would have to do it in cash,” they said. “Thank God she had a stack of receipts that they had probably been working on since opening this morning. When you go shopping, be a little kind to the people you’re visiting because it’s not their fault that their systems aren’t up to date.”
Walmart released the following statement about how customers should receive their refunds:
I hope You are fine. Earlier today, some Walmart customers and Sam’s Club members across Alabama were incorrectly overcharged in sales tax when shopping with us.
Effective September 1, the sales tax rate for groceries nationwide was reduced by one percentage point. Our systems incorrectly calculated both the old and new prices at the time of sale. This issue has been resolved and we could use your help to notify some customers who may have been overcharged.
We ask customers who used cash to shop with us today to check their receipts. If you discover that you have been charged two different sales tax amounts, take this receipt to your Walmart store or Sam’s Club and speak with a member of management to obtain a refund for the higher of the two taxes.
Customers who used credit cards and other payment methods will receive a notification that their refund has been automatically applied.
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