Walmart - Online Prices Don't Match In-Store Prices - RedFlagDeals.com Forums (2025)

So I went to Walmart as I needed a MicroSD card for a trip last week. The online price was similar to Amazon and in stock..so why not right?

I went into the store and the in store price on the shelf and scanner was $10 more at $34.

But the Walmart.ca website online price said $24.46. Here is the link:

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/SanDisk-Ex ... om=/search

Walmart is the 'Seller' so its not a 3rd party online thing. Walmart has a disclaimer on the site that says "Price when purchased online" which I didn't noticed before.

Anyways I told the girl they had to honor the online advertised price and they did after a little hassling and the girl calling a manager.

Is this the same as the 'scanner code of conduct' where companies advertise one price but the price is different or something different?

And how many people are getting scammed like this where there are 'online prices' which are cheaper than the 'in store prices'? Is Walmart the only one doing this or are others?

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kozm wrote: ↑Where is the scam when the website clearly states 'price when purchased online'? The fact that you are not aware of this situation and did not notice the pertinent information does not make them scammers.

Sale above advertised price

"Section 74.05 of the Competition Act prohibits the sale or rent of a product at a price higher than its advertised price."

Also:

"For corporations, the penalty for a first-time violation is up to the greater of:

$10 million ($15 million for each subsequent violation); and
three times the value of the benefit derived from the deceptive conduct, or, if that amount cannot be reasonably determined, 3% of the corporation’s annual worldwide gross revenue"

https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/de ... ised-price

One more time, did they say the store price is X and then you had to pay the price above X? Sue the bastards!

Hard to believe there are people who in 2024 are not aware that prices online and in B&M stores can differ.

pat_wobbly wrote: ↑Sale above advertised price

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"Section 74.05 of the Competition Act prohibits the sale or rent of a product at a price higher than its advertised price."

Also:

"For corporations, the penalty for a first-time violation is up to the greater of:

$10 million ($15 million for each subsequent violation); and
three times the value of the benefit derived from the deceptive conduct, or, if that amount cannot be reasonably determined, 3% of the corporation’s annual worldwide gross revenue"

https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/de ... ised-price

How is this a reply to the question asked? You bought it in store, not online. They advertised as the price online, not in store. What fraud are they committing? They gave you the online price to shut you up, say thanks and carry on.

kozm wrote: ↑One more time, did they say the store price is X and then you had to pay the price above X? Sue the bastards!

Hard to believe there are people who in 2024 are not aware that prices online and in B&M stores can differ.

Ya they did actually and I didn't pay cause I check my prices online and argued with the cashier stating I could put in my order online and wait at the front desk pick up area but its a complete waste of everyone's time/labour.

Sue for $10 scam? Nah I'll just drop a complaint into the Competition Bureau and see if they get fined for millions instead. Doubt it..but hey $10 x Hundreds of Thousands of people across Canada isn't small change if they are doing this across their entire catalog of products.

There are others who don't know there are 2x pricing schemes at Walmart especially uninformed people and senior citizens that might be more computer challenged that Walmart is taking advantage of here.

People assume the prices are going to be the same across a corporation with in store and online prices since they have to comply with the Laws governing advertised prices of the Competition Act.

djeffery wrote: ↑How is this a reply to the question asked? You bought it in store, not online. They advertised as the price online, not in store. What fraud are they committing? They gave you the online price to shut you up, say thanks and carry on.

Car dealers cant do it as its deceptive advertising....so why is Walmart allowed?

No thanks I'll bitch. Cry more..

pat_wobbly wrote: ↑Ya they did actually and I didn't pay cause I check my prices online and argued with the cashier stating I could put in my order online and wait at the front desk pick up area but its a complete waste of everyone's time/labour.

Sue for $10 scam? Nah I'll just drop a complaint into the Competition Bureau and see if they get fined for millions instead. Doubt it..but hey $10 x Hundreds of Thousands of people across Canada isn't small change if they are doing this across their entire catalog of products.

There are others who don't know there are 2x pricing schemes at Walmart especially uninformed people and senior citizens that might be more computer challenged that Walmart is taking advantage of here.

People assume the prices are going to be the same across a corporation with in store and online prices since they have to comply with the Laws governing advertised prices of the Competition Act.

The policy is on Walmart's website so nothing is going to come from your complaint. It's up to the customer to review/know the policy before making a purchase. It's not Walmart's fault people don't bother and make assumptions.

What is Walmart Canada’s pricing policy?
Purchases made in a Walmart Canada store

For identical items purchased in a Walmart Canada store, we will match the item price advertised on Walmart.ca. Restrictions apply, see below.

The following limitations apply:

The customer must inform the store associate of the price.
The item must be currently in-stock on Walmart.ca at the time the price match is requested.
We reserve the right to verify the price and the availability of the identical item (i.e. size, model, quantity, brand, colour, etc).
The store associate may require supervisor approval and the supervisor must verify the price and availability of the identical item (i.e. size, model, quantity, brand, colour, etc) by going on the Walmart.ca website through a store terminal, before the price will be matched.
We reserve the right to limit quantities to one-per-customer, per item, per day.
Sorry, we do not match:

Walmart.ca prices that are on special events (including but not limited to Rollback, Clearance, Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, or limited-time promotions).

pat_wobbly wrote: ↑Car dealers cant do it as its deceptive advertising....so why is Walmart allowed?

No thanks I'll bitch. Cry more..

I don't know that there is much of a market for people buying cars online, but if there is, a car dealer for sure could advertise an online price that was different than an in person price if they specified that it was an online price. Not sure why this is a hard concept for you. Your mistake is thinking the website is equivalent to the flyer that comes in the mail.

tew wrote: ↑The policy is on Walmart's website so nothing is going to come from your complaint. It's up to the customer to review/know the policy before making a purchase. It's not Walmart's fault people don't bother and make assumptions.

What is Walmart Canada’s pricing policy?
Purchases made in a Walmart Canada store

For identical items purchased in a Walmart Canada store, we will match the item price advertised on Walmart.ca. Restrictions apply, see below.

The following limitations apply:

The customer must inform the store associate of the price.
The item must be currently in-stock on Walmart.ca at the time the price match is requested.
We reserve the right to verify the price and the availability of the identical item (i.e. size, model, quantity, brand, colour, etc).
The store associate may require supervisor approval and the supervisor must verify the price and availability of the identical item (i.e. size, model, quantity, brand, colour, etc) by going on the Walmart.ca website through a store terminal, before the price will be matched.
We reserve the right to limit quantities to one-per-customer, per item, per day.
Sorry, we do not match:

Walmart.ca prices that are on special events (including but not limited to Rollback, Clearance, Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, or limited-time promotions).

Ok. It wasn't a special event price or anything. Just regular stock - regular pricing.

Is this a "Scanner Price Accuracy Code" thing of which Walmart Canada is apart of? - "The code applies to scanned items where the lower price is advertised in flyers, online ads or displayed in-store — such as on a shelf."

"How do I apply the Scanner Price Accuracy Code to incorrectly scanned items?

If you notice that an item scans incorrectly, you should notify the cashier. Once the cashier is notified, the cashier should follow the store’s procedures in resolving the issue. If the item is applicable for the code, you should either be given the item for free, or $10 off the displayed price.

If the display price is less than $10, the customer should receive the item for free. If more than one of the same item is being purchased, the customer receives the first one for free, and subsequent items with the same UPC should be priced according to the display
If the display price is more than $10, the customer should receive $10 off the displayed price. If more than one of the same item is being purchased, the customer receives $10 off the first item, and subsequent items with the same UPC should be priced according to the display

You can also contact the store or their customer service department after a purchase has been made. A receipt will be required if you are claiming the Scanner Price Accuracy Code after a completed purchase.

Which products apply to the Scanner Price Accuracy Code?

The code applies to all scanned merchandise sold in all participating stores with a Universal Product Code (UPC), bar code, and Price Look-Up (PLU). It does not include price-ticketed items, products for which the law establishes a minimum (or specific) price, or goods not easily accessible to the public. This code does not apply to retailers in Québec because government has regulated scanner accuracy.

Does the Scanner Price Accuracy Code apply to sale items (including clearance items)?

Yes, but only if there is just a UPC on the item. If there is a price tag on the item, it is considered a price- ticketed item and is no longer applicable to the code."

https://www.retailcouncil.org/scanner-p ... consumers/

djeffery wrote: ↑I don't know that there is much of a market for people buying cars online, but if there is, a car dealer for sure could advertise an online price that was different than an in person price if they specified that it was an online price. Not sure why this is a hard concept for you. Your mistake is thinking the website is equivalent to the flyer that comes in the mail.

No its illegal and they get fined.

"This Kia Soul EX Premium was advertised on the dealership's website for $29,045. After a test drive, our secret shopper was told the actual price was $37,154. (KIA West Edmonton)"

"They required both dealerships to pay, in total, less than $4,000 to consumers who were out-of-pocket after all-in pricing breaches.

AMVIC also charged the two dealerships a total of $1,500 to recoup some of its investigation costs, but it appears it has otherwise not issued any all-in pricing penalties against those two dealerships, or any other dealer in the province."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/all-in ... -1.6733761

pat_wobbly wrote: ↑
Is this a "Scanner Price Accuracy Code" thing of which Walmart Canada is apart of? - "The code applies to scanned items where the lower price is advertised in flyers, online ads or displayed in-store — such as on a shelf."

This has nothing to do with SCOP ("Scanner Price Accuracy Code")
The OP is confusing a Walmart store flyer or on-line ad price (which this was not) with a price on the Walmart.ca website.
This whole thing is a non-issue as people have now pointed out several times.

kozm wrote: ↑One more time, did they say the store price is X and then you had to pay the price above X? Sue the bastards!

Hard to believe there are people who in 2024 are not aware that prices online and in B&M stores can differ.

krs wrote: ↑This has nothing to do with SCOP ("Scanner Price Accuracy Code")
The OP is confusing a Walmart store flyer or on-line ad price (which this was not) with a price on the Walmart.ca website.
This whole thing is a non-issue as people have now pointed out several times.

This

WELCOME to 2024
(Where exactly have you been the last 20 years )

Retailers have always had two lines of biz …

One for buying in person … and one for shopping online
Price differences exist between the two … cuz they are different costs to running each side of the biz

For some retailers …
It’s cheaper to run their online side
For others …
That’s a far more expensive operation to run
As there are added costs …
Like someone has to locate the product in a store
Pick it, pack it, and ship it out

All depends on the Retailer
Which side online or in person costs them more to run
And prices reflect that
One for Instore
Another for online

It’s not a scam

You the consumer … just got to decide which one you want to deal with
Which is more convenient for you
And then pay THAT price

Drive to a store
Or shop online … but wait for delivery

Someone else mentioned Costco
Prime example …
Costco.ca is more $ than the warehouse
But not everyone lives close to a warehouse
Or wants to go to those madhouses
So they pay more to buy online

pat_wobbly wrote: ↑Ok. It wasn't a special event price or anything. Just regular stock - regular pricing.

Is this a "Scanner Price Accuracy Code" thing of which Walmart Canada is apart of? - "The code applies to scanned items where the lower price is advertised in flyers, online ads or displayed in-store — such as on a shelf."

...

SCOP doesn't apply. It's not an online ad it's a listing of the product online.

There was something I was going to buy and this exact situation happened. I asked an employee about it, if I could get the "Online Price" in the store and they said No.

I when home, ordered online and they shipped it to me the next day at the Online price.

I think this is pretty silly but I think they're banking on the people who don't research anything online and just overpay at the location, then they are competitive with Amazon for those shopping online.

You can always order online and pickup at the location, most times - same day.

Walmart is annoying about it because store associates can't seem to do the adjustment. Every time I need to specifically ask for the manager on duty, they'll scan the item barcode with their Walmart app, confirm the lower price and then do the price adjustment. It's a pain, and it takes forever, but the managers never hassle me about it.

https://www.walmart.ca/en/help/article/pricing-policy/0677cc5f171e42509e9dbf66ba09be7a

krs wrote: ↑This has nothing to do with SCOP ("Scanner Price Accuracy Code")
The OP is confusing a Walmart store flyer or on-line ad price (which this was not) with a price on the Walmart.ca website.
This whole thing is a non-issue as people have now pointed out several times.

Wha?? Its literally an online advertised price. That's what an advertisement is.. lol

tew wrote: ↑SCOP doesn't apply. It's not an online ad it's a listing of the product online.

Anything displayed by a business with a price is an 'advertisement' lmao

The 80's are over. Its all digital now baby.

Also found the answer anyways:

"If an item is priced lower online than on the shelf, and the item scans at the shelf price in store, does the Scanner Price Accuracy Code apply?

If the webpage says it applies to only certain locations and the location in question is not listed, the code does not apply; however, if the store is listed, it applies. If there is no mention of which stores the webpage is applicable to, it is assumed to be applicable to all stores and the code would apply."

https://www.retailcouncil.org/scanner-p ... consumers/

So yes it does apply.