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Walmart tightens price matching after scam

Posted at 7:36 PM, Dec 02, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-03 17:45:19-05

If you love discounts, Walmart will now price match other retailers, including Amazon, this December.
But it has now tightened those rules twice, after some clever shoppers scammed it out of hundreds of dollars on a popular video game console.

And that could make it tougher for you to get a price match this holiday season.

Ad change leads to deception

The retail giant is tightening its price match policy after a number of people scammed the store out of brand new Sony Playstation 4's.

It all started when a customer with Photoshop (or similar program) altered an Amazon page to show the $399 PS4 marked down to just $89.
   
The doctored page was shared on social media, and you can guess the rest. People marched it into their local Walmart, showed the $89 price on their phone, and sales clerks agreed to sell it for $89.

Walmart is now posting signs in some stores saying it will no longer price match the PS4.

Tougher rules now

But a program designed to save shoppers a few cents here and there, could turn out to be more difficult for you and me.

Walmart has announced that while it will price match Amazon, it will not price match 3rd party resellers on Amazon.

That eliminates a lot of online stores with very low prices.

Bottom line: You will still be able to price match at Walmart.  However, managers may now want to look up the specific web page that you are referencing, rather than trusting your printout of the page.

So don't be surprised if it's a little more difficult.  And as always, don't waste your money.

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