Walmart customers complain about double charges; retailer responds

LEE’S SUMMITT, Mo. (KTVI) – Pam Tovar of Missouri is getting ready for Christmas, putting gifts she recently bought at Walmart under her tree.

“Just mainly toys for the kids and getting stuff for Christmas dinner, things like that,” said the Lee’s Summit resident.

Tovar’s bill for the gifts and holiday accessories totaled $588.37.

“It was a big ticket and I had a lot of money going out, and I generally do try to check those just to make sure, and I’m glad I did,” she said.

When Tovar checked her account, she found she’d been charged twice, totaling more than $1,100. Walmart directed her to her bank.

“When I talked to the lady at the bank, she said the person before me had the same problem at Walmart,” Tovar said.

She posted what happened on the neighborhood app Nextdoor, thinking it might just be an issue at the Lee’s Summit store.

“I’ve had numerous people ask me which location, ‘Because I was just there five minutes ago and I’m checking my receipt and I have a double post too.’ So, it seemed to be more than just me,” Tovar said. “This lady right here says, ‘I received a notice from my bank yesterday of a possible duplicate charge from Walmart. Reviewed it, and yes, it was a duplicate.”

People across the country have been sharing complaints on social media about being double charged at Walmart. The company responded with this statement:

“On Dec. 5, the payment processor Walmart utilizes for credit and debit transactions experienced a technical issue that charged certain customers twice. The issue was resolved, and all impacted transactions have been identified and submitted for correction. Should you have any questions about posting times, please contact your issuing bank at the number found on the back of your card.“

When asked how many customers were affected or if the issue indeed affected customers nationwide, a representative referred back to Walmart’s statement, according to Nexstar station WDAF.

Tovar, who was originally told it could be up to 30 days to get a refund, said she’s thankful to have the money back in her account before the holidays.

“It is three weeks before Christmas and plus the property tax is due on (Dec. 31), so you need money,” she said.