DISCRIMINATORY New WALMART Policy

[T.J.]

Head's up Walmart Shoppers. Walmart will no longer accept US Dollars unless the amount tendered for payment is not more than 10% greater than your purchase. Try to figure this out at the register if you don't speak much Spanish. More simply put, you can no longer use a $50 bill and buy less than $535.50 PESOS, based on their exchange rate yesterday. How confusing will this be for you.

Here is where the discrimination comes in. There is a Walmart farther down the road, we call it Walmart #2, where this policy is either not known or not followed. Nor is it followed at Sam's Club, a Walmart company. Today I am going to take $50 US and go to two other Walmart companies, Superama and Bodega Aurrera, and I bet they take the dollars without problems or questions and I will edit this post accordingly. THIS ONLY SEEMS TO BE IN EFFECT AT THE TOURIST WALMART.

This policy is being explained as a LAW by Walmart, blaming it on Hacienda, which is basically the Mexican IRS. It is clearly NOT a law or every retailer in town would be enforcing it. Walmart is not even consistent in its enforcemen within its own stores. There are 3 Walmarts, 2 Sams, 3 Superamas and at least 3 Bodega Aurreras in Cancun. To me, this seems DISCRIMINATORY to American and other customers who primarily want to pay with US dollars. Yet we can go to other Walmart stores without this problem.

Here is the Memo that only Walmart in the downtown area, aka the "tourist Walmart" has posted on 8 1/2" x 11" yellow paper. You can see that they are attributing this to Hacienda, and it was effective June 29, 2011, so it has nothing to do with the current US gov't mess with the debt. Hell, Walmart is as American as apple pie. There colors are red, white and blue.



Yesterday. I went to Costco, which of course has nothing to do with Walmart, but a Hacienda ruling should be enforced everywhere. I made a purhchase of $300 and paid with $100 US. Got my change in pesos and they barely looked at the bill. The rate was a good deal less than Walmart's posted rate, but that has been the case lately. I am not aware of any other store or company here with a rule such as this.

Walmart actually makes money when they take dollars. Not only on the sale of their products but on the exchange rate as their profits end up back in the US in dollars

Please know that some of the Ex Pats here in Cancun are going to be working on this immediately and hopefully come to some solution that is good for all of us. Many of us like to shop with dollars and get our change in pesos. Normally Walmart's exchange rates exceed that of banks and money exchange booths. This new deal really sucks, is confusting and is being passed off as law, which is it not. You might want to follow a thread on this on the Living in Cancun and Riviera Maya forum and see comments and suggestions of other locals. The jury is still out on what to do about this battle, but I for one want to do something about it. It is just not right.

Stay tuned.

[CancunCanuck]

I know you're upset T.J., but why on earth should ANY place in MEXICO take US dollars? This is not the USA, the currency is not the USD. I've never understood why people insist on using foreign currency here. I wouldn't go to the US and expect to use pesos or yen or Canadian dollars.....

[den&holly]

Are they limiting any transactions with US based credit cards? We usually shop for groceries a week at a time and use our VISA card there. Sometimes for smaller purchases we pay with pesos or dollars...depending on what we have on hand. The exchange rate there was favorable to use the dollars instead of exchanging them at a cambio and then using pesos at Walmart. Maybe we will shop at Soriana this trip instead!

[dogberry]

Originally Posted by CancunCanuck

I know you're upset T.J., but why on earth should ANY place in MEXICO take US dollars? This is not the USA, the currency is not the USD. I've never understood why people insist on using foreign currency here. I wouldn't go to the US and expect to use pesos or yen or Canadian dollars.....

I must admit, that was my first thought too.

[T.J.]

Canuck and Dog,

Good question with a very simple answer.

For years Walmart has gladly accepted US Dollars AND has to this day a big sign posting the"up to date at the very moment" exchange rate. If you are basically advertising the current exchange rate then you should BY GOLLY ACCEPT THE DOLLARS THAT YOU ARE ADVERTISING THAT YOU HAVE A PRICE FOR.

Does that make perfect sense? If they don't want to accept USD, then take the damn sign down that tells you how many pesos you get per Dollar. And be prepared to give change for at last up to a fifty.

Please tell me this makes sense even to my good friend and silly neighbor, Cancun Canuck. Lol

[212eric]

I have to side with T.J. on this one... why post an exchange rate and then restrict, or even worse, confuse the purchaser at the cash register by having them do all sorts of mathematical computations to make sure they are within 10%? I fail to recognize how this is going to be a good business policy. Beyond that, what I cannot figure out is why the lie about "Hacienda" making the rule, when in all likelihood it was some mental midget at that particular Wal-Mart who came up with it. T.J., just post up the contact name and address of whom to write and I'll do my part.

212eric

[Cancun Fun]

Tj...basically the same sign is hanging in the window of the food court at Costco.

[T.J.]

Cancun Fun,

I will check out that Food Court sign BUT two days ago I bought about $350 pesos of food at Costco, paid with $100 US and got my change that was well more than the 10% Wallymart limit. I want to see how close "basically the same" reads.

Gracias for the info.