There are some dirty people out in America. To wit:
The federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program gives food assistance to families who cannot afford nourishing food for young children. This assistance comes in the form of a voucher for specific items, such as milk, cheese or formula and looks like a check, thus the term "WIC check." Wal-Mart, as a retailer, made the decision to accept WIC checks. I wish they never had.
Read previous posts from here and here for more on the troubles of WIC.
Women who have nursing infants can get a WHOLE BUNCH of baby formula on WIC. Especially if the child is having trouble with breast milk. As anyone who has ever had a child knows, formula is expensive.
Thus, what some mothers do is to buy the maximum amount of formula they can get on a WIC check for several months and then try to return it all at once so they don't get hit with the "Three returns w/no receipt and that's it for one year" rule.
The problems with this is that it is illegal to return items purchased on WIC. WIC items that are defective or out of date may be exchanged for non-defective products. Nothing else. So then we usually get a mother who's been busted at a scheme who now has a mountain of formula that's no good to her.
This scene played out Saturday.
This woman rolled up with some sisters and about four kids, all under ten. That double-wide must be popping at the seams. She goes "I want to return some formula."
OK. "Do you have your receipt?" "No, but the formula makes him sick." And that has exactly what to do with the current state of having a receipt?
So she starts taking cans and cartons of formula out of this bag. Five. Ten. FIFTEEN. TWENTY. One more. And then one more. She goes "This one was dented. You don't want to put that one back. It might explode under pressure." Just like your uterus?
By the time I total up all this formula, it is $155 and change. I'm real blase about this, because I know that someone has to approve it because she doesn't have a receipt, and I won't have to deal with her. I punch in the driver license, and then a supervisor comes over.
"What's with all this formula?" She starts explaining that she doesn't want it. "OK," he goes, "did you have the receipt?" She answers in the negative.
"Well, we don't take formula back. We only exchange formula for formula."
She looks at him with a dumb look. Obviously, she just proved my theory that she quite school to start having babies before she passed eighth grade English.
"So what are you telling me?" she bleats. I can actually almost see the wheels turning as she tries to figure out what to do with all this formula.
I pick up the conversational ball now. "You said that this formula made him sick. Obviously, you would like to get formula that does not make him sick, right?"
That doesn't go down well. I figure she'd already spent that $155 on beer, ciggies and potato chips. "So you're telling me I have to get $155 worth of formula? What kind of crap is that?"
My supervisor goes "Unless you can provide the receipt for this formula, that's all we can do. Now do you want to take this formula home or do you want to exchange it for some more formula?"
When she came back, she did have more formula, but she didn't go to me, she went to someone else, who TOLD HER THE SAME THING. She argued AGAIN and another supervisor came up, looked at the formula, said "Exchange it or put it in a bag and give it back to her" and walked away.
Some people...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
that part about her story that i'm having the hardest time with is that she spent $150 on formula before knowing that it made her baby sick.
"So you're telling me I have to get $155 worth of formula? What kind of crap is that?" she just did, didn't she?
Oh, Goodness!!!
Some people and their half ass schemes to try and get extra money.... If they would put that much thought in how to use birth control properly maybe they would not be inthis situation!
Welfare causes future welfare recipients.
wow, I used WIC and never behaved like that. I was grateful that I had it, because I never could have afforded that formula on my own. What is wrong with people?
I know she wouldn't get $150 for it but she probably got some money for it. This lady in my neighborhood came by one day to see if my sister wanted to buy some formula for half price from her that she couldn't return - my sister couldn't pass it up. We heard a few days later that the woman had gotten the maximum WIC formula and though she didn't get full price it was money she didn't have before. Next time we told her she would need to try someone else. My sister was just above the wage maximum to get WIC and we just knew that if people didn't abuse it she may have gotten the help that would have made all the difference in the world.
If she is returning the formula. What is she feeding her baby?
I think it's funny you knock her for not passing 8th grade English, yet you don't know how to spell quit!! Lol
I have to use WIC and I am working on a Masters degree. I understand that most people see anyone receiving help as uneducated and a welfare case, but some of us struggle to find jobs that pay... Even with several degrees. It is sad that people who don't abuse the system get put in the same bracket a
As the situation described above. But not all are dumb or trying to abuse the system that need some help.
I know this post is almost eleven years old (thanks tangentially related Google search) but you come across so judgmental and downright mean, I can't help but dislike you more than this scammer. Assuming the woman was using the money for cigarettes or beer just because she had several children and was on welfare is terribly rude- should I assume you're an uneducated hick because you work (worked?) at Wal-Mart? She could've needed to use that money for rent or medical bills or clothes for her children or just a multitude of other things your tiny,condemnatory and dare I assume racist mind could just not comprehend.
I write this knowing you've probably long ago abandoned this blog, or maybe gotten a new job, or perhaps died in a fire, but to be honest, I don't care. And I also realize this comment won't change how you feel- or felt- about this person, though maybe, just maybe, it'll encourage you to have a touch more compassion for your fellow man instead of jumping to unfair conclusions.
-a fellow retail employee.
Lmao
Slow clap
You get formula for a year then it goes to milk,cheese, ect. She probably breast fed and got wic. She may have even started milk early and used her foodstamps to get the milk. I have returned a couple because my son was on milk and I had 2 extra and could not find anyone to donate them to. I didn't know if I could but 6 yrs ago Walmart refunded them to a gift card for me.
I'm quilty of both these situations. I've exchanged a can or 2 that I had left from the prior month due to having breastfed some in order to get diapers or pay for stuff for the family. I have also been the cashier listening to customers talk on the phone while checking out and just knowing they were wanting money for their own greedy needs. I dont care for real as long as they are not holding a child that seems malnourished or neglected. I mean if your baby happens to not need all 9 cans a month then what's the deal with refunding a couple cans just once. If there was a process to exchange it thru the WIC program for extra WIC related items I'm sure most women would just take extra baby food or milk or juice ya know. I've known people are selling their FS too but sometimes the need in paying a bill now versus needing some groceries later is a real issue. I've had to steal from Peter to pay Paul before so I get it. I am however so against people checking out and smelling of weed and buying red bull, bubble gum, and junk food with a FS card and then the last thing to scan happens to be a case of bud light. I will stereotype some people but come on you know you know the type person the cashier spoke of and you also know you have done the same before. I'm sure somebody has been in front of you inline talking about clubbing last weekend and she had a 100 doller hair dye, fake nails, and new shoes with out even a spot of dirt on them smelling like some dro and buying junk food with a FS card. Plus she mentions her kids at a daycare for free but she aint working that day. If that dont scream i fit the POS mom stereotype I dont know what does.
I actually have a serious question about this. I have wic and a 2 month old. When i left the hospital they gave me enough formula to last me to my wic appointment and more so by the time my first month of wic was almost over i picked up my 9 cans and had just finished the hospital supply. I know when they get older they eat more so i was stocking up. I picked up my 2nd month supply already as my wic is about to renew i have about 8 full cans right now. My daughter is puking after her feedings now and acting in pain. Im going to switch her formula. Can i return it and get 8 new cans with wic.... The only issue is when i buy them i write on the lid what date i bought them.
Post a Comment