If you received the wrong item from Walmart, you might be wondering what you should do with it.
Keep reading if you want to find out if you can keep it and whether or not Walmart can charge you for it.
Walmart Sent Me the Wrong Item – Can I Keep It?
If Walmart sent you the wrong item, you can keep it if you prefer it to the item you ordered. However, if you want what you ordered, reach out to Walmart’s customer service to initiate a return of the wrong item. Then they will send the correct one.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- When Walmart sends you the wrong item, you can keep it.
- Walmart will not charge you for its mistake when sending you the wrong item.
- If you want the item you originally ordered, you must contact customer service and return the wrong item.
Want to know what to do if Walmart sent you the wrong item? Or maybe you want to understand why this happens.
Don’t worry; we will go through why this happens and what to do about it right now.
What Should You Do if Walmart Sent You the Wrong Item?
So, Walmart sent you the wrong item. Luckily, it’s not the end of the world, and you actually have a few options for what you want to do next.
First, it’s important to decide whether you want the item that Walmart sent better than the one you ordered!
If you want to keep the wrong item, you can probably get away with not telling anyone and simply letting go of the item you initially ordered.
It’s important to note that if the wrong item is more expensive than the one you ordered, some people would say that it is morally wrong to keep it without informing Walmart. But that decision is really up to you.
On the other hand, if you don’t want the wrong item and you do want the item you originally purchased, you need to reach out to Walmart’s customer service staff.
To do so, simply call 1-800-925-6278 and tell them what happened.
Then, the Walmart associate will give you instructions on how to return the wrong item and ensure that the correct item is sent as quickly as possible.
Usually, you will not have to pay the return shipping fee for a wrong item from Walmart. They will send you a shipping label to print before sending the package back to the warehouse.
Can Walmart Charge You for Not Returning the Wrong Item?
Now, if the wrong item you received from Walmart is more expensive than the one you ordered, can they charge you for it?
Technically, as it was Walmart’s mistake, they should not charge you for not returning the wrong item. That being said, if they somehow notice that you received the wrong item, they may ask you to return it.
What you do next is really up to you, but just remember that you will not receive the correct item you ordered if you do not return the wrong one.
If you do contact Walmart’s customer service team to have them send the correct item and then don’t return the wrong one, you may be charged (but it’s fairly unlikely.)
Once again, this response certainly skirts the moral line, but there is nothing really stopping you from doing so.
However, it is important to note that Walmart sometimes offers refunds without returns. Sometimes, when you inform a customer service representative that you got the wrong item, they tell you to keep it as well as send the correct one!
While this seems a little too good to be true, too many returns actually cost Walmart money. And sometimes, it’s just not worth the shipping and restocking cost they would have to pay for their mistake.
Why Did Walmart Send Me a Different Item Than the One I Ordered?
Now, there are a few reasons why Walmart sent you a different item than the one you ordered.
The first is that it was a deliberate substitution. Essentially, if the Walmart store or warehouse does not have the item you ordered, they may send a similar item as a substitute.
Usually, substitutions only happen with Walmart groceries as opposed to other products.
If you received an entirely different item than the one you ordered, it was simply a mistake. While Walmart warehouses are fairly well-oiled machines, errors are always possible.
The item you ordered is most likely at someone else’s house or still on a warehouse shelf.
How to Return the Wrong Item to Walmart
Returning the wrong item to Walmart is not the same process as a standard return.
On a typical return, you would select the item in your cart to return and send it back to the warehouse before they send the refund.
However, if the item isn’t correct, they wouldn’t receive the item as labeled and be very confused!
So, you will have to contact Walmart’s customer service team for assistance when returning the wrong item to Walmart.
Luckily, the process is quite simple!
- Call the customer service line at 1-800-925-6278.
- Have your order number ready and the tracking number on the package you received.
- Describe the item you ordered versus the item you received.
- Then, the representative will send you a shipping label to your email.
- Print the label and attach it to your package.
- Drop it off at a USPS or FedEx location.
After that, you just need to wait for the correct item you ordered to arrive!
Conclusion
If Walmart sent you the wrong item, you can keep it! But you should know that if you do, the correct item you ordered probably won’t ever arrive.
Walmart will not charge you for keeping the wrong item. But if you do want the right item, you will (probably) have to first return the wrong item.
Sometimes, Walmart lets you keep both items as shipping, and restocking the incorrect item may not be worth the cost!
