8 Precautions South Carolinians Should Take When Shopping at Walmart

Walmart gives you 90 days to return most items, but a major appliance gets just two.

South Carolinians who make quick Walmart runs can miss details like that.

Here are the precautions South Carolinians should take when shopping at Walmart.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Store policies and consumer-protection rules are subject to change, so confirm the current details with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.

1. Money Transfer Counters

Walmart’s in-store money transfer counters were at the center of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) case.

The company agreed in June 2025 to pay $10 million to settle the charges.

The FTC alleged that between 2013 and 2018, Walmart didn’t properly train its employees and failed to warn customers about money transfer fraud.

Walmart’s fraud alerts page says to never send money or share gift card details with someone you don’t know.

If a caller is rushing you to wire cash, we’d hang up before the counter, since no store catches every scam.

2. Gift Card Displays

Walmart’s gift card terms put the burden on you.

The company won’t replace a lost or stolen card, and you’re responsible for keeping the card’s information safe.

So look before you buy.

The FTC says to make sure the protective stickers are on the card and that nothing looks tampered with.

Check that the personal identification number (PIN) on the back isn’t showing.

No legitimate business or government agency will tell you to buy a gift card to pay them.

If a card looks wrong, pick a different card, show the tampered one to a cashier or manager and keep a copy of the card and your receipt.

3. Checkout Card Readers

South Carolina’s Department of Social Services (DSS) tells Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cardholders to look for skimmers at the register.

A card reader that’s loose, off-center or has parts that wiggle is a warning sign.

The same advice fits any card you swipe at Walmart.

If the reader looks off, don’t swipe, tell the store manager and consider shopping elsewhere.

4. Receipt Price Checks

North Carolina’s agriculture department listed a Whiteville Walmart among eight stores fined for excessive price-scanner errors in October 2023.

At that store, inspectors found seven overcharges in a 100-item lot in July.

A follow-up in August found eight in a 300-item lot.

That store’s fine was $1,530.

The state’s agriculture commissioner told shoppers to check their receipts often and notify store managers about any issue.

You can run the same check on your receipt before you leave the store.

Compare each line to the shelf price.

5. Return Windows

Walmart gives you 90 days to return items in most cases.

At only two days, major appliances are the exception to watch.

Most wireless phones get 14 days, and consumer electronics get 30 days.

Within the two-day window, plan to test any major appliance you buy.

Your receipt, order number or other purchase details can help verify a return.

6. Order Substitutions

Before you place a Walmart pickup or delivery order, you can choose the items you don't want substituted.

Walmart charges you the price of any substituted item, so your total can change.

A pickup associate will remove a substitute from your order if you tell them you don't want it.

Delivery drivers can't remove an unwanted item from your order and return it to the store, so you'd start a return from Purchase History instead.

For Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and EBT orders where you allow substitutions but choose no backup payment method, Walmart substitutes an item that costs the same or less.

If no alternate is available, Walmart cancels the original item and refunds your SNAP/EBT card.

7. Delivery Instructions

Walmart's order-not-received page says to use the optional delivery instructions to verify your information before you check out.

The instructions can include the property type, a gate or call box code, delivery notes and a drop-off location.

If a delivery is marked complete but you can't find your order, check the delivery confirmation photo and see whether you recognize the doorway.

For a photo of the wrong house, check the rooftop pin for your address in Google Maps.

Walmart's missing-items page says Purchase History shows whether your order was split into multiple packages.

Select the Chat with us button if you were charged for an item that never arrived.

8. Your EBT Card

DSS blocks online and out-of-state purchases on South Carolina EBT cards by default, starting April 28, 2026.

Cardholders can temporarily unlock a card through ConnectEBT.com, the ConnectEBT mobile app or EBT customer service, then pick a 30, 60 or 90 minute auto re-lock.

Walmart's substitutions page covers SNAP/EBT orders, so the unlock step may matter if you shop for pickup or delivery.

Cardholders should also change their PIN frequently, at least once a month, right before the next benefits arrive.

State agencies and EBT processors will never call or text you to ask for your EBT PIN or card number.

Roll Call reported in December 2025 that the federal SNAP reimbursement program for stolen benefits expired after Dec. 20, 2024.

To cancel a card and protect your benefits, DSS says to call the 24-hour toll-free line at 1-800-554-5268.

Taking a Complaint Further

South Carolina's Department of Consumer Affairs processes and mediates written complaints against businesses it regulates and unregulated ones, and its mediation is voluntary.

Contact the business first to try to resolve a complaint.

Online filing lets its office receive and process a complaint faster.

A paper form goes by mail to PO Box 5757 in Columbia.