Canceled My Sam's Club Membership

There are lots of ways to handle this situation. Just because the OP chose one, doesn't mean he's wrong if it isn't what we would have done.

I'm seeing that he still plans to resolve this through the corporate chain of command. Good.

Thanks, Decklin; please keep us informed.

I'm a very spendy Sam's Club member after taking all my money away from Costco along with a nearly used year's worth of membership dues, too. I'm confident that Sam's Club will make this right with you.

Maverick9 said:

Come on guys, let's not act like the immature anti-firearms people, all cranky and vindictive. We are above that.

It's unreasonable to make demands about getting all your money back. You should be ashamed of having that kind of an attitude. Yes, the person was wrong and you did correctly calling corporate.

We are the mature and reasonable ones; we do not sink to their level.

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+1

Well all but at least one.

Over-reaction, and pulled the trigger (pun intended) on the reaction before even considering any other options, such as contacting corporate. Hope he enjoys paying a lot more for everything from gas to milk in the average grocery store chain. Groceries are at least 20%+ less at a Sam's club than any other grocery store in town, and gas is about 20¢ cheaper on average.

XD40sc said:

+1

Well all but at least one.

Over-reaction, and pulled the trigger (pun intended) on the reaction before even considering any other options, such as contacting corporate. Hope he enjoys paying a lot more for everything from gas to milk in the average grocery store chain. Groceries are at least 20%+ less at a Sam's club than any other grocery store in town, and gas is about 20¢ cheaper on average.

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Well that's your opinion. I would rather not be so wishy-washy when it comes to my Rights but you go right ahead.
I am also a firm believer in quality customer service and he did not hold true to his word. If he had been straight with me from the start this wouldn't be a problem.
I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

You were too quick to jump to cancelling your membership.

If you know the manager is in the wrong w/r/t corporate policy, have them call their district manager right then, and then if there's still a dispute, call corporate. Calling another store manager can potentially be just the blind leading the blind. Also, get business cards from whatever management you talk to.

John Hardin said:

You were too quick to jump to cancelling your membership.

If you know the manager is in the wrong w/r/t corporate policy, have them call their district manager right then, and then if there's still a dispute, call corporate. Calling another store manager can potentially be just the blind leading the blind. Also, get business cards from whatever management you talk to.

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I knew what I was doing when I canceled the membership. As I stated in an earlier post I felt words combined with action were in my best interest.
I did not call another store manager. They did. I found out after it had already happened.
You're right though, I should have collected business cards. That is something I'll need to remember in case this ever happens at another store.
I know several people here seem to think I did something wrong. But it's my money, my values, and my beliefs. At the end of the day that's all that matters.
Yes I could have done it somebody else's way and I would be kicking myself because it's the principal of the thing. In the past when I have gone against my beliefs I have regretted it. I don't want to make that mistake here.

decklin said:

I don't believe so. The store manager assured me he would follow corporate policy. The only reason I spent that money was because of that day. It seems to me he's been training his people to not allow firearms since on three separate occasions his employees have told me I can't carry in there. That doesn't include the cops back in April.
The other occasions are documented somewhere in the south sound oc report.

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I suppose you could certainly ask for your money back, however it would only be fair then that you also returned all the goods you received for that money. To "undo" the business relationship based on policies would require both sides to "take back" their part of those tainted transactions.

You got goods/services for your money. There may have been some confusion, misunderstanding, or even intentional misdirection, but none of that would entitle you to free stuff.

Maverick9 said:

Come on guys, let's not act like the immature anti-firearms people, all cranky and vindictive. We are above that.

It's unreasonable to make demands about getting all your money back. You should be ashamed of having that kind of an attitude. Yes, the person was wrong and you did correctly calling corporate.

We are the mature and reasonable ones; we do not sink to their level.

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Sounds like a person who has been aggrieved and is seeking relief. Companies generally understand money.

I see his "attitude" as been reasonable - asking for $$$ - that's what we do here in America; lawsuits are always about $$$.

deanf said:

You're going to have to explain that a little more.[/COLOR]

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As you have posted over and over, police don't decide whether the person demanding someone be trespassed is authorized to do so, that's a civil matter. It naturally follows that someone who is not even an employee of the store could get a fellow customer tossed out by the cops, if they presented themselves properly. It would even be possible to do without actually lying about employment status, if phrased right.

911Boss said:

I suppose you could certainly ask for your money back, however it would only be fair then that you also returned all the goods you received for that money. To "undo" the business relationship based on policies would require both sides to "take back" their part of those tainted transactions.

You got goods/services for your money. There may have been some confusion, misunderstanding, or even intentional misdirection, but none of that would entitle you to free stuff.

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I'm not a lawyer, but from my experience with contract law on the receiving end, it's not as crazy as it sounds to you. A policy change from "follow state law" to "no guns, period" is what is known as a materially adverse change. If the change to contract terms or membership rules is sufficiently extreme that the person in question would have rejected the contract or refused the membership when it was first entered into if it had those terms, the contract can be escaped from.

A good example is a cellphone contract -- They often come with an Early Termination Fee that applies if the customer breaks the contract early. A cellphone company changing their contract to require mandatory binding arbitration would allow anyone with such a contract to cancel it without the ETF. For purposes of that ETF, the contract never existed so the ETF cannot be applied.

In the case of Sam's Club, people spend money for the membership AND spend money in exchange for merchandise. You're right that exchanging money for merchandise wouldn't entitle you to a refund (unless you returned all the merchandise somehow) but that membership fee could be impacted by a materially adverse change -- it represents a contract that would have been rejected if the current policy now had been policy then. Whether or not you could get a civil court to award such a refund in a lawsuit is a bit iffy, but not impossible. Asking the company for that fee to be refunded is certainly reasonable as a contract law settlement.

Difdi said:

A good example is a cellphone contract -- They often come with an Early Termination Fee that applies if the customer breaks the contract early. A cellphone company changing their contract to require mandatory binding arbitration would allow anyone with such a contract to cancel it without the ETF. For purposes of that ETF, the contract never existed so the ETF cannot be applied.

In the case of Sam's Club, people spend money for the membership AND spend money in exchange for merchandise. You're right that exchanging money for merchandise wouldn't entitle you to a refund (unless you returned all the merchandise somehow) but that membership fee could be impacted by a materially adverse change -- it represents a contract that would have been rejected if the current policy now had been policy then. Whether or not you could get a civil court to award such a refund in a lawsuit is a bit iffy, but not impossible. Asking the company for that fee to be refunded is certainly reasonable as a contract law settlement.

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Yes, the contract changes you can cancel and not be subject to ETF. However you aren't going to get your monthly service fees refunded.

Yes, the membership fee should and would be refunded. I believe Sam's is similar to Costco in that regard. Feeling entitled to a refund for all purchases made in the period and prior years membership fees however is a bit of a stretch.

Yes, settlements are sometimes made or damages awarded when a suit is filed. Generally for that to happen there has to be actual damages involved and I don't think butt-hurt counts.

Sam's club will miss your $50 bucks in 2014.

In fact I think their stock value may take a hit.

But hey, it made you feel good and was cheaper than therapy

Dave_pro2a said:

Sam's club will miss your $50 bucks in 2014.

In fact I think their stock value may take a hit.

But hey, it made you feel good and was cheaper than therapy

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Thanks for the laugh, Dave! That was great!

I don't know where you guys all got this lawsuit thing from. Maybe I should explain why I'm demanding all the money.
I've heard many of you say the only thing a police department understands is money. That's because a PD is a business. Sams club is also a business. The only thing they understand is money.
I don't actually expect to get it back but by talking about money I now have their attention.
As I said before words combined with action are in my best interest.

I would rather not be so wishy-washy when it comes to my Rights

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You're not carrying at Sam's Club under the authority of any rights. You're there by license, granted by the property owner, who can set any standards or restrict that license in any way.

decklin said:

I don't know where you guys all got this lawsuit thing from. Maybe I should explain why I'm demanding all the money.
I've heard many of you say the only thing a police department understands is money. That's because a PD is a business. Sams club is also a business. The only thing they understand is money.
I don't actually expect to get it back but by talking about money I now have their attention.
As I said before words combined with action are in my best interest.

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I understand ... but a demand is just a precursor to a suit. If they do not meet your demands does not mean you will file a suit. Of course you should not tell the opposing party that you have no interest in filing a suit (it sorta guarantees they will ignore your demand).

Bets of luck.

decklin said:

I've heard many of you say the only thing a police department understands is money. That's because a PD is a business. Sams club is also a business. The only thing they understand is money.
I don't actually expect to get it back but by talking about money I now have their attention.
As I said before words combined with action are in my best interest.

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Hard to be taken seriously if one is ranting or making ridiculous "demands". The theory of "talking money" and putting out an expectation of such a "refund" could easily backfire and cause them to decide you are an unreasonable zealot and figure there is no way to make you happy therefore deciding not even to engage.

Explain you are considering canceling your membership and pursue the membership refund entitled to as part of their "satisfaction guarantee", and go from there. Start demanding previous years memberships and refund of purchases as some sort of "settlement" and you are more likely to simply get current membership refunded and a polite "now go away" without any dialogue being started.

Lots of folks talk about suing police departments and how money is the only thing they understand. Fact is very few folks actually win awards or get settlements from those departments because by and large, those departments did not mess up in the first place and are far more experienced and have legal knowledge than the person making the claims/threats to "have their job" or get some big pay out for the perceived wrong they have suffered.

It naturally follows that someone who is not even an employee of the store could get a fellow customer tossed out by the cops, if they presented themselves properly. It would even be possible to do without actually lying about employment status, if phrased right.

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So?

You've created an irrelevant straw-man argument.

911Boss said:

Hard to be taken seriously if one is ranting or making ridiculous "demands". The theory of "talking money" and putting out an expectation of such a "refund" could easily backfire and cause them to decide you are an unreasonable zealot and figure there is no way to make you happy therefore deciding not even to engage.

Explain you are considering canceling your membership and pursue the membership refund entitled to as part of their "satisfaction guarantee", and go from there. Start demanding previous years memberships and refund of purchases as some sort of "settlement" and you are more likely to simply get current membership refunded and a polite "now go away" without any dialogue being started.

Lots of folks talk about suing police departments and how money is the only thing they understand. Fact is very few folks actually win awards or get settlements from those departments because by and large, those departments did not mess up in the first place and are far more experienced and have legal knowledge than the person making the claims/threats to "have their job" or get some big pay out for the perceived wrong they have suffered.

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You would be amazed at what juries award plaintiffs. Win some, lose some - part of the process - you cannot win if you don't file.

If he thinks he has a cause of action then its up to him to decide to sue or not and what relief to seek.

You will not get what you do not ask for, that's for sure too.

Keep this up and you'll only be able to shop online. :banana:

Maverick9 said:

Come on guys, let's not act like the immature anti-firearms people, all cranky and vindictive. We are above that.

It's unreasonable to make demands about getting all your money back. You should be ashamed of having that kind of an attitude. Yes, the person was wrong and you did correctly calling corporate.

We are the mature and reasonable ones; we do not sink to their level.

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We are?

deanf said:

You're not carrying at Sam's Club under the authority of any rights. You're there by license, granted by the property owner, who can set any standards or restrict that license in any way.

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Exactly, the property owner. And the property owner says I'm fine to carry on the premises. My issue is with the manager. Not sure what part you don't understand about that.