Kevin Jensen
State Researcher
imported post
My sister is a manager at our local Sam’s Club. She has received complaints from some of her employees about my wife open carrying in the store. My wife also used to work there, so that is how they recognized her. The employees believe that it is against the store policy to carry openly. It is against their policy for employees, but she no longer works there.
So I decided to make some phone calls today. I read somewhere that Wal-Mart lets each district manager decide if they should allow firearms in their stores. So I called the district manager for our local Sam’s Club to ask. He was out of town, so his assistant took my number and my concern and said she would call me back.
I then called the district manager of our local Wal-Mart. He was also out of town, so I asked his assistant if they prohibit lawful open carry. He said "You cannot carry firearms in our stores." Then he said, "Oh, wait... are you an employee or a customer?" I replied that I was a customer and he said "Oh, you are OK to carry. We only prohibit our associates from carrying guns." I told him thank you and that was it.
A few minutes later I received a call from a man named Bill. His number is 479-586-6008. The 479 prefix is from Arkansas so I can only assume he was calling from the corporate office in Bentonville, Arkansas. The assistant at Sam’s Club had this gentleman call me about the policy.
I again asked if Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club prohibits the lawful open carry of firearms. He said if I had a Concealed Firearm Permit, then I was OK to carry concealed. I told him that I choose not to conceal, and I openly carry on my hip. He said you cannot do that. "If you carry openly you will be asked to leave the store!" I told him that my wife and I have been shopping at our local Sam’s and Wal-Mart for years and have never been questioned about our firearms.
We started to argue a little and Bill became difficult to talk to. So I asked him to fax or email the policy stating this so I could take my money and my gun elsewhere. He said if I want that info then I need to contact Wal-Mart’s legal department and ask them. (Legal would not talk to me because I am not a lawyer)
Like I said before… We have never been hassled before, I just called to verify. If anyone else wants to call him the number is posted above. Just thought I would share this.
My sister is a manager at our local Sam’s Club. She has received complaints from some of her employees about my wife open carrying in the store. My wife also used to work there, so that is how they recognized her. The employees believe that it is against the store policy to carry openly. It is against their policy for employees, but she no longer works there.
So I decided to make some phone calls today. I read somewhere that Wal-Mart lets each district manager decide if they should allow firearms in their stores. So I called the district manager for our local Sam’s Club to ask. He was out of town, so his assistant took my number and my concern and said she would call me back.
I then called the district manager of our local Wal-Mart. He was also out of town, so I asked his assistant if they prohibit lawful open carry. He said "You cannot carry firearms in our stores." Then he said, "Oh, wait... are you an employee or a customer?" I replied that I was a customer and he said "Oh, you are OK to carry. We only prohibit our associates from carrying guns." I told him thank you and that was it.
A few minutes later I received a call from a man named Bill. His number is 479-586-6008. The 479 prefix is from Arkansas so I can only assume he was calling from the corporate office in Bentonville, Arkansas. The assistant at Sam’s Club had this gentleman call me about the policy.
I again asked if Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club prohibits the lawful open carry of firearms. He said if I had a Concealed Firearm Permit, then I was OK to carry concealed. I told him that I choose not to conceal, and I openly carry on my hip. He said you cannot do that. "If you carry openly you will be asked to leave the store!" I told him that my wife and I have been shopping at our local Sam’s and Wal-Mart for years and have never been questioned about our firearms.
We started to argue a little and Bill became difficult to talk to. So I asked him to fax or email the policy stating this so I could take my money and my gun elsewhere. He said if I want that info then I need to contact Wal-Mart’s legal department and ask them. (Legal would not talk to me because I am not a lawyer)
Like I said before… We have never been hassled before, I just called to verify. If anyone else wants to call him the number is posted above. Just thought I would share this.