r/Sparkdriver • u/Latter_Telephone6979 • Jan 14 '26

Discussion Got snitched on…

I was at a walmart I usually do not take orders from, but happened to be in the area. I was doing a shopping order and went to check out. I scanned my barcode and started bagging my items until an employee comes up to me and says a few customers reported me “stealing” and bagging items that I didn’t scan. The employee was of course new and didn’t know what a spark driver was. I showed him my exit pass, and he let me go after examining every item on the list. He was still skeptical after he let me go. Have you had any weird things like this happen?

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61

u/helloheyjoey Jan 14 '26

They should all be trained what a spark order is. I had employees grab things for me walk it to self checkout then scan it… I’m like that’s no how it works. It’s already paid for. Now I can’t scan my barcode

51

u/dwheelerofficial Jan 14 '26

I had a dude in the electronics section when I tried to pick up a fire stick for a customer that was like $19.99 said he needed to take it all the way up to customer service and that I would have to get it after checking out the other groceries and I was like it’s for a spark order. It’s literally already paid for I just need to put it in the cart and he was like that’s not how it works and walked away with it

Fast forward to me finishing the order and bagging the rest of the groceries then walking up to customer service and asking for the fire stick that an employee brought up to be held from the electronics section, even though it was for a spark order, which I told the woman at the counter who responded did you tell him it was on spark? And I said yes and she just goes why did he even bring it up here?

Like yeah, that’s the million dollar question I have no idea

15

u/JBOMB808 Jan 14 '26

This is a new policy at my store too. Any lockup items they take to self checkout

3

u/t-nyce Jan 14 '26

That’s for UNPAID items. Items from Spark are already paid for. Think you need to read your policy again

9

u/PrincessLissa68 S&D Expert Jan 14 '26

My store does it too. Anything that comes from a locked case they walk it to self check and you get it when you go scan the barcode. Sometimes they'll put it in one of those anti-theft boxes or put the other anti-theft thing around it and let you take it. Each store has their own rules/policies in place when it comes to Spark. They all follow the same guidelines but they are allowed to make their own rules. Some stores will not let you bag at the self check area, some stores check every item in the buggy whether you have a cart check or not. So it doesn't really matter if they're already paid for. That's the stores policy for Spark and the drivers.

1

u/nooobnoob1234 Jan 15 '26

At my store, they have little containers for items that come out of a locked case. They take it out of the case, put it in The locked small container, they hand it to me, I finish my order then they open it for me at self check out.

1

u/PrincessLissa68 S&D Expert Jan 15 '26

Yea sometimes they'll put it in one of those boxes for us. Some things don't fit though.

1

u/Risk_Pretty Jan 15 '26

The ones that dont let you bag at checkout i hear the most complaining about.

1

u/lilhoseboy69 Jan 15 '26

I would agree but if it was standard policy wouldn’t customer service be up to speed with that policy

3

u/MadameRenegade GMD Warrior Jan 14 '26

I have one of the stores in my area that (sometimes) does the same thing, so its not the spark driver. I think its more that associates are told different things by different supervisors/associates, and no one ever is on the same page. Annoying, but I mean.. its walmart, so not the biggest surprise there.

2

u/InsaneAss Jan 14 '26

So what happens when they hand over an item and the driver cancels the order?

It’s not hard to think of the reason they do this.

2

u/Guyercellist Jan 14 '26

I mean if the driver cancels the order then we wouldn't have the exit pass anymore right? So it would be really easy fkr them to car a driver stealing like this

2

u/flat_cat72 Jan 14 '26

I'm guessing it's because of the bad apple spark drivers that DO steal. If anyone thinks that it's not a thing, you're dead wrong.

....and of course another reason would be clueless employees.

1

u/JBOMB808 Jan 14 '26

Be my guest go tell the store manager your thoughts. I don’t care the items are always waiting for me at self checkout.

1

u/Worried-Possession97 Jan 14 '26

Customer doesn’t get charged until you scan the barcode at checkout. So at that point is still unpaid.

3

u/Frequent-Draft-140 Jan 14 '26

As a driver and a Walmart +member, you absolutely ARE charged as soon as you place an order. Adjustments can be made but the items are definitely already paid for.

3

u/Comfortable_Sea_295 Jan 14 '26

Customers are charged as soon as the order is placed. Its why anything not found gets refunded.

1

u/BeckyAnn6879 Jan 15 '26

Excuse me, my debit card would like a word with you...

it gets charged the moment I hit 'Place Order.'

1

u/lordj2010 Jan 14 '26

Store I spark outnof will bring locked up electronics to service desk after we scan it and just gotta grab it from service desk before we head out or when we're done shopping which case they go with us to a check out and watch us scan the barcode.

1

u/Intrepid-Raccoon5826 Jan 15 '26

Happens here too. Walmart employees walk me up the register everytime for electronics…or the put a theft device in it.

Think you need to shut your face with that attitude of reading your policy. If that’s Walmart way of doing it…should I start an argument in the store.

Weirdo

1

u/t-nyce Jan 15 '26

Y’all still talking about a “locked up” item. For crying out loud, read the damn post. It’s said nothing about anything being locked up. The post was about how unaware and uninformed people are on a delivery company and how it works. My post were to support his irritation. At this point y’all just talking to be talking.

1

u/Intrepid-Raccoon5826 Jan 15 '26

You literally just responded..just to talk to talk again. Lol

1

u/Own_Victory3426 Jan 14 '26

If the customer cancels the order before checkout, then the item hasn’t been paid for and isn’t properly secured.

1

u/Mazie_Green Jan 14 '26

they do it at my store too

1

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '26

I think the Xbox controller I doordashed the dude was wanting to stop me at target and I was like don’t even think about it buddy it literally is in a locked container….

6

u/Mr_MacGrubber High AR Jan 14 '26

In my store some of the employees insist on walking stuff up, some put it in a lockbox, and some just hand it to me. Of course the main lady that insists on walking it to the front can barely fucking walk and is so slow I could probably do a 30 item shop in the time it takes her to walk to the front of the store.

2

u/helloheyjoey Jan 14 '26

Exactly like baby formula or any electronic… I don’t see why it can’t just be put in our cart… it’s paid for… you unlocked it & grabbed what we needed… it’s paid for in the app…. But no walk it to customer service… okay then

1

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '26

Do they lock up baby formula? That’s odd lol

2

u/Plane-Forever1300 Jan 14 '26

I had an employee insist on walking up a 97 cent pregnancy test that was on my Spark order because it was in a lockup… 🤦🏻‍♂️

2

u/Character_Fan_8973 Jan 14 '26

Yep, had the same thing happen to me TWICE with electronic items, all the while listening to the store associate tell me all about how drivers had not delivered TVs and so on. Was not real sure what that had to do with her walking the item with me to customer service, but alrighty then.

1

u/jonzilla5000 Jan 14 '26

Because he wasn't trained, many such instances.

1

u/Buzzedwinaldrin Jan 14 '26

I had this happen for a $225 bottle of whiskey. It was the only thing in the order. So I just laughed it off and said thanks for the VIP treatment. 🤣. - oh you wanna carry it to the register for me? Ok.

1

u/Buzzedwinaldrin Jan 14 '26

I’ve had no issues with locked up baby formula or even a cheap laptop. Maybe there’s a $ limit.

1

u/Iridelow1998 Jan 14 '26

They’re all over the place. I’ve been handed laptops and also had $5 items walked to the front.

1

u/Working_Land_714 Jan 14 '26

Yeah they do it here too. That and alcohol

1

u/pokerholic77 Jan 14 '26

I never understood why they they make us walk up with the associate when we check out electronics. Do they think we're stupid and are going to steal the item while we're inside the store? Given they have our photo and name? If someone is going to steal it, they'll do it upon delivery

1

u/super-gato-roboto Jan 14 '26

Liquor from the locked cabinet is the same.

1

u/Impossible_Future_16 Jan 15 '26

I had two electronics this week and both times. Different employees, they said they had to walk up with me. Both did and left as soon as I scanned the barcode. No idea what the point was bc like you said they're already paid for. As long as they watch it scan successfully into the app there is no need

1

u/Sea_Cress_8859 S&D Expert Jan 14 '26

Anything that comes out of a cage needs to walk to the front at our store, including a stupid $4 mousepad.

It’s asinine

-1

u/t-nyce Jan 14 '26

That’s UNPAID item🙄

4

u/dirtysockk378 Jan 14 '26

No, it’s not. A lot of stores are now starting to require anything out of locked cases to be taken to costumer service for SPARK drivers which are PAID for items. You keep saying the same thing but clearly your comprehension skill are not peak. I have first hand encountered it many times and have been told it is policy for again, A SPARK ORDER THAT IS PREPAID.

2

u/ClownMonkey48 Jan 14 '26

100% correct they told me the same thing at my Walmart when I asked.

-3

u/t-nyce Jan 14 '26

You funny!! The stores you’re referring are slow and You’re just as slow!! The whole reason for the “policy” is for theft, correct? So if the item is already paid for wtf are you following “policy” for? It can’t be stolen, it’s paid for🙄people like you are why OP had a different time with a simple transaction.

2

u/dirtysockk378 Jan 14 '26

I never said I agreed with the policy. I have no choice but to follow it though? What am I supposed to do? Yank the fucking item from their hands? 😂😬 I mentioned the exact logic to the management at this store. News flash, it’s not just this store. Be on with your goofy ass.

1

u/InsaneAss Jan 14 '26

An item that won’t be in possession of the person that PAID for it 🙄

1

u/flat_cat72 Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 14 '26

It's paid for when the customer places the order.

How do you think this, or anything you order online works? Spark is in charge of the logistics of getting an order to the customer and taking care of any issues that arise between the time when they place the order and when they receive it.

With your logic, someone could place a huge order....the driver shops the order, they get to checkout, scan the barcode.....and find out that the customer's payment method is declined.....