Of the ~35 or so Walmarts we called, and some we went in and very politly asked in persone, “none” let us park. This was between 10-1-23 and 11-27-23.
I sent the followitn to Walmart. I will sope someplace else from now on.
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To Walmart,
My wife worked at Walmart in Jefferson City, MO for over 5 years and even knew Sam Walton in person back then. We have been a loyal customer for 50 years.
However, I now have an issue with the store. I read on your website how you “value and welcome RV’s”, and will let RV’s park over night; and qualify it with “Permission extended by individual managers, based on availability, etc”. However, you say in your advertising how you love RV people, but in real life nothing seems to me farther from the truth.
We left Tucson, AZ 10-1-23 (returned 11-27-23) pulling a small trailer and drove to northern AZ, then zigzagged across the country going through many small and big towns like Albuquerque, Saint-Louis, Little Rock, Huston TX, Galveston, El Paso and back to Tucson. 7,000 miles in two months. We either stopped at, or called, every Walmart store we were close to and very politely asked if there was any place we could park a small RV on their parking lot over night. We were told every single time without exception “No we do not let RV’s stay overnight”, and they blamed it on the corporate level. In Prescott, AZ I was even told the local police would have us towed after the store closed! So, I called the police station and asked them about this, told me “No, that is not true; we would never tow someone off of private property”. I then went into the Prescott store and politely asked at the service counter and was now told that “No, the police would not tow you, but the corporate view has changed and we can no longer let RV’s park over night.” True or not, that was what I was told over and over all across the USA.
But I do not have a problem with Walmart saying “No RV’s over night”, you own the stores, you are free to do whatever you want. But I am also free to decide rather to spend money and shop at Walmart or not. And right now it is to not shop there. I also just called Walmart help number and the guy that answered told me again that RV’s could stay at most all Walmarts. I told him my story, and all he could do was give me your email address, and say there has not been ant official change listed.
But what really annoys me is you telling the public “You Welcome RV’s” when this does not seem true. I ask you, how could this be true when every single Walmart turned us down, around 30-40 of them and all we contacted. If there is one single Walmart along the path we took that would have let us stay, which one is it? I didn’t find any.
The only Walmart we finally did stay at was the one in Jefferson City, MO. They first said “No” and gave us the same company-line about 18 wheelers backing into things. Then when my wife told them she had worked at the old Walmart store there in Jefferson City (before they built a new one) and earned her 5 year pin, and told them she knew Sam Walton personally (back then she even had his personal phone number), the ladies at the Service counter apologized for them saying no to her, and said their hands were tied from corporate. But they then told her because she had worked there, they would make an exception for her, and the called the security guard and told him to not bother us; and we did stay there that one night.
Now, I do not expect Walmart to care much about me not coming to their stores to shop anymore. But to be fair, I am going to wait for a reply before posting this on line everywhere. Maybe Walmart will “enlighten me about there policies some how”. and if I do not get some revelation in this issue, I will post this story on-line, not because I am upset, but to let all RV users know not to plan on ANY Walmart letting them park over night. If they want to park, they need to go to places like the ones that Welcomed us like Cracker Barrel (really nice every time), Tractor Supply, Sizzlers, Applebee’s, JC Penny’s, and others.
Question, does anyone really think professional truck drivers are backing into things all the time? Really? I have been in may truck stops over my 50 years of driving and so far I have never seen a truck back into anything. And if you pull into a Walmart at night, with ALL THAT ROOM, why would they need to ever back up, and what would there be to hit? Sounds like BS to me.
