https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 31 Jul 2026 07:11:46 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1154093 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 23:19:03 +0000 MsMamaBear 1154093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: I mean in general with a few people making it an across the board "rule" (few bad apples meaning all welfare recipients are on drugs, abusing their "entitlements" etc.). Not counting this story as it is stealing, like I said. Never excused stealing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153509 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 15:54:47 +0000 cmomma17 1153509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: It's funny, I actually worked for a prosecuted for years. So yes, I believe in people being punished for committing crimes. All I said in my post above was that I feel bad for the people in these situations. And I genuinely do.<br /> I think my work experience has also shown me how the harsh prosecution of low income people can actually make things worse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153499 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 15:49:20 +0000 MrsSCB 1153499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@TemperanceBrennan: "the losses to Walmart were avoidable" &lt;--- Yup.</p> <p>The system obviously failed to work how it's supposed to. But as far as I'm aware, Walmart is the only store that had this problem, despite the fact that numerous states were affected by the glitch. Clearly, Walmart made a big mistake. Otherwise this would have happened to every store and not just Walmart. The state has also already clarified that taxpayers will not be paying for this. Walmart made a mistake, and in all likelihood they will be the ones paying for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153477 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 15:39:16 +0000 cmomma17 1153477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pui: I'm not disagreeing there. Of course stealing is stealing. I just don't feel the same rage over this situation that others on this thread do. I see a deeper issue and feel bad for the people in those situations/life circumstances. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153227 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:48:51 +0000 looch 1153227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The glitch wasn't avoidable, a back up generator failed during a test.</p> <p>Walmart didn't use the correct disaster recovery/back up plan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153221 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:45:27 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1153221@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pui: so... the losses to Wal-Mart were avoidable.</p> <p>*edited based on looch's comment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153218 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:44:49 +0000 MsLipGloss 1153218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: We're missing each other on this one. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153214 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:43:58 +0000 jedeve 1153214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: The money didn't deduct from an account with government funds or from a set SNAP account. The cards weren't working at all, so stores were supposed to do paper transactions with a $50 limit. Walmart didn't do that. So they ran the cards, they didn't charge any bank account or fund. The losses are just Walmart's, not my money appropriated to SNAP. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153184 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:36:39 +0000 MsLipGloss 1153184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: @Fronkinzankinsbride: @jedeve: I understand that Wal-Mart was left holding the overage bag. I am not concerned with whether Wal-Mart will recover anything (I think @MamaMoose: has that one all locked up). My only point was that the money trail seems to have been forgotten in many analyses (and my version was incredibly watered down). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153180 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:35:19 +0000 pui 1153180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@TemperanceBrennan: So...? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153160 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:27:32 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1153160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pui: I understand that it isn't the same situation, but WalMart was the only company that accepted the cards. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153124 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:17:50 +0000 looch 1153124@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p><a href="http://consumerist.com/2013/10/15/walmart-blames-xerox-who-blames-walmart-for-unlimited-ebt-shopping-spree/" rel="nofollow">http://consumerist.com/2013/10/15/walmart-blames-xerox-who-blames-walmart-for-unlimited-ebt-shopping-spree/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153123 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:17:33 +0000 Fronkinzankinsbride 1153123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: I was asking a hypothetical question. I have no doubt that that happened. But presumably more than a few people were shopping at a Walmart when this occurred. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153118 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:15:43 +0000 pui 1153118@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I don't know what Xerox is, but I'm assuming it's a company the Government contracts out to to run this system? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153108 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:13:35 +0000 looch 1153108@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I thought it was Xerox's glitch..seems a back up generator failed while they were doing a test. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153094 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:10:59 +0000 pui 1153094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@TemperanceBrennan: The difference here is it wasn't Walmart's glitch, it was the Government's glitch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153085 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:09:17 +0000 jedeve 1153085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: that's correct. <a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/louisiana_taxpayers_not_on_hoo.html#incart_river_default" rel="nofollow">http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/louisiana_taxpayers_not_on_hoo.html#incart_river_default</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153082 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:08:51 +0000 Mrsbells 1153082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Fronkinzankinsbride: There are photos of them loading several carts full of food per person. They didn't accidentally go over by a dollar or two, they went on a shopping spree and once they heard the system was back up they abandoned their carts and left the store </p> [attach=1326/13/murx2r.370x277.walmart.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153069 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:06:43 +0000 mrskc 1153069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: I was under the impression that walmart was not getting reimbursed from the government. So if someone had $50 on their card and they bought $1000 worth of stuff, Walmart only gets the $50. Am I wrong? Or am I totally not getting what you said. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153067 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:06:15 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1153067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know how I feel about this.</p> <p>Yes, the people were taking advantage of the system. I don't know what I would have done if I was in their situation. I'd like to think I would be honest and not take advantage. </p> <p>A lot of people said stealing is stealing. And that's true. But people take advantage of systems all the time. Is that ok? No, but people do it. When tax time rolls around, do you pay your state tax (if you have one) for purchases made online that don't include tax? You are supposed to, but next to no one does. Is that stealing too? </p> <p>This reminds me of the glitch at the airline that was selling tickets for $10 that decided to honor them. I know it is different because this is government funds and not a private company, but I can see similarities. </p> <p>I'm not sure if any of that made sense, just random thoughts. I'll just think of it as Wal-Mart donating a whole bunch of food to people in situations in which they need food-stamps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153059 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:04:33 +0000 Fronkinzankinsbride 1153059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So okay...say that someone didn't know the system was allowing this and wasn't sure how much was on their card. They accidentally went over by a small amount of money. I'm wondering if this person is also considered a criminal, due to negligence? I'm just curious. Because I don't know the details of every person who walked out of that store. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153042 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:00:55 +0000 Fronkinzankinsbride 1153042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: which is why I said I did find it to be fair for food stamps to be withheld until the balance is evened back out. I'm talking about the inventory loss/anything the glitch did not automatically pay out. I'm not sure if I'm explaining right. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153039 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:00:31 +0000 jedeve 1153039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: I don't think that Walmart will be able to bill the government for the excess purchases since they were in violation of their contractual agreement as a store that accepts SNAP. The article says that Walmart will eat the costs, which in the grand scheme are very minor for them. </p> <p>Really, as a whole, SNAP is great for businesses. It allows people who would not otherwise be able to purchase food to do so. For every dollar spent through SNAP, it generates $1.70 in the economy. So Walmart, and you and I as taxpayers, benefit FAR more than we are hurt. Especially since taxpayers won't have to foot the bill here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153036 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:59:47 +0000 looch 1153036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, Walmart is blaming Xerox, who is blaming Walmart, so maybe they'll sort it out between themeselves? Who knows.</p> <p>Also, regarding being paid back by the people who took the food, I think Walmart is better off writing that off than having to administer a program to collect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153033 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:58:46 +0000 Mrsbells 1153033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Fronkinzankinsbride: Stealing is stealing. Regardless. They knowingly abused the system. Why is it ridiculous for them to pay back?</p> <p>@MsLipGloss: Exactly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153026 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:57:26 +0000 Fronkinzankinsbride 1153026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: :) you're not ridiculous. Walmart would be. At least in my opinion. And in other cases (a locally owned store perhaps) I wouldn't disagree with you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153022 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:56:16 +0000 MsLipGloss 1153022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: You were anything but ridiculous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1153013 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:55:02 +0000 MsLipGloss 1153013@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think there is some confusion about who *lost* due to the theft . . . the money stolen was government money--paid for by taxes and such-- from a government program. Sure Wal-Mart lost inventory, but in any transaction involving food stamps, Wal-Mart is reimbursed by the government. So the abusers would be repaying the same program from which they stole. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1152988 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:50:39 +0000 mrbee 1152988@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Fronkinzankinsbride: Yikes, didn't meant to be ridiculous... was just sharing my personal opinion.</p> <p>I will bow out of this thread for now... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ebt-glitch-who-should-foot-the-bill/page/2#post-1152963 Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:42:42 +0000 Fronkinzankinsbride 1152963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaMoose: I was referring to the suggestion: @mrbee I think Wal-Mart should eat the losses, but be allowed to recover the funds from the people who stole it. And those people should either agree to pay the money back (on a payment plan) or face some sort of penalty for what they did.</p> <p>And other less specific but similar comments.<br /> I don't have the inside scoop on what Walmart's plans will be. </p>