Walmart shutting me down??? (Bluebird)
Aug 28, 2015, 1:34 pm
#46
Join Date: May 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 271
So, I have been doing the Bluebird thing for about a year now. It started at about $10,000 a month with my card and my wife's Bluebird card, and then went up to $20,000 a month when our daughter and her husband let me start earing them miles with their Bluebird card. I go to Walmart about twice a week to do loads throughout the month. Tonight, something happened that I don't know what to make of it. Hoping you guys can weigh in.
Usually I load $500 at a time at the registers, but tonight the lines were long so I just went to the Money Center. I Loaded one Bluebird card with $1,000 and split the payment in 2, paying with 2 gift cards ($500 each).
I then proceeded to stand in line at a register near the end of the store to load $500 more. However, as soon as I got to the register, a guy showed up from no where and stood next to the cashier. I worked at Target when I was younger, so based on my experience, I think he must have been an Asset Protection member. He was dressed in regular casual clothes and had no name tags. He started taking my photo with his phone, and didn't do a great job hiding it. I just carried on as usual, paid, and bought some groceries. I then went back to the same cashier and the AP guy was there again. I checked out, and it seemed kind of awkward. But, everything was normal.
I had told my wife that she could go wait in the car while I stand in line to pay. When I got back to the car, I had one more $500 gift card that needed to be loaded, so I told her to go inside to a cashier and load it. That's when things got more interesting. She said that when she was standing in line, she saw the AP guy and the casher go somewhere, and then came out together with a printed page. She couldn't see what was on the page, but she followed them, and they went to the Money Center and showed the employees, that were there when I loaded the 1st $1,000, the page and said something along the lines of "We've got him now".
I know for a fact that I am not doing anything illegal, and to them it might seem like it is money laundering. I live in a small town, so I doubt that there are any other MS's, if any.
Should this be something that I should worry about? I am just wondering what they are thinking that I am doing? They might think they have something big, in terms of laundering money, but I am afraid that they are going to be very disappointed if any other steps are taken. This is the only Walmart nearby (45 mins is the next one), so this will kill my MS if anything happens. There isn't even a target nearby. Any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.
Usually I load $500 at a time at the registers, but tonight the lines were long so I just went to the Money Center. I Loaded one Bluebird card with $1,000 and split the payment in 2, paying with 2 gift cards ($500 each).
I then proceeded to stand in line at a register near the end of the store to load $500 more. However, as soon as I got to the register, a guy showed up from no where and stood next to the cashier. I worked at Target when I was younger, so based on my experience, I think he must have been an Asset Protection member. He was dressed in regular casual clothes and had no name tags. He started taking my photo with his phone, and didn't do a great job hiding it. I just carried on as usual, paid, and bought some groceries. I then went back to the same cashier and the AP guy was there again. I checked out, and it seemed kind of awkward. But, everything was normal.
I had told my wife that she could go wait in the car while I stand in line to pay. When I got back to the car, I had one more $500 gift card that needed to be loaded, so I told her to go inside to a cashier and load it. That's when things got more interesting. She said that when she was standing in line, she saw the AP guy and the casher go somewhere, and then came out together with a printed page. She couldn't see what was on the page, but she followed them, and they went to the Money Center and showed the employees, that were there when I loaded the 1st $1,000, the page and said something along the lines of "We've got him now".
I know for a fact that I am not doing anything illegal, and to them it might seem like it is money laundering. I live in a small town, so I doubt that there are any other MS's, if any.
Should this be something that I should worry about? I am just wondering what they are thinking that I am doing? They might think they have something big, in terms of laundering money, but I am afraid that they are going to be very disappointed if any other steps are taken. This is the only Walmart nearby (45 mins is the next one), so this will kill my MS if anything happens. There isn't even a target nearby. Any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.
Aug 28, 2015, 9:26 pm
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 43
Haha. No, I am still safe and sound. I just took the advice of most people here, and am laying low for a while. Did a $1,000 money order today, and will probably make a trip to the next city for a day of MS. Don't know how long I will stay out of my local one for. I still have $9,000 to go before the end of the month.
Aug 29, 2015, 11:04 pm
#48
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: GAI
Programs: TK *G, all statuses that come with Ritz, Amex Plat, Citi Prestige cards
Posts: 364
Just had a bizarre experience with Walmart Asset Protection myself while doing a MS run in the northend suburbs of Seattle, where every Kate I encountered was out of order. Did 2x $500 Simon VGC loads each at the first two stores of the day - in each one I did one at a register right after walking in, then picked up a few sundry items with my wife, and finally did the second at another register on the opposite end of the store along with the groceries. At the third store I only had one $500 card left, so I just went to the first register I saw, did the load and walked straight out. At the door a yellow-shirted (or yellow-vested?) asset protection employee walked up, asked for my receipt, started writing down information from it, and asked me about what the card load was for. I replied that I didn't want to talk to him and continued on my way, and he didn't bother to follow me - though not before he took down the receipt number and something else on his clipboard. He didn't stop anyone else in the short time I was in the vicinity. Would it be too paranoid to think I was being followed or targeted, or could I have simply walked into some innocuous random receipt audit? I have relatively little experience with Walmart outside of MS, so I have no idea if collecting receipt information at the door (not just an item count like Sam's Club) is a normal practice.
Aug 30, 2015, 12:02 am
#49
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AAdvantage, Avios, WN RR, IHG
Posts: 12
Just had a bizarre experience with Walmart Asset Protection myself while doing a MS run in the northend suburbs of Seattle, where every Kate I encountered was out of order. Did 2x $500 Simon VGC loads each at the first two stores of the day - in each one I did one at a register right after walking in, then picked up a few sundry items with my wife, and finally did the second at another register on the opposite end of the store along with the groceries. At the third store I only had one $500 card left, so I just went to the first register I saw, did the load and walked straight out. At the door a yellow-shirted (or yellow-vested?) asset protection employee walked up, asked for my receipt, started writing down information from it, and asked me about what the card load was for. I replied that I didn't want to talk to him and continued on my way, and he didn't bother to follow me - though not before he took down the receipt number and something else on his clipboard. He didn't stop anyone else in the short time I was in the vicinity. Would it be too paranoid to think I was being followed or targeted, or could I have simply walked into some innocuous random receipt audit? I have relatively little experience with Walmart outside of MS, so I have no idea if collecting receipt information at the door (not just an item count like Sam's Club) is a normal practice.
It's not normal practice.
Aug 30, 2015, 1:13 am
#50
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Just had a bizarre experience with Walmart Asset Protection myself while doing a MS run in the northend suburbs of Seattle, where every Kate I encountered was out of order. Did 2x $500 Simon VGC loads each at the first two stores of the day - in each one I did one at a register right after walking in, then picked up a few sundry items with my wife, and finally did the second at another register on the opposite end of the store along with the groceries. At the third store I only had one $500 card left, so I just went to the first register I saw, did the load and walked straight out. At the door a yellow-shirted (or yellow-vested?) asset protection employee walked up, asked for my receipt, started writing down information from it, and asked me about what the card load was for. I replied that I didn't want to talk to him and continued on my way, and he didn't bother to follow me - though not before he took down the receipt number and something else on his clipboard. He didn't stop anyone else in the short time I was in the vicinity. Would it be too paranoid to think I was being followed or targeted, or could I have simply walked into some innocuous random receipt audit? I have relatively little experience with Walmart outside of MS, so I have no idea if collecting receipt information at the door (not just an item count like Sam's Club) is a normal practice.
Aug 30, 2015, 1:35 am
#51
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 31
Any thought to just politely inquiring about the seemingly abnormal treatment?
Perhaps some idle chit-chat with the staff to hopefully diffuse what you've surmised is a tense situation.
Better than having to become an MS ninja and deal with all the inconvenience.
Perhaps some idle chit-chat with the staff to hopefully diffuse what you've surmised is a tense situation.
Better than having to become an MS ninja and deal with all the inconvenience.
Aug 30, 2015, 5:55 am
#52
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 506
Just had a bizarre experience with Walmart Asset Protection myself while doing a MS run in the northend suburbs of Seattle, where every Kate I encountered was out of order. Did 2x $500 Simon VGC loads each at the first two stores of the day - in each one I did one at a register right after walking in, then picked up a few sundry items with my wife, and finally did the second at another register on the opposite end of the store along with the groceries. At the third store I only had one $500 card left, so I just went to the first register I saw, did the load and walked straight out. At the door a yellow-shirted (or yellow-vested?) asset protection employee walked up, asked for my receipt, started writing down information from it, and asked me about what the card load was for. I replied that I didn't want to talk to him and continued on my way, and he didn't bother to follow me - though not before he took down the receipt number and something else on his clipboard. He didn't stop anyone else in the short time I was in the vicinity. Would it be too paranoid to think I was being followed or targeted, or could I have simply walked into some innocuous random receipt audit? I have relatively little experience with Walmart outside of MS, so I have no idea if collecting receipt information at the door (not just an item count like Sam's Club) is a normal practice.
No, you technically don't HAVE to show them anything, but imo not worth telling the old lady greeter at the door "no" if you like that store.
Aug 31, 2015, 6:28 am
#53
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Hopkinton, MA
Posts: 232
Go back in with something like a Subway gc. Stand at Kate and look very suspicious. Pretent to do lots of loading with that subway card. Then go in line and buy a 25 cent pen with a real GC. Keep buying pens for like an hour. When you see Mr. Phone Camera, pull out your phone, snap his pic (use a flash), speak loudly into your cuff "we've got him now!" and run out of the store.
Sep 4, 2015, 11:17 pm
#54
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Ultimate, Amex, Delta, AA, BA Avios, United, US Airways, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 260
Go back in with something like a Subway gc. Stand at Kate and look very suspicious. Pretent to do lots of loading with that subway card. Then go in line and buy a 25 cent pen with a real GC. Keep buying pens for like an hour. When you see Mr. Phone Camera, pull out your phone, snap his pic (use a flash), speak loudly into your cuff "we've got him now!" and run out of the store.
Sep 8, 2015, 10:42 am
#55
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: SPG Gold; Hyatt Platinum; Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum = Mid Tier Master!
Posts: 29
Just had my own new experience this morning at WM:
Me: I'd like to load my bluebird.
Cashier: (very friendly) Great, you know, I've been thinking about getting one myself. Do you like it?
Me: Yes.
Cashier: I think I will! How much do you want to load?
Me: (feeling lucky) I need to load $500 three times.
Cashier: (face turns really accusatory) You're going to have to do that at Customer Service. (calls Manager on radio) This gentleman wants to load $500 with three separate cards!
Manager: Come here, I'll take you to customer service, they'll take care of you there. (also not a pleasant tone)
Me: I don't have time for this, I have to work. (exits)
That was my regular WM too. Won't be going back there soon.
Me: I'd like to load my bluebird.
Cashier: (very friendly) Great, you know, I've been thinking about getting one myself. Do you like it?
Me: Yes.
Cashier: I think I will! How much do you want to load?
Me: (feeling lucky) I need to load $500 three times.
Cashier: (face turns really accusatory) You're going to have to do that at Customer Service. (calls Manager on radio) This gentleman wants to load $500 with three separate cards!
Manager: Come here, I'll take you to customer service, they'll take care of you there. (also not a pleasant tone)
Me: I don't have time for this, I have to work. (exits)
That was my regular WM too. Won't be going back there soon.
Sep 8, 2015, 10:44 am
#56
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA, Southwest
Posts: 175
Just had my own new experience this morning at WM:
Me: I'd like to load my bluebird.
Cashier: (very friendly) Great, you know, I've been thinking about getting one myself. Do you like it?
Me: Yes.
Cashier: I think I will! How much do you want to load?
Me: (feeling lucky) I need to load $500 three times.
Cashier: (face turns really accusatory) You're going to have to do that at Customer Service. (calls Manager on radio) This gentleman wants to load $500 with three separate cards!
Manager: Come here, I'll take you to customer service, they'll take care of you there. (also not a pleasant tone)
Me: I don't have time for this, I have to work. (exits)
That was my regular WM too. Won't be going back there soon.
Me: I'd like to load my bluebird.
Cashier: (very friendly) Great, you know, I've been thinking about getting one myself. Do you like it?
Me: Yes.
Cashier: I think I will! How much do you want to load?
Me: (feeling lucky) I need to load $500 three times.
Cashier: (face turns really accusatory) You're going to have to do that at Customer Service. (calls Manager on radio) This gentleman wants to load $500 with three separate cards!
Manager: Come here, I'll take you to customer service, they'll take care of you there. (also not a pleasant tone)
Me: I don't have time for this, I have to work. (exits)
That was my regular WM too. Won't be going back there soon.
Need to load one at a time. Getting too greedy in the game asking to load all 3 at once. I usually try for 2 loads max per Walmart cashier.
Last edited by XtraPerks; Sep 8, 2015 at 10:50 am
Sep 8, 2015, 2:01 pm
#57
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 321
I'll add my new experience this weekend at WM:
Had $5K to load to 2 cards - $2500 each. The Kate at this store stopped working two months ago so I've been doing my loads with the CSRs at the regular registers. Seems that the max load is $1000 as I tried to do $1500 once and the register wouldn't let the CSR submit. So I load $1K on my card, move over a couple registers, load $1K on my wife's card. Again move on and load $1K to my card, and again move over and $1K on my wife's card. At this point I have $500 to load to each card - last month I was successful in asking the CSR if she could do two separate loads, and since no one was behind me, she had no problem doing it - this time it was an immediate "You'll have to do that at the MoneyCenter." Since the MC was empty, I headed over there. As soon as I headed, the phone rang for the CSR and there was a 30 second conversation. I approached the counter and the lady asked if I was loading my card. I said yes and she said I had to fill out a form. It took her a few moments to pull the form from some binder, but I asked to see it before I filled it out. The title was something about Suspicious Activity so I of course asked what this was for. The CSR said any time anyone loads more than $3K onto the cards, they need to fill out a form. Of course since I had only done $2K per card, I whipped out my last receipt and showed here that I was only at $2K. She looked stumped, but went ahead and let me do the $500. As soon as I swiped the phone rang again and I could hear the CSR saying I only had $2K on the card.
Later that day I stopped off at another WM and loaded my last $500.
I'll be much more careful now when loading at this WM, and am hoping the Kate at another WM nearby is still working when I need her next!
Had $5K to load to 2 cards - $2500 each. The Kate at this store stopped working two months ago so I've been doing my loads with the CSRs at the regular registers. Seems that the max load is $1000 as I tried to do $1500 once and the register wouldn't let the CSR submit. So I load $1K on my card, move over a couple registers, load $1K on my wife's card. Again move on and load $1K to my card, and again move over and $1K on my wife's card. At this point I have $500 to load to each card - last month I was successful in asking the CSR if she could do two separate loads, and since no one was behind me, she had no problem doing it - this time it was an immediate "You'll have to do that at the MoneyCenter." Since the MC was empty, I headed over there. As soon as I headed, the phone rang for the CSR and there was a 30 second conversation. I approached the counter and the lady asked if I was loading my card. I said yes and she said I had to fill out a form. It took her a few moments to pull the form from some binder, but I asked to see it before I filled it out. The title was something about Suspicious Activity so I of course asked what this was for. The CSR said any time anyone loads more than $3K onto the cards, they need to fill out a form. Of course since I had only done $2K per card, I whipped out my last receipt and showed here that I was only at $2K. She looked stumped, but went ahead and let me do the $500. As soon as I swiped the phone rang again and I could hear the CSR saying I only had $2K on the card.
Later that day I stopped off at another WM and loaded my last $500.
I'll be much more careful now when loading at this WM, and am hoping the Kate at another WM nearby is still working when I need her next!
Sep 8, 2015, 2:09 pm
#58
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
I'll add my new experience this weekend at WM:
Had $5K to load to 2 cards - $2500 each. The Kate at this store stopped working two months ago so I've been doing my loads with the CSRs at the regular registers. Seems that the max load is $1000 as I tried to do $1500 once and the register wouldn't let the CSR submit. So I load $1K on my card, move over a couple registers, load $1K on my wife's card. Again move on and load $1K to my card, and again move over and $1K on my wife's card. At this point I have $500 to load to each card - last month I was successful in asking the CSR if she could do two separate loads, and since no one was behind me, she had no problem doing it - this time it was an immediate "You'll have to do that at the MoneyCenter." Since the MC was empty, I headed over there. As soon as I headed, the phone rang for the CSR and there was a 30 second conversation. I approached the counter and the lady asked if I was loading my card. I said yes and she said I had to fill out a form. It took her a few moments to pull the form from some binder, but I asked to see it before I filled it out. The title was something about Suspicious Activity so I of course asked what this was for. The CSR said any time anyone loads more than $3K onto the cards, they need to fill out a form. Of course since I had only done $2K per card, I whipped out my last receipt and showed here that I was only at $2K. She looked stumped, but went ahead and let me do the $500. As soon as I swiped the phone rang again and I could hear the CSR saying I only had $2K on the card.
Later that day I stopped off at another WM and loaded my last $500.
I'll be much more careful now when loading at this WM, and am hoping the Kate at another WM nearby is still working when I need her next!
Had $5K to load to 2 cards - $2500 each. The Kate at this store stopped working two months ago so I've been doing my loads with the CSRs at the regular registers. Seems that the max load is $1000 as I tried to do $1500 once and the register wouldn't let the CSR submit. So I load $1K on my card, move over a couple registers, load $1K on my wife's card. Again move on and load $1K to my card, and again move over and $1K on my wife's card. At this point I have $500 to load to each card - last month I was successful in asking the CSR if she could do two separate loads, and since no one was behind me, she had no problem doing it - this time it was an immediate "You'll have to do that at the MoneyCenter." Since the MC was empty, I headed over there. As soon as I headed, the phone rang for the CSR and there was a 30 second conversation. I approached the counter and the lady asked if I was loading my card. I said yes and she said I had to fill out a form. It took her a few moments to pull the form from some binder, but I asked to see it before I filled it out. The title was something about Suspicious Activity so I of course asked what this was for. The CSR said any time anyone loads more than $3K onto the cards, they need to fill out a form. Of course since I had only done $2K per card, I whipped out my last receipt and showed here that I was only at $2K. She looked stumped, but went ahead and let me do the $500. As soon as I swiped the phone rang again and I could hear the CSR saying I only had $2K on the card.
Later that day I stopped off at another WM and loaded my last $500.
I'll be much more careful now when loading at this WM, and am hoping the Kate at another WM nearby is still working when I need her next!
If I were you, I would slow down. I know it's easier to take less trips, but you're attracting attention by moving from one register to another.
Just do 2 or 3 transactions for 1 trip.
Sep 8, 2015, 2:10 pm
#59
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 164
yo, you guys who are stuck at 1-2 loads per cashier ..... go to the back of the store and chat up the electronics person. they can do loads too, and you can talk about TVs, games, or whatever makes them happy. Last time I was able to do 9 loads on six different birds not all in my name. way more time efficient, especially because they'll remember you.
Sep 8, 2015, 2:23 pm
#60
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 321
yo, you guys who are stuck at 1-2 loads per cashier ..... go to the back of the store and chat up the electronics person. they can do loads too, and you can talk about TVs, games, or whatever makes them happy. Last time I was able to do 9 loads on six different birds not all in my name. way more time efficient, especially because they'll remember you.