Careful, Upstate New York Shoppers! Did Walmart Rip You Off in December?

Holiday shopping is already an expensive endeavor as is. Now, imagine that you have to take the total amount of money you spend on gifts for your loved ones, and double it.

That's a bill that none of us want to pay, yet some consumers in the Capital Region, Upstate New York and around the country had that scenario unfold for them earlier this month. Now, a prominent retailer is back-tracking, warning shoppers to check receipts from recent trips to their stores.

Were you one of the shoppers who's been doubled up?

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Walmart Admits Mistake in Payment Processing; Warns Customers

A story from ABC News 10 in Albany detailed the recent issues being faced by consumers who had recently shopped at Walmart. Those who shopped at various store locations on Monday, December 5th, may have walked out with more money spent on gifts than they had originally budgeted for.

Here's what happened: Walmart customers were being double-charged for the items they were buying. If a shopper spent "X" amount of money, they were charged two times for "X" dollars. The duplicate charge would then show up on their bank statement in addition to the charge they knew they were making.

As detailed by News 10, the corporation released the following statement:

“On Dec. 5, the payment processor Walmart utilizes for credit and debit transactions experienced a technical issue that charged certain customers twice. The issue was resolved, and all impacted transactions have been identified and submitted for correction. Should you have any questions about posting times, please contact your issuing bank at the number found on the back of your card.“

No further details were shared by the company that were not already included in the pre-prepared statement.

Though the retailer submitted the charges for correction, a witness cited in the story said they were told that it could take up to 30 days to see the money return to their bank account.

That's a long time to wait, especially with the holiday season officially upon us.

So, if you shopped at a local area Walmart on Monday, December 5th, make sure to examine your bank statement, and recover a receipt if you still have it around. Local area Walmart stores can be found at:

• 800 Loudon Road, Latham
• 141 Washington Ave Extension, Albany
• 760 Hoosick Street, Troy
• 1546 Route 9, Clifton Park
• 279 Troy Road, East Greenbush
• 1320 Altamont Avenue, Schenectady
• 311 Route 9W, Glenmont
• 200 Dutch Meadows Lane, Glenville
• 16 Old Gick Road, Saratoga Springs

Every dollar counts when spending money on gifts during the holiday season, so if you think you may have been involved in Walmart's electronic error, take a moment to check it out.