Man Banned From Walmart for Life Over Price Matching: 'I Was Handcuffed, Humiliated'
A man was banned from Walmart for life after ad matching and trying to get the best deal on certain items. Joe Cantrell, a disabled former pro wrestler, attempted to get a lower price on Christmas ornaments when he was handcuffed and told he was banned from the San Tan Valley, Ariz. retail giant.
The man got banned from Walmart after participating in a longstanding tradition of Walmart: price matching. Walmart guarantees that if customers find lower prices on the same item elsewhere, they will match that price at the register, no questions asked. However after doing so for four months, Cantrell had police called on him.
"I was handcuffed, humiliated and embarrassed in front of everybody at Walmart," he told ABC 15. "I felt shamed. I felt like I was the bad guy, and I know I'm not a bad guy."
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Cantrell had been arguing for a price match on Christmas ornaments and an employee said he feared for his safety.
"When I left, he turned around and called the Pinal County Sheriff's Office and said he felt intimidated and threatened," he continued. "I was upset, but never once did I say anything to that gentleman."
The police agreed. After handcuffing Cantrell and talking with him, they realized he was no threat and took the cuffs off. The disabled former wrestler has little money and was trying to stretch the little he had to complete his family's Christmas tree.
"I just love Walmart and that's why I go," he said, adding that he usually visits twice a day after checking circulars for deals. "Sorry I get a little emotional about this, because I'm disabled."
Walmart released a statement siding with the employee that contacted authorities.
"We make every effort to make sure our customers have a good experience in our stores. As in previous situations, we attempted to work with this customer. However, in this situation, the associate felt unsafe and so we contacted local law enforcement. We are continuing to cooperate with law enforcement on their investigation," the retailer said.
Cantrell is still currently banned from Walmart for life. He said that if he knew police would be called on him, he would have just paid full price for the ornaments.
