*UPDATE 11/26/14* Need to register 1-Hour Guarantee items? Find out how to register your 1-Hour guarantee items!
**UPDATE 11/26/15* Check out THIS POST for more info on the 2015 Walmart 1 Hour Guarantee!
Here we are – another year with the Walmart 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee!
Despite the problems with the Walmart 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee last year, I have to admit that I think it’s still a pretty great offer! It has the potential to change the way Black Friday works as we know it. The 1-hour in-Stock Guarantee means that shoppers have a much greater chance of snagging the hot ticket items they want and with a little less stress to boot!
If you aren’t familiar with the Walmart 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee yet, here’s what you need to know…
What is the Walmart 1-Hour In-Stock Guarantee?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could walk into a store on Black Friday and be guaranteed that a hot item will be in-stock and on the shelf for at least an hour? All you’d have to do is grab it and go!
Well, that’s not quite how the Walmart 1-hour Guarantee works, but it’s close.
The Walmart 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee doesn’t necessarily guarantee the item you’re looking for will be on the shelf, but it does guarantee that you can get a particular item in time for Christmas. (Well, it almost guarantees that, but I’ll get to that in a moment.)
As long as shoppers are in line for an item with a 1-hour guarantee, they can purchase a purchase what’s known as a Guarantee Card. This Guarantee Card allows them to still purchase the item at the advertised price in the Walmart Black Friday ad – even if that item sells out within an hour after it goes on sale!
What do I do with the Walmart 1-Hour In-Stock Guarantee Card?
Shoppers must register their 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee Cards on the Walmart website before the specified time. Last year shoppers had until December 1st at 11:59 PM to register their cards, so I expect it will be around the same time this year.
If you aren’t able to register your 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee card, no biggie! The Guarantee Card will become a Walmart gift card, loaded with the amount of money that you paid for the sale item; you can use it to shop at Walmart like any other gift card. You can also get a full refund for your 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee card.
How do I register a Walmart 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee Card?
To register a Walmart Guarantee card, head to Walmart.com/One-Hour-Guarantee. Enter the required information from your receipt, and that’s pretty much it. You’ll receive emails about the status of your order and when you can pick it up.
What’s the catch?
There really is no catch, however, there are a few 1-Hour In-Stock Guarantee terms you should be aware of:
- Limit one 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee per person per item and per transaction. That means you can get one Guarantee Ticket for each item with this guarantee.
- Prices are only available from 6 PM to 7 PM this year. You should still arrive early to ensure that you’re in line in order to get a Guarantee ticket.
- Only available on select merchandise. This year the items with 1-hour In-Stock Guarantees are only available during Event 1 on Thanksgiving, which starts a 6 PM. It’s also only available for certain items. (Listed below.)
- A comparable substitute may be available.
Will the Walmart 1-hour Guarantee items be available online?
I don’t want to get everyone’s hopes up, but I’m going to say that there’s a good chance that you can actually get most of the 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee items online as well! Last year many of these items were available online as well as in stores.
If you prefer to shop online, keep your eye on these items on the Walmart website. You can also drag these links to your bookmarks bar so you can access them quickly when the sale starts.
– 50″ Class LED HDTV; Brands vary by store, but I’m guessing Element or Emerson ($218.00)
– 65″ Vizio Class Smart LED HDTV ($648.00)
– iPad Mini 16GB with $30 gift card ($199.00)
– Xbox One Halo: The Master Chief Collection Bundle with $30 gift card ($329.00)
– LG Blu-ray disc player ($35.00)
– RCA 7″ 8GB tablet ($29.00)
– Samsung Galaxy Ace on Straight Talk ($29.00)
– Beats by Dr Dre wireless headphones ($149.00)
– HP Intel Celeron touch laptop ($249.00)
Didn’t people have problems with the Walmart 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee last year?
Yes, some shoppers reported problems with 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee items last year. Most people had problems registering the 1-hour Guarantee cards, but most, if not all, issues were straightened out in the end.
The biggest problem with 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee cards last year was simply the sheer amount of traffic going to the Walmart website. A huge number of people got their cards and wanted to register them right away. Imagine 100 people trying to go through a small doorway at the same time; that’s what it was like on the website. There was simply a massive influx of traffic to the site after people got home and wanted to register 1-hour Guarantee cards. Shoppers who are having problems register 1-hour Guarantee tickets should wait a few hours or a day and try again.
Eventually, most people registered their cards without a problem hours or a couple of days later last year. Walmart even extended the 1-hour Guarantee deadline last year and might possibly do the same this year if similar problems occur.
Some shoppers were also irritated that they received a “different’ product than they originally purchased. What most likely happened was that Walmart did not anticipate the massive interest int he 1-hour In-Stock Guarantee items and simply ran out. These items were then substituted with comparable items of a different brand. This is perfectly legit, since this clause is clearly stated in the 1-hour Guarantee terms.
