Disabled Man Banned for Life From Walmart for Ad Matching

A man from San Tan Valley, Arizona says he was banned for life from Walmart after an altercation over ad matching, ABC reported.

Price matching is a practice that Walmart explicitly allows and even encourages. The retailer says that it will match the lowest advertised prices on identical items. However, when frequent “ad matcher” Joe Cantrell attempted to so do last week, he got more than he bargained for.  

What began as a normal trip to San Tan Valley Walmart to get Christmas ornaments ended in Cantrell being roughed up by law enforcement and slapped with a life-long Walmart ban.

Cantrell had gone to the super store to ad match as he usually did but this time was told by an employee that he couldn’t. He subsequently complained to management which resulted in the employee calling the police.  Cantrell says when he returned to Walmart four days later, three deputies met him.

“I was handcuffed, humiliated and embarrassed in front of everybody at Walmart,” Cantrell told ABC 15.

However, Walmart has hit back, saying that Joe was banned because he threatened an employee.  Walmart released the following statement:

“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."

Moreover, other former Walmart employees have come forward saying that Cantrell often tried to use expired coupons to price match and that Walmart usually made exceptions for him.

Nonetheless, the former professional wrestler who is now disabled and retired due to his injuries, refutes that claim saying he is merely a loyal customer and would never threaten anybody because he has kids and therefore too much to lose.

“When I left, [the employee] turned around and called the Pinal County Sheriff's Office and said he felt intimidated and threatened. I was upset but never once did I say anything to the gentleman,” Cantrell told ABC. 

After the police realized the nature of the complaint, they released Cantrell.  However he is now facing charges of threatening, intimidation and disorderly conduct...all for price-matching.

Then again, being banned from Walmart doesn't sound so bad.