Gift cards purchasable only at stores.....

[Rabe]

My kid wants a fishing bundle, but none of the 19 walmarts I checked have one, and they all confirm NO one has one.


Will KingsIsle be sending more to walmart for xmas? Will they be offering it online?

I'm trying to give away money here for something with almost zero marginal cost, why are there such crushing supply issues?

Please advise.

Thanks.

[ghola]

I was also hoping to get them for my grand kids, but in the same boat. I keep checking stores by me and on line and as you said no luck. Thought about contacting them through their customer care to see if they would be putting them on line like the others ones they have. Not sure if that would help.

[alexandra dragoneyes]

I know what you mean Rabe. I have also been looking for wizard bundles at the walmarts in my area. (esp. the fishing one.) in fact, they haven't have ANY wizard cards at all. I have been checking my store since the bundle came out. I never had a problem getting them from walmart before, ever!
(and no it isnt because they were sold out of them, they just don't have them.)

now the bundles at gamestop I have no problem getting, just walmart. maybe KI needs to drop walmart and just stick with gamestop or family dollar.

[DestWillow]

I also wanted the fishing one for my grandsons and went to 5 Walmarts, but none in stock.

[Angel Eyes]

Talk to the electronics/entertainment floor manager of one of your nearer, larger walmarts. They might know how cards are stocked, or whom to talk to about getting this card stocked in your area. Ultimately walmart buys gift cards from a distributor, not directly KI but a third party company selling gift cards and top-up cards for popular apps, games and services. That distributor, not KI, decides along with wally world which cards to put on racks and when.

It could be the electronics manager underestimated stock orders for this season, and the cards are sold out. You might have a chance at it again if they plan on ordering another batch.

It could also be that that location's manager never stocks w101 game cards because they don't sell at that location.

In that case, you're out of luck there and need to try somewhere else. Not every walmart will make money selling kids games top up cards. Try one in a different neighborhood, next to an elementary or junior high school, in a mall, etc. The same approach, show a pic of the game card on your phone or from a print, ask about it, some places and times you can find someone willing to preorder them for you or who knows where to find them right away.

The decision to sell games or gift cards is made high up in the food chain, based on regional marketing data that most counter shlubs don't have access to. Be persistent but kind.

All else fails, try Target or Best Buy or Future SHop or Radio Shack or EB Games or FYE

Another solution is if you have a trustworthy relative or friend in another state, ask them if they can check their area, you can always paypal them back.

[Willowdreamer]

My kid wants a fishing bundle, but none of the 19 walmarts I checked have one, and they all confirm NO one has one.


Will KingsIsle be sending more to walmart for xmas? Will they be offering it online?

I'm trying to give away money here for something with almost zero marginal cost, why are there such crushing supply issues?

Please advise.

Thanks.

19 is a LOT of Walmarts - you must be in an urban center. I would also suggest that calling and asking someone over the phone does not always give you correct info. I know the employees are super busy this time of year, and if you didn't get the right person familiar with that particular area of the store, they may have just said they don't have them to get you off the phone. (Not that all Walmart personnel would do that, but it has happened to me.) If you find someone who will actually check the SKU number in their computer, then I'd believe it.

I only have two Walmarts within 200 miles of me, and one never stocks KI cards -- they barely stock any besides xbox and world of warcraft. The other one takes a few weeks of me asking (the Hoodoo bundle is my example) before it actually appeared on the pegs. One week the label showed up, so I asked the person working electronics if they could go check "in the back" and they said that they can't do that. They have to wait for the stock people to bring them out. It's really not KI's fault.

[Lacrymosa]

I know what you mean Rabe. I have also been looking for wizard bundles at the walmarts in my area. (esp. the fishing one.) in fact, they haven't have ANY wizard cards at all. I have been checking my store since the bundle came out. I never had a problem getting them from walmart before, ever!
(and no it isnt because they were sold out of them, they just don't have them.)

now the bundles at gamestop I have no problem getting, just walmart. maybe KI needs to drop walmart and just stick with gamestop or family dollar.

This post practially mirrors my situation. Every walmart I've gone to have ha no wizard101 cards AT ALL.

[rascal]

19 is a LOT of Walmarts - you must be in an urban center. I would also suggest that calling and asking someone over the phone does not always give you correct info. I know the employees are super busy this time of year, and if you didn't get the right person familiar with that particular area of the store, they may have just said they don't have them to get you off the phone. (Not that all Walmart personnel would do that, but it has happened to me.) If you find someone who will actually check the SKU number in their computer, then I'd believe it.

I only have two Walmarts within 200 miles of me, and one never stocks KI cards -- they barely stock any besides xbox and world of warcraft. The other one takes a few weeks of me asking (the Hoodoo bundle is my example) before it actually appeared on the pegs. One week the label showed up, so I asked the person working electronics if they could go check "in the back" and they said that they can't do that. They have to wait for the stock people to bring them out. It's really not KI's fault.

Exactly. When Winterbane and I think the Atlantean bundles came out, I called the biggest WalMart within driving distance (about an hour), and asked for Electronics. I was told that they didn't have them. Sigh. I had to go to that town anyway because it is the closest mall to me and decided to stop at the Wal-Mart anyway. Lo and behold, they had both cards when I asked the young man at the electronics counter. The same day as I called. He pulled them out like it was a magic trick - he said they had had them for a couple of days but were keeping them behind the counter due to theft concerns. Anyway, I agree with Willowdreamer. Don't take the word of the person on the phone - go to the store and ask.

[lukin]

Like others have already states, KI can only control which companies, not stores carry the cards. It is all done by demographic studies and buying trends within the area and past performance of similar items. Most companies don't sell these things on line as they are a
sales driver in hopes of getting you in the store to make various other purchases. This is also why the pets are different and store specific, and why most companies won't offer the same bundles as a competitor if they can avoid it.

- he said they had had them for a couple of days but were keeping them behind the counter due to theft concerns.

This is funny to me as the cards have no value, nor will the codes work, until they are scanned at the register and a transaction is paid out in full.

[Sabri]

My local WalMart has zero W101 cards in the front racks, and I don't believe there are any in the electronics section, though I haven't looked.

I went into another WalMart in the town over with my mom to pick up some extension cords for Christmas things and I found some cards in the back with the electronics, but they only had P101 cards and the W101/P101 cards-- no bundles for W101.

It's annoying, but I generally want the Gamestop bundles more than the WalMart ones, anyways.