Walmart Archives

Secret to trying a laptop out at home

Here’s a tech-savvy tip most people overlook: Just like returning clothes that don’t fit, you can often return a laptop if it’s not the right fit for you. The key is understanding the seller’s return policy. I’ll break it down so you don’t end up with an expensive doorstop.

Know the basics

Here’s what to look for in a return policy that lets you take a “try before you buy” approach:

Return period: These range from 15 days to 90 days.
Shipping and restocking fees: Some sellers hit you with return shipping or restocking fees of up to 25% of a laptop’s original price.
Surprises: You may have to keep every bit of the original packaging, or the clock on your return windows could start the second you hit “Buy,” not when it’s delivered.

So, where’s the best place to buy?

The best: Costco and Walmart both have a 90-day return window with very little in the way of fine print or picky policies.
The worst: Best Buy’s return policy is only 15 days. You get 60 days if you pay up to $180 for a My Best Buy annual membership. Don’t shop here.

What about Amazon? The return window is 30 days for laptops that didn’t start when they arrived, were delivered in a damaged condition or are still in an unopened box. If you open the box or it works, you’ll pay a 15% restocking fee. Pro tip: If you’re a good Amazon customer, hop into a chat with their customer service team and ask them to reverse the charge. This worked for me!

I asked my IT genius, John, to pick his favorite Windows and Mac laptops. He shops for the tech we use here in the studios, so you’re in fabulous hands.

Windows of opportunity

💰 HP 17 Business Laptop ($486): Powered by an i3 processor that gets the job done for browsing, banking and school or work. The 17.3-inch screen is also big without being bulky.

💰💰 Dell Inspiron ($616, 5% off): For about $100 more, you get a touchscreen and a slightly more powerful i5 processor. It can handle heavier-duty stuff, like casual gaming and programming.

💰💰💰 HP Envy ($1,129): All the bells and whistles, including an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. Zoom-zoom!

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We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Prices at the grocery store changing before your eyes

When I saw this in action, I knew you’d want to learn about it. Grocery stores across the country are swapping out printed price stickers on aisles for electronic ones. Retailers say it saves time. But the cost of an item could change in the time it takes you to walk from the deli to the frozen aisle.

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Help me organize the pantry

Our family has a large food storage pantry, and we often shop at Costco and Walmart (bulk items) to provide meals for our growing household. We need suggestions for an app that we can use to inventory food. — Cameron in Utah

Smart idea. It stinks to realize something has expired — or that you just bought a fifth case of canned tomatoes. A couple options for you:

Pantry Check scans barcodes and uploads everything for you. It’ll even remind you to use things before they go bad. Sweet.
Home Food Storage for iPhone is geared more toward preppers. It does many of the same things as Pantry Check, but it takes it a step further if you want to have a plan in place for months or years. This one is $2.99, FYI.

😂 It’s annoying Costco has the best prices on funeral plans. The service is great and all, but I don’t need three caskets.

Did you hear the inventor of the remote died? They found him stuck in the couch. The new Google TV update included Find My Remote. Yup, that’s exactly what it sounds like. Simply press a button on your streaming device and the remote will beep for 30 seconds so you can find it. It’s already on some Roku and Walmart TVs.

Amazon Prime vs. Walmart+

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Did you know Walmart has its own membership program similar to Amazon Prime? It’s called Walmart Plus, and it costs $98 a year. Let’s break down the features so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.

📺 Ads as far as the eye can see: Walmart just spent $2.3 billion to buy Vizio. Why? Because they want to put their ads right in your living room, track what you watch and sell your data. Over 19 million people use Vizio’s SmartCast system. Here’s how you can turn off the tracking on your TV, Vizio or otherwise.

What percent of e-waste — think old computers, phones and other tech — gets recycled? Is it … A.) 50%, B.) 90%, C.) 20% or D.) 10%?

Find the answer here! →

How to score cheap stuff (to keep or resell)

How often do you buy a bunch of stuff online, planning to only keep your favorites? I shop for clothes this way, for sure — and I’m not the only one. Returns cost retailers $743 billion last year.

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Un-bell-ievable: The FCC is slapping Chinese video doorbell maker Eken with a $735,000 fine. Sold by big names like Amazon and Walmart, Eken’s doorbells exposed users’ IP addresses and Wi-Fi network names and gave others unauthorized access to videos.

What the big print giveth, the small print taketh away: Big companies like Walmart are using bots to handle contract negotiations with suppliers. These bots analyze a contract’s terms based on company data and market trends, then they submit their findings to a human or reply with a counteroffer.

Another example of AI doing the work of humans: Big retailers are using AI combined with real-time weather data to time ads and discounts. Take Walmart: This year, they dropped sunscreen prices a couple of weeks early after the AI algorithm noticed rain was all over the country. Normally, inventory analysts would do this work.

📦 If you see this trick online, it doesn’t work anymore: A Walmart shopper found the ultimate moving-day hack: Ordering 24 boxes online. Each box arrived individually packed in a Walmart delivery box with bubble wrap, basically doubling his single-box order for free. Someone at Walmart caught on, of course, and now they’ll be shipping box orders altogether.

I pita the fool: Amazon just launched its own food brand: Amazon Saver. They say it’s to fight high grocery prices, but it’s really meant to take on Target and Walmart brands. Most Amazon Saver items are under $5. For example, a pound of smoked ham is $3.79, but dang … there are a ton of preservatives in there. Be sure to check the ingredients. Prime members score an extra 10% off.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

♨️ Major recall: Some 3.2 million Bissell Steam Shot handheld steam cleaners shoot hot water or steam when you aren’t expecting it. Ouch. The steamers went viral on TikTok and were sold at Target, Walmart, Amazon and everywhere else. If you have one, hit this site.

🥫 Inflation hits hard: A guy is going viral on TikTok for tapping the “Reorder” button in his Walmart grocery app. What was $126.67 two years ago for groceries (45 items) is now $414.39 for the very same products. I wouldn’t be surprised if Walmart limits access to past order histories.

🔫 Drone down: A 72-year-old guy in Florida shot down a Walmart delivery drone, and now he’s facing felony charges. No word on why, but he’s a good shot: He hit whatever the drone was carrying with his 9mm pistol. PSA: Drone deliveries are not prizes for skeet shooting.

America's drinking water is under attack

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Water systems in Kansas, Texas and Pennsylvania have already been hit by hackers in China, Russia and Iran. Plus, clothes that block 5G waves, AI coming to Alexa, and Walmart’s new digital pricing. We also chat with Joseph Cox about his book “Dark Wire,” which is about Anom, the FBI’s secret app used by criminals.

Talk to your kiddos: Roblox is adding paid ads in virtual billboards to its game. Brands like Walmart are already lining up to advertise to nearly 72 million daily players. With 43% of players under 13, they’re going to make so much money rocking the blocks.

Too much power: Advertisers can now use Walmart’s shopping data for targeted ads on Disney+ and Hulu. Disney Advertising and Walmart Connect’s partnership gives marketers access to 145 million customers. They say they’ll match users’ data “without violating their privacy,” but they always say that.

Palmer Candy Company is recalling its white-coated confectionery items due to a possible salmonella contamination. The FDA says these snacks, including pretzels, popcorn and chocolate, are sold in 17 states at stores like Walmart, Hy-Vee, Target and Dollar General. Got some? Return ‘em where you bought ’em for a full refund.