The only thing that stopped Wilson resident Randie Case from getting a good deal on a 52-inch widescreen TV Friday morning was the state of Oklahoma.
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Case's dreams of getting the RCA high-definition TV for $474 at Wal-Mart were dashed by Oklahoma's 1949 Unfair Sales Act.
The act prohibits retailers from selling merchandise below cost, requiring a 6 percent markup on items.
Case said she saw the ad for the early bird sale on TV and online.
Before braving the cold to stand in line for the TV, Case decided to call the Ardmore Wal-Mart to make sure it had the widescreen in stock.
The good news: It did. The bad news: The price was $699.
"I think that's false advertising," Case said.
She told the store manager the same thing, but that didn't help her save more than $200.
"He told me I could go to Missouri and buy one for $474," Case said.
Oklahoma was one of five states where the slashed price of the RCA widescreen — along with a handful of other Wal-Mart deals — was prohibited.
Wal-Mart spokesman Bill Wertz said although national ads advertise a price, the company has to comply with state laws.
"Unfortunately it does make some unevenness of what we can offer in each state," Wertz said.
He said consumers need to make sure to read the fine print on ads.
Charles Alvarez, store manager at Wal-Mart in Yukon, said about a dozen shoppers inquired about the TV's price difference Friday morning.
The company's Oklahoma circular did not advertise the TV for $474, but shoppers who saw the ad on the Internet still thought they were eligible for the bargain, he said.
Wal-Mart's Web site allows consumers to look at the advertisements for their area, but some people only look at the national ad, Alvarez said.
"Unfortunately, from your home computer you can look at any state's ad," Alvarez said.
Case said she didn't see any information excluding Oklahoma on the TV commercial and insists the advertised price should stand.
"Why did they run the ad in Oklahoma if it's not valid?" Case said. "I trusted Wal-Mart's integrity."
"Why did they run the ad in Oklahoma if it's not valid? I trusted Wal-Mart's integrity."
Randie Case
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