I was at the Walmart on Turkey Lake road today to exchange my empty propane tank for a full propane tank.
The sign out front said 17.82 with exchange.
I took in my old tank to show them I had an exchange. The cashier acknowledged my exchange and said she would walk out with me to exchange tank momentarily.
She rang me up and the total was 19.60. No big deal I was thinking, probably tax on the propane tank. She rang the next customer up and then escorted me out to the exchange area.
We exchanged the old cylinder for the new cylinder. I thanked her and then I left. Before I even got out of the parking lot I started thinking, wait a minute
17.82 times 6.5% does not equal 19.60 something is wrong.
I then stopped in the parking lot and double checked the receipt which I still had/have.
The receipt showed a tax 11 marking @ 10% = 1.78 tax. Again not a big deal maybe 50 or 60 cents over charge.
I went back to the garden center where I purchased the item and was told to go into the main store to Customer Service.
I did as instructed and after waiting in line for 15 minutes I was told that I would have to speak to a Customer Service Manager. The Customer Service Manager sort of looked bewildered as to what to do, so she finally went to the Assistant Store Manager to ask and the Assistant Store Manager told her to explain to me that they had no control over the tax amount of an item and that as long as the item price rang up correctly that there was nothing they could do. I explained to the Customer Service Manager that simply would not suffice and to please call an Assistant Store Manager to speak to me in person.
An Assistant Store Manager was called to the front desk area. Again I did as instructed and waited and 27 minutes later the same Assistant Store Manager appeared upfront. I explained to her that as far as I knew the Orange County Florida tax percentage was 6.5% and that 10% that I was being charged was excessive by 3.5% and quite frankly was illegal. Again I was told they had no control over what amount of tax I was charged. She stated that she had no idea what LP exchange even was, so I explained to her that I had exchanged a gas grill propane tank for a refilled unit. She said oh thats why the tax was 10%. I again repeated no I think you are incorrect and the most I should be charged was 6.5%.
I went back to the garden center and was just going to return the propane tank and was told I would have to go back to the Customer Service desk for a refund which then had a 12 person line so I left.
I called Home Depot and they said there is no tax at all on an exchange at the Home Depot. Lowes said the same thing. So now I was thinking how many others have been charged 10% tax on propane exchange or for that matter should there be a tax charge at all.
What other tax tables are incorrect at that store that does an estimated 80 million a year.
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