Sam's Club — Restaurant in Virginia Beach

I want to warn you that this will be a long review, but if you are looking to buy a phone at Sam's club, read the whole thing. You will find it very helpful.

I recently went to my local Sam’s Club and when I passed by the AT&T kiosk, took a look at the new iPhones. A salesmen came over to help and said they were running a promotion where they would give me $700 for my old phone. I jumped at that chance to get a new iPhone 12, and even more so when the salesmen said my phone bill would actually go down $5 a month. I didn’t have my glasses and relied on him telling me the truth. Saying out loud “this seems too good to be true” was a premonition of what was to come, but I was calmed by the salesman saying that I would have 14 days to take this phone back. He seemed so nice and trustworthy. And after all, this was my fourth phone purchased at this very Sam’s Club Kiosk.

Within only two business days I had my new phone shipped to me. I immediately sent my old phone back to AT&T. And then I received the email welcoming me to my new Unlimited Talk Text and Data plan at $75…and this was just for me. I had been on my husband’s family plan where I only paid $15 a month for my line. This was a mistake.

I went into Sam’s Club to take this phone back but was met with “sorry I can’t help you”. Only when I asked for the store manager did the young man call his manager. He was able to get his boss, Tara, on the phone, and she said she would escalate the return, but that would take 72 hours. Mind you, I need to get my old phone shipped back to me. I waited 96 hours and no one called me. I called Sam’s club manager on duty and he said there was little that could be done since this was a third party re-seller called Smart Circle. He was able to get the district manager of Smart Circle to call me. Now this guy, William, had an answer for everything, even said that although he could not take my phone back “due to COVID-19” that I could take it to an AT&T corporate store. At this point I realize that this kiosk is predatory scam.

Smart Circle lied about my phone bill, Smart Circle lied about having 14 days to take my phone back. Smart Circle lied about being able to take my phone back to an AT&T store. But I thought I would just try anyway. I drove to AT&T. They just confirmed what I already suspected. They cannot take my phone back because they use two different systems and there is no record of my purchase in their system. The very helpful man at AT&T corporate said “I don’t want to say this, but they lied to you.” Finally someone telling me the truth.

So at this point I know there is nothing more I can do other than call AT&T Loyalty Department and tell them my story. As a customer of 24 years, I was willing to pay off my phone and take my business to Verizon. They were able to make some changes that was a compromise, but in the end, I just wanted my old plan. Due to Smart Circle, that will never happen. Sam's Club has no business allowing a company like Smart Circle the opportunity to con their members.

So here is my lesson learned: buying your phone from anywhere other than an AT&T Corporate store is like buying your phone from a vending machine. Just...

I'm honestly surprised at some of these reviews. Between having a large family and working for a pretty large church, I visit Sam's Club on average once a week. I shop online for the church, and shop in-store for my family. The staff is always friendly and helpful. I had a customer service issue once and it was cleared up pretty quickly. When I shop online, my order is ready when I arrive to pick it up. A commenter called the area they store the orders in a cage. I had to chuckle because it does look like a cage, but they receive large online orders and many times carts and large flatbeds are needed to fill the orders. I never considered the design of their storage room. Recently I discovered someone from Cinncinati, OH stole my cash rewards, and that too was handled the professionally both by the store and by the fraud department. I received a new member # and card immediately, and my money in about a week. The cafe is helpful and the food is fresh. Never had an issue there. The management is also super friendly and helpful. I haven't experienced where anyone (associates or managers) have "passed the buck". The things I regularly order are always in stock abundantly....even water during the threat of a storm. The store is clean and organized. I love my local Sams. Now with that being said, the one thing I do not like is the restroom. It's the one reason for 4 stars instead of 5 (I'd give a 4.5 if I could). It usually smells like someone "couldn't wait until they got home", and they could get a better ventilation system. I try not to use public restrooms and only go when I absolutely have to. This usually is around the time when the warehouse is pretty busy, but restrooms are still pretty clean. I can honestly say I hate their sinks in the bathroom. They have motion sensors and dispense just enough water to wet my hands instead of water flowing to help actually wash them. Then again, last time I used it I saw a woman use the sink and she didn't have the issue I always have, so I could be doing something wrong. Lol. Overall, it's a great...

On December 20, 2024, at approximately 5:17 PM, I was subjected to what I believe to be blatant racial profiling at the Sam’s Club located at 3345 Virginia Beach Blvd. While exiting the store with only two items—rice pudding and bread—I was stopped by an employee named Patricia, whose actions during the receipt check were both unnecessary and discriminatory.

Despite having just two small items in my possession, Patricia scrutinized my receipt for over three minutes. She struggled to scan the barcode for more than a minute and then unnecessarily rotated and examined my bread and rice pudding for another minute. Checking that these two simple items matched my receipt should have taken only seconds.

What made the situation even more troubling was the stark contrast in how Patricia treated other customers. I observed at least five white customers with full carts of groceries exit the store without any inspection of their receipts. Yet, I, as someone with an Asian or slightly Middle Eastern appearance, was singled out for excessive scrutiny over just two items. This discriminatory treatment felt like an unmistakable act of racial profiling.

To add insult to injury, Patricia did not acknowledge the inconvenience or apologize for the delay. After her unwarranted inspection, she simply said, “Okay,” as if her actions were completely routine and acceptable. Her dismissive attitude only amplified the humiliation and frustration I felt in that moment.

This incident was deeply upsetting, not just because of the inconvenience but because of the clear racial bias that shaped Patricia’s actions. Customers should never feel targeted or discriminated against based on their race or ethnicity. I hope Sam’s Club takes this matter seriously and implements measures to address and prevent such discriminatory behavior in the future. Racial profiling has no place in any setting, especially one meant to serve and welcome...