Someone before your mom must've forgotten to put their credit card back into their wallet after using it and left it on the counter by mistake and your mom might be just right beside the card when it was her turn to pay for the items and the cashier just picked up that credit card thinking it was your mom's when it was time for your mom to pay. Not everybody gives their credit card directly to the cashier when it's time to pay. Sometimes they really just put the card on the counter and expect the cashier to pick it up and swipe it for them. If they check the security footage, they might be able to figure it out cuz this is fraud committed by Walmart, using someone else's card without their authorization.
For that to happen, my mom would have to forget to hand her her card as well so a little farfetched. Maybe something close to that though. Walmart cashiers are likely not the sharpest bunch.
Trust me, I have worked as a cashier before and picking up money or cards to swipe from the counter is a norm. People are just used to putting their money and their cards on the counter expecting you to pick it up. And if your mom hasn't had a chance to get her own card out and when the cashier saw a card right beside your mom's elbow, it's very likely that cashier will assume it's your mom's, pick it up and swipe it. And nowadays you don't really need to put in pins or sign for it anymore so once the card is swiped and the transaction went through, it's done. The only thing that I am not sure of is HOW could your mom not realize that she didn't pay for the humidifier in the first place? If the cashier swiped someone's card by mistake before your mom had a chance to take out her own card and the transaction went through, she would've and should've realized that she didn't pay for it because she didn't give the cashier any methods of payment. So your mom just walked away with the humidifier thinking it's free, on the house? LOL That would be a question that I would ask your mom.
Yeah, that's what I thought so I edited my comment. I don't think she is the kinda person to forget about paying.
She says she handed the visa and my brother confirmed it. So unless somehow the cashier swapped visa's then gave the right card back to her which seems improbable. Just call it a mystery unsolved. Not gonna complain about my mom getting a free gift card.
Oh ok so the cashier swapped the wrong card then and then miraculously gave the correct card back to your mom. LOL Yes it's a mystery only can be solved by the security camera footage above that cash register of where the miracle swiping took place. Glad your mom got a free gift card indeed albeit at the expense of the issuer of that wrongfully swiped credit card. Oh well, we live in an imperfect world. That credit card issuer can afford it.
%% Sounds like they maybe did not have correct change. Their gasoline stations [MUR] give a discount on their cards/better than cash. Its to their advantage-- you have to do business with them again .And WMT is just like many stores; exchanges are treated with more kindness than cash/especially with a coin shortage...………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
This mystery might be solved but another mystery remains. She got a Wal-mart master card that arrived to her mail and it had the exact same last 4 digits of the card that was used on the purchase. Apparently, she was baited into thinking she was saving 15% on something and gave them her personal details. What doesn't make sense to me is the card needs to be activated first. So how was the cashier able to use this card before that? Did she get instant approval and they were able to complete the purchase without needing the physical card nor activation of the card? I am lost.