What happens when EBT does not work

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http://www.ksla.com/story/23679489/walma...ebt-glitch

[pqrst]

I wonder why they didn't place a limit (like $100) on the purchases. Sounds like Walmart corporate wasn't thinking or wasn't clear enough to their effected stores.

[M A V I C]

MANSFIELD, LA (KSLA) -
Shelves in Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA were reportedly cleared Saturday night, when the stores allowed purchases on EBT cards even though they were not showing limits.

The chaos that followed ultimately required intervention from local police, and left behind numerous carts filled to overflowing, apparently abandoned when the glitch-spurred shopping frenzy ended.

Springhill Police Chief Will Lynd confirms they were called in to help the employees at Walmart because there were so many people clearing off the shelves. He says Walmart was so packed, "It was worse than any black Friday" that he's ever seen.

Lynd explained the cards weren't showing limits and they called corporate Walmart, whose spokesman said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn't press charges if she left the food.

[pqrst]

Wonder if this situation is related to the problems Xerox caused with their system tests. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2013...s/2972713/

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yes, that was clearly mentioned in the text of the article

It all happened at the end of a day in which the EBT system went down in several states, including Louisiana. Xerox, a vendor for the EBT system, experienced a power outage while conducting a routine backup test in one of the company's locations. While the system was back up Saturday night, it appears that it was not functioning entirely properly in some areas.

[SteveG]

outsourcing

[cbelt3]

Steve G. wrote:
outsourcing

G.. there is NO "Insourcing" capability on US IT projects. It's ALL outsourced. There hasn't been inside capability since, well, WWII. And not even then.

[JoeH]

Standard procedure for EBT outages is supposed to be a $50 limit, sounds like Walmart gave the store managers bad instructions on handling the situation.

[space-time]

JoeH wrote:
Standard procedure for EBT outages is supposed to be a $50 limit, sounds like Walmart gave the store managers bad instructions on handling the situation.

do they still have a record on who bought what, and maybe they can recoup some of the funds when EBT cards are loaded again in the future? or what's gone is gone?

[OWC Jamie]

cbelt3 wrote:
[quote=Steve G.]
outsourcing

G.. there is NO "Insourcing" capability on US IT projects. It's ALL outsourced. There hasn't been inside capability since, well, WWII. And not even then. rubber room hyperbole should stay in the rubber room