Money-back guarantee?

It is a mistake that surprised us a little, considering the legendary frugality of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville.

It seems that Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, paid one of its vendors twice for the same invoices, and has filed a lawsuit against the company to get the money back.

Wal-Mart filed the lawsuit Sept 10 against Little Yukon Greenhouse Inc. of Crosby, Minn., claiming the company owes Wal-Mart about $12,000. In the complaint, Wal-Mart says it paid the same four invoices twice, once on July 7, 1997, and again on July 17, 1997.

The agreement between Wal-Mart and its vendors requires vendors to refund any balance to Wal-Mart in such cases within 30 days. That apparently didn’t happen with Little Yukon, so Wal-Mart is suing them.

A spokeswoman for Little Yukon who refused to give her name says the company hasn’t seen the lawsuit and couldn’t comment on it. She says the company has been supplying bedding plants to Wal-Mart for more than 20 years.