Just damn.
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Posted on 05/22/2004 6:36:10 PM PDT by SLB
I just made a quick trip to one of the local Kroger stores, chicken was on sale this week and we wanted to get a couple of bags of boneless/skinless. When I got to the checkout isle, I use the self checkout whenever possible, I wrote my check for $25.00 over the purchase price.
The clerk ran the check through the machine and then looked at me and said something like; "I am sorry, but there has already been a check for $25.00 over written on this account within the past week and you are limited to $25.00 a week which is the maximum allowed." (Mrs SLB had written a check at another store earlier in the week) She then showed me the register slip with my bank account number and the limits on my account. I am limited to spending $300.00 a week at Kroger.
I asked her why and she said it was a new Kroger wide policy. I did not berate her, she is on the bottom of the food chain, but asked for a cusotmer comment form which she gladly gave me. I will fill it out and send it to Kroger.
We do not do anywhere near all of our shopping at Kroger as we have the commissary at Ft Knox (average savings is in the 30% range), we also have Save-a-Lot, Aldi's, and of course the infamous Wally World. We usually only go to Kroger for sale items, but this tracking of my purchases and limiting me is going to send me even further from them. My only planned trips there now are for gasoline as they give a $0.03 a gallon discount with their card, but I am certain they track that, too bad the name, address and phone number on the card are all made up.
and I always manage to get in line behind someone who has a "problem" with their check.
I've never shopped at Kroger. I do most of my shopping at Safeway. I have never had a problem. They are always generous. I usually get cash back with my debit card and I've never heard of any limits.
Safeway has terrific store brands that beat 'regular' brands in quality and price, in my opinion. Such as, their natural peanut butter, their dishwashing detergent, and their new brand of paper towels, to name a few. :-)
.......or the old lady who reaches into her purse and starts writing her check AFTER everything is bagged and the cashier tells her the amount.
Oh, and also, I never need a physical Safeway card to get the discounts. I just key in my phone number quickly.
When I spend enough, I get free Starbucks coffee and other goodies.
God made credit cards and ATM machines for a reason. Before then, and when banks had short hours, back in the dark ages, before rocks cooled, I used markets as a bank. Now, I am annoyed when anyone slows down the line by writing a check. It is all so yesterday!
Use one credit card for grocery purchases only, and write your check then...use a Discover and get 5% back. Checks are not a retailers friend. Use your ATM card to get cash out of your bank once a week, you'd be surprised how much less cash you'd spend.
Life's too short to bitch about Kroger's policy... the less they lose, the less you pay. Hmmm... I think I stumbled upon a sound economic policy.
I hate them also, but I always ask for a new card and application every trip to the store.
I simply can't pass up an opportunity to throw a monkeywrench into their database.
Sorry...that would be ZAPPS!
I said ZAPPS!
prisoner6
It is not as if they don't know they are going to have to write a check. They also do the same thing if paying cash. They wait until the total then slowly begin searching in their purse for change. I have seen them literally take several minutes to count out the money.
I spent many years as a Safeway manager. It wasn't uncommom to have over $1000/wk in bad checks.
A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him.
"Pardon me," she said, "I’m sorry if my staring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that you look just like my son, who I haven’t seen in a long time."
"That’s a shame," replied the young man, "is there anything I can do for you?"
"Yes," she said, "as I’m leaving, can you say ’Good bye, Mother!’ It would make me feel so much better."
"Sure," answered the young man.
As the old woman was leaving, he called out, "Good-bye, Mother!"
As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $227.95.
"How can that be?" he asked, "I only purchased a few things!"
"Your mother said that you would pay for her," said the clerk.
Too, TOO funny!!!!!!!!!!!!
I worked as a cashier once. There are a lot of stories, but this one takes the cake:
A lady came through with two suckers. The total was about 30 cents or so. She didn't have the money! So, she said "let me run out to the car!" This took about 10 minutes, and there was a long line of people waiting with carts full of groceries...and since the transaction was open already I could not close it to check them out. She came back in and said she didn't want the suckers anymore and took off...she did not apologize to me or the other customers. I had to then get a manager to void the transaction. That also reduced my rate of scans per minute greatly, so I got a bad rate of productivity on the cashier's report.
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Hmm, never tried the beef marinade, I believe I'll be telling my husband the grill master to pick some up. We love the moppin' sauce and use it regularly. :)
The cards are for them to track what quantities and combinations of items customers buy so they can have more attractive promotions and sales. Essentially, they are paying you the sale prices in exchange for tracking your shopping habits.
I'd save all of my receipts for a month from all the grocery stores you buy groceries from. I'd then send a letter to the CEO of Kroger along with the receipts and the evidence you're limited to $300.00 a week. In my letter I'd tell Kroger I choose to no longer do business with a company who limits me.
I write checks in my local grocers because it's easier than using my debit card. Of course it's a small town grocer and they have to leave the register to go to the one machine they have to run it through. When I go to WalMart I still write checks because if I forget to write the details down in my check register I can contact the bank in a few days to find out the details.
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