Safeway's Deceptive Advertising

[csgray]

The Hilo Safeway is the only place I have ever had a register closed right in front of me when I was the last person in what had been a VERY long line. They served every single person in that line except for us and told us to go join one of the other VERY long lines, even though our groceries were already on the conveyor.

The second time they did this was the last time I have set foot in that store. That is just plain rotten customer service and counter to all standard practice in the retail trade. If you need to close a register you go to the last person in line, tell them they are the last one and put up the register closed sign so no one else joins the line, you don't let someone stand in a line for 20 minutes and then tell them to go to the end of some other line.

Carol

[missydog1]

Carol, that had to be a fluke and against all odds for it to happen twice to you.

I've been shopping at Safeway for six years as my primary store, and that's never happened to me. If it did happen to me, I would go complain up front, because I agree that is so wrong. If it's on the belt, they need to ring it. However, sometimes the people really need to get their breaks or other people won't, so I guess it could happen anywhere.

But, if it were a common practice at this store, it surely would have gotten me in all the time I've shopped.

I had a complaint once about the way I was treated by a CS rep, and they told me to pick myself out a free pie ($10 value) and thanked me very much for my feedback, and it never happened again. Pie results may not be typical. []

I have yet to find a store that has its prices input perfectly into the computer. I always watch. At Safeway, say if it's a buy 1 get 1 free, it rings up both and the free 1 is at the very end, and occasionally a sale is not in there. More commonly, the sale expired and the sign was left up, and that's why it's not in the computer. They will honor the sale sign even though it's over, but the computer doesn't know about the sign mix-up.

Sometimes it is just an error. I don't believe they are deliberately gouging.
I'm not saying they are perfect. I get irritated when someone makes an error and I have to go to the management desk (and wait) to get it corrected because the transaction is final. However, that's more the way all these stores run now than something about Safeway.

Safeway is very good about issuing rain checks, as was said, when they are out of a special, and I've had no trouble at all getting them honored. Certain specials like close-outs and overstocks will say No Rain Check, but very few of them.

[csgray]

No fluke, happened twice in 3 months, and it was Ass. managers who did it both times. The second one told me it was "standard procedure".

Carol

[Obie]

[quote]Originally posted by KeaauRich

Has anyone else noticed what I think is an increasing trend of deceptive advertising by Safeway?

Deb,

Maku'u Market is like every other retail outlet in the Island. Stuff is frequently here today, gone tomorrow. You just have to keep checking back, and if someone has what you want, snap it up before someone else does.

Rich

So,it's deceptive if Safeway does it and ok at Maku'u ??

[KeaauRich]

Obie,

My point was that it's deceptive to boldly advertise an item and not have sufficient quantities on hand to meet reasonable demand, which is what I believe Safeway did on Sunday. Maku'u doesn't advertise, and its cast of vendors (and their wares) varies from week to week, which is part of its charm. You're comparing apples to oranges (both of which were on sale and in stock at Safeway this week...)

I'm very understanding when any store runs out of regular priced items or advertised specials if rain checks are offered. It's when they advertise a great deal (stock on hand only, no rain checks) to draw you into the store, and then don't follow through that I get upset. Even the meat department guy was frustrated - he said they put the sale hams out "and they were gone like that! <snapping his fingers>" He said the local store had no control over the ad or the amount of sale-priced spiral cut hams they had available to sell, and he didn't seem happy that he had to do the explaining to his frustrated customers (and yes, I was very polite and understanding in my conversation with him...this is a corporate issue, not a local issue).

I have now said all I plan to say on this issue and officially declare this dead horse thoroughly beaten.

[oink]

You haven't made dog food yet.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[missydog1]

I understand and agree with the point that it's deceptive to draw people into the store based on a special with very low stock.

The thing is, advertising is submitted in advance, and not locally. The store DID have these hams coming out the wazoo; that wasn't BS. Like I said, they were on the floor at the sale price a good two days before the ad came out (judging by your post date). Because it was a good deal, they sold rapidly.

So maybe someone screwed up by putting them out early, which rewarded the Safeway regulars and sucked for people who respond to the ads. Whatever happened, there was a good quantity. I don't know that it would be reasonable to expect them to have thousands of hams in order to put out an ad. They only have so much storage space for perishables.

Seems to me that the response is a sign of down economic times, that people are willing to go to the store only because of an ad. I'm hard up myself, but I still only use ads as a way to take note of things I should look at in the store.

FYI, Friday is a good day to shop Safeway if you like deli stuff, as they have big specials on selected meats and cheeses.

I know I sound like a Safeway stockholder here ... NOT! On the mainland I never shopped Safeway, but here I think it's the best store. Granted, I like a clean store, that matters to me. I am excited to have the new one open with more parking and of course really really clean because it'll be new! []

[oink]

Alpo?

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[TheodoreJay]

Walmart has the same marketing strategy. List some really cheap TVs and hope you buy the expensive one when you show up. Its up to you to be a smart buyer. Easy solution is only buy what is a good buy. When you seen items in stock such as toilet paper on sale buy a car load.