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  1. TopTop #1
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    The other night I decided that, my finances being what they are, I need to get into the habit of shopping at Grocery Outlet (AKA Groce-Out), to save money. I went to my local Groce-Out (on 4th St. at College Ave. in Santa Rosa). There was a big box of spaghetti squash with a sign that said "Score! Butternut or Acorn Squash 99 cents". Since the squash in the box was neither butternut nor acorn squash, I asked an employee if 99 cents was the accurate price for the spaghetti squash in the box. He said no, it was more expensive than that. I said "Well, you'll want to take down that sign, then." He walked away without doing so. That seemed strange. I finished my shopping and then went back to see if the sign had been taken down. It hadn't. So I asked a different employee, named Eve, if I could talk to the manager. She said the manager was pretty busy, but she was "almost a manager" and would try to help me. I asked if it's Grocery Outlet's policy to maximize sales by misleading customers about prices, and told her about the other guy not correcting the price sign on the squash even after I'd urged him to. She said she'd take care of the situation.

    I wrote all that because I'm wondering if that one employee was just a flake who doesn't represent the company's real attitude, or if Grocery Outlet is in the habit of misleading customers. Can any of you Waccoids share experiences/info that might shed light on the ethicality or lack of it displayed by Grocery Outlet? Similar info regarding other local stores would be helpful too. Thanks!
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  3. TopTop #2
    Zeno Swijtink's Avatar
    Zeno Swijtink
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Dixon: View Post
    The other night I decided that, my finances being what they are, I need to get into the habit of shopping at Grocery Outlet (AKA Groce-Out), to save money. I went to my local Groce-Out (on 4th St. at College Ave. in Santa Rosa). There was a big box of spaghetti squash with a sign that said "Score! Butternut or Acorn Squash 99 cents". Since the squash in the box was neither butternut nor acorn squash, I asked an employee if 99 cents was the accurate price for the spaghetti squash in the box. He said no, it was more expensive than that. I said "Well, you'll want to take down that sign, then." He walked away without doing so. That seemed strange. I finished my shopping and then went back to see if the sign had been taken down. It hadn't. So I asked a different employee, named Eve, if I could talk to the manager. She said the manager was pretty busy, but she was "almost a manager" and would try to help me. I asked if it's Grocery Outlet's policy to maximize sales by misleading customers about prices, and told her about the other guy not correcting the price sign on the squash even after I'd urged him to. She said she'd take care of the situation.

    I wrote all that because I'm wondering if that one employee was just a flake who doesn't represent the company's real attitude, or if Grocery Outlet is in the habit of misleading customers. Can any of you Waccoids share experiences/info that might shed light on the ethicality or lack of it displayed by Grocery Outlet? Similar info regarding other local stores would be helpful too. Thanks!
    This is a bit speculative since I don't know this store or the company.

    But I wonder whether a business like this with these prices - while trying to maintain a return on investment comparable to other food businesses - thinks it can afford hiring employees who make an effort to maintain truth and consistency in signage and such niceties.

    As a customer would you not expect that both the quality of the food and the quality of the signage is lower as what you will find in stores such as Andy's or Oliver's?

    In other words, are you not a bit naive here when you embarked in getting into the habit of shopping at Groce-Out?

    If you are interested in acquiring spaghetti squash, or butternut or acorn squash "from a box" for 99c why would you expect that more then 2c of this would be paid to the people that work there? These employees are no flakes I venture, but give you the service for which you are paying and for which they get the lousy pay they are getting.
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  5. TopTop #3
    Shandi's Avatar
    Shandi
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    I've shopped at Grocery Outlet in RPk for several years, and haven't noticed any deliberate mis-leading prices. I do know that in any store, we have to be very vigilant about prices on items.
    Also, sometimes customers pick up something in one place, and put it in another place.

    While at Safeway last week, I picked up a bottle of Bolthouse (my favorite) carrot juice that showed a sale price tag on the front of the bin. I'm always checking for this to go on sale. There were 3 bottles, and I excitedly picked up one, checked the date, and proceeded to the checkstand. I wasn't actually checking to see that the prices she rung up were correct. I trust that the bar code usually scans correctly.

    For some unknown reason as finished loading my groceries in the car, I checked the receipt. I found that the price I was charged wasn't what I saw on the sale tag. It was a $2 difference, but I was curious how this could have happened. I took the bottle back in, and went to customer service, since the checker had a long line. What she discovered was that the sale tag was actually for Mango, not Carrot. But the mango had sold out, and somehow the 3 bottles of carrot juice were somehow moved behind the sale tag. I just got a refund. Now, the question remains, did customers inadvertently move the bottles to the wrong place, or did store personnel do it? People who stock gain no benefit from customers paying more, so I assume that this was done by customers who had been drawn to the sale on the mango juice.

    Rather than blame anyone, I have to acknowledge that I never really checked the small print to see which juice was on sale, but assumed that the bottles behind the tag were the ones. I do know that sometimes, only certain flavors go on sale, while the rest stay the same. I've seen this on yogurt, and some brands of cat food. It makes sense that the ones that don't move as well, will be discounted.

    A similar thing happened to me yesterday. I saw a sale sign for pistachios, which my friend likes, and it was 2 for $10. I grabbed one bag, and figured I'd still get the price break, even though I didn't buy two. I thought the total seemed high, so I checked my receipt when I got to the car. I had been charged $10.99 for the one bag. So, back I went to figure it out. It seemed to be a similar occurrence. I picked up the bag that was behind the sale tag, but didn't check to make sure it was exactly the same size that was on sale. I discovered that instead of picking up the size that was on sale at 2 for $10, I'd picked up a larger size bag. If I'd gotten 2 bags, it would have been more oz. for less. Again, it was my lack of paying close attention.

    As for your experience with the wrong price and description for the items that were in the bin, that could just be human error, (a mistake) or lack of knowledge about the difference between spaghetti squash and butternut. But there's no excuse for not taking care of the problem, unless there were other priorities at that time.

    If this is the first time you've experienced this, I'd say it's not a routine practice of Grocery Outlet. I seriously doubt if any store could get away with this kind of thing, without shoppers noticing, and saying something, like you did. It's much easier to spot something like that than it is to be sure to check the fine print on sale tags, to make sure we know what we're doing. Sometimes, the placement of prices can be deceiving, as they can be above or below the product. I've had this experience at Costco. The price that was closest to the item was the price for an item below it, etc.

    The old saying still goes: "Buyer beware" of pricing , and of "flakes" that work where we shop.


    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Dixon: View Post
    The other night I decided that, my finances being what they are, I need to get into the habit of shopping at Grocery Outlet (AKA Groce-Out), to save money. I went to my local Groce-Out (on 4th St. at College Ave. in Santa Rosa). There was a big box of spaghetti squash with a sign that said "Score! Butternut or Acorn Squash 99 cents". Since the squash in the box was neither butternut nor acorn squash, I asked an employee if 99 cents was the accurate price for the spaghetti squash in the box. He said no, it was more expensive than that. I said "Well, you'll want to take down that sign, then." He walked away without doing so. That seemed strange. I finished my shopping and then went back to see if the sign had been taken down. It hadn't. So I asked a different employee, named Eve, if I could talk to the manager. She said the manager was pretty busy, but she was "almost a manager" and would try to help me. I asked if it's Grocery Outlet's policy to maximize sales by misleading customers about prices, and told her about the other guy not correcting the price sign on the squash even after I'd urged him to. She said she'd take care of the situation.

    I wrote all that because I'm wondering if that one employee was just a flake who doesn't represent the company's real attitude, or if Grocery Outlet is in the habit of misleading customers. Can any of you Waccoids share experiences/info that might shed light on the ethicality or lack of it displayed by Grocery Outlet? Similar info regarding other local stores would be helpful too. Thanks!
    Last edited by Barry; 03-05-2014 at 02:19 PM.
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  7. TopTop #4
    Conly's Avatar
    Conly
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Hi, my experience of G-O is that it is Not as competitively priced as one would think. Most of the produce is on its last..... gasp. Meat (red, brown and gray) including“sandwich meats”, poultry and Fish (shudder) are at or very near their pull dates. Only buy these if you plan to cook the very same day. Boxed items are very close to stale.
    One must understand that other stores dump their remainders on G-O.
    If you do a little comparative shopping you’ll see that most prices are very close to the big chains.
    Artichokes 2 for $5. Organic garbanzobeans .99 cents a can. Oh there are a few items that might be a good deal but not often and are they really things that you would want to eat?
    I will say that if there is a product that you absolutely love but has been “Discontinued” else where you might find a few bottles or boxes there. But beer is the same asanywhere else or a little higher. Much of the wine is off brands with novelty labels like “feeding frenzy” and “Ass kicker”
    I have been on a search for Onion Salt so I was in the very store you spoke of Dixon just yesterday looking for that “Discontinued elsewhere” item, but they didn't have it either.....
    As to the employees I've had contact with... the clerks have always been pleasant but the stockers seem burnt-out......*
    Last edited by Barry; 03-05-2014 at 02:22 PM.
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  9. TopTop #5
    amalia's Avatar
    amalia
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    yes, "management" at Grocery Outlet is always a challenge.
    You must make the decision, questionable management, unresolved questions vs. low prices and surprising bargains each time you shop there. Almost expired or even recently expired products (and still quite edible) are their best bargains. It's not Safeway or Whole Foods with trained and customer-friendly personnel. Nor is it always predictable.
    I probably would have brought the Butternut $.99 sign to the cashier with the squash in tow.
    Grocery Outlet is always an adventure!
    Last edited by Barry; 03-05-2014 at 02:23 PM.
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  11. TopTop #6
    steelydboy's Avatar
    steelydboy
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    I have had almost nothing but excellent customer service at that store, but I have seen little chinks in the armor, if you will. Generally speaking, there are lots of very young folks working and managing there, and there is a recently installed new ownership. I would say give "Groce Out" another shot because they are trying to do a good job there. And, NO, I am not an employee, just an extremely poor shopper and fan!
    Last edited by Barry; 03-05-2014 at 02:24 PM.
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  13. TopTop #7
    eric
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Yeah, they had sold out of the squash advertised for 99 cents, by the time you arrived. Do you really think the good folks at Grocery Outlet, were trying to mislead the public over low priced squash? Really?

    My biggest gripe with Grocery Outlet, is that they often times run out of a certain items that I return to the store to find. In which case they may never restock that same exact item again, because it might be a close out deal. Sometimes the deals are so good that an item can be gone from the shelves in a matter of hours. Whereas other items are regularly restocked. It just depends. This also happens at Costco, all the time.
    The same thing goes for the Rohnert Park, and Petaluma, Grocery Outlet, locations. As it turns out, every Grocery Outlet, has a different inventory because each stores manager makes separate orders.
    Overall some of the deals you can find at Grocery Outlet, are unbeatable. They have a selection of healthy, and organic foods. I'm generally pleased with the groceries I purchase there.
    Attached Thumbnails (click thumbnail for larger view) Attached Thumbnails (click thumbnail for larger view) Expand  
    Last edited by eric; 03-06-2014 at 12:04 AM. Reason: Photo taken on 3/5
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  15. TopTop #8
    Stargazer's Avatar
    Stargazer
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    The Grocery Outlet was recently sold. The former employees were all fired right before the Holidays. "Merry Christmas" The GO needs to be reported for fraud which is unethical and very possibly criminal. I think this type of abuse gets reported to the weights and measures dept of the county. Furthermore if enough people have experienced this as I have as well, I say picket the store. Take out a permit at the SR police dept so the exposure of this kind of dishonesty is legal and nobody gets arrested. Peaceful demonstrations raise awareness and expose this kind of dishonest business practice. Free advertising which will either get them to get their act together or they could get fined or even closed down until they fix their serious misleading business practices. Call a few newspaper reporters to attend the gathering. It is time that working people and people on fixed incomes fight back or we will be paying big bucks for low quality out dated or close to out dated old food which is alot of what they sell. Fight back against GREED & DECEPTION before it is too late.

    The new employees are mostly family members and have very uppity attitudes. It is no longer what it was supposed to be. Many of the items do not even have prices on them and many of the prices are incorrect.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-05-2014 at 02:25 PM.
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  17. TopTop #9
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Stargazer, it sounds like you've seen enough pricing inaccuracy at Groce-Out to be suspicious that it may be purposeful. This motivates me to return there and shop, paying careful attention to how the marked prices compare with what I'm actually charged.
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  19. TopTop #10
    Ted Pole's Avatar
    Ted Pole
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Not too familiar with Grocery Outlet, but I AM familiar with the whole "oops, wrong price" phenomena. This all started when stores went from actually putting a price tag on individual items to using a computer database and the Universal Price Codes. If one we're just a tad cynical, one would say that supermarkets rightly assume that the vast majority of shoppers never check the receipt against what the shelf prices were, or what the advertised sale prices were.

    My sister was a Home Ec major in college, taught it in high schools, a wife and mother of three boys and was and is an absolute marvel at getting bargains. She clips coupons, checks for sales and hunts down the absolute best bargains in supermarkets as well as department and specialty stores. She has spent over fifty years refining her skills to the point where she could legitimately be a consumer reporter somewhere.

    The reason I tout her skills is because she has told me repeatedly that supermarkets are notorious for pricing things wrong, taking a long time to correct the mistakes, and assuming that customers can't be bothered with double checking. She lives down in the Southeast, where for many years grocery store chains had a rarely publicized policy that if the price on an item was wrong, you got that item for free. Once word got out about that, they soon changed the policy to a 10% off credit on the item. Why the change? Why do you think?

    Wonder what the policy is at your favorite markets?

    I'd bet if you took the time to write down the prices of the items you put in your basket and checked them against your receipt, you'd be appalled. I always think "man, I don't have that kind of time", but as money gets tighter, I'll start finding the time.

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  21. TopTop #11
    Shepherd's Avatar
    Shepherd
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    I have also recently been buying wine at RP's Grocery Outlet. The prices are amazingly low. I have found all the check-out people and other in-store people to be helpful. The man who cares for the wine is a good person to speak to about wine and very friendly. I do think one needs to carefully check the "Best by" date on perishable foods. I do sometimes buy yogurt and soy milk there, and sometimes there are dated items.

    Last edited by Barry; 03-05-2014 at 01:38 PM.
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  23. TopTop #12
    Shandi's Avatar
    Shandi
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    If I'm in a position to see the items actually rung up, (and I'm not in a big hurry) I'll watch closely on the sale items to make sure I get the advertised price. It seems that those are the things most likely to be wrong, since outdated tags can be missed when they should be pulled, or I pick up the wrong item.

    I shop at all of the many stores in Rohnert Park/Cotati, and the sale items will bring me in. I've only recently realized that the coupons in the Safeway flyer actually have to be used in order to get the sale price. I actually read the fine print! Even if I forget the bring the coupons, I just pick up a flyer in the store, and use that, since I rarely go into any store without a list. My list stays with me until everything is checked off, even if it means going to three stores. I still have one item on my list that I haven't found, and that's Rit Dye. I may have to go to a craft store. It's been years since I bought dye. It's not a priority, so I can just keep looking.

    I've read that because most people don't check their itemized bills, and this goes for telephone, PGE, hospital, etc. it's pretty easy to pull a fast one on the consumer. There are services that offer to analyze ongoing monthly bills, to find errors, but I haven't seen that advertised lately.
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  25. TopTop #13
    Conly's Avatar
    Conly
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Dixon: View Post
    Stargazer, it sounds like you've seen enough pricing inaccuracy at Groce-Out to be suspicious that it may be purposeful. This motivates me to return there and shop, paying careful attention to how the marked prices compare with what I'm actually charged.
    Without being seen snap a few pictures with your phone of the errant pricings and then of your receipt and email to the local papers or "7 on your side".
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  27. TopTop #14
    Shandi's Avatar
    Shandi
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    I think taking pictures is a good idea, especially if this is a common occurance that you deal with. Personally, I'd show them to the management first, to give them a chance to make things right, before taking it to the newspapers or "7" on your side. I doubt that unless you had several on one receipt, or even one on different receipts, that "7" on your side would even deal with it. I could be wrong, but you could find out from them.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Conly: View Post
    Without being seen snap a few pictures with your phone of the errant pricings and then of your receipt and email to the local papers or "7 on your side".

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  29. TopTop #15
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Conly: View Post
    Without being seen snap a few pictures with your phone of the errant pricings and then of your receipt and email to the local papers or "7 on your side".
    I don't have a cell phone, so I'll have to leave the picture taking to you, Conly.
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  30. TopTop #16
    jbox's Avatar
    jbox
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by amalia: View Post
    yes, "management" at Grocery Outlet is always a challenge.
    You must make the decision, questionable management, unresolved questions vs. low prices and surprising bargains each time you shop there. Almost expired or even recently expired products (and still quite edible) are their best bargains. It's not Safeway or Whole Foods with trained and customer-friendly personnel. Nor is it always predictable.
    I probably would have brought the Butternut $.99 sign to the cashier with the squash in tow.
    Grocery Outlet is always an adventure!
    I shop at GO all the time. Sure, its kinda funky and you have to watch what you buy, but there are some really great deals. I bought big beautiful butternut squash for .99 each and they are great. .79/lb elsewhere, about $4 each. There is the occasional great wine bargain too. Most of the wine there is swill but if you know how to read labels there are some great deals on Sonoma and Napa wine, second labels, etc. I bought Ramazotti Recordo there for 6.99 a few years back and if you can find it it was $28. Plus if you find something you like you can get a 10%case discount. I like the store, you just have to shop carefully
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  32. TopTop #17
    meherc's Avatar
    meherc
    Supporting member

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Are you talking about the squash??? I've just started reading this thread but isn't picketing and reporting them to the board of weights and measures a little harsh? Fraud because the 99 cent squash was sold out?
    I happen to be one of those poor but excruciatingly thrifty people who has had long conversations with the managers about how to decode the scanner numbers to see if it's organic or matching the numbers up to the tiny numbers on the shelves. I have brought sale signs up to the counter if. they are not charging the right price. I go to Grocery Outlet, not that regularly because there are none near me, but I am forever a fan because I found Viennetta there, a delicate ice cream/pastry thing that I haven't seen since I was a kid in NY. I think you can't expect to find everything in the same place. I would never buy meat at GO but I would get frozen pretzels at Big Lots. Safeway's chicken grosses me out. By the way, someone had said GO takes the food that the other stores don't want or is defective or old. I'm pretty sure they just buy up the overruns, the items that are not moving in other stores or from places that have just over ordered an item.
    Marilyn Meshak Herczog, EA
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  34. TopTop #18
    Zeno Swijtink's Avatar
    Zeno Swijtink
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Shepherd: View Post
    I have also recently been buying wine at RP's Grocery Outlet. The prices are amazingly low. I have found all the check-out people and other in-store people to be helpful. The man who cares for the wine is a good person to speak to about wine and very friendly. I do think one needs to carefully check the "Best by" date on perishable foods. I do sometimes buy yogurt and soy milk there, and sometimes there are dated items.
    Low prizes likely have a flip side: I wonder how the wages are at this store. Are the wages also amazingly low? I think everybody struggles with this dilemma: we like good=low prices, but we also want everybody to make a living wage.

    The "Best by" dates have also a flip side: Many foods that have passed their date are still perfectly edible. In fact, the current standards of labeling foods is creating a lot of waste in the food system.

    If you are interested read the The Dating Game - How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America, by the National Resources Defense Council.

    Zero Waste Sonoma County (ZWSC) and Share Exchange are now holding monthly Zero Waste meet-ups in Santa Rosa. Their goal is to encourage local groups and individuals working on wasting less to get to know each other better, and lay the foundation for establishing Sonoma as a Zero Waste County.

    The next meet-up is on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 5:30pm.

    https://www.facebook.com/events/486664931439268/
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  36. TopTop #19
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by eric: View Post
    Yeah, they had sold out of the squash advertised for 99 cents, by the time you arrived.
    Obviously. What concerned me was the fact that the employee didn't take down the misleading sign even when I suggested it and was standing right there observing. I have to consider the hypothesis that he was afraid of getting in trouble for correcting the price sign.

    Quote Do you really think the good folks at Grocery Outlet, were trying to mislead the public over low priced squash? Really?
    Eric, aren't you paying attention? I've made it abundantly clear that I simply don't know, which is why I'm asking. Have you ruled out the possibility that a store might purposely and habitually mislead the public about prices in order to make more money? If you have, please share your reasoning with us.
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  38. TopTop #20
    eric
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Yes Dixon, I have ruled out any possibility that "Grocery Outlet," in Santa Rosa, is either purposely or habitually misleading the public about prices. Firstly that employee you mentioned, and even the manager of the store weren't directly profiting from any extra revenue generated by people confused over what type of squash they were purchasing because of some uncertainty over whether it's on sale or not. The employees of Grocery Outlet, are payed by straight hourly wage, and the manager probably receives a predetermined salary. I'm sure and certain they're not getting any kickbacks from any projected squash conspiracy sales tactics.

    The store had simply run out of squash that was on sale for .99 cents, that's all. The employee you mentioned, possibly wasn't at liberty to take down the sign. I do know that the very next day on 3/5, the squash had been restocked and was still on sale for .99 cents, and asparagus was on sale for only .50 cents...

    I also know that the employees of Grocery Outlet, and especially the manager are more than accommodating when it comes to customer satisfaction as that relates to refunds. If there's anything you purchase at that store that you may be unhappy with, the manager will gladly provide a refund. I even brought back a can opener that stopped working months after I purchased it, and received exchange value without even providing a receipt.

    As with all things though, caveat emptor, or buyer beware. I'm certain that some stores do use unethical and misleading sales tactics. Perhaps employees of certain stores can be dishonest as well. Also take into consideration and keep in mind that mistakes do happen... After checking my receipt I was outraged a few months back because a clerk at Trader Joe's, had charged me two times for one item. I got a refund, and a bag of free bananas because I was aware.

    Awareness is an important thing, its the first step to creating change when change is needed. I wish more people took more actions to create more change where change is needed in this world. Because simple awareness isn't always enough and it often leads to mere complacency.
    More power to you!

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Dixon: View Post
    Eric, aren't you paying attention? I've made it abundantly clear that I simply don't know, which is why I'm asking. Have you ruled out the possibility that a store might purposely and habitually mislead the public about prices in order to make more money? If you have, please share your reasoning with us.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-07-2014 at 01:16 PM.
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  39. TopTop #21
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by eric: View Post
    I do know that the very next day on 3/5, the squash had been restocked and was still on sale for .99 cents...
    If you're talking about spaghetti squash (the kind that was there when I was there), it never was on sale for 99 cents (at least, not according to the employees I asked). If it was spaghetti squash and was still marked 99 cents the next day, that probably just means they still hadn't corrected the sign, which, if true, is evidence of either dishonesty or gross negligence evincing lack of respect for their customers.

    Quote I also know that the employees of Grocery Outlet, and especially the manager are more than accommodating when it comes to customer satisfaction as that relates to refunds. If there's anything you purchase at that store that you may be unhappy with, the manager will gladly provide a refund. I even brought back a can opener that stopped working months after I purchased it, and received exchange value without even providing a receipt.
    It sounds like they gave you excellent service on those occasions, Eric, but of course that has no bearing on my question about their possibly misleading customers about prices--a question about which, for me, the jury is still out...

    Quote I'm certain that some stores do use unethical and misleading sales tactics. Perhaps employees of certain stores can be dishonest as well. Also take into consideration and keep in mind that mistakes do happen...
    You and I are in agreement about all of that. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on in this case.

    Cheers!
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  40. TopTop #22
    eric
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    I'm certainly no squash expert, yet invariably that looks like Spaghetti Squash in the photo I posted.
    Although I believe there were other varieties of squash available, I can't believe we're having this conversation.
    Don't you think we should just "squash" it?
    Last edited by Barry; 03-07-2014 at 01:17 PM.
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  41. TopTop #23
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by eric: View Post
    I'm certainly no squash expert, yet invariably that looks like Spaghetti Squash in the photo I posted.
    Photo? I saw no photo.
    Anyway, as I made quite clear, spaghetti squash (and only spaghetti squash) was present in that display, but, according to the two employees I spoke with, it was not on sale for 99 cents, though the sign said it was. That's the point, Eric. If you're gonna participate in a conversation, try to read and respond to what's actually said.

    Quote I can't believe we're having this conversation. Don't you think we should just "squash" it?
    No one is forcing you to participate. Bye bye.
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  42. TopTop #24
    ChefJayTay's Avatar
    ChefJayTay
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    I wouldn't exactly consider scarred squash a steal for $1 in March. It was picked months ago.

    I stopped buying at Best Buy for a similar reason. They advertised a price online, then when I arrived in store, the product didn't have a displayed price. It rung up $5 more than the advertised price. I complained and got the online price, but felt I couldn't trust them to be honest afterwords.
    [Late Edit] I should add, I bought this item on the day of the release.
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  44. TopTop #25
    jbox's Avatar
    jbox
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Dixon et al,

    I can tell you what's going on. Not a damn thing. If this thread doesn't define "tempest in a teapot" I dunno what does. However, if you and all the objectors post when you will be picketing the store I will be sure to come on down to Grocery Outlet, so I can cross the line and go shopping!!
    Last edited by Barry; 03-07-2014 at 01:18 PM.
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  46. TopTop #26
    Shandi's Avatar
    Shandi
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Since squash has a hard outer shell, being scratched isn't going to affect this vegetable. Does everyone avoid any squash that has a scratch? Melons, too? How do you know when it was picked? Do you have inside information on when produce is picked at various stores? Because that's something many of us could benefit from knowing.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by ChefJayTay: View Post
    I wouldn't exactly consider scarred squash a steal for $1 in March. It was picked months ago.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-07-2014 at 01:18 PM.
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  47. TopTop #27
    Ted Pole's Avatar
    Ted Pole
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

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  48. Gratitude expressed by 4 members:

  49. TopTop #28
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Thanks, Ted, for that informative article. To those of you who may think my suspicion of some grocery store skullduggery was "a tempest in a teapot" (Hi, jbox, eric, and bill shearer!), here's the first sentence from the article Ted linked to: "Safeway Inc. agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that it charged higher prices than advertised, misrepresented the weights of products and falsely claimed that produce from other countries was "locally grown," Bay Area prosecutors said Thursday."

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Ted Pole: View Post
    Last edited by Dixon; 03-07-2014 at 05:19 PM.
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  51. TopTop #29
    Dixon's Avatar
    Dixon
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by Zeno Swijtink: View Post
    ...But I wonder whether a business like this with these prices - while trying to maintain a return on investment comparable to other food businesses - thinks it can afford hiring employees who make an effort to maintain truth and consistency in signage and such niceties.
    As a customer would you not expect that both the quality of the food and the quality of the signage is lower as what you will find in stores such as Andy's or Oliver's?
    In other words, are you not a bit naive here when you embarked in getting into the habit of shopping at Groce-Out?
    Zeno, expecting that people should be honest with me has nothing to do with naivete. Of course, people often won't be honest, but it's still reasonable to expect that they should be. Deciding to shop in a cheaper place certainly entails forgoing luxuries like fancy signs or whatever, but it does not entail a tacit agreement that it's okay for them to mislead me about the prices.

    Quote If you are interested in acquiring spaghetti squash, or butternut or acorn squash "from a box" for 99c why would you expect that more then 2c of this would be paid to the people that work there? These employees are no flakes I venture, but give you the service for which you are paying and for which they get the lousy pay they are getting.
    There are certain basic standards of respect and honesty that should not depend on how much one is getting paid. I myself have had really, really shitty, low-paid jobs, but would never have even considered taking out my angst on innocent customers by giving them anything other than good, respectful service. Purposely misleading customers about the prices is not a constructive nor honorable response to job dissatisfaction, even if one's complaints about the job are valid. The employee in question could have taken 10 seconds to remove the misleading sign, but apparently either didn't give a damn or would have gotten in trouble from a supervisor who wants to mislead the customers about the prices. So it's either flakiness or dishonesty. Low pay is no excuse for either of those things.

    Also, Zeno, as a guy who has worked low-paid, low-status jobs myself, I'm concerned that you seem to think that low-paid people are more likely to give poor service than others. It may be true or may not, but I'm wondering if there may be a hint of elitism in your apparent assumption that low-paid people would behave less honorably.
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  53. TopTop #30
    eric
     

    Re: Problem with Grocery Outlet?

    If Butternut and Acorn Squash are advertised on sale for 99cents, then it's plain and simple to differentiate
    that Spaghetti Squash is a completely different variety of squash, and therefore not on sale.

    Quote Posted in reply to the post by ChefJayTay: View Post
    I stopped buying at Best Buy for a similar reason. They advertised a price online, then when I arrived in store, the product didn't have a displayed price. It rung up $5 more than the advertised price. I complained and got the online price, but felt I couldn't trust them to be honest afterwords.
    Best Buy, is another great example, they have literally tens of thousands of items in their inventory. It seems almost impossible if not highly improbable that they could accurately keep track of the multitude of price fluctuations that take place in their system on a regular basis.
    Last edited by Barry; 03-08-2014 at 02:35 PM.
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