American people truly shop like Kings. If you have never been to a third-world country market (grocery), you would not understand the depth of how “rich” the American grocery stores like Ralphs is.
However, in saying all this about my appreciation of the luxuries in America, there is something to be said about what America was founded on …Trust. Trust is the soil that all transactions grow from; Honesty is the bedrock that supports that relationship. It is strongly intertwined. It is the beginning of all transactions (relationships) … be it personal matters to business.
Ralphs started with one dude, George A. Ralphs -- one person creating trust with his environment and his fellow man to provide a service … a cornerstone for the community.
Ralphs is now one of the larger subsidiaries of Kroger. According to the Kroger’s website, Kroger chains include: Kroger Food and Drug · Ralphs · King Soopers & City Market · Dillons · Smith's Food and Drug · Fry's Food and Drug · Quality Food Centers · Baker's · Owen's Market · JayC Food Stores · Hilander · Gerbes · Pay Less Food Markets · Scott's Food & Pharmacy · Kroger Fresh Fare · Food 4 Less · Foods Co. · Fred Meyer · Fred Meyer Jewelers · Littman Jeweler’s · Barclay Jewelers · Fox’s Jewelers · Kroger Personal Finance · The Little Clinic.
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| Logo from Kroger logos page at thekrogerco.com |
Wow. These guys own freakin’ everything.
And as you can see from Kroger’s logo, their core values are Honesty, Respect, Inclusion, Diversity, Safety, and Integrity.
When an item is marked on the shelf as one price and it rings up as another … it’s a mistake. I trust to be taken care of as the customer. Ralphs has a Scan Right Policy when this occurs. If the receipt does not match the shelf tag, the customer gets that item for FREE. Yes. Free.
Whenever I have shop at Ralphs Grocery Stores, I have had issue after issue with Ralphs not giving me the price of the item that is stated on the shelf and overcharging me. And if you are a frugal shopper and someone that often is aware of the “sales items of the week”, this is where a lot of discrepancies occur.
It can be a scanning error or warehouse/stocking mistake, but some consumer advocates like Mary Bach calls it “electronic shoplifting”. It's as if Ralphs and other stores are literally “shoplifting” the money out of our pockets.
I check my receipts all the time. I get overcharged on items nearly 70% of my visits. I have been undercharged once and I told them about it and they didn't seem to care just as much as they don't care when I am overcharged. The thing is that when Ralphs undercharges and the error is in favor of the customer, it is Ralphs fault ... they “cheated” themselves -- just as much as it is their fault when they overcharge and “cheat” the customer. And when they overcharge the customer, they have a policy. They don’t have a policy about undercharging because that is their mistake. I am not required to “help” Ralphs, but when I tried to help Ralphs about my one undercharge experience, the lack of care about the procedures goes across the board whether it's for or against the customer.
My visits at Ralphs are often an event. I have had witness after witness on this -- especially my roommates Michael and Darren. And it can become unpleasant when you have to “work” to make things fair. It’s Not about the money -- it’s about honesty and following through with their policy about overcharging the customer. I politely hold them accountable for it and they adamantly make an embarrassing situation out of it rather than treating me with respect and saying that it was an honest mistake on their part.
These stores rely on customers to NOT make an issue over a few cents and dollars.
I was with my friend, Molly, when she wanted to go to Ralphs for a few jugs of water and protein bars after our hike. The amount seemed unusually high, and when I checked her receipt, she had been overcharged. I told her that she was overcharged. She was too embarrassed to try to do anything about it. I told her that we should make them accountable and that she deserves to get the items for what was stated on the shelf. She asked me to handle it while she waited.
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| Missy & Molly. (photo: Sandra C. Esparza) |
When I went into the car to give Molly the items and the money she received for their “mistake”, she was floored. She couldn’t believe that they had overcharged her that much – and that was just for a few items. She said that she never checks her receipts in the store. But she also said that when she does see an error, she just lets it go because it’s too much trouble to deal with. She wasn’t even aware of the policy.
These are the types of people that Ralphs relies on to shop there because it does take work to keep big business accountable and to keep people representing that business accountable. If we all did this, we would all benefit, but it takes too much work apparently. And if you are polite and don’t want to cause a “problem” for what appears to be a few dollars or cents, or if you are embarrassed to make others wait even when you see a mistake of an overcharge – you are just allowing this behavior to continue.
We are letting “the Man” win. We are just letting the man reach into our pockets over and over again. Big business is so use to this sheep-like behavior that if someone does speak up and say something, the Big Guy can try to make the small guy feel like the “bad guy” while they are reluctantly handing over the money that they overcharged the little guy with. And the other sheep in line start bleating and bad-mouthing because someone is trying to do things correctly … not quietly. Even the cashier is a sheep and can get annoyed or personally offended when someone catches an error as if it’s his or her own store. It’s Ralphs. It’s not your store. All these sheep are enough incentive to make a potential watchdog-style person turn their eye and just not say anything. I suppose that I am a watchdog in the making.
Then there are some people that won’t stand for it and they go to the opposite extreme. Mary Bach who is named the “scanner-lady” has filed numerous small claims suits against retailers for “electronic shoplifting” where she is overcharged for products. Most plead no-contest since they have violated a consumer-protection law and they pay her monies plus court fees. This has happened repeatedly.
Or you have the other extreme. Someone that knows this policy and uses it against the store’s consistent mistakes -- going from store to store to receive all kinds of free items. Alana Lipkin of Framingham, Mass., has spent more than a decade taking advantage of store policies that give you groceries free if they ring up incorrectly.
"In a single shopping trip, the largest dollar amount was over $1000," she said.
THAT is an example of how many scanner mistakes are out there in a single day.
People buy tons and tons of groceries. Imagine the number of people that don’t check their receipts and when one store overcharges multiple times during just one day over a variety of items in that store; now multiply that by the amount of stores in the USA and in most stores they stock hundreds of thousands of items, and there are hundreds of thousands of people going through the stores and buying groceries … can you see the magnitude of money that they pull from the consumer’s wallets? The amount would be staggering.
If little ole me is finding around 70% of my transactions where I am overcharged and if there are more than thousands of stores in the USA and in most stores, they stock hundreds of thousands of items and hundreds of thousands of people are going through these stores… can you see the enormity of the issue … of all those small overcharged amounts adding up?
Well, some people have noticed. And some people have taken action. Ralphs has been sued a number of times and they have been penalized for overcharging their customers. Some of the headlines read, “Supermarket Scanner Errors Can Cost Consumers Up to $2.5 Billion Each Year. Some Grocery Stores Charge Tax on Non-Taxable Items” (ABC News), “Ralphs accused of overcharging customers, false advertising” (Los Angeles Times), “Valley Ralphs charged with overcharging” (The Daily News), “More Misdemeanor Counts for Ralphs in Overcharging Case” (Laist)… and the list goes on and on.
Some notice and don’t care. They would even say a blog about Ralphs Overcharging is as old as the hills and it’s just “tired news” since it’s been going on for years and years.
With higher and higher consumption of all things being pushed and pulled by government policies, corporate policies, marketing & promotional tactics, and sales; where technology is advanced enough to enable the consumer instant gratification; where there is a range of acceptable behaviors and taking care of one’s own self interest is a higher value then to protect the rights of others in order to protect oneself … Honesty seems like a lost artifact that belongs in another time and place.
My journey with Ralphs is continuous. How can I blame the store only? It’s not a one-sided relationship. Many customers allow this behavior to continue. This store is responsible for thousands of items and price changing item after item every week. And if someone is not doing their job correctly and mistakes happen, I do understand.
It’s the proper reaction and interaction that I am on a quest for – a visit when an overcharge occurs and everyone reacts and interacts well. So I plod along on my steadfast course.
And Yes, I’ve lost my Ralphs Rewards points when they implemented a new program and past points expired. Yes, I’ve watched while I would be with the cashier and another clerk would change the sign right before our eyes to a higher price only to have the cashier tell me that I now have to pay the higher price. Yes, I’ve been overcharged for bulk coffee when they were in a legal battle about their inaccurate weights & measurements overpricing issue. Yes, I have watched them tell me that they would gladly give me the difference, but I don’t get the item free. Yes, I’ve had them tell me that they can’t double my manufacturer’s coupon since the scanner won’t double it. Yes, I’ve had to watch myself bring to their attention a pricing error only to watch them do nothing to change the shelf tag. Yes, I’ve had to listen to myself use a firm voice and point to their policy sign and ask for my item for free. Yes, I’ve had to watch others watching me with scrutiny and some with disdain. Yes, I’ve heard the guffaws and moans from customers having to wait for things to be made fair. Yes, I’ve heard them say things like …“Asian people …” blah blah blah. The list goes on and on.
My journey itself is an acceptance of this situation with Ralphs and all of us that gather there. There MIGHT one day be a visit when all things will fall into place when an overcharge happens -- when the concept of Truth and Honesty will be perfectly matched in that moment like the clasp of a firm handshake. That moment will be my small pot of gold in my rainbow of shopping experiences with Ralphs Grocery Store.
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| Missy's Rainbow. |
IDEAS TO PREVENT OVERCHARGE:
-be certain you have the correct sale item that matches shelf price
-watch at the checkout as items are scanned
-jot down shelf prices or snap a cell phone picture of them
-use the self-checkout so you can watch the prices scan
-pay cash
-review your receipt in store or before you leave the store parking lot
EMPLOYEE STORY on CONSUMER AFFAIRS:
James of La Habra CA (06/20/08)
Ralphs operates two reward programs which promises their club card members money off their future purchases if they purchase a required dollar amount of either pet items or wine in 750 ml. bottles. It's 100 in pet items and 200 in wine and in return the customer will save 9 off their next 9 purchase of pet items or 10 off their next 10 purchase of wine. They use the customers loyalty card to track the customers purchases and automatically issue a savings certificate to the customers loyalty card number. Every time the customer meets the requirements another certificate is issued and so on and so on.
Here's the catch, the company will never automatically redeem the certificates and they fail to tell the customers how to properly redeem the certificates. Ralphs puts an expiration date of less than a month on these certificates which is not true. Every certificate issued has the same number assigned to it and the program is an ongoing program which doesn't expire.
On the certificate it states that the customer must purchase at least 9 in pet items or 10 in wine 750 ml. bottles and that they must use their club card in order to redeem the certificate. Once the customer has fulfilled the requirements the company fails to take the 9 or 10 off their order. One of my customers had accumulated 36 9 certificates and saved 324 off his order. He received 267 in cash back and the register for that day balanced. The company also has taken my money which I have earned towards my certificate. Every time I have shopped my pet rewards total starts at zero, meaning I will never get a certificate even after spending hundreds of dollars on pet items.
The company profits off every certificate which is not redeemed and is able to write off every certificate which is issued. Customers who do not speak English will never get their rewards in the form of money off their order.
The company also uses this program to terminate employees who assist customers in redeeming their outstanding rewards. I worked for the company for over 22 years and was terminated for helping my customers and for being honest with them. I know of another employee who also worked with ralphs for over 22 years and was terminated also. We were both managers and had been doing this for years and never warned to stop. The union does little to help these employees and helps the company in terminating them. I was told that in one month I returned to the customer 5,000 in rewards. Ralphs has 400 stores and a minimum of 6 cashiers at each store. Some stores have as many as 20 cashiers and if every cashier did what I did, I figure there would be over 20 million in rewards given to the customers.
NEW STORY: “Valley Ralphs charged with overcharging”
CRIME: Supermarket faces $256,000 in fines, accused of shorting shoppers.
By: Greg Risling, The Associated Press
Posted: 05/11/2010 10:42:55 PM PDT
The City Attorney's Office filed criminal charges Tuesday against the Ralphs supermarket chain and its parent company, Kroger Co., accusing them of overcharging for some goods in Los Angeles.
The city attorney filed 14 counts of false and misleading advertising along with other charges, including false labeling and unlawful computation of value. Both Ralphs and Cincinnati-based Kroger face fines and penalties of up to $256,000.
Eight of the 14 stores were in the San Fernando Valley, including sites in Canoga Park, Encino, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills, Studio City and two in Granada Hills.
"We take allegations of this nature very seriously and we'll conduct our own investigation and take corrective actions as necessary," said Meghan Glynn, a spokeswoman for Ralphs and Kroger.
Undercover inspectors visited 14 Ralphs stores across Los Angeles between January and March and found customers were being gouged for prepackaged and weighed products including fried chicken and salad, city prosecutors said.
Inspectors from the county's Department of Weights and Measures discovered 27 violations. Most of the violations involved the store illegally charging for the weight of the package, or including the ice glaze on frozen products in the net weight, authorities said. Some prepackaged items also were found to be under the weight on the label.
Ralphs was cited for similar violations in 2008 and 2009 and paid nearly $17,000 in fines.
The locations of the Ralphs stores involved in the charges are:
At 3410 W. Third St., Los Angeles; 22333 Sherman Way, Canoga Park; 16940 Devonshire St., Granada Hills; 18101 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills; 5601 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles; 16325 Ventura Blvd., Encino; 260 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; 14440 Burbank Blvd., Van Nuys; 11727 Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles; 14049 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; 21909 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills; 1050 N. Western Ave., San Pedro; 10701 Ventura Blvd., Studio City; 3300 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles.
PARTIAL HISTORY OF RALPHS according to WIKIPEDIA:
Ralphs Grocery Company is a major supermarket chain in the Southern California area and the largest subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger. It is the oldest such chain west of the Mississippi River. Ralphs Grocery Company also operates stores under the Cala Foods, Bell Markets, Food-4-Less, and FoodsCo names in California as well as PriceRite stores in Nevada, now operated as Food-4-Less.
Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 in Downtown Los Angeles by George A. Ralphs (1850–1914). The original store was located at Sixth and Spring Streets. In the 20th century, Ralphs became a grocery pioneer, offering self-service markets with checkout stands in distributed locations. The company employed notable architects in designing its stores, and the former Ralphs Grocery Store built in 1929 in Westwood Village has been photographed by Ansel Adams, declared a Historic Cultural Monument and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1980s it created a chain of hybrid supermarket/warehouse stores called The Giant (unrelated to Northeastern chain Giant Food) which failed, but the concept returned with the company's merger with the Food 4 Less discount chain. During the mid-1990s, Ralphs expanded as it merged with many Southern California supermarkets including The Boys, Alpha Beta, Viva, and ABC Markets. Ralphs Grocery Company merged with Fred Meyer, Inc., in 1997. In October 1998, Fred Meyer, Inc., parent company of Ralphs, merged with The Kroger Company. The company slogan is "Fresh Food...Lower Prices."
In 1999, Ralphs purchased about 30 Albertsons and Lucky Stores, mostly in northern California. The stores were divested as a result of the Albertsons and American Stores merger. Ralphs operated the stores until January 2006, when they announced that all but one Ralphs in northern California would close. In August 2006, the one remaining Ralphs in northern California was given a 60 day notice of closure. Also in August 2006, Ralphs finalized plans to sell 11 (of 13 remaining) Cala-Bell Stores to Harley DeLano, who previously ran the chain. Ralphs expansion into northern California did not work out.
Ralphs opened a new 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) store in the South Park neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles on July 20, 2007 which is located on 9th and Hope St. W/validated parking. This marked the return of the first full-run supermarket in Downtown in 50 years. Ralphs closed a store that had been located at 7th Street and Figueroa in 1950.
Nice Site about My Ralphs: myralphsshermanoaks.com
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