Grocery Store Value Cards: Modern Day Ripoff Scheme?
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Sorry, maybe it’s different in most other places, but here in the Morristown Tennessee area, we tend to have the grocery stores with their “value cards.” Sadly, the “value” they save you ends up costing just as much as the normal price at Wal-Mart.
I was at Ingles on the west end of Morristown the other day to get some drinks to stock in some vending machines. Well, I saw the price advertised and it was near Wal-Mart’s price. I ended up going to get two Diet Cokes and a 24 case of Pepsi for what was needed. Sadly, I got to the self checkout and scanned the Diet Coke. It rang up at $7.77. Almost a full dollar more than the advertised price. The little rude check out worker that was standing there said, “Well, you HAVE to have a value card.” I simply said, “No, I can go to Wal-Mart and get it for the “value price” without the hassle of a card.
Why do grocery stores think that everyone wants to fill their wallets with these insipid cards that give us such a value that we can now get the item at normal Wal-Mart price? If it takes you over five minutes longer to get to Wal-Mart than the grocery store, then it might be some sort of savings.
2 Comments
mike
July 15th, 2008
at 8:44am
They are just a replacement for those annoying coupons and STILL make some people buy crap they don’t need or purchase name brand items that are cheaper on the generic or store brand shelves.
Why not just lower the damn prices and get rid of coupons and cards…
I agree with you…these cards are a pain in the butt at best. Funny thing is the store will scan their own card if you don’t have your own or your phone number doesn’t work.
These are simply cards that track what we buy and further invade our privacy…ever wonder why junk mail is on the increase and not decreasing…
peace!
Betsy coy
January 29th, 2009
at 12:52pm
I to bought a green dot card but could not use it no one around here takes it. I called to get my money back and they told me to go to walmart and get it back and I told them that on the card it says no refunds at the store call the 1800 number they hung up on me . I toke the card to walmart and they called them up to get my money back. Green dot said that my check is in the mail and that was sat im still waiting for the check. I say dont buy the card it is a rip off.