Grocery Store Trying to Cheat us?

debsey

Thu, Dec 08 2016, 1:15 pm

sourstix wrote:

Debsey and chayalle don't you know that ____ does this on purpose? They allow spoiled cold cuts and ready salads to sit there with mold and won't take care of it. They even put on a new sticker on the expired cold cuts! I know many people are complaining about this store here.

The one that has3 stores here. Y' know which one I mean. Just because other. Stores recently opened they are feeling the pinch. So they are trying to give better service. Till recently they didn't have decent cashiers and packers! U had to pack yourself at times. Isn't this something I pay for? And if I don't I want a discount. Whatever this store you know which one, iknows what they are doing and don't care, because most of Lakewood comes to them anyway.

Good thing there is competition it makes things better for the customers

I don't know which store you are talking about, but I tend to vote with my feet. I had a what felt like a "bad run" at a store, where for three weeks straight at least one thing was spoiled, so I just stopped shopping there for a while.

Seasons is too expensive, but the store is a pleasure to navigate and I love the ready food there - their quinoa salad, the sushi, the french bread - just the yummiest stuff. And when I did once buy something spoiled there, no one asked me to bring it back. They just credited me, no problem.

I don't do delivery , so I can't compare the different stores and their service. I can tell you that in the 20+ years I'm living here, stores have gotten much better stocked and much more responsive. I make a big Chanukah party every year, and I used to go in to NY to go to Pomegranate to get some of my specialty ingredients - chunk parmesan cheese, interesting cheeses for a platter, silan, pignoli nuts - but now, I can find everything I need in Lakewood. I used to work in NY, so it wasn't such a shlep for me to travel in to flatbush, but it's nice not to have to!

CatLady

Thu, Dec 08 2016, 1:45 pm

According to the law where I live, if an item does not scan at the proper price and its value is <$10.00, you get it free. There are posters next to every cash register at the supermarkets announcing this. I one got a large container of coffee at Costco gratis because of this! They also have excellent customer service - when my son bought something that had expired, he got a prompt refund without questioning, and with an apology.

OTOH, certain places are notorious for past-sell-date merchandise. I vote with my wallet, and refuse to patronize such establishments. Nor do I shop at places where the prices aren't clearly marked, because I am not sure who gets the best sale price, but in the words of Dylan, it ain't me babe!

Chayalle

Thu, Dec 08 2016, 1:50 pm

CatLady wrote:

I once got a big Natural and Kosher Cheese sampler free from our local Shoprite because it scanned at the wrong price.

I just did my Shabbos shopping. I needed more sesame seeds, used them up last time I made sesame pasta....on the shelf, the tag said that Leiber's sesame seeds are 2.49. There was not a container of Leiber's sesame seeds in sight, and instead that shelf space was occupied by Paskesz sesame seeds, which rang up at 3.39 at the register.

Something like this happens just about every week. I'm not going to make a whole deal of .90 but it's annoying that the items are not as tagged on the shelf, and the price could be totally different. Not what I call "shpitz" honesty.

naturalmom5

Thu, Dec 08 2016, 5:14 pm

sourstix wrote:

The one downtown is a scavenger hunt, and parking is a nitemare....
Service in Jackson is adequate, but if Im traveling that far, I just go to SRite...
I'm from the lost generation, so I need OU-D sourcream and cottage cheese that
TASTE LIKE COTTAGE CHEESE AND SOUR CREAM

trixx

Thu, Dec 08 2016, 6:19 pm

I bought 6 bags of pretzels for an overseas trip. the bag smelled terrible when open (now really, it's just pretzels, between you and me I would just eat it anyways - wasn't expired!!) but honestly too bad to eat, and stale. I called the supermarket to complain/inform that the shipment was bad, and he told me to bring it back for a refund. um im not shlepping it back in my suitcase at $1.99 a bag, but more importantly I was relying on that for kosher food.

I keep giving that brand second chances but every time I randomly bought another bag, in the year since, it's been off. that's it, no more for me. and it's a heimishe company.

amother

Natural

Thu, Dec 08 2016, 7:32 pm

amother wrote:

Off topic, but is anyone concerned about a certain store in Lakewood that keeps their food (chicken, veggie kugels) out on shelves for hours, not behind an insulated counter?
I don't buy the stuff of course, but I wonder why people do!

I don't know where you're talking about. But That's dangerous and could cause food posioning & make someone sick. It's terrible when stores or restaurants don't take food safety seriously. I've gotten food poisoning very badly, once from a well known kosher restaurant (that wouldn't take responsibility for getting me sick) and another from food catered at a wedding (they also claim it couldn't have been them). Food poisoning is horrible & I was in complete agony from both those experiences. I'm so careful these days about where and what I eat and how I prepare food at home to make sure others don't get sick from.

If a store is not taking food safety seriously I wish people would report them to whatever is the health safety agency for the area. Doesn't matter if it's a Jewish owned store or not, food safety is not something to mess around with.

JoyInTheMorning

Fri, Dec 09 2016, 3:58 am

It's not just chalav yisrael. When I buy chalav stam from my Kosher supermarket, it spoils more quickly than milk from a supermarket chain or milk from Costco. Costco milk is the best; it's kept super cold all the time, and never spoils before the sell-by date. Supermarket chain milk is the next best; it's kept in a closed refrigerator cabinet and turnover is high.

princessleah

Fri, Dec 09 2016, 8:47 am

I was in a kosher supermarket in Manhattan several years ago. While I was there, a Rabbi from the local shul, who runs a KIRUV minyan every weekend, came in with a large bag full of grape juice bottles that were broken and spilled. He said when the box of grape juice was delivered, one of the bottles was broken and then leaked through the bottom of the box and stained the carpet in the shul.

Their response: "How do we know YOU didn't break them? You can't prove our guys did it."

amother

Amber

Fri, Dec 09 2016, 9:14 am

Chayalle wrote:

That's why I only by Pride of the Farm milk.

I actually had an issue with pride of the farm half-and-half a few weeks ago and I called them, and they explained the process of their dairy and how people complain often when it gets to a certain kosher grocery stores. It's an issue with the pH level that changes when it's not kept at the proper temperature. Unfortunately, I have this issue with pride of the farm all the time where it curddles or turns into fat chunks. Both are issues when the pH balance is changed because of refrigeration in the store. I'm posting this anonymously because I posted about this on Facebook often.
I really think it's a monopoly that the kosher grocery stores know that they have at us. We live in Baltimore, and right now there's only one place that anybody can go to get CY anything. Weeks go by where there just isn't any stock of half-and-half and cream. It's no big deal because the things are obviously not necessities. But it's just an example how kosher grocery stores take advantage when they know that they can and they have a monopoly and their shoppers aren't able to go anywhere else for what they need.

amother

Rose

Fri, Dec 09 2016, 9:27 am

Move to Milwaukee, ladies...CY is sold in gallons and is always fresh because it comes straight from the dairy. You'll have to give up the convenience of eating out, multiple kosher groceries and any sort of selection of heimish goods, as there is only one small kosher grocery store and zero kosher eateries, but if you're really dying for pizza-shop pizza and falafel, Chicago is only 90 miles away.

sky

Fri, Dec 09 2016, 9:37 am

Here in Lakewood Pride of the Farm is the best brand you can get. Its only recently I think we can find 'specialty milk' year round (half and half, cream).

The local non-Jewish stores in Baltimore sell Cholov Yisroel - there are certain brands they can't sell because of old contracts - but I'm pretty sure many sell milk, and others sell yogurts and other products.

amother

Amber

Fri, Dec 09 2016, 9:42 am

sky wrote:

Youre right, I forgot about Giant and Shoppera. They both only sell pride of the farm (no other companys come here, not even to seven mile market), but they sell it for even more than seven mile market.

MiracleMama

Fri, Dec 09 2016, 10:13 am

studying_torah wrote:

I've yet to be in a kosher grocery with prices on the items or shelves.

I agree. Most stores are like this. The meat/ chicken/ fish which have been weighed are labeled but pantry items on the shelf - almost never. I have to be very vigilant at the check out. There are always nasty surprises. It's ridiculous because it makes more work for them to re-shelve items customers refuse but I guess they're hoping people wont pay any attention and pay $14 for a tiny bag of gourmet popcorn or $25 for a bottle of olive oil.