I have used this Mini-Mart/Liquor Store for several years since my family and I relocated to Madera. My personal complaints regarding this store...the prices and fees! Yep, I said it...prices and fees! This particular store is owned and operated by a Middle Eastern man and his various relatives (as most Mini-Marts/Liquor Stores are now). They all have a bad nasty habit of selectively deciding who and what price they will charge customers for using either a Credit Card or a Debit Card. *Please keep in mind that if your card has either a Visa or Mastercard Logo (as most debit/credit cards are) it is 100% against the Merchant Policy Agreement with Visa and Mastercard for these merchants to charge a fee to their customers*. This is something that most people do not know or just plain don't care about, even though those fees certainly do add up! I personally have had several employees including the owner himself try to charge me for either or both methods of payment. The excuse is always the same...either they "have to charge" because they get charged by the card companies or they "have to charge" because of them purchasing their card swipe machine...which is ridiculous, c'Mon, get real, that's just about saying they "have to charge" because of using their cash register. I try to avoid this store because of this. I seriously take offense to being treated like an idiot because they want to make an extra $0.50! Many times I have ran into this store in a hurry to get something on my way to work only to have them try to charge me a fee, simply for purchasing something from their store. When that has happened I let them know that I know that they cannot do this and if they are being stubborn about the fee...I have no problem (and have many times before), left my intended purchase on their counter and said, "okay, nevermind, I will go spend my money elsewhere." Please keep in mind that I make a huge point of being kind, polite, and treat everyone I meet or do business with they way I would like to be treated, needless to say I have always been kind and polite in these situations and have never caused a scene. I rated this store 2 stars strictly because I hate the idea that they think they can make up and charge fees simply because they want to, I refuse to be taken advantage of, plain and simple. I completely recommend that if you decide to do business and make purchases at at this store, either use cash or watch for hidden fees.
If you do the math this is how much more money they make by charging customers $0.50 a transaction involving your Debit/Credit Card:
100 customers per day X $0.50 = $50.00 extra per day
$50.00 X 7 days = $350.00 extra per week
$350.00 a week X 52 Weeks = $18,200.00 extra per year.
Seriously, $18,200.00 extra profit per year...not right!!! read more
