RALPH'S
Here is a store with 4-5 star potential, but the ETHICS alone are so very dismal, that I have to give them 2 stars.
Even with their "raise the prices so we can discount it with that extremely annoying members card" mentality, they would be a 4 star or better...
But having to buy 10 of an item to get sometimes the everyday price at another store is not right when we live in a demographics where apartments are not "warehouse scaled". And even worse when you have to buy 4 times the amount of beer or liquor that is even reasonable...why hasn't any "drink responsibly' groups make noise about THAT!
They (Ralph's) obviously HATE HATE HATE the concept of recycling cans and bottles...evidenced by the extremely limited hours of operation, the inconvenience that they take long lunch breaks (by being closed) and even the self-serve is closed then. Unlike other States, other years....the best you get is 1/2 of the deposit (yes, they more accurately call it "tax") back, and even less if you bring it in bulk. To add insult to injury, you have to cash it at the same store (I have brought bottles in when working 35 miles away on a limited lunch, then not have time to shop after work there, as I need to get on the highway to beat rush hour. Throw that effort away, Ralph's CHEATED ME AGAIN.
Then, I collected the vouchers to shop, and discovered that they voided my efforts by making the vouchers good for only 30 days. THEY CHEATED ME AGAIN....but at least they put a false front up to look as if they are helping in the recycle effort.
And when they mis-price something on the shelf, you only get the difference back, not the item for free (which I believe is an overlooked federal statute). By giving the first mis-priced item for free, it gives them incentive to actually correct the error...but on big mis-priced items, they keep the error going and reap BIG PROFITS, CHEATING US AGAIN. It is so hard to get that 5 cent or 50 cent refund, that only the destitute will think that 15 minutes of their time is worth 50 cents ($2/hr).
Even the cashiers do not use the Gas discount option here at Ralph's, the discounted price is often more than the stations 2 blocks away. In Denver, I see the discounts bringing the price of gasoline to half of the amount of neighboring stations. FAKE DISCOUNTS cheat the public.
They are a good to very good store otherwise, they would possibly make even greater profits if they did not work so hard to cheat their customers in such obvious nickle-and-dime ways. read more