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Kroger review: return policy 26

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5:40 pm EST
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This is in regards to the kroger return policy and how they administer refunds of any purchases. It is apparent kroger will do whatever it takes to avoid providing you with a refund, if the refund amount is over $10.00.

The kroger refund policy, as it appears on their web site, is nothing but a self-serving refund policy designed to defraud customers based on the language used. You can expect to receive the runaround without a straight answer when you attempt to obtain a clear definition of the kroger return policy.

On december 28, 2010 a purchase was made at a kroger store for a new year's eve party. When learned the following day that not as much food was needed as the result of a cancellation by a group of guests. An attempt was made to return the unneeded items to kroger.

The total amount of items to be returned was $131.98. When attempting to return these items kroger customer service and management at 4 different stores stated that they would not refund the purchase due to the amount. Two managers stated that this was because customers steal items and then return them. That they were not accusing me of stealing, but that is why they would not make a refund. One manager said he would do me a favor by refunding approximately $20.00 of the items as a courtesy, but refused to refund the entire amount.

As a result of this response the kroger's customer service call center was contacted. They stated they could not assist with this issue, and to contact their regional office at [protected] because this policy is based on each individual store deciding if they wanted to issue a refund. When contacting the regional office they stated that there was nothing they could do, that it was up the individual stores to determine.

However, the kroger return policy clearly states;

"what if I wish to return something I purchased at a kroger store?

Your returns are always welcome. All merchandise is guaranteed. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, we will gladly give you a refund, exchange, adjustment or credit to a kroger gift card. Some exclusions apply. "

Upon review of this return policy the kroger's corporate office was contacted at [protected] for a definition of "some exclusions apply. " they said that they did not know what the exclusions were.

Note: this is was now their corporate office that claims no one there knows what that statement means or what the & ldquo;exclusions apply” to.

I was then transferred back to the kroger customer service department where I again asked for an explanation of what the exclusions were. Once again I was advised that they did not know and that I would have to call the regional office.

It is obvious to me that this is a catch all for kroger to avoid refunding purchases.

I was told by two out of four managers that they did not want to make a refund due to the amount of the refund because it went against the profit and loss statement for their store.

It is also clear that at the very least this is a catch all initiated by kroger to avoid making refunds in the name of profits.

By example and comparison of a straight forward and clearly stated return policy of a credible company, this is the meijer's return policy:

"meijer return & exchange policy & mdash; for purchases made at a meijer store
Meijer honors general merchandise returns within 90 days from date of purchase and when accompanied with receipt. After 90 days, manufacturer’s warranty applies. For computer and electronic items, returns must be made within 30 days. We cannot refund alcoholic beverages and opened packages of glucose blood monitors, collector sports cards, music and movies. However, damaged and defective items will be exchanged for an identical item. Ammunition must be returned within 24 hours of purchase.

We accept returned food items with or without a receipt including meat, seafood, deli, grocery, dairy and frozen, provided they are not state approved wic items. **

We stand behind our name. Any product with the "meijer" brand may be returned with or without a receipt, provided they are not state approved wic items. **

**we are not able to provide refunds on state approved wic items and formula without a receipt verifying the items were not part of a wic transaction.

Returns without receipt are subject to lowest sale price. "

Based on this experience with kroger's I would suggest that you do you shopping elsewhere, and review any stores return policy prior to patronizing them.

Again, after my experience with kroger I would strongly suggest that you shop at any other store other than kroger after reading this. I would also suggest you tell your friends and relatives about this kroger policy.

Furthermore, be advised that I observed other customers attempting to make returns at kroger while waiting for a manager being lied to by kroger employee's as it relates to their return policy.

In support of that statement I observed the following: a person attempting to return items that were over $10.00 in value were told that the kroger policy was that if the return was over $10.00 they would not accept such a return. However, the kroger return policy as clearly stated on their web site states that;

“when you return merchandise over $10 without a receipt to a kroger family store, we'll add the value of your returned merchandise to your card. "

This $10.00 reference refers to returns over $10.00 without a receipt, and further states that in the case that a person does not have a receipt that they will be given a gift card for any amount over $10.00.

It is clear that kroger does not honor their own policies, and that kroger will do everything possible to avoid providing a refund by refusing to clearly define its policies and give customers the run around in an attempt to frustrate them until the customer just gives up.

My suggestion: find any another alternative to kroger and do not shop with them until they clearly define their return policy, honor their return policy, and stop using loopholes to get around providing you with refunds they clearly state on their web site that they will provide.

Update by What A Joke This Is
Dec 30, 2010 5:43 pm EST

Kroger Return Policy is why you should show somewhere else.

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

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26 comments
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stinkerbell95
, US
May 02, 2020 12:17 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Man there are a lot of whiney lil b**ches and snitches on here. Lol

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Angie H.
, US
Jan 15, 2020 2:11 pm EST

That's why I think a store should not sell bad products and try its hardest to accept return of food that does not seem right, so we don't have to eat something that might make us sick. I think Fred Meyer is pretty good on returns, except I can't figure out how to returned the recalled medication generic brad Kroger. I will keep calling the stores and writer complaints everywhere. I think if it's recalled on the NEWS, and they're even making commercials about it than the store should do the return.

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Angie H.
, US
Jan 15, 2020 2:09 pm EST

You are all missing the point, a store that does not do returns is to be avoided. Since Wallmart returns are difficult I never go there. Pretty soon stores like that go out of business. After all, there was a store, I don't remember that name that gave me food poisoning, when I returned the food, I was very angry! Well needless to say I never shop there, but I also made sure I spoke loudly enough so everyone heard that I got food poisoning from them. This was in 2007 and that store went out of business. :) YEY!

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Overcharged in Virginia
Richmond, US
Oct 12, 2011 4:22 pm EDT

Kroger customers must watch their pruchases ring-up at check-out like a hawk!
Kroger routinely fails to adjust their system pricing to reflect the weekly advertised "special" price, thereby luring customers into the store on the ruse that they will actually get the advertised pricing.
This overcharging problem remains unresolved throughout the week, at the same stores, leaving no alternative but to conclude that this is deliberate false advertsing and fraud on the part of Kroger management.
Funny, the price errors are always in Kroger's favor too!
Complaints to management about the problem, both to local managers and to corporate management in Ohio, go unanswered.
This is clearly Kroger's method of padding it's bottom line at the consumers expense.

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Rod Rogers
Clarksburg, US
Jul 03, 2009 10:51 am EDT

I have been a loyal customer of Krogers for 30 years. Lately the meat department refuses to cut meat for customers. Last week I was told by an employee that he was doing me a favor by selling me steaks. Can you believe it...an employee telling a customer that they are doing us a favor. In this economy they should be thankful that they even have a job. In north central wv there are plenty of other places to shop.

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evelyn.wheelerandrus
, US
Apr 16, 2012 12:20 am EDT

dear sir i am not one to complain but this really upset me my husband and i went on a trip and i bought this crackers for the trip as he is diebtic and he needs this when his sugar gets low out of every package that he opened three crackers had no peanut butter at all we finally had to stop and buy more. this was very upsetting to us. i know it may seem silly over such a little item but to me it was not. thasnk you for your timethe package product number is [protected]

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GinL42
, US
Aug 17, 2016 7:47 am EDT

I've been told by a naturalist that the hard tablets can be harmful to your liver. Your liver can literally take several minutes to break down the tablet.Your liver regards it a poision substance. You should consider buying softgel vitamins as I did. Much more expensive. It's worth saving your liver from further abuse. Buy from Food City or Walgreens. Never buy pills from Walmart or Kroger. The liver is the most important part of your body. There's some statistical clause that any type of over the counter drug is bad for you. That may be true.

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Tstreet
, US
May 26, 2016 8:56 am EDT

I called Kroger on Fergerson Rd. in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 26, 2016 about a uncashed Western Union Money order and was told i could cash it back in. I wnet to the Kroger in Walnut Hills instead and was told i couldn't cash it because it was not purchased there. Went to Fergerson Rd. and was charged a 3 dollars return fee. I lived in Columbus Ohio recently and was never charged a fee. Why is the polices different from store to store when Kroger is all one in the same?

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cheryl Sharpe
Las Vegas, US
Jul 10, 2010 8:14 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

recieved express envelop from UPSaturday July 3 o, 2010 envelop's return address is from: Kroger 778 500 delaware ave. Charleston WV 25302. when i opened the envelop there wasn't any letter or any piece of paper inside except a check for 2, 500.00 dollars. Check is from southwest securities, Inc. 1201 elm street ste. #3500 dallas tx 75270 the check is jp morgan chase bank, N.A. 601Travis St18th floor, TX2-c095 Houston tx 77002 and Mr. Kenneth Hanks endorsed it. sure could use the money now. but i think i know better than that. Sincerely cheryl sharpe

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Kroger's
Bellville, US
Aug 22, 2011 9:24 pm EDT

The ad in the newspaper listed a Black and Decker toaster over for 19.99
free with rebate but when I bought it the clerk knew nothing about it. I took 30 minutes to find it only to discover I had to purchase two 12 packs of beer.
After another 3o minutes the store manager came ot talk to me and went thru the procedure which took more time and by then I was completely ticked off. I think it should been on the item when I put it in my shopping cart so I knew what the special was .

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Melissa Ford
Van Nuys, US
Jun 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

A few weeks ago I filled 3 prescriptions at the Van Nuys’ branch pharmacy to give me $60 in rewards credit from Ralph’s. I went to use the credit on May 23 and was told that I did not have anything. The store manager told me to call customer service (he even wrote down the phone number for me) and said that they had a few other customers complain about the same thing. So I called and was told by your staff that “ok I fixed the problem and it shows that you have $60.” So the next week I go back into the same store and go to use my credit and AGAIN they tell me there is nothing on it. Now I am very mad. So again I call customer service and this time I talk with “Melissa” there who tells me a totally different story. She tells me that I only have 2 credits (for $40) and that I used both of them! One on the 23rd! She is arguing with me, pretty much telling me that I am making up this whole story. Then she offers to give me back one $20 credit, but will take away all my other rewards points that I have accumulated from my regular shopping trips there! She says that I have to take this up with the pharmacy and is of NO help to me. I am so mad at your company and would really just like the credit that is owed to me please and NOT have to “bargain” with your staff for them. SHAME ON YOU!

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dill pickle
Perrysburg, US
Apr 28, 2011 11:09 pm EDT

My Kroger MC number was used without my permission by a charity ( Alaska Anchorage Catholic Mission). I had been unemployed for quite a while and had not used this card for a long long time. Then I get a bill from Kroger MC that I had made a recent donation. I wrote the charity and told them what had happened. I then sent that letter to the Kroger MC company and explained that I had not authorized the recent use of the card, since I had been unemployed for some time. They advised me to contest the bill and to cancel my card; which I did. I got a letter from them that agreed to the erasure of the bill. Now I get nasty phone calls from the US bank and today I spoke to one Travis, who after I explained what had happened AGAIN --assured me he would keep calling until I paid no matter what. I told him I hoped that the conversation was really being recorded because I was in the right, and they were not. He did give me his supervisor's name, one Michael Mininger, but I have not yet called him. This is so wrong-- to be harassed. Do not deal with Kroger MC or US bank-- that's my advice.

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caring one 1958
Raleigh, US
Aug 08, 2012 9:52 am EDT

Ther e is a woman by the name of Ann Young harassing people outside of this Kroger Store on getting out to vote, and she is also touching children in a manner most people consider wrong, by touching their rear ends.I was inform that her husband Howard Young is a employee there.We cannot take this lightly.I woulkd like my e-mail kept secret because I like shopping at Krogers, buit this woman must be removed.

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tijiajones
san diego, US
Feb 13, 2015 8:17 pm EST

Can't you just return little by little each time u go grocery shopping?

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RarelyComplain
Warren, US
Sep 18, 2012 8:21 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Regarding the return policy of deli/catered items: Geez, if I was Kroger I'd post a sign over the deli that says explicitly that you cannot return any deli item of any sort, dispensed from that area unless it is demonstably defective (or something like that). Makes sense to me. Then a schiester like this complainer could be shown the sign, and bingo.. you can tell him..."get otta here..."

Why The Long Faces
Why The Long Faces
, US
Aug 08, 2012 4:00 pm EDT

You make a charge of sexual misconduct against a woman who's husband works at Kroger, you name her and her husband on the internet, and you have the nerve to want to be private? How do you know their first and last names? I think you have a personal vendetta and I am going to google these people and let them know you have posted this. You can be sued for libel for writing this and for slander and defamation if you are lieing.

Gravitytheseducer
Gravitytheseducer
Cambridge, CA
Jun 11, 2012 4:57 pm EDT

Bahahahah really?

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Aim higher
Burlington, US
Mar 15, 2012 4:16 am EDT

First of all...this is a rant, not a complaint. It sounds like you may have embellished the truth a bit. That says, to me, you might have known that you didn't have enough ground to stand on and needed to exaggerate to gain sympathizers. I could see maybe talking to the manager at the store of purchase, but not "all that". A whole "group" ($130.00 worth) canceling on the same day? Seems a bit unlikely. Secondly, I agree with the others. I don't blame them for not allowing you a return, much less a refund. There is no telling what some people do to food after bringing it home. The food might not have been "kept" properly (i.e. refrigeration required) and some "sickos" could tamper with it, contaminate it purposefully, and then return it to make someone sick or something. It actually makes me feel better about Kroger's food return policy, rather than Meijer's. As you pointed out many times, Kroger's policy (while I agree it is quite vague, it does state one part clearly) states "if you are DISSATISFIED". In which case, you weren't. Your "group of guests" that canceled are to blame. Maybe next time you should include a mandatory date to R.S.V.P. by...before you go shopping.
I do agree, however, that Kroger's return/refund policy needs a little revamping. I had bought a rug from my local Kroger 24hr Marketplace (where home decor items are also sold). I brought it home, hadn't unwrapped it before my husband noticed I picked up the wrong size (it had been placed in the wrong bin) and less than an hour later I was back at Kroger. It was then around 10 p.m. and there wasn't a manager, whom was needed to make the return/exchange because of the large price, available at that time. The next morning I took the rug, my receipt, and my debit card that I had purchased it with up to the same store of purchase. The correct size rug was actually cheaper. They wouldn't let me exchange the rugs and credit the remaining balance back to my debit card. They wouldn't let me return the rug, credit my card, and then purchase the other rug. The only thing they would do was let me return the rug, credit a Kroger gift card, and then purchase the other one. It was just a lot of hassle...especially considering I had the receipt and they made a note that I had tried to return < 1 hour after purchased. Then I had $100.00, after buying the new rug, remaining on the gift card that I had to spend at Kroger. Two lessons from that ordeal: double check and be sure the tag/storage area description and the item you picked up are a match, and measure twice...buy once.
P.S. to original poster---> "What A Joke This Is"- In order to be taken seriously when writing a blog or review, use proper English and grammar! This web site even has a spell checker on it and asks you to check before posting. Also, don't repeat the same thing 5 times. It's annoying.

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Doingtherightthing
, US
May 27, 2011 10:24 pm EDT

I CURRENTLY work for Kroger and both of you should have known better. During orientation and through out your time spent working for the company, you continually have to sign policies giving you "friendly reminders". To the original complaint, it says, you MAY NOT get your food now and pay for it later. How the hell are they supposed to know you WOULD HAVE paid for it had they not brought it up to you in the first place. To the second complaint...Again, there is a policy that specifies that you MAY NOT scar your Kroger card for customers for any reason. Regarless of whether or not management does is you should do the right thing. It's not hard to keep your job when you follow the rules and do what you know you are supposed to do.

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jadedmanager99
Dayton, US
Apr 19, 2011 5:46 am EDT

Absolutely insane. I work for a retailer in a management position for a competitor, and let me say, I would not return this much product just because you didn't "need" it. We can't put perishable items back out for resale, and guess what? We have to charge higher prices to make up for your mistake. Give me a break.

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JoyceObeys
Bedford, US
Jul 12, 2018 11:54 am EDT

It should be in the policy before buying the item, if not then pay the 130.00. It's not a lot of money for the stores that make billions of dollars and use insurance wrote offs allowing the loaders of the trucks to have so much damaged goods. It's all a lie and a scam. They put lots of money into select stores.
Change the policy so there isn't a problem for the customers or just give the refund.

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AmberL
somewhere, US
Feb 05, 2011 2:12 pm EST

also when you return things to kroger that are cold (meat, cheese, deli, bakery items) they automatically have to be thrown away due to possible contamination issues. 130.oo is a ridiculous amount of product to return. I would have to agree with everyone else in saying it is your fault for overspending, not kroger.

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JoyceObeys
Bedford, US
Jul 12, 2018 11:48 am EDT
Replying to comment of AmberL

Catering costs a lot of money for the customers and 130.00 is nothing and should be returned as policy states. Otherwise they should say specifically in the policy. For a Company that big, they make billions and maybe even trillions. They recently put a bunch of security on all the doors so you can only have one door open at a time because they are losing product and they changed their bags to a bright yellow. All this costs a lot of money. They lose the product in the trucks because their warehouse people stack it wrong and put heavy things on top of light things and cause tragedy for the unloaders and truck drivers. But They call this an insurance write off. If they would do something about this then they wouldn't lose product. All the stores buy the Chinese junk that barely lasts a day or a month and we as customers take the hit for this junk they make billions of dollars off of. So truly 130.00 is nothing for a company this big that even sells expensive jewelry in their stores. 130.00 is a lot only to someone poor., not someone rich. They should return it because it was before the party from a cancellation. Not after the party like as if they were left overs. And because the store policy did not state they wouldn't take it back. They should make their policies clear and not open ended for their own benefit. All companies already rip off their customers with the junk they sell and the poison foods, GMOed, pesticidal and otherwise bad for people.
Pay the customers or change the return policy to one understandable and not open ended.

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lilvixen69
Sometown, CA
Jan 05, 2011 2:48 am EST

I agree, Dawniette. Who knows what that person did with the food while it was in their possession. Maybe they left a refrigerated item out on the counter. Maybe it spoiled. Who knows? I wouldn't be impressed buying food that's been returned, that's for sure. And I don't think it's likely that someone would overspend by $130. Maybe $20 or so but $130? Seems unrealistic.

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KixStar
Your mom, US
Jul 10, 2010 8:28 pm EDT

That's pretty weird. Did the check have your name on it? If not, I would mail it back to them. Otherwise, I would call them. That store's # is: [protected]. Ask for that Kenneth Hanks guy or their general manager and see if they can figure it out for you.

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Rod Rogers
Clarksburg, US
Jul 03, 2009 10:58 am EDT

I agree the same thing happened to me.

Will Howard