Ralph’s Super Nazimarket

My formal complaint prompted the manager of the local Ralph’s to call me. He said that he had spoken to legal and they would prefer that I don't shop there and if I do I will be thrown out. I am absolutely AMAZED that he would start the conversation with, “I’m right and you’re wrong and NO SOUP FOR YOU.” I asked if I would be receiving something from their legal department and he said yes. I am amazed that he would tell me not to shop at Ralph’s. I said, “I don't see how you can refuse to let me shop there.” And he said, “They could and I would be THROWN OUT. He also said that they will not recycle and that I should recycle at Food4Less.” Then he wished me a nice day and hung up the phone.

UNBELIEVABLE. I will NEVER shop at Ralph's again or Food4Less which are both owned by Kroger.

What happened to my legal rights and my civil rights??? So that’s what I get from writing the corporate office. I am okay with that – I wouldn’t want to belong to any club that wouldn’t have me as a member. To my friends and fellow travelers – Ralph’s Supermarket treats some (and you know one) customers without any respect or dignity. Ralph’s Supermarket does not freely accept recycle bottle and cans. Ralph’s Supermarket would rather that you shop at their competitor because they don’t believe that the customer is at the core of their business. Ralph’s Supermarket is a bully. Ralph’s Supermarket is a Nazimarket.

DO NOT SHOP at Ralph’s Supermarket.

Someone owes me $1.63

I really appreciate the advice a FB friend gave me which was to return my empty bottles and cans to the Recycle Center located in National City. I took my empties to the 30th Street location and found it clean and well organized. The signage was easy to understand and instructed me to separate plastic, cans and bottles into separate bins. When I selected a bin to start with a homeless man (or so I suspected) politely in barely a whisper said to be careful with that bin as it had hidden sharp edges which could easily cut my hand. It took me a full second to appreciate and reflect on what was a truly humane moment, that this “experienced” urban scavenger would look out for a newbie like me. I was humbled by his humanity and concern.

I counted out 109 bottles and cans. Calculated at $.05 per item would equal $5.45 refund at the supermarket. But recycling centers calculate the refund based on weight. The refund rate on plastic was $.93/pound. The weight of my plastic was 1.8 pounds which totaled a $1.67 refund. The refund rate on aluminum was $1.54/pound. The weight of my cans was 1.2 pounds which totaled a $1.85 refund. I had six glass bottles which were counted out and totaled $.30 refund. My total refund $3.82

So I did the responsible thing: collected and cleaned all of my empty bottles and cans. Hauled them to a recycling center, and efficiently separated them into bins to be weighed, which resulted in a LOSS of $1.63 against what I had paid $.05 on each bottle and can. I’m not sure that going Green makes sense to me. I tried to return my empties to the supermarket where I purchased the items, only to be humiliated and treated as a problem rather than part of the environmental solution. I tired to return my empties to a recycling center and found myself shorted on my original expense. Either method seems to undermine the spirit and intent of recycling.

There has to be a better solution.

Ralph's Supermarket is VERY mean @ San Diego

So, I brought the Ralph's memo supporting bottle redemption with me when I went to Ralph's to return three bags of soda cans and bottles. The cashier refused, then the manager came over and said they don't do that and I would have to go to Food4Less. I showed him the memo from the other manager saying they have to do it, dated March 27th. He was condescending and big and scary and all my anxiety came out. I told him I've been through this before and to please not make me go through it again. I said the last time I had to use my cellphone to videotape them to get them to do it. He refused, stating that I could go to food town and that because there was a recycling center within a mile of the store he did not have to do it.

I told him to call the police, because I wasn't moving and I had already unpacked 60 cans. He said he would do it this once, but never again. The cashier told me she didn't know how to do it and all the cashiers looked at me like I was a homeless person or the devil.

After I stood there about 10 minutes I called out to one of the cashiers who had scanned my empties the last time and asked if they were all just going to ignore me. All the cashiers said the manager said they didn't have to do it. I can't blame them since managers are known to fire workers on the spot in San Diego. She called the manager again and he came back and said they would do it this one time and that next time he would have signage stating they didn't have to recycle and that he would give me literature stating they didn't have to recycle. I told him it was the recycling law that any place that sells cans had to take them. But I was really upset by then, it was all I could do not to cry. He again told me that since Food4Less is a recycling center Ralph's doesn't have to take empty cans or bottles. I told him I didn't shop at Food4Less, but I did shop at Ralphs.

Very upsetting.

I don't think I can emotionally go through it again. I received $10.55 (it should have been $10.60 but I wasn't going to fight them over a nickel given the state I was in). Then I went to the shoe repair shop and picked up my shoe that the dog had ripped last week (the sandles that I live in) and paid the man $9.50 for the repair.

What a day.