Price Challenge and the follow up email

[sandsquid]

New to this forum.. and sure am I am like a growing number of members.. really not liking AAFES these days (what happen to the good old days of the NEX?)

Anyways, have a funny exchange with a AAFES CS: (names and sensitive info removed)


______________________________________________________
Dear Mr. MyName:

In regards to your reply, I have discussed this matter with my manager and he is currently further researching the complete details behind the reason for decline on your price challenge. You will be advised with further information as it becomes available. Have a great day!

 -----Original Message-----
  Hi CS,
 I went to the FAQ's, and your email did not address any question that I had.
 The store is a local community store, they are not a wholesaler. I fail to
 see where this is disqualified per the AAFES Price Challenge policy. As far
 as the challenges being determined by your merchandisers and not the
 associates, there is nothing said about that in the policy, nor have you
 provided any information from the merchandiser or who the merchandiser even
 is. The policy that you are talking about is very misleading, and you have
 not provided any factual evidence that the price challenged was even
 considered, nor does the AAFES Price Challenge policy state any reason why
 my challenge was declined, after all, the policy doesn't even have a because
 we say so clause.

 I find this to be very unfair and misleading, I personally believe that if
 AAFES is offers a price challenge policy, then they should honor it
 regardless of how much money is lost. After all, what kind of world is it,
 if a policy is put out for customer, but due to a dramatic price difference
 the policy is changed? Especially, when the said company R&P is a listed
 vendor in the Lomart.com website under the zip code 14072.

 I know if I put my signature on something and say it's mine, I own it, and I
 am responsible for it. This applies to Companies as well, AFFES offers the
 price challenge and match, no where in the policy does it say anything about
 merchandisers.

 I am not trying to be difficult, nor am I trying to be a pain in the rear, I
 am just trying to get clarification, and when I receive an email that didn't
 address any of my original question and I am given a side stepped response,
 it just make me that much more unclear.

  -----Original Message-----

 Dear MYNAME:
 In regards to your inquiry, I apologize for the inconvenience
 unfortunately the price challenges are determined by our merchandisers not
 the associates. You may review the price challenge policy online at www.
 aafes.com. Once logged into the Exchange Catalog Online you may click
 Customer Service in the top right hand corner. Once entered, click on
 frequently asked questions and go to Customs Charges & Price Differences
 select number 5 - What is the Exchange Catalog and Exchange Online Store
 Price Matching Policy? to view detail of price match policy for the
 exchange online. Online sites that are accepted are walmart.com; circuit
 city.com; sears.com; etc.Let us know if we can be of further assistance.

 -----Original Message-----

  Hi CS,
  Can you please tell me what is classified as a .com vendor? Are company's
  such as borders.com, bestbuy.com .com vendor's too?
  In addition, can you please point me to where I can find the information
  that says .com vendors are not accepted? In addition, can you
  please tell me how you determined that this is a .com vendor? I've called
  them up and they do indeed have a store front, but have a website
  just like everyone else. I've looked all over aafes.com and can not find
  this information. Thank You.
  There address is:
  (removed due to text length)

  -----Original Message-----
    Dear MYNAME:
    This e-mail is in regards to your price challenge that was submitted for
  item B250A - LAKESIDE POOL 18X33FT OVAL. Per our merchandisers your
  challenge has been declined due to the competitor wwww.abovegroundpool.com
  is a .com vendor and unfortunately price challenges from .com vendors are
  not accepted. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please let us know if we
  can be of further assistance.

   -----Original Message-----

    Dear MYNAME:
    In regards to your inquiry, per your request a price challenge has been
    submitted for item B250A - LAKESIDE POOL 18X33FT OVAL. Once the status
    is received you will be advised via e-mail. Please let us know if we can be
    of further assistance.
   
     -----Original Message-----
     Comments: Looking for a price match on the following, catalog item
     B250A. I've found the same item here:
 http://www.abovegroundpool.com/cgi-bin/Shopper.exe?key=1833MG&preadd=action
If I can get a price match, I would like to purchase this item. In
addition, I would also like to know if I can use promotion code "BRD7"
as well.

[Disgruntled]

You should have been able to get a quote from the local brick-n-mortar and been given the price as quoted.

The policy is that, up to a $10 difference, there is NO REQUIREMENT of proof. Just go in and tell them that XYZ outside the gate has it for the cheaper price. Over that, they want an ad. The bit about the merchandisers being in charge is silly! Local management can accept the challenges any time. It is at THEIR discretion so it sounds like you ran into a low-level manager who thinks being hard-nosed will save AAFES a few pennies and so get a few brownie points.

BTW, for you AAFES trolls monitoring--when you click on the link for Online Price Challenge Policy from the main retail page, you are sent to the Wrestlemania sweepstakes page. That's what happens when you hire temp contractors to do your work.

[TheFreud]

So... the manager said "It's not me...you want to talk to someone else."
Seems to be the stock answer with these rat bastards, doesn't it?

We were told the same thing about the TV that is for sale in the catalog, but not in the store and can't be shipped here. That company/merchandiser doesn't participate in the transshipment program. So, Mitsubishi will sell to AAFES and AAFES Customers, but won't let them ship their products to an AAFES customer after the item has been paid for.

I really would like a bit of an explanation on that exact policy now- cause I am just DYING of curiosity.

[Disgruntled]

Catalog sales is a joint thing with all the service exchanges sharing one call center and shared resources. They buy things for the catalog differently than for the stores, but it is still exchange purchasing, so I cannot really say why they won't honor the prices. It's something they don't share with the "help".

On the other hand, it was put out today that they WILL start honoring warehouse store (like Sam's Club or Costco) prices. Something about them being exclusive and AAFES being exclusive, so it didn't make sense to exclude them. I dunno!

[TheFreud]

We made a call to the Vog BX about price matching. The local electronics warehouse (Saturn) was selling Xbox 360s (premium system) for 299 euro.
The power zone will not match it- even with the exchange rate and VAT figured in. It is a realio trulio brick and mortar building- and we had a paper sales flyer in hand.... But no dice.

We asked if they don't price match local stores in Germany- who DO they price match for?

"The online exchange catalog"

WTF?! So AAFES will match AAFES prices?! WTF?! Being outside of the US is where AAFES will get you every single time. They go out of their way to screw with the Soldiers living overseas- because they know we are pinned between the proverbial rock and hard place.

I want an explanation, AAFES.

[Disgruntled]

Some of the policies the stores like to claim do not exist:

Transshipping:

http://tinyurl.com/332aw6


Online price challenges:

http://tinyurl.com/35nsk9


Just tell them that, according to AAFES EOP 40-11(Special Retail Programs), Chapter 28, they have to accept any non-clearance price challenge from a local competitor (including Navy or Marine Exchange ads--they do exclude the commissary and BX/PXMarts). Earlier this year, they expanded the ads they will accept to include sales clubs and Internet stores that have local brick-and-mortar stores.

Section 13 of the EOP says that the only requirements are: a current ad, same manufacturer, same model number and a local retailer. There is absolutely NOTHING in any EOP that says price challenges are restricted to CONUS. Also, just FYI, you will also have associates tell you that you can only price challenge clothing if they are the same size and color. Section 11 of the same chapter says only style and manufacturer much match.

They also have to match a sale price that is advertised up to 30 days after your purchase. Just bring in the receipt and the other store's ad (same EOP, 28.5.c). If you have a raincheck from another store and AAFES carries that same item, guess what! They have to give you that price.


In short, they are indeed required to match prices on the economy, even in Europe. The hope is that you will not press the issue or even know the policies. They count on you being in the dark.

[sandsquid]

funny part is, the AAFES price match policy used to be on the bottom of aafes.com, not it's spack dab there in the middle when you log on.. wonder why this is.. maybe someone is doing a little damage control of aafes? hmmm i wonder.. not like anything will change, I am sure that it's just a CYA move.. but it's still funny none the less...
a

[Disgruntled]

Yeah, but that one on the page is only for challenging if you order on line. The in-store policy is not posted anymore.