Rite Aid Pharmacy – With me, It’s Personal!!!
I can’t believe it. I am really hot right now about what just transpired at Rite Aid tonight. I went into the pharmacy location close to where I live and I had the most ridiculous experience…so much so I had to write about it. I really almost lost my cool in that place.
Since February, I’ve purchased MCI International phone cards for the purpose of calling Jamaica & Canada from the exact same Rite Aid with my credit card and now I was told that I had to use a debit card to purchase one. Seriously?!?!! Yess…seriously! Now why is it that I am able to buy a stick of gum for $1.19 with a credit card if I really wanted to, but yet still they won’t take my method of payment. I don’t have a debit card and I don’t even want one. VISA is VISA is VISA for all intents and purposes. Now, I certainly should not have been denied. The worst part about this is the same bank debit card they want me to produce is the same bank from which my credit card was issued. If there was a problem with verifying me, then simply asking for ID should satisfy any requirements needed to purchase a phone card which also doesn’t make any sense to me either. There are a million internet based prepaid calling card companies out there. So, something just doesn’t make sense here.
I don’t know if this is all because of the Patriot Act, but I felt so embarrassed in there. I shouldn’t feel like a criminal when I follow the rules and do what is required of me as a citizen.
The motto for Rite Aid is “With us, It’s Personal.” — They sure know how to make it personal. Sorry for ranting, but I was just so livid about this.
experienceaurie
jamaicanjewel
Lame!
I don’t understand why the rules changed on you like that. Terrible.
I’m glad my post helped you about the “…if only”.
I find myself saying that a lot lately.
*hug*
they played U son!…lmao..DARN
No need to feel offended Aurie and it has nothing to do with the PAtriot Act. I have read it already. Its just that from my experience most prepaid phone cards tend to act on a cash only basis When a credit card is used it takes a little longer for payment to be forwarded to the vendor. And also Rite-Aid also has to pay a fee from every credit card transaction even thoughthey are selling for a third party. Its not like Target or some larger company that sells their own calling card.
Yeah, I was about to say maybe because using credit card usually incur a fee. Hush.
I’m in banking and I’ve seen pricing for large retailers in terms of accepting and processing credit card payments. You all need to remember that the fee is roughly the same if you use debit or credit on a card. I get no fees if I process the transaction either way and if I were to get a fee, it usually would be on the Debit (PIN based transaction). Another thing to note is that VISA has to be contacted via either payment type as well, so it makes no sense that they can accept debit and not credit….especially since debit is actually the newer of the two. The last thing is Rite Aid just bought Eckerd which means that they have excess cash/liquidity or feel that they are operating efficiently enough to buy out another chain pharmacy retailer. For me, it still doesn’t add up. What are your thoughts?
wow..didnt know they bought Eckerd.
I just came back from my favored Eckerd Pharmacy ,but it is nolonger .Now the costomer is wrong first and not that important any more. I run out of test stirips for my eckard TrueTrack tester .Pharmacist : theyre on special we are selling out all eckard products. Me Ok give me two 100 srips .Ok Took them home .Opend pak ,did not fit my Smart System .Took packages back .Pharmacist gruns :why did you open both packages .Store Manager comes and says why did you open both .eventuely ,storemanager sells me 100 testsrips for$64.80 and acuest me of profane language I say There is aWallgreens right across the steet .The 10 Dollars Ipaid more for the strips is a good lesson for the next time .Gerhard Pukropski 1015 chews landing rd.Laurel Springs nj.
Went into a Rite Aid Pharmacy store (formerly Eckerds) picked up a few items and asked for a pack of cigarettes. Pulled out my checkbook and the cashier advised me that I could not write a check for the cigarettes. I inquired as to why this was so..cashier stated that it was the “managers”
rule? I then told the cashier, that I will not be making any purchases at that point. I was at one point a regular customer at another Rite Aid for my prescriptions. I was trying to fill a prescription,
and had questions regarding the medication. The pharmacy staff was VERY rude to me. At that point I asked for the prescription back and filled it at a different pharmacy. I will never enter another
Rite Aid store for any purchases.
Mary…I am extremely happy to hear that I am not crazy for going off on Rite Aid. I don’t know why they have these “manager rules,” but the inconsistency is what will kill a business. There is no identity after a while and it’s not like these things are so complicated. I just don’t get it sometimes. But instead of me complaining continuously, I will just take my business elsewhere. I’m glad that I can vent here though. hehe.
Rite aid has the terrible pharmacy service compared to other drug stores. I already filed my complained at their website. I suggest sending your complain in order to get your voice heard. It’s not just a service that they have that is terrible; it’s the incompetent/unskilled and unethical staff members that fill-in medicine prescription for people with a need for a health attention.
Thanks
Writing the incident here is absolutely good for you, Rite and the rest of us. You get to release the stress. Rite would be even more serious to improve the system (hopefully). And I (probably also the rest of those who read this) get to learn and prepare just in case similar thing would happen to any of us in the future. Thank’s.
the truth of the matter is that riteaid does pay a fee that would mean that they are paying more for the phone card… riteaid doesn’t make money on a per unit basis so if they incur cost with every sale the intial increase in revenue from the accepted offer to carry phone calls would be void. let it be know riteaid is not there to be a bad guy and nor did they buy out ekerds merely took the largest portion of stores from the sales of brookes ekerd locations walgreens and cvs owns many of the west coast stores now. I have been employeed by riteaid for three years now and trust me when I say for evry one of u that are writing legit checks for cigaretes or what not there are 3 people writing bounced checks.
matt, although i totally understand where you are coming from, but honestly…i have to disagree with and dispute the costs that you are talking about for phone card sales. it makes no sense that a company of that size would continue to sell phone cards, which they buy at a “wholesale” price due to just the sheer volume of units they have and not make a profit, no matter how small. you are missing the point of what a merchant service system does. I’ve worked for a billion dollar bank that prices merchant services to large retailers and I can personally tell you that based on the volume of business that is conducted for all the other products in any particular store, the fees that riteaid would pay on the merchant side of things is not going to break the company. if they are in financial trouble, it is because of other bad decisions they make and not due to processing my credit card for a purchase of a phone card. This has nothing to do with check writing. It has everything to do with the fact that the stores are outfitted with merchant terminals and the added fact that i can use that same credit card for every product in the store except a phone card.
it just does not add up…i am sorry to say.
I work at a Rite Aid front end store…this doesn’t happen here. We take checks for everything…except gift/phone cards. There is a reason for this, no one takes checks for these. You can use the card before the check clears and if it bounces, Rite Aid is the one who incurs the loss. But we take credit cards on prepaid phone cards/gift cards at our store. I know the grocery store won’t take credit cards for them in the shopping center. I think you just have a rotten store by you, which is unfortunate. My opinion: Take your business somewhere else. Hell, I don’t shop at Rite Aid I shop at CVS…
I knew that this could not be across the board and I thank you for your feedback anonymous Rite Aid Worker. I have no problems with check policies, but for a credit card, it really just doesn’t add up. I did take my business elsewhere. I only go to CVS or Walgreens now as a result. I have never had this problem at any store before and that’s what makes it all the more baffling to me.
I do not believe this
hey put the dam phones on your dam website losers
trust me, i couldn’t make this up if i wanted to.
Went to a local Rite Aid last week. Was told that I couldn’t purchase cigarettes with my credit card. Told them I will never go there again, and took my business across the street to CVS.
gina what state are u from? i know its not new hampshire because at rite aid u can buy cigarettes with your credit card?