Topic: AAFES sucks sometimes

[marystjackson]

Howdy! everyone!

Hi. I just found this site googling a few weeks ago. freaky to see a reaction to aafes. Back home we didn't shop in the aafes stores. No tax and still the prices are higher in aafes than other stores. So, you know. we never shopped in the bx much. that didn't seem to make sense. but, you know, going from base to base I noticed a lot of inconsistencies with aafes people. a lot of them seem dumb mean! not professional t'all. that is mean and all, but it is true. you go in any other store and they dress good professional and they speak like you expect. most aafes managers complain 'bout aafes too an mostly lost. so now we in germany we don have the choices. Ramstein is closer to us and it's just full of mean hatefull people! the worst we experienced even when in nyc! Vogelwey bx has good people. We shop there'n off base if we have to. Was in Vogewey bx this weekend and thy had a lot of sales. when we are there they always have a professional speaker announcing over house com system. He is exciting to listen to. don't get that in stores back home. usually person breaking up nervous, hurts our ears. my husband talked with the speaker and he was very nice helping us. signed us up for email to knwo the specials going on.  we go across the street and sales people no help and not nice. we never seen extreme differences with the people helping us before. we wonder if its same company.

Mary

[C3 OPSSquad]

AAFES prices as well as Commissary prices are generally higher than other on the economy. But go to a german store and try to find american brand items that you are used too and you will be shocked, example 3 reeces peanutbutter cups in one packet cost 3€ and if you know € it is way higher the dollar. The reason why AAFES and the commissary is more expensive is the convienience they provide for the armed forces here and in us.         If you add tax the prices are simular to us prices.

[Homer]

Huh?

[chilegirl]

I have a lot of problems with AAFES.
They treat the soldier poorly, rob them of their money and care very little about the quality and type of product offered.
They know exactly what they are doing and purposely steal and provide poor quality for a high price.

If you hear any of their commercials, you know they’re lying.
Sometime they’re the only game in town and they clearly take advantage of the situation.

Take, for example, LCD/Plasma TVs.
They have no name HCT, Avol, whatever garbage off brand tv’s for those who can only afford low end models.
Brand name models are in the $2-$3k range.
Their prices are more expensive than the German economy prices.  I can get a 42” Full HD Samsung LCD TV on the German Economy for $700  USD (with a tax form); try getting that price on base.  Ha. 
Don’t even try to compare them to US store prices.  They’re usually $200-$300 higher for last year’s model.

They sell cars to kids coming back from downrange with a lot of cash. 
These are not economical cars, they’re the flashy, expensive, you can’t possibly afford the insurance kind of cars that appeal to young kids with cash in their pockets.  The kids lose the cars, can’t resell them.

AAFES has the buying power of the US government behind them. 
They could use this power to actually support the soldier and their family.

We’d do better with Target or Walmart. 

[ISPY]

Please let me know where you purchase a 42" lcd on economy for $700 dollars so I can get one too.

FYI I am also a member of http://www.walmart-blows.com/forum/

[Disgruntled]

HTC actually is a major international brand.

I know the kids are buying those cars, but unfortunately for your argument, no one is holding them down and forcing them to sign off on the stupidity. Their commanders should be intervening when their troops start "spree" spending.

[AFCatt]

I was reading your comment about HCT and AVOL TVs and other electronics. The reason why these products are so ridiculously overpriced and horribly made is because they are AAFES brands. Try finding HCT or AVOL at walmart or somewhere OTHER than AAFES! (my husband and I just found this out today from one of the store workers!) As for the person that made the comment about HTC being a major brand, it is. They sell phones and other hand held devices. But HTC isn't the same as HCT!!
Fellow AAFES hater,
Cathy

[Disgruntled]

HCT is Korean. This is their website:

http://www.hctkorea.co.kr/

They advertise themselves as a major supplier of "military electronics".

I cadged these customer assistance emails and numbers from a help site:

USA: John McKibbin 1-888-500-3020(US)or Sunny Yoo 1-562-921-3330 ext 1 sunny.yoo@amktron.com

KOREA: Mr. K. H. Shin kasshin@hanmail.net

EUROPE: Mr. Mikio Sogabe info@dfmmail.de

[kempoka]

As for CONUS electronics prices, AAFES does price match, identical item for item. If you have a sales flyer that just happens to have one of these off-brands on sale, take it in, and you'll get the lower price. On big screen TV and similar items, it may be hard, but you can do it with computers and peripherals easily enough. Then you take the sales tax (which in some areas is over 8%) off, and it's an OK deal. Still, you have to do your homework.

For price differences less than $10, no proof is required. For instance, for a 20 oz bottle of Diet Mountain Dew, the local BX has it for $1.49, and I tell them the Dollar Tree has it for a buck, and I save my 49 cents. No, not much, and usually too much trouble to go through, but if a buck is all I have, then I'll do it if I'm thirsty enough.

[Disgruntled]

Funny!

I know what you mean about challenging even the small stuff. I can't stand it that our price surveyor is sent out to check prices at convenience stores and then our prices are set to those higher amounts in our stores. Candy bars (50¢ on the outside, 80¢ in our stores), sodas, etc. are usually impulse buys and those few cents add up over time. I challenge them all, not because I am "cheap" but because I know the stuff is cheaper right outside the gate.