Topic: Rip-off Report

[AAFESBITCH]

I asked a guy how much he paid for the very nice fireplace he was walking out of the PX carrying one day. He told me it was $200 and something. (He said the exact price, but I do not remember it.)  He pointed out that the price on the box said $95.00. I told him that is the price AAFES paid for it. I suggested he go in there and insist on getting his cost lowered.  That is one hell of a profit.  I know AAFES has to make some kind of profit to pay their employees their pathetic little earnings, but that much of a profit is just plain ridiculous. AAFES once again came out with their silly little gas coupon. Convenient how gas went up  fifteen cents right before the coupon for fifteen cents off a gallon came out.  They also tried to compete with Wal-Marts big sale on Friday. That sale was a HUGE joke. They should not let a manager decide what to put on sale. They lowered prices on items NOBODY is interested in buying.

[OnlyUnicorn]

AAFES Manager Dont u know y the Military people and dependents complain so much? They walk on water if u dont believe it ask them. But seriously most of them are terrific people its just a few that love acting the Fool.

[Disgruntled]

TROLL ALERT!!!

Dude, the tag vs. price issue is a problem all the time. Price tags don't always get removed after price changes, for one thing, because there are not enough people to do so.

BTW, whoever said the tag was the COST was playing with you. The cost is never on the labels.

I do know that the fireplaces come in two pieces that can be bought separately, so I would bet he bought both pieces, each prices separately.

[Saintkingdom]

When I first started with aafes, any thing and every thing i bought, the price at the register was always lower then the place on the shelf. I thought "wow! " this place likes to make you feel good at the register. But later I found out that the managers were not doing their jobs to update the shelf tags. If the managers don't care, the employees don't care. Also in lesser retail outlets, yes the lables and printed tags don't get removed so customers are confused to what the real price is. Those prices are what the reseller paid or what the people who sold it to the reseller paid. Every time an item changes hands, the price goes up. That's why it's called "retail".
As far as I understand aafes doesn't do "profit", everything is recycled back into the system. We are in a brand new building and we are building more new ones around us. So that's where the money is going, and maybe some exec's are getting extra bonuses. I have alwys been told that as long as at the end of the year we can put $1 on the bottom line, we did awsome! We paid for everything and paid our employees, We paid for equipment and repairs. Maybe my base is not as fudged up as all of yours. And to top it off, there some people who have nothing better to do than B*tch and find something to complain about. If they can't, they make it up.

[poodytat]

just remember....................aafes isnt a kmart or a wall mart! aafes supports our troops that have been in crappy places and crappy situations...............it could very well be the military wife that is afraid to leave the post  and food court to shop and eat  and weighs 210 pounds and relies on aafes and has nothing better to do than complain about an american priviliage and luxuary overseas called aafes, where we can get american products at a tax free price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  buy that crap on the ecomomy and pay triple if you can even find them Gimme a freakin break!  whats the rip off?  whats the problem?  get a life!. aafes hires desperate americans that have no choice while overseas but to work for them for low doller wages,.........MY 100% CURE FOR ANYONES GRIEF WITH AAFES..........IS DONT FREAKIN SHOP THERE IS IS IS SUCH A TRAMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR YOU ALL!  go out on the economy and pay triple for stuff!  FIND a new thing to complain about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!something that makes sense, WILL YA?  By the way, I see that YOU would make a great WAL-MART greater someday

Hey all,

Was doing my daily troll on the internet and found this website http://www.ripoffreport.com/.  Just for the hell of it I type in AAFES to see if there were any complaints and low and behold there were...23 of them to be exact.  Go check it out for yourself, and see what other people are saying about AAFES.  FYI I also put in Walmart just for shits and giggles and I got 274 complaints. (That is just under 12 times the number of complaints) That data at first glance might look like a win for AAFES but lets take a look at some numbers...

Walmart 2005 sales in millions...$285,222.0 with 1,700,000 employees.
AAFES 2004 Sales in millions.....$7,905.3 with 47,323 employees.

Walmart does 36 times more business, and the number of employees than AAFES.  Also something to keep in mind if that Military members are less apt to complain than citizens are.

Just food for thought.

*I had to use 2004 data for AAFES as I could not find 2005 data on the net.  If some one has it please email or send me a note so I can update this figures.  but to give AAFES the benefit of the doubt I will give AAFES an 9 percent increase over 2004.

Those numbers are as follows...


Sales in millions.....$8616.45 with 51,582 employees.


Even still with these new numbers and a very generous growth factor Walmart still does 33 times more sales and has 32 times the number of employees.

[sanders1300]

The trouble with AAFES is they are the command endorsed, government sponsored base retail outlet.  More so overseas where they have a virtual monopoly on prices, customer base and product selection.  AAFES has developed a sense of hubris as a result and, since they have limited competition, feel as if they are the only game in town.  They don't have to compete for your business.
I have a friend who has worked for AAFES for years and he sadly admits AAFES does not often treat the customer well.  I finally had my last straw with AAFES over a case of poor product quality with an HCT brand TV that failed just after 30 days.  They refused to refund my 799 dollars. 

I make all my purchases on the local Japanese economy now where prices are competitive, quality is superior and customer service is second to none.  Since I don't live on base there's no inconvenience in driving somewhere else.  I do eat at the food court on rare occasion though.....  Vote with your money people.  Don't give it to them.

[Disgruntled]

As far as I understand aafes doesn't do "profit", everything is recycled back into the system. We are in a brand new building and we are building more new ones around us. So that's where the money is going, and maybe some exec's are getting extra bonuses. I have alwys been told that as long as at the end of the year we can put $1 on the bottom line, we did awsome! We paid for everything and paid our employees, We paid for equipment and repairs. Maybe my base is not as fudged up as all of yours. And to top it off, there some people who have nothing better to do than B*tch and find something to complain about. If they can't, they make it up.

Once upon a time, that is how it was supposed to work (back when AAFES was a real NAF agency). After paying for stuff and doing the MWR contributions, there was only supposed to be enough left to cover the first month of the next fiscal year. Now there is a FAT bottom line, AAFES has a Standards and Poor rating and thinks it is a real retail business, with the resultant bad behavior. When it went from total military command to a civilian CEO, the end purpose was lost.

Yes, you got a new store, but what'll ya bet that the depreciation will be offset by reductions in your raises and in other personnel areas?

[bnthrdntht]

  Found out how to get rid of a good employee that has been working for over 10 years.  Was working in the warehouse( crafts and trades) making too much money.  Promote him to a shift manager then ride his arse, dont train him, make him work extra hours, without pay, shortstaff him, make him hate you because he has no time for himself.  He will eventually quit.  That is just an example of how this f**ked up company works.  I beleive God will make all you rotten bastards burn in hell for all the bad you have done.

[bnthrdntht]

   Oh, by the way, if any of you moles out there want to dispute this, it is going on all over.  This person is a very good friend and I dont want him to lose his job, I left cuz I ccouldnt bare to see what management was doing to their people.  Now live in the civilized world, out of affes and love it.  Hope to see You all in the unemployment line when Wally world takes over!!!!!!!!!!!!