What do you think of these supermarket Preferred Savings Cards?

[gristy]

If you don't have one or choose not to use one, you pay 20% more for groceries. This drives me CRAZY. I don't WANT to use this friggin' card. I don't WANT them to be tracking what I buy. But they make groceries so expensive without it, you don't really have a choice. Does anyone know of any chains that don't use them?

[MissB]

1. Most of them don't require you to give them your name.

Grab another form and just decline to fill out the info, or give them a fake name. :shrug:

[niyad]

2. give them false information--or go to albertson's which doesn't require

that you give them any information

[SammyBlue]

3. Or do what I do. . .sign it NOYFB

None
Of
Your
Fucking
Business!

[xray s]

4. Here is what you do

You tell the check out clerk your husband/wife has the card.

They will almost always give you the discount prices anyway.

[etherealtruth]

17. Exactly

They scan a "store" card ... you get a discount and they can't track your buying habits.

[liberalnurse]

5. Just go to another store......

I won't use the new Krogers Master Card thing. I sense they make money off of them.

[Nite Owl]

6. Hannaford's

doesn'tuse them. Don't know how many areas they are in though.

[GrumpyGreg]

11. I'm in the Hannaford's area and shop there because they don't have the

card as do Shaw's and Stop & Shop,my other 2 local supermarkets.

I also prefer Brooks or Walgreens over CVS for the same reason.

[MaineDem]

40. I always shop at Hannafords

I won't go to Shaws because of the cards.

[asthmaticeog]

7. They're definitely counterrevolutionary.

The monopolization of savings and low, low prices by Preferred Savings Cards deprives men and women of the power to realize their innate liberty. Reduced to their dreariest utilitarian function, Preferred Savings Cards betray the dreams of the individual and serve the cause of the falsification of everyday life, life dominated by the fetishization of commodities.

[Tess49]

20. HUH?

[asthmaticeog]

23. Preferred Savings Cards are ideological fences

which imperialism has designed to keep us separated from the potentialities inherent in sentient life. These devices of the bourgeois-racist cultural oppression must be destroyed in a systematic campaign of critique and disruption that will totally overthrow the loathsome cultural values of the petit-bourgeoisie. In this sense, paying retail is the true vanguard of the cultural revolution.

[GirlinContempt]

44. roffles

:rofl:

[Straight Shooter]

8. I gave them the wrong name and a discontinued phone number

Yes, it's a scam for the stores to track our purchases.

Know what I hate? When I buy one product because its ingredients are better, yet every time I check out, what do I get? A ticker-tape coupon for a competitor's product. Wasted paper and wasted time. x(

[spindrifter]

9. If you want to

remain anonymous, use some other name, but you also need to remember that you need to use cash. Otherwise, they can track back to who you really are.
In our area these ridiculous "savings" cards have also spread to drug store-type places.
I've used my card in Canada as well as other states, since I'm basically a cheapskate.

[cynatnite]

10. We used to have three...

Now, we only have one. Kroger's I got rid of because many of the discounts were for Kroger products. Just wasn't crazy about it.

We had Food Lion, but we never go there anymore.

The one we have left is Food City. I like the store. The sales are decent and with the card we can save quite a bit. I just wish they'd do double coupon days. I really miss that.

One chain in our are that doesn't use them and we shop at sometimes is White's.

[Aimah]

12. Meijers doesn't use a discount card and

they usually have a better selection than Kroger.

[Mind_your_head]

13. You can always ask them to use a 'store card'

By law, they must do this (even though not all the cashiers know this, most customer service desk people do). A store cannot give an 'unfair advantage' to one customer over another (i.e., what if you are a visitor from another area/state that doesn't have that store chain? don't have a phone? or homeless?) If a cashier won't give you the 'preferred savings', go to the service desk and they will give you the savings money back.

A quick way (usually) is that they will ask you for a phone number (ehm, if you give them a number different than your real one, how would they know? It might not work, but then you can just act *confused* and they'll end up using the 'store card' anyway.

btw, it's bothered me for a long time that the homeless (the people who would need the savings the most, can't obtain a savings card....no address, no phone, ya know. And some cashiers aren't willing to 'voluntarily' use the store card for these folks (even though some of them could be only one-paycheck away from being in similar straits).

[Carolab]

14. SHOP LOCAL GROCERIES, NOT CHAINS. n/t

[RebelOne]

35. There is no such thing as a local grocery in my area.

Only chains. Kroger, Publix, Ingles, etc.

[Clark2008]

47. Yep - same here.

There is a local grocer across town, but the prices are higher and I'd waste gasoline getting over there.

My fiance shops there when he goes to visit his parents, but, if we're not headed out that way, there's no incentive to go.

[Redstone]

15. For Christ's sake, all you have to do is ask the checkout clerk to press

his or her "courtesy button" or whatever they call it at your supermarket, and you'll get the sale prices just as if you had a card.

"They" don't "make groceries so expensive without it."

And, by the way, they don't "track what you buy." They only keep track of your total spending. They COULD track what you buy, but that would cost them a fortune in processing power and storage, and would do them exactly zero good.

Think about it rationaly, for a moment: What the hell would they use the information that you buy feta cheese twice a month for, for example?

Redstone

[gristy]

19. So then what's the point?

Just to ding idiots like me for 20% of the bill?

[Mind_your_head]

21. Yes THEY DO TRACK EVERY BIT OF WHAT YOU BUY

And that I KNOW this as a FACT!!!

You want some proof? (and even though this is anecdotal evidence, I KNOW it as FACT for more reasons than this).

For example: How come when you go buy a birthday card, you get coupons for baby food? (Because in previous purchases you've bought 'baby items' that indicate you probably have a young one at home. It's in the database they access with your card).

Another example: You've purchased allergy products before, a coupon pops out to try a new antihistimine product....it goes on and on....and it's not coincidence. Those coupons are all tailored to that individual card users purchasing habits.

on edit adding: You think the 70-something woman/man behind you in line got baby food coupons? No, they got 'Depends' coupons that you would NEVER get. How does the store know?????

[Gormy Cuss]

24. Safeway does use microlevel data.

At least to develop and store profiles based on categorized receipt data. If you start buying a lot of baby stuff, you'll get baby junk coupons mailed to your house by Safeway. If you buy liquor, you'll get the special wine coupons. I doubt it's as sophisticated a targeting as they envisioned when they started these affinity cards but they are data mining. I don't know how long they store the microlevel records. They do aggregate dollar volume data and offer special discounts to the biggest spenders (there was a news article about this a few year ago. Initially they declined to comment but finally fessed up.)

As for the "courtesy button" I have never seen a discount given without a card or telephone number input in California. I used to see it frequently in Massachusetts.

[Mind_your_head]

26. You have to "ask" for the courtesy card

and 'yes' you can get it in California....just was there again this summer.

[Gormy Cuss]

37. Maybe I'll try it the next time I'm in Safeway.

Just as an experiment because I avoid Safeway in part because of the affinity cards. Where in California did this work for you?

I don't have one there or anywhere else. There are plenty of other places where I can get good prices without them.

On edit: in an earlier post you said it's against the law not to do so. In order for that to be true nationally it must be a Federal law. Do you know which one? It was the law in Massachusetts when I lived there.

[Kadie]

28. Safeway Club Card Leads to Bogus Arson Arrest

Safeway Club Card Leads to Bogus Arson Arrest

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/29/030223&tid=158&tid=187

Interesting story above. I also heard one a couple of years ago that tracked someones alcohol purchases, but I do not remember the details.

[Horse with no Name]

41. I use the cards

and they do track them.
There was a topic on it here a few months back.
I can't quite remember the entire thing, but gist was that the police looked at his savings card and tracked the rope used in a murder to rope purchased at Albertsons that showed up on his card.
I believe it was the Hacking case--or at the same time as the Hacking case--but can't quite remember.
Moral to the story I guess is that any supplies used to murder someone shouldn't be put on your card. Everything else is probably safe.;)

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. When I lived in Vegas, several grocery stores had them and I used them.

That was before I knew they used those discount cards to track purchases. Back in San Antonio, HEB dominates the market, having run off all their competition. We use to have Albertsons and Kroger and Safeway, plus some smaller marketers like Handy Andy. Now it's Walmart or Costco and Target, but HEB is the main source in this town. They don't have saving cards.

[lavenderdiva]

18. I use one at Kroger's and appreciate the savings..

also, with another card they issue, I can designate a percentage of each and every purchase I make go to support Cocker Spaniel Rescue here in Houston. You can designate a lot of different charities that they will in turn donate a percentage of your purchase. So I don't mind at all. I am helping myself (lower prices) and helping one of my favorite organizations at the same time, and it doesn't cost me anything!

[Clark2008]

48. I have a Cocker Spaniel! I adore them!!

Here's a pic of him and my son (when they were both younger):



He's 13 years old and, I think, is having congestive heart failure (he hacks all the time, but I'm not going to press the issue because of his age). Other than that, he has no ear or eye problems and has been a picture of health for most of his life. He may just have allergies, for all I know - he certainly isn't any less loving and sweet.

I'm going to try to remember your handle when he, all-too-sadly, passes (and I hope that's not for years to come) because I want to go through a Cocker Spaniel Rescue to get another one. I can't imagine life without a Cocker. My family and/or me, alone, have owned them since I was 3 years old.

[lavenderdiva]

49. awwwwwww.... he's beautiful! (your son too!)

what a sweetie! just today we were at an adoption event for Cocker Spaniel Rescue here in Houston at a Petsmart! You would have loved it. There were altogether TOO many absolutely adorable cockers, all wanting a good home and someone to love! Each one was just the sweetest thing, and I wanted to adopt them all! Unfortunately, that cannot be, as I already have adopted 2 parti-variety cockers from them. Here are my babies' pictures:

Libby:


and Emma:

They are the apple of my eye! Please remember me when you are ready to think about adoption as I can try to put you in touch with the people who helped me... They are a wonderful organization. Each dog has been fostered for a time before they are adopted, so the foster family can ascertain each dog's disposition, and the best type of family situation for each dog, so the adoptions will be successful. They operate strictly on donations, and the dogs are kept in foster family's homes until the dogs are adopted. (not in a kennel situation)... I'd love to help you out--:hi:

[NAO]

22. Tin Foil Hats, Big Brother Surveillance, and The Mark of the Beast, Coupons

Mike Ruppert of From the Wilderness (aka Cop v CIA) and author of "Crossing the Rubicon" says that those discount cards are tied into the stolen PROMIS software and that THEY know if you have a house-guest because your water consumption goes up (PROMIS also ties into your utility bills) AND you are buying more ice cream.

Further, because tin-foil (which is fashioned into protective head gear) is purchased at the grocery store and the "card" is swiped at time of purchase, THEY know that you are onto them.

Also, the stores send you coupons and free samples based on your buying habits.

[DemInDistress]

25. here in NYC I use my club card at pathmark supermarket

but when I filled out the form I gave a false name and address and
have enjoyed all the perks of someone who fills out the same form with
the correct name.

[Mind_your_head]

27. Usually the card is mailed to you

If the particular store does this, and you use a false address, how would one get the card? :shrug:

[DemInDistress]

29. not here in NYC..........

both pathmark and a&p require a name and address, my phone is private
didnt bother either store or my discounts...

[Mind_your_head]

30. So, they give you the card right away and not thru the mail?

That would work.

[DemInDistress]

31. yes,you fill out the form at the customer service desk.

and a plastic barcoded card is yours.Being its near Thanksgiving path
mark will give you a turkey if you spend 150.00 $,the issued card
will track your purchases.Still I dont mind using a fake name in this
circumstance b/c I prefer that,others dont give a hoot.

[bhunt70]

32. I use my Giant one all the time...saves money.

[nvliberal]

33. I'll use the Albertson's card when I make the occasional trip,

but my nearby Sak 'n' Save store is far, far cheaper than Albertson's.

I save perhaps 10-20 dollars more in groceries for the same or similar items in each trip. Albertson's, Raley's, and all of the others are major ripoffs.

[MercutioATC]

34. Giant Eagle's card rocks!

They've got the Fuelperks program where you save money on gas, too.

I paid $1.10/gallon a couple of weeks ago by buying groceries that I was going to buy anyway...

[last_texas_dem]

36. They don't really bother me

Even if I'm not that likely (admittedly out of pure laziness) to actually spend the coupons that using the card generates they save a little money. I don't think of them much differently than I think of any other credit card/gas card.

The local chain I used to work at, Market Basket, just uses a regular credit card; not a "Preferred Savings" card. I don't think the chain extends much out of the Southeast TX/Southwest LA area, though.

[MaineDem]

38. I refuse to shop there

Shaw's is one of our large supermarkets. I grew up shopping there. I won't go there now because of the stupid cards.

The other large supermarket is Hannaford. That's where I shop now. They don't have cards and gimmicks and they also pulled their advertising from the Sinclair broadcast of the Swiftboat shir. Granted, they reinstated it but I liked their first move.

[onecent]

39. Hyvee doesn't use them. n/t

[1932]

42. Provide inaccurate info for the card and pay cash when you use it.

[soup]

43. PetSmart now uses preferred customer cards, too.

Saved a whopping $5.00 last night. (spent $120.00 ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch)

[Clark2008]

45. There is good news to their tracking what you buy.

You get excellent manufacturers coupons in the mail tailored to what you might actually want.

I can understand your NOT wanting a bunch of corporate fucks to know what your purchasing, but I've had a Kroger's card and a Food City card for years, now, and the only thing that has happened is that I get good coupons.

I really don't care that they know I buy beer, tampons and cigarettes. :)

[SmokingJacket]

46. I usually care about privacy issues, but I guess I'm too tired to care

about who knows what my groceries are.

So they know I buy condoms and Sudafed and organic chicken nuggets? There's not a whole lot they can do with that info.

[pitohui]

50. no card needed at walmart, but selection is limited

they don't always have the selection we've come to expect from the supercenters but they don't track