Safeway
reviews and complaints

Produce Manager, Larry, from the Greenwood Safeway has lost my family's business & we have boycotted the store just because of his comments!

He has no control over his emotions, and I could tell when he was unable to be nice & listen to a customers request. I was totally turned off by this & because of a threat he made to a friend of mine. Making threats like that is probably against the law, but definitely against Safeway policy!

Business is numbers & for someone to be so upset about a customer asking for a specific juice, that's uncalled for and very immature! I hope that his numbers will decline & that he can find some other way to deal w/ his emotions. Only crazy people act like that, and I can't believe he still has a job at this location!

Colfax and Garrison sold us bad meat for the third time.Expiration date was expired on pork chops but safeway willingly sold it again.Loosing trust in rotation of meats.Finished shopping at safeway.Will start shopping at kingsoopers and will encourage others at my apt. that I manage to do the same.The meat department is to blame for this.I have a tenant here that had bad experience with the steak.There were worms in it about a month ago(Dec.2009)our problem was today around 3:00(Jan.28, 2010)You were so convient for us but can't take a chance getting sick.I'm a Apt. Manager at Dudley St.Apts. and also have our own business cleaning restaurant ceilings.No time to be laid up with food poison.

In short, these people are dishonest and deceitful in their business practices. Their movers are careless and caused extensive damage (approx $2000 in our case). I strongly suggest you do not do business with these people, and definitely don't give them your credit card number.

In Sept. 09 we spoke with Bill Shade (bill (at) safewayvanlines.com) to contract Safeway Van Lines for a home move from Maryland to Virginia, within the DC Metro Area. They first picked up a refrigerator at my parent's house (also in Maryland), then came to move us out of our rental home.

At my parents' house, the movers pushed the fridge the wrong way out the door leading to the basement, and broke the doorframe. Damage is estimated at approx. $650. Only two weeks earlier, Sears delivery people moved this same fridge through the same door with no problems at all.

Later that day, at our home, the movers scratched the wood floors in several areas, and even described to me *how* they accomplished this (improper use of the dolly). Total damage to this rental property was approx. $1300. This was taken out of our security deposit.

I called Bill Shade to file a damage claim, and he said that if we followed their claims process to the letter, we should have a response from their insurance company within a couple of weeks. This was in late Sept/early Oct 2009. It is now February 2010, and we have yet to hear anything from their insurance company - who, I am sure, was never notified by Bill or "his claims guy" of this claim.

While, Bill Shade is very responsive when you are negotiating a move and talking numbers, he falls off the face of the earth if you have a damages claim. But I didn't stand by and hope he would get back to me.

Multiple, multiple calls to Bill got either no answer, or, on the off chance he did answer (usually when I disguised my phone #), he told me that:
- He doesn't handle that, let me put you through to our claims guy. Claims guy's voice mailbox is full and not taking messages. Called Bill back, sent to voice mail. Left message, no return call.
- Their claims guy doesn't work afternoons, but Bill will make sure he calls back tomorrow. No call back.
- Their claims guy is out for a few days, give us until early next week so I can get "the update" (I got this one a few times). No return calls.

I could go on and on. It has been 4 months, and still not a word from Bill, Safeway Van Lines or their insurance company (if they even have one). We have paid almost $2000 in damages for which they are responsible, for a move that was supposed to cost around $1000.

On Saturday night, Jan 30th, 2010, at 10:15 pm, I was at the Safeway in Everett, WA on 41st street and Evergreen Way.

I was in the frozen food aisle and was looking at tv dinners when the manager walked up to a lady a few frozen food doors down from me and started yelling at her. She was saying she didn't want any problems and he was trying to pick a fight with her, telling her he didn't like her attitude. I don't know what their issue was.

I asked if he was a manager because he looked like one and I wanted to go get a higher manager to intercede. He then started yelling at me..?

I told him I didn't want to argue with anyone, I was just surprised that he was a manager and yelling at customers. I asked if there was another manager higher than him. He said he was the only manager.

He told the woman he had been yelling at, to get out of "his" store.

She said she would call the General Manager on Monday(today.) and I offered her my phone number as a witness to what happened.

He then told me to leave.

I said all I did was offer her my phone number. And he started yelling at me and saying I was a problem too because I was giving her my number to report him. The he said was calling the police if we didn't both leave. And pulled out his cell and called the police while I was telling my disabled mother that we had to leave. She was in the next aisle.

We went to the parking lot along with several other people who came out of the store and all waited for the police and described the yelling manager to the police when they showed up.

The police talked to the manager then came out and apologized to us and asked us to leave for now and make sure we reported the manager on Monday(which is today, Feb 1, 2010).

I have shopped at that Safeway for years. It upset me and my disabled mother so much that we won't be going back, even though we own a house by the store.

I felt assaulted after being yelled at and told to leave for no reason. You need to remove that manager, he's bad for business. And he's scary. Too scary for me to go back.

I always believe and justice, but now I know that some companies are above the law and they can do whatever they want and getaway with it. This is the case of Safeway and his Management people HR. Even if you Complaint and have proved how bad they are, Nobody Want to do anything about them. Now I will Like to know if you ever have a problem with Safeway, post your comments because I want to put together a Class Law suit.

I have had it with the absolute # cashiers who are perpetually telling customers when and how to swipe their debit card! The next time a cashier tells me when or how to swipe my debit card I am going to slug her/him! The stupid idiotic store managers and store owners who tell cashiers what to say are equally as guilty and should wake up! We know how and when to swipe their debit card and for those of us who don't know we will figure it out! Speaking to a customer when they are busy navigating the debit card machine buttons only serves to distract and confuse the customer and waste mire time! It is not helpful to interrupt a customer who is trying to deal with the varying instructions on equally varying debit card machines! So cashiers and store managers I suggest you shut the hell up and stop telling customers when and how to swipe their debit card or one day some customer is going to go absolutely ballistic on you and you will have deserved it!

I moved into the area where this Safeway is located about 8 months ago. I live 3blks. from the store which is extremely convenient. I am a foster parent and I use an EBT card (state provided card for the child) and also use WIC vouchers (Women, Infants, and Children state run for healthy children) and I have never felt so uncomfortable using these as I have in this store. Every time I use the WIC vouchers, the cashiers make faces and sigh or make some kind of noise that let's me know that they are not happy that I am using these vouchers. On another occasion I used my EBT card and as the cashier was handing me my receipt he made a comment, "Don't worry Mam you'll get a job soon. The economy is bad right now.". As I was walking out I kept wondering why he would say such a thing to me because I am employed and then it hit me that it was because I used the EBT card. I was very offended by this assumption. I feel this store is prejudice against low-income people, but yet the store accepts the use of these two forms of payment. It is not their business how or why someone pays for their groceries in that way. I don't go to that store unless it's an emergency and that's sad for both of us since I live so close.

Thank You,
Cindy Serrano
[protected]@yahoo.com

I had my first experience in this store in Lodi off of Kettleman. I was pleased that no matter where I went through this store employees were very friendly. Then I went through the check out and had a problem with EBT card. The store manager was called for assistance and he was very rude and sarcastic. Had it not been for the friendly checker I would have left the food and store never to return again. I will not return to any safeway because of this experience much less that particular one. This gentleman should not be working in a customer service position and I was deeply offended.

My husband worked for Safeway for just a few months, and had problems with them most of the time. First he had to wait an entire month to recieve his first check, I thought that was ridiculous. Then he recieved one or two checks before everything went downhill. Over $600.00 was stollen out of his wallet by a fellow employee. They watched the video and found out who it was, then he was told he would be getting the money on his next check.
Well low and behold, he never saw another check from Safeway again. Weeks went by and they would give him false dates as to when he could expect his checks, but when the day came, he was given the run-around. He's been calling the main corporation and they've been doing the same thing as the store, giving false dates or telling him they don't know what to tell him.
Everybody that worked there when he did is gone, and he was told over the phone by the main corp. that Safeway is having financial difficulties, but trying to solve them while keeping it on the d.l. ...What, by not paying their employees?!? I thought Safeway was a company that could be trusted, but I've swiftly learned, after waiting several months for pay that we now know we probably wont be recieving, (three checks), that Safeway doesn't care about their employees, they are horrible business-people, and horribly dishonest.
Please, if you know what is good for you, don't work for or shop at Safeway anymore.

i work on a sat or sunday morning shift and we get paid every thursday. for the last few pay periods i worked sat and sun yet was only paid for one of those days. when i spoke to the manager he told me that it wasn't on the time card. yet they don't keep track of the cards and they are gone so there is no trace of my hours. safeway is ripping me off and i am now putting in my notice. they will not pay me . for hours i worked. they say i didn't work them.

I think that the assistant manger Patty who works at Safeway and the head clerk by the name of Sarah Holmes leave little to be desired. They are very rude to begin with, but the talk down to the other head clerks and checkers while customers are present. I am not sure what makes either one of think they are better than their staff but most of the staff is very friendly and always willing to help, both of them walk around and when asked a question they act like you are bothering them. I have seen them call the starbucks manager to the front and make her cry and yell at her in front of the customer. Sometimes I go to walmart of I see them in the store just not have to be treated so hateful by them. I feel bad of the employees for this store to have to but up with the crap in order to keep their jobs as no one wants to lose their jobs right now.

I bought $50.00 gift card for Black Angus. I then found out they were closed in Modesto and the closest Black Angus was a 2 hour drive away. I tried to exchange Black Angus for Olive Garden and was told by the Safeway store they won't exchange gift cards. I was told to call 1-800-safeway and they would give me a refund. I called that number and was told to call Stephanie at [protected] ext 6402 at Black Angus and she is such a sweet girl she would take care of my problem. I have called several times and all I get is a message machine. This is a terrible rip off by Safeway and should not be patronized. Why not sell gift cards for Florida Resturants in California. That could be a bigger rip off. I will never buy at Safeway again and will urge all friends and relatives to shop at Save Mart and Raley's

My father recently bought a gift certificate for the Black Angus restaurant from Safeway Supermarket. At the time he bought it he was unaware that the local Black Angus had closed for good.
After being told the nearest restaurant was 1 1/2-2 hours away, he tried to exchange it for someplace closer. He was told this was not possible. It was against their poslicy. They would not give him his $50.00 back or exchange the card for some other place. The store manager told him he could call the corporate office, but there was nothing they could help him with. There is no way to email this company with a complaint.

I regularly shop at the Puyallup Safeway, and I have been okay with it up until 10/6/2009, when I shopped for groceries. Everything was fine until my 12-year-old son went to the restroom and found urine on the floor. He told a cashier (the one who rang up our groceries, but I'll tell you about her later) and he told me that the cashier said, "It's not my job to clean it up. Find someone else to do it." Just because he isn't a paying customer, he shouldn't be treated like a nobody! Well, anyways, the store was packed, and we went through the checkout line where the cashier who told my son, basically, that an unsanitary bathroom is okay. I made a comment like, It's just too bad that nobody around here can clean a bathroom. She said, and this is verbatim--"I heard about this from your son, I don't want to hear it again." She was in a pissy mood and wasn't even watching what she was doing--she rang up my laundry detergent (I bought only one) three times! I pointed it out to her, and she said, Well, if you have a problem, why don't you ring up your own groceries? I threatened to get the manager and insisted that she started over, and surprisingly she did. My son took a candy bar off the rack and handed it to her to ring up. She snatched it out of his hand. At that point, I said I was leaving--after I got the manager. She said that I had to put the groceries back. I walked off, and she followed me. I went to the video and lottery desk to ask for a manager, but whenever you need a manager, they are never around. She threatened to call the police--very funny, as it is NOT against the law to refuse to buy groceries and it is NOT against the law to complain to the manager! She followed me out the door, which at that point, I was about to call the police. She spoke with one of the employees who was pushing carts outside and said, "Oh, yeah, there's that fat [censored] who is making my life miserable!" Needless to say, this was at 6 p.m. and I ended up having to re-do my shopping at Top Foods (the other store that I do my shopping at)--and let me tell you, I had a much better experience there! Not to mention, you don't need a club card in order to save money--if you don't have a club card at Safeway, you're getting robbed blind. Well, I threw the card away 'cause I'll never set foot in a Safeway again! I'll only shop at Top Foods and Grocery Outlet from now on.

-Terrie S.

P.S. --I realize that everyone has a bad day every once in a while, but her behavior was very unacceptable. Since when is it fine to cop and attitude with customers? When is it okay to call your customers a fat [censored] just because they're complaining? Hopefully, the surveillance cameras caught her stalking me out to my car, and snatching the candy bar out of my son's hand. Customer service is not her cup of tea, obviously.

I purchased Dover fish fillets from the meat counter and after rinsing (they smelled strong) and cooking, they were not edible. They were mushy and goey inside. This is not the first time. I recall several other times I have bought bad fish from Safeway. When I returned the fish, I explained to the person that it was not the first time and that would they please tell the meat department that they need to change SOMETHING! I was told yes, she would tell them. As I was still standing there, a clerk went by and she handed them the fish and said ..." take this back to the meat department. " No other information. I will never buy fish again from this store.