Ralphs, Kroger Under Publicized Termination of Rewards Program Hollywood California

Ralphs/Krogers had in place a rewards program whereby customers got discounts for shelf merchandised goods and accumulated rewards points for purchases including alcohol all for redemption toward other purchases by the customer at the customer's request.

Ralphs replaced this program on or around January 2009 without ample notice to existing old program members and all accumulated points were terminated.

The extent of Ralphs notification to the public, at least at the Hollywood store where I shop, was apparently a table on the right side of the store with new applications for one month. There are 3 total entrances to the store: one where the table was and one on the other side and an elevator that came from the upper parking lot.

None of the cashiers ever mentioned the program expiration, there were no flyers or written documentation at the check out or on the receipts or any mailers to our home addresses or emails that Ralphs had from our signing up to the program.

I found out about the termination in February when I attempted to cash in some of my wine points to buy some wine and learned I couldn't and that my points were gone.

A very disconcerting point here is that back in October or November 2008 before the cut off, I asked a cashier if I could update my file because I had a new phone #. She told me that if I did I would lose my accumulated points and that I was better off just remembering and using my old number so I did.

While I can't prove it, I wonder how much money Krogers and Ralphs saved from those that didn't or couldn't redeem their points prior to the expiration. I could have easily redeemed had either the cashier told me the truth and/or there was ample notification in the store, or verbally by the cashiers.

Ralphsripoff
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.