AAFES THE LEACHES

My Dad and I are both retired military(USAF/USMC) A retired AF Lt Col comes into my jewelry store and asks the price on a ladies Seiko, reg. price $165 I quote her $85. She says but you can't sell it for that price, I say why not? She says the PX has it for $132 and you can't sell it for cheaper than the PX. I say I own the store I can sell it for whatever I want to. She then says but at the PX "we" don't pay tax. Tax on $85 is $6.69 for a total of $91.69, $40.31 cheaper than the PX. I swear she had a fit and walked out in a daze. I've been shopping at the BX/PX for 40+ years and they sure aren't what they use to be and it is pretty sad what they are doing to the junior enlisted troops. Now that is a ripoff if i've ever seen one. They do have some good buys but folks, shop around before you buy. Good luck and God bless all our Troops. Semper Fi.

Eric from Ft. Drum, while you claim to have witnessed people stealing from the registers and in the cash room, who did you notify? As far as selling all American made products, didn't Walmart spew the same line? I'm sorry to say, but you just can not get many things that are made in America anymore. That isn't AAFES fault. Perhaps they could change the message to something like, We sell items made in America, if we can find them.

AAFES has one of the most incredible indoctrination plans I have ever seen in my life (whoops, sorry, I meant harassment training video's)...

After my first three days of work, I got tired of greeting new co-workers with "Good Morning", "Hello", "Goodbye" and the such. There is so much tension and fear of (sexual) harassment complaints that to receive adknowledgement and friendlyness, an employee had to shop on the sales floor posing as a customer.

On the sales floors, clerks are exceptionally friendly with customers but half of them are friendly because they have to be to keep their jobs and one can notice the fakeness from time to time.

Sometimes new teenage employees can be seen talking to each other when the store isn't busy, but in the staff areas the tension can be so high you can almost measure it with a meter. You will rarely see two employees talking to each other in the breakroom, only when a large group build.

Now that's control!

On theft: How can one mention AAFES and not talk about theft? I was in college at the time and have seen so many employee's steal from registers and in the cash room with such regularity it sickened me to my stomach.

At the management level I have seen so many loosers with drug habits, with questionable friends, lifestyles and well above what they can afford - I cannot help but think that what isn't pocketed by the small crook at the register is ultimately "skimmed" at management level.

There are a few "good" managers, but they sure have to put up with a lot of crap from both other manager's and D-U-M-B employees. No one is there to support them and they keep storing steam day after day...

AAFES cannot be in the retail business because so much cash is systematically stolen you couldn't possibly turn in a profit. It's a real "looting" fest. One guy who worked for AAFES as a buyer, offered to have me transfered to his department and steal big time. I dodged him like a disease but I'm sure he found someone else.

It also sickens me to see AAFES advertise they are all American and sell products made in the USA; having worked in a PX warehouse, I can tell you that U.S. made merchandise was a very special and rare occasion.

Brand name running have never been cheaper to manufacture in history thanks to the sweat shops in Southeast Asia staffed by children who belong in school, yet you would never notice it judging by the AAFES price sticker. Even when they go on sale, they still make a killing.

Finally, as someone connected with the military and having been to Bosnia myself, it makes me puke to see servicemembers have to pay for pre-paid phone cards to call their families when they should be allowed to call for free.

If a civilian company sends me to a remote location, I expect and get all expenses paid. Not servicemembers on deployments! Most didn't volunteer to be deployed, they were just responding to their call to duty.

It makes me want to ring an AAFES marketer's neck to see AAFES gloat that they go to the front lines to serve our servicemembers by selling them everyday products like soap, razor blades, shampoo, shoe polish, extra uniforms and accessories, etc... when these items too should be provided to each servicemember free of charge.

Imagine coming back to base after a 14 hour patrol; you managed to stay alive today and now before hitting the hay in some tent or shack, you have to walk down to the PX and buy yourself some toothpaste! Sick!

I don't have a problem with AAFES selling DVD's, souvenirs and junkfood, just not the basic ameneties, that's all.

Well, have you heard the latest? AAFES is now advertising volunteer positions at their movie theatres where a teen can volunteer to sell at the concession stands. That's right, their slowly giving the boot to all those overworked and underpaid employees. The commercial is so cool and hip and fun even I would love to volunteer and have me some fun working for free, but then I snap out of it when I see my rent.

I thought only non-profit and humanitarian organizations were allowed to recruit volunteers. We sure went a long way from candy stripe girls to volunteers everywhere! Doesn't anyone work for good old fashioned low wages anymore?

The problem I have with AAFES the most is the selections they have overseas. I have a 14 year old daughter, but all the clothes for her age group of for lil hoochie mamas ready to stand on the street corner. I don't care what the biggest rave style is, AAFES needs to take into fact that not every teenage girl wants to dress as a tramp. We have filled out comment cards, requests and everything else in between, but each season, our business goes to the internet via JC Penny's, Old Navy and others. They also don't carry the right sizes either. It would be nice if everyone in our community was a size 4....At least thats what size AAFES thinks this community overall is.....As if........

The problem I have with AAFES the most is the selections they have overseas. I have a 14 year old daughter, but all the clothes for her age group of for lil hoochie mamas ready to stand on the street corner. I don't care what the biggest rave style is, AAFES needs to take into fact that not every teenage girl wants to dress as a tramp. We have filled out comment cards, requests and everything else in between, but each season, our business goes to the internet via JC Penny's, Old Navy and others. They also don't carry the right sizes either. It would be nice if everyone in our community was a size 4....At least thats what size AAFES thinks this community overall is.....As if........

The problem I have with AAFES the most is the selections they have overseas. I have a 14 year old daughter, but all the clothes for her age group of for lil hoochie mamas ready to stand on the street corner. I don't care what the biggest rave style is, AAFES needs to take into fact that not every teenage girl wants to dress as a tramp. We have filled out comment cards, requests and everything else in between, but each season, our business goes to the internet via JC Penny's, Old Navy and others. They also don't carry the right sizes either. It would be nice if everyone in our community was a size 4....At least thats what size AAFES thinks this community overall is.....As if........

AAFES may be a good deal, if you are buying beer, tobaco, or books. I understand that they may not be able to compete with Wal-Mart or some of the other large stores out there but, I know that there are many more Walmart's then PX's however Walmart backs up their claims. Have you ever been in a shopette on an Army post? Alcohol, Tobaco, books and junk food are the only items you will find. Of course there are the electronics(1 walkman and a few tv's) I am not just talking about the PX at Fort Story VA, but the Airborne PX Fort bragg. The two are the same size with the same selections and if you look at other posts, Schofield Barracks HI, Ft. Drumm NY, they are all the same.
Improve selection, the army is great at making itself fat, they don't need any help
ATW!!!

Some may say it is because you are over seas and it cost money to send things over seas. This is not the case, there is a gold shop that charges 75 dollars using the AFFES logo and name I being stupid bought one.

When it came time to pick it up the sales person got own the phone and about three minutes a guy walked in withe my cartuse.

I finished paying for it and walked out. Later I saw the same guy in a small shop. I looked around and he sold cartuses for 33 dollars. I knew then I got ripped off.

I started looking around and their knives are 50 percent cheaper than the BX. I see things that is alot cheaper in the British BX than in ours. I really think the military needs to take a god look at how the BX is being ran.

I would just like to stand up for aafes and say i think they are doing a GREAT job of trying to Satisfy The WORLD.You can't PLese ALL the people All the time,But you can (as they try to do) try to create a Happy medium.If you are so worried about pricing and the best prices ,get out and really shop other stores as well as the 2 you mentioned.But as with all military services and programs the less you use the Greater the chance you loose.The price challenges are in full effect and let's not forget they are able to special order products in a lot of instances,so shop till you drop then come on back home to AAFES.

You need to understand that only ones who benefit from Aafes are the soldiers. In addition to the convenience of having Aafes everywhere that soldiers deploy. The profits made by Aafes are passed to the soldiers through MWR. There is nobody becoming rich from Aafes.

I believe that AAFES is commited to providing quality service to soldiers. Day in and day out the management in the facilities live and breathe their facilities and should be proud of the work they do.

Especially overseas where logistics are more complicated than what you would see in the United states. We (the management) are concerned everyday about the quality of service we give our customers. To say that we are intentionally "ripping" off people makes me angry.
Honest decent people work for AAFES and Customer service is talked about daily.

As far as making money is concerned I believe comes second to taking care of customers, the customer is the reason AAFES exists.

AAFES is providing a valuable service to the soldiers overseas. No one can question this. Unfortuately the soldiers can not understand why AAFES has a tough time matching WalMart prices stateside. This relates to supply and demand. AAFES's demand is geographically everywhere while attempting to respond to all income levels.

We know the brass on base are buying more than the private and probabaly tooting their horns much louder for what they want. Do you see the problem.

While working for AAFES, I purchased a Sony TV at the Navy Exchange that I still have 15 years later. The customer/employee is looking for the best value, and in this case I was looking at both the BX and the Navy Exchange overseas and the Navy won my business.

Stateside I would have probably ended up at Best Buy on a special sale and paid the extra sales tax. Again, the point is the customer is in control here. If AAFES could sell it, they would, if Congress allowed them to do it.

Either Congress or the customer are in control. Love your soldiers fighting for freedom, and support the Base Exchange in any way you can. They have a tough mission.

I AM FROM PUERTO RICO. AND I HAVE WITNESSED RETIRED PERSONEL BUYING BEER AND ALCHOL AND LOADING IT IN PICK-UPS OR VANS FOR RESALE. THE STORE AT RAMEY COAST GUARD CLAMPED DOWN ONE TIME, BUT THEN BACKED OFF. SO IT STILL GOES ON. JUST SO YOU KNOW
Thank you.

Have you ever heard of the AAFES price challenge program? Bring in documentation from another store (advertisement) and AAFES will meet thier price. If you do this not only will you get it for the same price, but you will still save on the sales tax.

You might want to check on your information about how AAFES marks up their merchandise. You might just get a big surpirse. Circuit City and Best Buy probably get sizeable discounts based on the amount of merchandise they purchase from a company. As they are sepcialty stores, they will purchase higher quantities than what AAFES does and will probably be charged a lot less for it. This can be one of the reasons why they sell it much cheaper.

AAFES customer are not always interested in the better quality, they just want cheaper. If this is what the customer asks for, this is what they will receive.