Dear Rite Aid A-holes,

This is the email I sent this morning to Rite Aid.
Re: Their substandard treatment of me last night

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to let you know that I am absolutely disgusted with the treatment I received at your South Street store last night. So disgusted, in fact, that I will be transferring all my prescriptions to CVS on Hall Street.

I went to the pharmacy counter with over $100 dollars in prescriptions and medicines. Being a savvy consumer, I separated out the items according to what I could buy on my flex-card and what I would have to purchase separately. The cashier rang me through and added that she suspected "I could buy vitamins on my flex-card." I told her that I didn't think I could, but we could try it anyway. Once the vitamins were through, the entire purchase was denied (when it was originally accepted.) She voided the vitamins and rung me through again, but upon the completion of the transaction, I was denied for purchases that are normally approved.

The helpful cashier called the shift manager to the pharmacy register. On her way back to assist the transaction, the shift manager came to the counter already complaining about some freezer issue that's occurring in your store. Now, I am in the health care business, not retail, so I don't assume to know a great deal about how that end of the business runs. I do know, however, that problems internal to the store should be transparent to a customer. I honestly don't care about your freezer issues.

When the dismayed cashier tried to explain that she was confused as to what happened with my transaction, your gruff and glib shift manager sarcastically replied "Yeah, I'm confused too because I wasn’t back here to see what went on, she probably doesn't have enough money on her card to pay for the purchase."

Immediately I was infuriated. I am an educated professional who has a masters degree and am fiscally responsible. For her to assume that I didn't have enough money on my flex-card was a drastic oversight and rude assumption on her part. I am not going to guess why she made that assumption, but I certainly hope it had nothing to do with my appearance, for the reason I went to your pharmacy in the first place was because I HAVE THE FLU!

I assured the assumptive shift manager that I did in fact have enough on my card, about $700 to be exact and that I had recently called to check my balance; as I was aware, being fiscally responsible, that my time to make purchases was coming to an end.

The shift manager continued to be rude, assuring me that I did not have the $, and was also rude to the cashier who was trying to advocate for me. Unfortunately, I didn’t bother to get the shift manager's name, as she is not important enough for me to remember based on her treatment of me. Honestly, I would have gladly gotten into an intellectual battle with your shift manager if I weren't sick, but that wouldn’t have been very mature of me, would it?

However, I decided to only purchase the prescription I absolutely needed on my debit card (there was ample money on there too) and leave your establishment. I then went to CVS, and purchased $72 worth of OTC medications.

After calling my flex-card customer service center this morning, I was informed that Rite Aid did in fact preauthorize two transactions of $68.49 and 44.85 on my account. However, in the end, I didn't end up purchasing anything on my flex-card, only a prescription for $54.51 on my debit card. Can you explain these erroneous transactions? Does that constitute fraud?

I would have gladly remained a customer of your pharmacy had it just been some computer glitch, however, your shift manager; the representation of how Rite Aid conducts business, was not only rude but, further, insulted my intelligence.

Unfortunately being as close to my house as you are, I often frequent the pharmacy in between grocery shopping weeks, picking up odds and ends and usually purchase all my greeting cards there. My fiancé, who became infuriated upon hearing of the treatment I received, will be transferring his prescriptions to CVS as well. He also relied on Rite Aid for his prescriptions, greeting card purchases, and grocery items from time to time.

All in all, we probably spend (spent) about $2000 of household money at your pharmacy, a monetary benefit I'm certain CVS will gladly receive.

I do expect acknowledgement and explanation of the erroneous charges to my account, as I do not wish to resort to further actions to recoup your unnecessary charges, but will if my request is not met satisfactorily.

Sincerely,

Jessica & Aaron

Jeez Louise, I hate to have to throw my weight around and use the "education card," but I can not get over how mean that shift manager was to me last night. The poor cashier who was waiting on me didn't know what to do or say.

I may have been a tad bit "over-emotional" due to the fact that I have had a fever for three days (I know, I'm going to see Dr. Ma at 9:45) but I was still mad this morning when I woke up, a sure sign that I am not over-reacting.

I really am going to switch my prescriptions to CVS. Aaron wants to go into the store to see a manager, but I am trying to talk him out of it. Honestly, I can do more damage being a sarcastic, relentless blow-hard than he could by yelling at them for being mean to me. It would almost be a reprieve for them to deal with him instead of me because if I get backed into a corner I am a BITCH who goes straight for the throat- or the pockets in this case... hehehe...