- Report: #143403
Complaint Review: Aafes Army Airforce Exchange Service - Dallas Texas
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Aafes Army Airforce Exchange Service
P.o Box 660202 Dallas, 75266 Texas, U.S.A.
Phone:
214-312-2011
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Aafes army Airforce Exchange Service ripoff beware of military star card accounts! credit and pay is at their mercy. Dallas Texas
This is from my own personal experience and from what has happened to fellow soldiers I knew. Ffor anyone not familiar with aafes, it is military operated retail stores that sell everything from baby diaper to uniforms (military clothing sales). Aas with most things government, they have harsh penalties and practices that any other civilian retail store would be sued out of business for. I would guess that aafes has the umbrella protection of the government so that is why they can make their own rules. If you are in the military or a government employee who shops aafes, please read the following so perhaps it won't happen to you.
Price gauging: While stationed in germany last year, I noticed the price of cigarettes and alcohol jumped higher. When I asked an employee about this, he leaned over and said "deployed troops are coming back, they want their profit they missed out on".
False accusations of shoplifting: While in I was in the PX (aafes, darmstadt germany) last year, I noticed a female soldier I knew and she seemed upset. When I asked her what was wrong, she said she had given her 4y.o. son a drink from the shelf because it was hot and he was thirsty. Later, as she paid for her purchases, she had forgotten the drink and was confronted by a px employee a foot after the counter. She was accused of shop lifting and held in front of the store for everyone to see for the MP's. Sshe and her son was taken to the mp station even though she tried to explain it was a mistake and offered to pay. The employee would hear nothing about it even though the MP agreed it was probably an honest mistake. She ended up having $150.00 deducted from her military pay as a fine (aafes can deduct military pay anytime they like) and was barred from that px.
Military star card: If you have this account, there are two things you need to do. 1- remove the card from your pocket and set it on fire. 2- in writing, close this account immediatly. I had this account with a $900 limit. I had purchased new uniforms adding up to around $450. my payments were on time until eight months later when i had to go to the field for 45 days. This made the payment late so aafes has a policy on late pays, they deduct the full amount from your pay....period.
When this happened, I tried to go to customer service for help but was instead handed a phone and told only the dalles office can help. after standing there about 45 minutes, I was finally told I still owed the debt! I tried to explain that they have already taken the full amount and i have kids to feed. Tthis fell on deaf ears and I was told I was scheduled to have it taken out again the next month! To be charged double payments or to have payments not accounted for is common practice with aafes. Don't bother to save your receipts, they dont care, aafes is never wrong.
The following month my pay was again deducted this amount. I tried to talk to my superiors and finiance section (they didn't give a rats a**). Twice they had taken this amount and then made a bad report on my credit with all three credit reporting agencies!!! I never recovered the extra payment but after writing some letters, I was able to remove the bad credit reports.
Bottom line is that these people know they are untouchable. I even tried to involve my congressman but he didn't seem interested in the subject. I made a BBB report but aafes would not respond to it. If I had an attorney, I would love to go to dallas and sue the bastards but again, they probably are immune from civil action.
The best way to deal with these guys is to not do business with them. Aaafes was a good idea that has turned into a profit machine. Nneeds of the military member and family are no longer a concern. I beleive they should have no more ability than any other retail store. Since they purposely take double payments from military pay, they are a threat to the quality of life of our military and should either be dissolved or give the contract to someone better like wal-mart. I urge you to not buy from aafes.
Purchase over the internet or do your local economy some good, shop downtown. By the way, they say the profits go to MWR (moral, welfare and recreation). This is suppose to better the military member with low or no cost activities. The only thing I ever seen purchased for mwr in my fifteen years of service was new weights for the gym. What the hell do I need with that crap! I get enough pt. How about something fun to do for the single soldiers or those with families instead. Where the hell is all this money going?
If you had a bad experience with the px or aafes, please tell your story. Don't let them get away with it!!! And stop spending your money there! Your local surplus store or internet uniform outlet can sell the same stuff.
Tommy
jesup, Georgia
U.S.A.
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
Price gauging: While stationed in germany last year, I noticed the price of cigarettes and alcohol jumped higher. When I asked an employee about this, he leaned over and said "deployed troops are coming back, they want their profit they missed out on".
False accusations of shoplifting: While in I was in the PX (aafes, darmstadt germany) last year, I noticed a female soldier I knew and she seemed upset. When I asked her what was wrong, she said she had given her 4y.o. son a drink from the shelf because it was hot and he was thirsty. Later, as she paid for her purchases, she had forgotten the drink and was confronted by a px employee a foot after the counter. She was accused of shop lifting and held in front of the store for everyone to see for the MP's. Sshe and her son was taken to the mp station even though she tried to explain it was a mistake and offered to pay. The employee would hear nothing about it even though the MP agreed it was probably an honest mistake. She ended up having $150.00 deducted from her military pay as a fine (aafes can deduct military pay anytime they like) and was barred from that px.
Military star card: If you have this account, there are two things you need to do. 1- remove the card from your pocket and set it on fire. 2- in writing, close this account immediatly. I had this account with a $900 limit. I had purchased new uniforms adding up to around $450. my payments were on time until eight months later when i had to go to the field for 45 days. This made the payment late so aafes has a policy on late pays, they deduct the full amount from your pay....period.
When this happened, I tried to go to customer service for help but was instead handed a phone and told only the dalles office can help. after standing there about 45 minutes, I was finally told I still owed the debt! I tried to explain that they have already taken the full amount and i have kids to feed. Tthis fell on deaf ears and I was told I was scheduled to have it taken out again the next month! To be charged double payments or to have payments not accounted for is common practice with aafes. Don't bother to save your receipts, they dont care, aafes is never wrong.
The following month my pay was again deducted this amount. I tried to talk to my superiors and finiance section (they didn't give a rats a**). Twice they had taken this amount and then made a bad report on my credit with all three credit reporting agencies!!! I never recovered the extra payment but after writing some letters, I was able to remove the bad credit reports.
Bottom line is that these people know they are untouchable. I even tried to involve my congressman but he didn't seem interested in the subject. I made a BBB report but aafes would not respond to it. If I had an attorney, I would love to go to dallas and sue the bastards but again, they probably are immune from civil action.
The best way to deal with these guys is to not do business with them. Aaafes was a good idea that has turned into a profit machine. Nneeds of the military member and family are no longer a concern. I beleive they should have no more ability than any other retail store. Since they purposely take double payments from military pay, they are a threat to the quality of life of our military and should either be dissolved or give the contract to someone better like wal-mart. I urge you to not buy from aafes.
Purchase over the internet or do your local economy some good, shop downtown. By the way, they say the profits go to MWR (moral, welfare and recreation). This is suppose to better the military member with low or no cost activities. The only thing I ever seen purchased for mwr in my fifteen years of service was new weights for the gym. What the hell do I need with that crap! I get enough pt. How about something fun to do for the single soldiers or those with families instead. Where the hell is all this money going?
If you had a bad experience with the px or aafes, please tell your story. Don't let them get away with it!!! And stop spending your money there! Your local surplus store or internet uniform outlet can sell the same stuff.
Tommy
jesup, Georgia
U.S.A.
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
2 Updates & Rebuttals
SoldiersHeart82
Dugway,Utah,
United States of America
Military Star Card is amazing
#2General Comment
Mon, April 18, 2011
I have been a Military Star Card Holder for 18 years (yes before they called it star card it was called DPP) and I have never had an issue with them. They are not above the law nor do they make their own laws... see your agreement with star all of the information is there and forthcoming.
#1 - The price of Cigarettes has went up in cost more than once in the past. The price will continue to go up from time to time. It has absolutely nothing to do with troops returning. This is simply a comment made by a clerk and is rediculous.
#2 - If your friend who had the accusation about shoplifting was barred from the PX, How is it that you "ran into her at the px" after the fact. The military has a no tolerance policy for such offenses. I wonder how many times in the past she has happened to forget to pay for things she has handed her kid off the shelf.
#3 - Aafes does NOT take Full Debt if you are late. They will take the past due amount if you dont pay your bill for 60 days. I know because it happened once during a PCS move back in the day before the internet was so darn handy. Now days it is too easy to pay online thru AAfes or have it set up with your bank to autopay when due. Don't blame the army op tempo for your inability to track and pay your bills on time.
#4 - Funding from aafes does go into MWR programs... this could include on post movie theater, bowling, skating, Boss programs, gyms, ITR trips, tickets and discounts, craft centers, car shops, civilian wash rack, horse stables, on post sports (football, soccer, baseball, volleyball etc), post pools, golf course, and much much more... so before you complain about MWR know what you are talking about. Keep in mind a majority of monies goes into overhead to keep these PXs and shoppettes running even while troops are deployed and less money is being spent on goods on post.
Most of what you have posted is simply bashing a company that does exactly what it says. Many Star card users enjoy the no annual fee, the low interest rates which are lower than most cards even with the new federal changes, and dont forget that they lower your interest rate to 6% with no payment due during deployments AND you can still use the card. Pay your bills on time and stop posting hear say.
kellver
Patuxent River,Maryland,
United States of America
Military Star is more than fair.
#3Consumer Comment
Sat, October 09, 2010
I've been a military star cardholder and AAFES/NEX customer for 7 years. The terms of the card are superior to most store credit lines, with no annual fee and a APR less than 10%. I have used their "Deployment-notice" feature, in which if you notify them before you are deployed and fax a letter of deployment from your command, they will forgive you for late payments until you return to your regular duty station. Also, the Military Star allows you to skip a month between payments at any time with no consequence--no penalty fees, no nasty letters, no credit bureau hits--without even contacting them. You have to miss two consecutive payments before they take action.
