ComplaintsforTops Markets LLC

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Went to Tops Warsaw and called the number they told me to. Nothing wrong with the card only the stupid people that work there. This is the 3rd time I have argued over gas points that do not show. Two so-called assistant mangers check also only to be told everything looked ok. I was not born yesterday and I know when you purchase 6 items you are suppose to get the points. Well I did not. Know why people go to ******* and ******* to buy. I will never go to this store again!

  

  Business response

  05/02/2023

  ****,    I apologize that you have had a hard time with Gas points.  There are many reasons this could be happening.   I can not help you without more information.  Please contact Lisa M*****  at ************.  She will be able to assist you.  

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I buy bought a lot of money orders in another state. I have relocated to my home state New York State and have been going to Tops Friendly Markets since November of 2022, so I am a regular customer. I have bought money orders from them during this time, but a couple of weeks ago or less I bought 11 money orders and they were very suspicious and reluctant to selling them to me. I knew something was wrong and the representative got on the telephone about it and then the manager on duty came over. Another employee was there also. I asked what was going on and they didn't come right out and tell me upfront. I knew and felt {through my experiences of accused situations} that they were suspicious of me for buying so many. I asked the representative and she told me there was a scam going on {that had been going on for some time according to the director I contacted; it wasn't a new thing}. I asked her if it was a new scam {because I never heard of such a thing before} and she said yes. The manager that came over also told me they were protecting me and I asked her for what. Then, the representative told me someone is buying m.o.'s to send to young women they find on the internet, send them to them so they can come over here from other countries. According to the director the scam is someone calling older people to get them to buy money orders to pay for a late bill and gift cards are part of it where people call for the number saying they owe something or the service will be turned off. The representative, who is an older woman and has been working there for many years, should have known all of this, but wouldn't tell me at first, but told me finally about the internet and women and so on. Also, the director said they have been trained by Homeland Security about this scam. I would like to know why the woman told me the scam was a certain way involving young women when it was not. I did complain to the store manager also, but I want to complain to you.

  

  Business response

  03/21/2023

  I have personally spoken to ****.  The attendant intent was to watch for the gentleman, not make him uncomfortable.  

  Customer response

  03/21/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.  I would like to know why the employee had told me something so "off the wall" as to what the scam was and why she told me it was a "new" scam.  She had told me toward the end of our interaction that the scam was "new" {which according to the store manager and director it is not "new"} and that it involved someone buying a lot of money orders at one time and sending them to young girls or women they find on the internet who live in other countries to get them to come over here {again, which according to the director and store manager is not the scam, but it involves preying on the elderly with gift cards or causing them to buy money orders to pay a late bill}. When she said that she confirmed to me that the suspicions I felt they had toward me were real and happening though they told me they were trying to protect me.  The manager on shift at the time told me they were protecting me, but until the very end, they never explained {or just came right out and told me} to me how the scam worked. Regards,  **** *******   

  

  Business response

  03/23/2023

  As I have mentioned to Mr. ******* a few times.  The team has been retrained.  I apologize again that he felt as though he was being treated as a thief.  The store was trying to protect him.  As they see many people come in and get scammed.  

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Bought this dog food for my dog who’s pregnant opened to see thick layer of mold in can- not transporting mold back to a store! Mold is dangerous to inhale and handle as I have kids and puppy in home- went right to trash sealed in bags with gloves on- this was the last cab out of six purchased from tops north Syracuse on ********* road I’n NYS. Now I’m afraid of the first 5 cans my dog who’s pregnant ingested that it had mold and I may have not seen it and I’m now freaking out as she’s been vomiting the last few days. Vet bill now occurred. This has been the 5th issue I have had with tops not soley the same problem I have bought milk for my young children (in the past) from this location and to get it home to find it’s curdle visible in better lighting right through the carton! I returned it and they put it right back on the shelf!!!! They have minor working late hours standing around talking with self check out open and this is not acceptable I pay to many taxes in my payroll to have vet bills come about and have to check out my own groceries with a broken spine injury years ago! And they get paid minimum wage to stand around??? Half the staff are rude and ignore you while socializing with their staff on shift about unnecessary outside of work life this is so very unprofessional and just unacceptable I will never shop at tops ever again! Wegmans maybe busy but they have good quality and great staff and I’ll rather deal with my social anxiety in high population area then causing harm of health issues to my family and animals and not deal with feeling a bother to someone who’s there in “customer service” to assist I’ve been in customer service field for well over 25 years of my working history and this by far is the biggest disappointment and this company should surely be ashamed of themselves!!

  

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  We apologize for the dog food not being good.   I can not see the manufacture of the product.  I can only see the expiration date of 12-19-24.  The store will gladly refund you your money.   However it is the manufacture that we need to get involved.  Please contact Dave the store manager he will fill- out a product complaint form and notify the dog food company.  As for your other concerns I will share those with Dave as well, he will personally handle.  Thank you for taking the time to let us know of our opportunities. Have a great day.  

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This letter serves a formal complaint against Tops Friendly Markets located at **** ******* ***** ****, Amherst NY 14228. On February 1, 2023, at approximately 3pm. I went into the market to do some grocery shopping. I went over to the deli counter, there was a young male behind the counter. I was looking to see if they had Buffalo Chicken and I didn't see it. I kindly asked the gentleman behind the counter, if they had any because maybe I over looked it. He look up at me and said, " What are you talking about and if you do not see it there, then don't ask me". I was taken off guard with him so rude, so I just walked away. He was very nasty and rude for no reason. I have never experienced any rudeness when simply ask an tops employee a question. There known to be the Friendly Market place. He wasn't friendly at all, just rude and nasty.

  

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  I apologize for your experience.  I appreciate you reaching out. You will be contacted by the store manager.  

  Customer response

  02/10/2023

  Better Business Bureau:  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.   Regards,  ****** ***** 

• Initial Complaint

  01/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife and 6 year old son shopped at Tops Market (Store 535 in Carmel, NY) on New Years Eve and had a horrific experience with their asset retention rep. This persons interrogation of my wife and 6 year old son over an honest mistake was completely unacceptable and even the employee that was asked to sit in the room while it happened agreed, as I called the store the moment my wife came home hysterically crying. This employee was "glad that I called" after witnessing the incident because she "felt terrible" of what the asset retention person was putting my family through, as it was not as per store policy. His line of questioning, over 2 Simply Lemonades (~$6) being under the bottom of the cart, after paying ~$100 for other groceries is inexcusable. It was very easy for a rational, professional person to see and ascertain that this was a mistake and that holding a women, with no previous record and/or issues of any kind, with her 6 year old son, for over 30 minutes in a small confined room is an abuse of power. Him also questioning a 6 year old in order to try to prove my wife was lying, which she wasn't, about buying spray paint from another store (by asking what color she bought), is disgusting and uncalled for, as well as completely irrelevant. This person should never put another family through a traumatic experience as he did with my family for, what I can only assume, is to fulfill his severe abuse of power. My expectation is someone at a higher executive level at Tops Market will be reaching out to me to discuss the situation in more detail, as I've also logged a formal complaint via their website and am waiting to hear back.

  

  Business response

  01/26/2023

  We appoligized and  rescinded the No trespass and paid for his Groceries. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  When shopping for fruit cups for my kids, I found multiple packages of fruit cups out of date. These fruit cups werent just a few days expired were talking months and one is days away from being over a year expired. That means it must have sat on that shelf for over 2yrs not being touched rotated out or anything since its sat expired for over a year. I do have supporting photos that I will include. The soecific items were the **** ***** *** ****. These were intended for my kids they could have possibly gotten sick had I not checked the dates. This isnt the first time with this issue and this specific Tops location. I understand we are in a pandemic and the recent incidents at local Tops, but people should be getting fresh food not food almost a year past expiration. This is a continuing ongoing issue with this Tops location, located at 6914 Erie Rd. Derby, New York 14047.

  

  Business response

  06/20/2022

  I apologize for this.  This does not meet Tops Markets standards.   It will be taken care of immediately.   My hope is that this customer told a manager in the store, so it could be taken care of on the spot.  I will be calling the store and following up either way.  Dave B**** is the manager and he will be in contact with this customer.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Called and spoke with a clerk at store #49 who said that they would check to see if the ******* *****-3lb dry roasted, unsalted in the shell peanuts(yellow bag) were mold-free before I made the commute to the store for purchase. After his brief inspection he said they are mold-free!. I get there and Mold is on all the yellow bag peanuts. I was told by other clerks that it is dirt, and by another that it is charring from the roasting process. Another consumer over hearing our discussion made her own observation and she too agreed that it was indeed black mold! When alone one clerk who said it was dirt recanted his remark. I said I know they are subterranean but this is not dirt. His response "you are right". However both store manager and office manager play the idk game...zero accountability! Store manager proceeded to fluff the moldy nuts as to make a better presentation after we shuffled them for examination instead of removing from shelf until further review. In Buffalo, NY. Niagara Ave, South Park Ave, locations alike. This is not a shake down or gotcha scheme... I do not wish for compensation. I pursue only quality products from a trusted vendor who has been established for 60 years... To raise the bar, have them removed, and possibly reimbursed with a possible recall on said product. Next time you frequent your local tops proceed to the produce department and seek the yellow bag and examine. What is your observation?... Dirt? Roasting process? Or good ol black MOLD?

  

  Business response

  04/18/2022

  This customer has reached out to us about this, at no time did he request a refund.  On his behalf we did reach out to ******* ******. The response is as follows:  "What the customer is seeing isn’t dirt or a result of the roasting process, it actually happens during harvest. It’s more of a “stain” from rain/fog during the drying process, after the peanuts are pulled from the ground. The drying process usually takes a week or so, so unfortunately mother nature doesn’t always cooperate.
  
  The shells aren’t the “prettiest”, but they are within spec. These peanuts are NOT affected by mold (mold would impact the peanut kernel inside, and typically be a blue/green color and appear “fuzzy”). These are called “dalmationed peanuts.” When peanuts have been pulled from the ground and turned over to dry naturally in the sun, a rain shower can come through and blemish the shells. Heavy fog can also cause some shells to turn darker. The shells may be blemished but the kernel inside is perfectly fine and within spec.
  The peanuts are tested for mold before ******* ***** purchases them for their use. There is a chance the consumer will see this again. Some growing areas have given ******* ***** pretty shells, but most didn’t.
  I hope this helps explain the crop that ******* is working with this season."  I apologize he does not like the answer.  He did state that he is seeing this at other retailers as well.  Tops markets stands buy its products.  If he is not happy with the bags of peanuts he can return them. As far as the explanation, he needs to contact ******* Peanuts and discuss further.  

  Customer response

  04/19/2022

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Regards, Rio Reid So it's not a fungus? The deception continues... Root knot nematode disease ring a bell anyone? If the Farmer deceives ******* *****, and ******* ***** deceives Tops, and Tops deceives the consumer... Who deceived the Farmer?... Mother Nature? Peanuts are grown under ground! Would not the staining occur there first? Yes! That is because of the nematode worm infestation. It's been well documented. .000001% of a lie corrupts the entire truth!

• Initial Complaint

  03/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I shopped at the Depew NY / D&L Tops Markets today. At the self checkout, I selected to receive $60 cash back from my debit card with the transaction, & the machine froze. We asked the self checkout employee for assistance. She told us that the maximum amount allowed for cash back is $50. She stated that she voided the debit card transaction, & told me to try again but with requesting only $50 back. I did, & the machine printed my receipt and a coupon, but no money was dispensed at that point. When I looked at the screen, it showed a total of $43.18, so I figured that the cash back transaction was not approved. I glanced at the receipt on the way out, and the total said $43.18, paid by Debit. However, I received the banking alert from *****, and the total debited was $93.18. I looked at the receipt again, and about 3/4 of the way down just above the survey message, it read $93.18. I immediately called the store and told them what happened. They transferred me back the the self checkout employee, and she told me that the machines have that issue often, and that she was even once "screwed" out of $50 in a cash back transaction where the money did not dispense. She told me that Tops won't do anything about it because they don't care, then said sorry & hung up. We drove to the store, and asked for a manager. We spoke with Joe, & explained what happened. He took our receipt & went to the back office. About twenty to twenty five minutes later, he returned, and said that the money was dispensed but we never took it, and the customer behind us got it. However, my wife & I both looked down and saw no cash. Manager "Joe" refused to help us, & did not allow us to see the security camera video footage when we insisted that we both did not see any case in the bill dispenser. Also, these machines are "voiced", & tell you when you have change or cash back, by a recorded message that states; "Your cash is being dispensed below", but it never played the message.

  

  Business response

  04/18/2022

  I apologize for this.  This is a franchise location and because of that I will have to refer you to the store manager.  His name is Paul.  I have forwarded your complaint to him for review along with my recommendations.  If you do not hear from him within 7 days please reachout to our call center.  They will put you in contact with Myself, Cheryl C******.  I am the director of Customer Experience.  

  Customer response

  04/18/2022

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  Regards, *********** *** ***** *******

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩