I want to speak to a manager.

[rerant]

Well he did, but instead he decided to leave the message with me.

Here is his complaint, and I wish the emphasis was mine:
"I think it's DISGUSTING that you are charging me five cents for a bag, and DEMAND that you start using biodegradable bags and make them free again, otherwise I will never shop here again. Now, are you going to tell your manager?"

My response:
"Sure, I'll let her know. But just so you know, unfortunately nothing is going to change and the bags will continue to cost money regardless of complaints."

His retaliation:
"This store is fucking disgusting and you're despicable for enforcing this bullshit."

My final words:
"I think this "bullshit" is the best thing this store has done since I've been here, so if you want to pass on a message to the manager you'll have to do it yourself, since I won't be relaying this particular message personally. Have a nice day."

He looked shocked and his wife looked terribly embarrassed. They both left muttering something about Nazi regimes.

[Forensic Waitress]

They are most probably one of those idiots who has a draw full of unused plastic bags and does not care about the enviroment.

[edible_hat]

I like getting free garbage bags, but when they start charging for bags in my part of the world I'll be OK with that too.

[donruss]

He is truly living a charmed life if all he has to bitch about is a 5 cent charge per bag. Epic Fail if you ask me!

[rerant]

He is truly living a charmed life if all he has to bitch about is a 5 cent charge per bag. Epic Fail if you ask me!

My thoughts exactly. I wish my life were so simple that I could complain about the most trivial things as though they were the deciding factors in me living or dying.

[Dave1982]

He would probably have had a stroke and died if he shopped at the supermarket I used to work at. They ran an experiment where they offered paper grocery bags, with handles. $0.25 each, plus tax. Luckily, this was an option; the customer had to ask for them otherwise they got the standard bags which were still free. Still, the amount of yelling and screaming this generated was unbelievable.

[Sonoma]

I like getting free garbage bags, but when they start charging for bags in my part of the world I'll be OK with that too.

I totally agree. Plastic grocery bags make great garbage bags, plus they're handy when cleaning out the kitty litter box. Paper grocery bags are nice for recycling my newspapers. Very rarely do I just throw out a grocery bag.

[Secret Shopper]

Now, the smart thing would be to do what they do here. They give you a discount if you bring in your own bags. I'm sure they're really including the price of the bags in the prices of your groceries, but they make it seem as if they are really giving you a discount. That's a better system.

It's the same for giving a discount for paying for your gasoline with cash. They are actually charging you to use your credit card, but they instead trick you into thinking that you're getting a discount if you use cash. See, it's good psychology!

[marasbaras]

It's the same for giving a discount for paying for your gasoline with cash. They are actually charging you to use your credit card, but they instead trick you into thinking that you're getting a discount if you use cash. See, it's good psychology!

Actually, in this case they're following their credit card merchant contracts which state that they may not charge extra for using a card.

[Boldido]

This is the first I've heard of charging for grocery store bags but I have to confess that I like the idea. Around here we have the opposite problem, they want to give you a bag for everything. Everytime I go into a store and purchase one item they try to put it in a bag. I know that the clerk has to do it and they probably have SCs who complain if their one item isn't placed in a bag but it really makes no sense.

[iradney]

Shoot, here we pay 34 cents for a bag! PSSSSSSH. And they're just standard bags. No singing, no dancing... *sigh*

[Primer]

Question about charging for bags: Is the sale kept open until everything is bagged up and then the bag charge is added? Is the bag charge a separate sale? How does it work?

We don't have it here, yet, but I'm sure it's coming...

Primer wanders off to gather up her canvas bags...

[trunks2k]

Slightly off topic - Since I don't shop there that often; when did Home Depot start charging for plastic bags? I didn't know I was being charged for it until I left the store. And the charge seemed ridiculously high for a plastic bag (36 cents I think?). Other places that I know of that charge for bags charge like 5 cents.

[Emrld]

Rerant . . .I think I remember which store you work at.

I went to a local location when it first opened to see what all that talk was about . . . made some purchases . . .was given a bag to use.

Second time I went it was after the change on bag policy. I tend to look for and read signs . . .not once walking in did I see that I would be charged for a bag - no free bags anymore. If I had seen such a sign I would have happily gone out to my car and gotten some bags. (with my job I keep trash bags in my car)
So I get done and go to check out. Now I have gotten more than I can easily carry without a bag . . .and am being told that I have to pay 5 cents more to get my purchases to my car.
I admit I felt tricked. My car was not parked close, parking lot is always full. I had bags in my car I could use for free . . . there wasn't a way for me to leave my purchases to bring my car closer and grab my stuff. I didn't throw a hissy fit, I didn't gripe at the clerk, I did feel poorly treated. It isn't like the store has a cart I can take to my car and then return.
Luckily a friend and her boyfriend happend to be in the store and leaving at the same time and helped me out to my car.

You do have a point that it isn't the clerk who makes these policies . . .I did send an e-mail to corporate . . .I have never heard anything back. (I understand about helping the planet . . .but give customer's a free option to get items to the car. Even if it is like what I saw in Germany where you put a deposit to use a cart that is returned when the cart is returned)

[Fawn]

We've had the system of paying for grocery bags for years (I'm in Ontario, Canada). Costs range from 5cents-15cents per plastic bag. The store provides free boxes (left overs from shipments) to the customers and they sell plastic basket carriers (which last forever) and canvas bags. Most stores now sell canvas/plastic carriers so you can do your shopping without the use of more plastic bags that get thrown into the garbage.

Personally, we use one of those plastic carriers (like a small laundry basket) and we reuse plastic bags from stores when Grocery Shopping. Those canvas bags can come in handy for work and carrying your lunch in, etc. etc. Useful stuff.