SC Lawyer Fail

[wolfie]

As part of the Store's contract with the state that allows us to take WIC vouchers, we have to agree that we'll always have certain products in stock that most WIC users will need. We are not, however, required to carry everything that's WIC-eligible - and that's where this tale begins.

My store only accepts WIC for baby formula and I hear at least every day that we're either 'Breaking the law' or 'Discriminating' because we don't accept all WIC. Nevermind the fact that we're a PHARMACY that just happens to carry a few grocery items.

I recall another thread that had cooked ham (in the form of sliced deli meat) as a WIC item. It would be completely unreasonable to require a pharmacy to set up a deli counter in order to accept WIC for baby formula. On the other hand, requiring them to carry all "dry" (non-frozen, non-refrigerated) WIC items would be reasonable.

Just curious, but what happens if you wind up out of stock of a WIC item that your contract requires you to have in stock, through a reason that's not your store's fault (e.g. your supplier had a batch that got recalled, and therefore can't ship you any)?

[EricKei]

On Lactaid -- They do, or at least used to, make a lactose-free milk under that same brand name - Acidophilus-enhanced milk. Could be worth looking into for days when that's the only dairy intake you plan to have, and don't wanna bother with the pills. My dad used to drink it all the time, and he swore by it (I tried it, and it's not bad at all).

[Mamochan]

Also, to explain why lactose free is sweet. The enzymes convert the lactose into sugars and lactic acid. Normally this occurs in the intestines, unless you are lactose intolerant and do not have or have very little of the enzymes.

So for us that are intolerant, that sweetness is a welcome taste as it means we will not have problems later.

[No Coupons 4 You]

Or have the wrong size? Or the wrong brand? Or claim that "it's exactly the same" when it clearly isn't?

How true and they blame you for their mistake.

[No Coupons 4 You]

I knew WIC was really specific, but I didn't know that it was different from person to person. A question that I have is, this person is presumably either pregnant or has a young child, yet they've been to 10 different stores to find this sized milk? Does their WIC only let them buy that size, or could they get a larger size? If so, why waste all that time going to different stores, just get the larger size and be done with it?* I mean, I have a very small refrigerator, so I understand needing to get small sized containers, but even I have room for a half gallon of milk...

*Unless I'm not understanding how WIC works at all, which is possible.

WIC only allows you to get the size listed on the check no substitute for sizes allowed. Also you must get the items at one store if they do not have something and you want to go to another store and get it with your check to bad so sad check is a one time use only.

[drjonah]

Just curious, but what happens if you wind up out of stock of a WIC item that your contract requires you to have in stock, through a reason that's not your store's fault (e.g. your supplier had a batch that got recalled, and therefore can't ship you any)?

Most states, the customer is SOL. If the store is out of stock of a particular item on their voucher customers usually have two choices

1)Get everything else on the voucher and forfeit the other item

2)Take the voucher and go somewhere else.

[wolfie]

I was referring to what would happen to the store if they wound up out of stock of an item their contract with WIC required that they have in stock.

[Smapti]

I was referring to what would happen to the store if they wound up out of stock of an item their contract with WIC required that they have in stock.

If a WIC inspector showed up and we didn't have it on hand, we could potentially get in trouble, but I don't think it's ever come up at our store. It's rare that we'd run out of everything that satisfies a particular requirement, though.

[No Coupons 4 You]

If a WIC inspector showed up and we didn't have it on hand, we could potentially get in trouble, but I don't think it's ever come up at our store. It's rare that we'd run out of everything that satisfies a particular requirement, though.

That happened to our store once the warehouse was on strike and that was the only time we were allowd to substitute brands.

[panamared]

We seriously need to institute a "Customer Duty" on people who claim things that then turn out to be wrong so the government can fine customers who try to scam things out of businesses.

Signed - "What I would do if I made the Law"

[notalwaysright]

Thanks for the info, everyone. I didn't know most of that, especially about the check only being good one time only. It does beg the question... Why is this size milk on her check if nobody carries it? Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of WIC? Not that I'm saying she wasn't a SC about the lawyer crap, she should take it up with whoever issues these things not bluster to a random employee.

[mjr]

Thanks for the info, everyone. I didn't know most of that, especially about the check only being good one time only. It does beg the question... Why is this size milk on her check if nobody carries it? Doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of WIC? Not that I'm saying she wasn't a SC about the lawyer crap, she should take it up with whoever issues these things not bluster to a random employee.

I'm not sure it so much a "nobody carries it" thing. It might be more a case of "nobody carries the specific one she wants".

I could be wrong.

Because I've heard people argue before about WIC, because they wanted some sort of organic thing, or actual cheese, and couldn't get it because WIC doesn't offer organic <whatever>, and the cheese was "cheese product" (which isn't cheese). And they'll argue that the cheese is better, and it's "the same thing" or "not the same" (depending on the SC).

[Ironclad Alibi]

Why is this size milk on her check if nobody carries it?

Do you really believe the SC when they say they've been to 10 stores? I doubt they have been to one other store, if that, and were just mouthing off. It's what SCs do.

[Slave to the Phone]

notalwaysright I didn't want to double quote you, but I work in a food stamp office. I don't decide how much a person gets, I ask the questions and plug the numbers in. I tell unhappy people every day what they should do to change the system.

I have a list of names, numbers and webpages/email addresses to hand out. Nobody ever seems to want to take my list, they just want to take it out on the closest person. I'm sure that some WIC customers are the same, they will yell at the closest person who won't yell back instead of actually trying to change the system.

[wordgirl]

My state uses an EBT card system for WIC now so they can go to different stores to find different items ... but I do understand the SC's frustration. The list of WIC items for my state can be very oddly specific - these two flavors of this brand of juice, etc. We used to have a WIC-only store near my work and they carried everything. THat was an odd little place; I stopped in once just to see what it was like.