Parker’s Market – Savannah
Well, I am truly disappointed in Parker’s Market in Savannah, and in particular Greg Parker, the owner.
I have been a steady customer there for about four years now, spending an average of $30 to $50 per week at their store. Add it up and we’re looking at roughly $6,240.
Today I went in to make a purchase. My items came up to about $3.50. I was then told that I would have to purchase another $1.50 in goods in order to break the $5 minimum Visa purchase requirement instated yesterday by the store.
Now, I know for a fact that this is not permitted under any Visa Merchant Agreements. There is no question in the matter. I ask for the manager.
I am surprised to get the owner himself, Mr. Greg Parker. How this guy became a success, I have no clue.
I informed Mr. Parker that Visa did not allow minimum purchases. He said I was wrong. I said I was right. Obviously we disagreed.
He offered many times to explain how Visas work– how he is charged a transaction fee as well as a percentage. I knew all of this already, and told him that frankly I did not care how much Visa charged him. I explained that he has chosen to accept Visa, and that he has chosen a public-facing business. He must now conduct business according to the agreements he has made.
He did not like that, insisting that if I did not care about his profitability that I was not welcome to shop at his stores.
Obviously, I will not shop at his stores. But, I will file a complaint with Visa because, after all, I am right (per usual):
Source: http://www.corporate.visa.com/ut/faq.jsp?src=home
Can merchants set a minimum purchase or charge a fee for using my Visa card?
Visa has certain regulations that all merchants that accept Visa cards must follow. One of those rules is that Visa merchants are not permitted to establish minimum transaction amounts, even on sale items.
If you run into a problem like this with a merchant, please notify your Visa card-issuing bank. Visa member banks have access to the appropriate Visa rules and regulations as well as to the Notification of Customer Complaint forms which should be used by the bank to document and file merchant complaints.
Looking into the matter further, I find that not only are they violating Visa’s Merchant Agreement, but they are also in violation of state law. See, Parker’s Market in Savannah prints your full name, credit card number, and expiration date on your receipt.
This is illegal. Parker’s Market in Savannah is breaking the law by printing more than five digits of a credit card number on customer receipts, and Parker’s Market in Savannah is also breaking the law by printing credit card expiration numbers on customer receipts.
The law that Parker’s Market in Savannah is breaking:
Source: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/gl_codes_detail.pl?code=10-15-3
10-15-3.
(a) A merchant who accepts a payment card for the transaction of business shall not print more than five digits of the payment card´s account number or print the payment card´s expiration date on a receipt provided to the cardholder. This subsection applies only to receipts described in subsection (b) of this Code section and does not apply to a transaction in which the sole means of recording the payment card´s account number or expiration date is by handwriting or by an imprint or copy of the payment card.
(b)(1) Effective July 1, 2004, subsection (a) of this Code section applies to receipts that are electronically transferred by a payment card processor and printed using a cash register or other machine or device that is first used on or after July 1, 2004.
(2) Effective July 1, 2006, subsection (a) of this Code section applies to all receipts that are electronically transferred by a payment card processor and printed, including those printed using a cash register or other machine or device that is first used before July 1, 2004.
So, Mr. Parker, it’s time for me to start writing letters in order to force you to uphold your end of the deal you have struck with the public– you sell us stuff and follow the law, and we buy it.
30 stores and you haven’t learned this yet? Why does that not surprise me.
Mike
haha Mike, you crack me up. This has happened to me several times, but I’ve never taken it to this level. It is especially annoying for me because I hardly ever carry cash.
Way to go Mike. What you are doing here is consumer advocacy and “Citizen Journalism” at it’s finest. Be careful though. I can tell you from personal experience that this sort of thing can be highly addictive (it can even cause people to make a career change).
The worst (or best depending on how you look at it) part about “Citizen Journalism” on the local level is that you have to face the locals after you publish your work. In my own experience this has resulted in a substantial increase in hat sizes. However, a negative reaction (especially by the subject(s) of your articles) is likely as well.
I look forward to an update on this story! good work!
Mike, Thanks for the research. That makes me feel better, as I’ve had not so great experiences with the owner myself. I thought maybe it was just me. He was so rude to me that I wondered how he has maintained such a large amount of business. I have a feeling if more people knew about all the illegal operations and rude treatment of customers they would not shop there. I do not plan on giving him any more of my money either.
Thanks for the comment, Savannah.
I haven’t been back to Parker’s since this incident. I now drive to a different gas station for gas and convenience items, and have ever since.
As I am sure you know, our city is a tourist attraction. We are Chicago transplants, and have several visitors stay with us every year. Those visitors buy gas and smokes and whatnot. I refer them to other locations. Parker’s won’t get referral business from me, that’s for sure.
Even further, my brother moved down here and is staying with us while he is getting settled. He doesn’t shop there, either, even though I told him he didn’t have to go out of his way to get gas simply because I don’t want to patronize a business.
All told, Parker’s has lost thousands in revenue from me, my family, and my out-of-town visitors, all directly as a result of Mr. Parker’s treatment of me, a (former) paying customer.
I have no clue if they still print full credit card numbers over there. I hope they don’t, but it would not surprise me if they did. Some of their decisions seem to be ill-conceived. Two stations across the street from each other on President Street, each with different prices on gas? A laundromat, attached to a gas station, in an area where most people are homeowners and not renters? Yeah, great idea. Nobody wants to wash their clothes at a gas station, and haul it to their car amidst gas fumes and exhaust, as evidenced by the fact that their new laundromat is virtually empty every time I drive past.
I’ve established myself as a loyal regular at a different gas station, and get top notch service as a result.
Thanks again!
Mike
Hi Mike,
Your comments about “Mr. Parker” made my day/week/month/year!!! I have known this conceited gold-digging social climber since college and it doesn’t surprise me he would break the law(s) for more money in his pocket. When I saw somewhere he said he had graduated cum laude I laughed out loud. Maybe he did but his major must have been social climbing!!! He is despicable and thank you for calling him out!
I say lets print stickers that say “I hate Parkers” For months now I was buying 3 packs of smokes for $12 and change today St. Patricks Day Weekend I went there and the price was raised to $16 a four hike. I have been hearing awful things about him for a while now he will never get anymore of my bussiness
Hey Mike,
I thought i was the only one getting pissed, their new gas price advertised is false adv also, i went inside and paid with cash, but had to pay the 15 cent more than club price advertised, cmmmon i paid cash for parker’s sake, what a ripofff, never going to get gas there from now on,
NOTE: This comment was posted by someone using a Parker’s IP address. -Mike
I don’t get the negative comments. There is never a minimum when I have used my visa card at Parker’s, in fact, I see a lot of people buying items that are less than $2.00. The Pumppal card setup could have not been any easier, IF YOU HAVE A CHECKING ACCOUNT! Sign up and take advantage of it. It seems to me like Greg Parker is truly trying to help his customers save money!
NOTE: This comment was posted by someone using a Parker’s IP address. -Mike
I really think that it is funny how everyone is complaining about Parker’s but they continue to bring in the money. I am a Parker’s fan. I pass so many stores in the morning just to go to the Parker’s on Abercorn because the employees are extremely nice. The fact of the matter is that they have better customer service. I have a club card and it saves me alot of money every week on both of my vehicles. The food at the Parker’s Market on Drayton Street is amazing. My friends and I go over every day from the BOE to eat. I do not know what I would do if there was not a Parker’s. Every where else I go they are so rude and nasty.
Mae, take a look at the original date of the post: September 3, 2006.
It is highly likely that Parker’s has changed their policy to fall in line with their Visa Merchant Agreement and state law. I don’t know, since I don’t shop there. (242 weeks, $30/week– at least $7,260 of my money that Parker’s did not get)
Interestingly enough, your post made me think about their Club Pricing. I’m going to double-check when I go past Parker’s today. If they have their club price listed above their regular price– and I think they do– they are in violation of O.C.G.A. Section 10-1-164, which states:
If the club price is higher, it looks like I can file a complaint. And I will, just as I did in this incident, which is probably a factor in why you no longer need to purchase a minimum amount when using a Visa at Parker’s.
Mike
Just checked about an hour ago. The club price is listed above the regular price, which is a violation of the law.
I don’t know the specifics of the origin of the law, but I am willing to bet that this is the reason. Gas prices often are listed on the sign with regular unleaded at the top, plus grade below it in the middle, and premium below that at the bottom. Consumers looking for regular gas are conditioned to look at the top price on the sign, the price for regular.
In this case, Parker’s lists a discount price at the top. Consumer sees the price, and pulls in. They start pumping, and look at the pump. They realize that the price on the sign is not the actual price. The consumer is required to share personal information with a gas station in order to get the lower price– the top price on the sign– the price mandated by law to be the non-discount price of regular gasoline.
Mae said in her comment that, “It seems to me like Greg Parker is truly trying to help his customers save money!” Couldn’t it be just as easily argued that Greg Parker is attempting to gouge customers who see the top price on the sign and pull in to fill up, only realize afterward that they were cheated?
Mike
Get this.
The last two comments– the one by “Mae” and the one by “Ann”– are from Parker’s employees! Hahaha!
Something seemed fishy to me, so I looked at the comments. Both were posted from the same IP: 70.43.12.132.
If you follow that link, you will find that the IP is assigned to Parker’s!
If this is true– and I believe it is– what a shady company Parker’s is– sending their employees to fraudulently post positive comments about their company!
I wonder what the local media would think of this? Hmmmmm.
Mike
I have only had good experiences with Parkers Stores. I think you might be a disgruntled person who has no real job and way to much time on your hands. It is a shame that people can post stuff like this on the internet and people believe it. I have found them to be a great help in helping me save money.
Yeah, as if anyone is going to believe you aren’t from Parker’s as well.
In almost 5 years, this post got FOUR comments from people who are not either my friends or me. Of those comments, ALL were negative.
Then, in one day, this post gets THREE comments from people supporting Parker’s. Two comments praising the company appear to be from regular customers, but they came 6 minutes apart from a Parker’s IP– probably Parker’s employees. That seems slimy. The other commenter praises Parker’s and attacks me personally instead of disputing the facts. That seems credible.
“It is a shame that people can post stuff like this on the internet and people believe it.”
That is such a laughable statement. I have made three factual assertions about Parker’s anti-consumer or illegal policies:
1. They violated Visa’s merchant agreement on the day of the initial post. That is a fact. I cited directly from Visa.
2. The violated state law on the day of the initial post. That is a fact. I cited directly from the O.C.G.A.
3. They currently appear to be violating state law. I directly cited the applicable portion of the O.C.G.A.
The real shame here is that at least two of the last three comments to my blog are meant to deceive, and the other one– I bet another person associated with Parker’s– attacks someone engaged in reasonable consumer advocacy.
Mike
I enjoyed reading the progression of this post. As the relative of someone who works for Parker’s, I can tell you many, many horrible things that they do on a regular basis. It truly is one of the worst places to work in the area. I have found, through personal experience, that many of the employees are rude. I have not met Mr. Parker himself, but have heard so many first person accounts about his petty, rude, and underhanded behavior, that I feel I am better off for it. Thank you for bringing this to the public attention.
After spending $7,000 in one year at Parkers, my car broke down at the gas pump, (after I just filled it there)! I was told
I’d be towed. I explained that I was a regular customer & needed time to find a friend to help me. I was told “NO”! You will
be towed!!! So much for your southern hospitality!! I only go there now in dire need. They couldn’t care less. My father was a
business owner for years & if that situation occured while he was there…………..he would have gathered every able-bodied
man & said let’s help this lady. They’d have picked up that car & moved it- just because it was the right thing to do!!!
Shame on Parkers!!!!