01/14/2026
Are you making sure to fight the good fights in life? You know, what you know you're owed
Yesterday I went to Safeway on 176th in Puyallup to get back the $13.47 that I was rightfully owed (SECOND trip there regarding this issue by the way). Let's start my story from the beginning-this past Thurs. late night I went to this Safeway to conduct some business & to purchase a $22 & some change pain remedies. Due to my WORST EVER in my life financial situation, I had the cashier split the tender between 2 debit cards (after NOT being able to afford in ONE payment method), the $13.47 on the first card & the $9 on the other (which this acct. if it's under $10 no insufficient funds fee). It didn't work for the $9 (don't know why), but the $13.47 did because I had those guaranteed funds. Due to NOT being able to afford both items, I informed the cashier I would have to put back the items, but that I needed to get my $13.47 refunded back to me. She requested I show her that it charged my card & unfortunately my app for this financial institution was down (I tried MULTIPLE times at different times at this store including re-booting my phone). She called a manager to "cancel the transaction" and handed me a receipt that showed this (although I was NOT requested to scan the card to apply the refund & obtain a receipt) and did NOT think of this at the time. I asked the manager if I would just show this to my bank if there's any problems and she said yes. The next day (Fri. of last week) I went first to my financial institution with a printout of my online banking showing this credited amount and explaining the situation (including showing the receipt from Safeway). She said there was no way they can look behind in my acct. (they could MANY years ago) because I explained & asked about that & that they aren't responsible for giving me the money. She said Safeway should give me the cash. I went straight to Safeway regarding this & spoke to the manager on shift (the one below the store manager) & she said to give it until Mon. for it to credit back to my account (after looking at all my documentation) & said to speak with the store manager then. I decided to wait an extra day (Tues.) to give it another day to refund back to my account. It did NOT. I printed ANOTHER printout of my online banking to show all transactions present day back AND brought the old printout from midnight Thurs. night when I got back after this fiasco AND the Safeway receipt with the cancelled transaction. After waiting FOREVER for the store manager (who then decided she had to call the manager I spoke with Fri. to be informed on the situation FIRST before even attending to her customer, ME) comes to assist me. I explain everything and even with my online banking printout from RIGHT BEFORE going to her, the old bank printout, the Safeway refund receipt, showing my driver's license, and informing her that I have the debit card that was charged (all supporting evidence) as well as explaining how the manager didn't have me swipe my card to refund the amount that was charged & give me a receipt, the store manager claims that my online banking doesn't show it's their store. I have to keep nicely and calmly telling her multiple times that the workers that helped me Thurs. night (me describing what they looked like since I didn't know their names) could verify I was there & that I wouldn't have had time to go to the other Safeway across town because Safeways close at midnight & I got home at midnight that night after that incident happened. I also explained that their Safeway (the one on 176th in Puyallup) is closest to my home. After her claiming, "It's just $13", yet why did I have to keep repeating myself over and over and over again and the money wasn't just FREELY given? I let her know not that it mattered, but it's going back in the store AND that the other time I came here I spent money in the store, too. For someone who made me feel like such a scam artist, she gave me the money after having me fill out a refund slip which I used to purchase discounted 2 bunches of bananas in the bag & 2 boxes of my natural caffeine drink PLUS spent an additional $4.49 for Purell (they were .50 cheaper than store brand) hand wipes since I was out & I don't go anywhere without having any (Covid is still VERY present).
Yet, I can tell you at a recent trip to Fred Meyer this month, you can see the other photo of baby wipes, supplement, & honey (honey is cheaper than syrup for my waffles when $ is SUPER tight), when my total was $18.29, I told the cashier that I would have to put an item back due to being .29 short. She said they get change all the time and put it in my self-check-out machine and then I paid with the $18 I had. I was SO genuinely grateful and thanked her. She was an angel (Joel Osteen, famous Christian preacher & motivational/positivity speaker) said in one of his recent sermons that God knows when your breaking point is & then sends angels to assist (angels that are in the form of people).
