Scam Alert (Again) Aldi is Not Giving Away Free Groceries
If you have never shopped at Aldi, then you have no idea why this internet/facebook scam has gotten so much traction over the last year.
According to news reports and the Aldi USA Facebook page, there is once again a scam going around the internet that says if you like the Aldi Fb page, you will get free groceries, or a huge discount coupon or something else that sounds just like it is too good to be true. Wait for it. It is too good to be true.
Here is what the official Aldi USA Facebook page says (remember don't trust anything as being the official page of anything unless it has the blue check mark by its name):
If you don't shop at Aldi, let me give you a little bit of info on how they operate.
- They almost never, ever have a 'coupon' for you to use. The exception? When they are opening a new store. The coupon will the be for that store only and valid for a very limited time.
- You need to make sure to always have a quarter for the shopping cart. Aldi does not have the little hand carried shopping baskets. They have shopping carts. As a person who fills up her shopping cart regularly at Aldi, I always just leave a quarter in the dash of my car and make sure to put that quarter back in the dash when I leave the store. If you do not have a quarter and need a cart, just ask one of the cashiers, they will give you a quarter.
- You will need to bring your own grocery bags. If you don't you will have to pay for the ones they have there. You can also look around for a cardboard box in one of their bins, but don't hedge your bets and bring the bags.
- Don't try to pack up your groceries while the cashier is checking you out. They are constantly being monitored as to how many items per minute they scan, and you trying to bag your items will just impede their work flow. Allow the cashier to return the items to your cart and then after you pay, scoot over to those long counters, and bag up your items however you want to.
- If you find something at Aldi, you might not be able to get it again. This holds true for their "seasonal items." Yes, this seems like a no-brainer, but the pretzel buns I would have thought would be available all year, same for the butternut squash soup. Those are just two of my faves that I learned the hard way you will have to stock up on when you see them.
- In some states, Aldi sells wine & beer. This is super glorious! No, you might not recognize the labels, but try them. The selection and prices are usually pretty solid, but again, if you find something you like, grab a few. They might not be there the next time you pop back into the store.
- Aldi stocks their shelves differently. They put the whole box/case on the shelf. They do this, because it takes less time, thus their employees can do more. I mention this because the average Aldi store has less employees than you think and they still get all the work done.
So if you haven't checked out an Aldi, give it a chance. You might not become the diehard fan that I am, but you won't know until you try it. Just know that they are not giving you free groceries or anything else for free just because you like their Facebook page. Got it? Now tell your Aunt who keeps sharing it.