SSG Private RallyPoint Member 512047 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>How do you rate your AAFES 2015-03-04T16:55:12-05:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 512047

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>How do you rate your AAFES

2015-03-04T16:55:12-05:00 2015-03-04T16:55:12-05:00 TSgt Joshua Copeland 512081

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Base selection, prices are not market competitive (even with tax advantage).

2015-03-04T17:24:26-05:00 2015-03-04T17:24:26-05:00 SPC Private RallyPoint Member 512136

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Average shopping, average prices, average customer service. Not worth driving to if you don't live on or near post/base. Average pretty much sums it up.

2015-03-04T17:56:40-05:00 2015-03-04T17:56:40-05:00 CW5 Private RallyPoint Member 512276

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Fort Meade just opened a brand new exchange in November. It is a very nice facility. Much larger than the old PX, which is about to be turned into a parking lot. That's why I voted great.<br /><br />I will say that I don't visit the PX very often. I find I can usually do better on Amazon - as regards selection and price.

2015-03-04T19:13:26-05:00 2015-03-04T19:13:26-05:00 MAJ Private RallyPoint Member 512379

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I really only use them for uniform items anymore.

2015-03-04T20:06:41-05:00 2015-03-04T20:06:41-05:00 Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member 512512

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I used to work for Hitachi military sales as a BX vendor floor rep in the late 90's. Until this millennium The BX was competitive against stores like Sears, Circuit City and Ultimate Electronics when it came to selling the median to high end home electronics. Your best deals were found if you were stationed overseas as there was no limit in what AAFES could carry. In the Conus the government prevented AAFES from carrying the top of the line goods from any company. Overseas customers were allowed to buy the flagship a/v receivers and large screen TV's. The conus ones were restricted this because congress wanted to protect ma and pa's appliance store. I believe this restriction has been removed now because of online resources, and the fact that ma and pa and Circuit City and other big box electronics stores are out of business. In the AV department or the "Power Zone," used to be very competitive in similar models sold downtown by the tune of a few hundred dollars in some cases. <br /><br />Around 2000 AAFES changed its business model a little bit by consolidating what they would carry in stores leaving some items allowed by special order or catalog. Their intent was to try wal mart's model and carry the lower end goods in more bulk hoping they can get a lower price point. They dropped several companies including mine, which was fine because I was going to leave soon since I got scholarship money and no longer required to work for the rest of my school, and I could use the extra time to study.<br /><br />Unfortunately they still were not able to even dent the amount goods a wal mart purchases. So they made very little margin on what they sold. In some cases they even took a hit on some items. It looks like they have brought back a few higher end goods but they do not overwhelmingly beat out places like Costco. You might find a 20 dollar discount on similar 60 inch samsung flat screen that Costco carries, not making it worth the trip in fuel if you happen to live closer to a costco except maybe the sales tax. For the rest of the stuff unfortunately it's not worth it unless a weekly sale is going on. Of course online has them all beat. The only thing I bought from them recently that was worth the 2 minute extra drive was a vitamix machine that I purchased was 100 less than Costco when they carried it. Both companies can only carry that machine in store on limited basis. Most of the time vitamix prefers to only sell them when they have a demo rep in place during the sale. Never the less BX managed to get them this week without having a floor rep, although we had one snow storm this Friday. Unless they put on a sale they can't really compete as well anymore. It's unfortunate because they used to be a really good deal.<br /><br />As for customer service. It's hit or miss. The employees do not make much, and have no benefits, unless they are a Red Tag salaried manager. The store I worked at went out of their way to make sure no employee went over a full time week. Paying anyone overtime was a severe penalty to their management. This meant hey had pull from other departments that had no clue about the tv they were trying to sell. Company vendor reps like myself backed them, even helping sell other companies products. Most of us who worked for the vendors had good relationships cross company, so it was easier to sell someone else's stuff if ours was not a good fit. Getting a return or having a pissed pissed off customer was more annoying then losing a sale and we did not make commission. The worst thing AAFES did was to drop vendor floor reps, because we were the knowledge base for what was on that floor. In some stores the higher management did not like the fact that we had control of the inventory that we brought in, so there was always a territorial battle on this. They opted to drop us even though we were a huge value added to them. The BX manager I worked with was pragmatic understood this, but his counterparts at other bases did not see I that way.. Eventually the program was dropped and the BX only sees a vendor on certain occasions when the region rep would come in once in a blue moon or they are launching a local blowout.<br /><br />To me the only people who benefit the most are the young troop and his star card who can walk across the street buy himself a cheap 40 inch tv and an xbox and lug it BX k to his room.

2015-03-04T21:15:06-05:00 2015-03-04T21:15:06-05:00 MSgt Private RallyPoint Member 512530

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Time for AAFES to revamp or just go away. Not much of a benefit these days. I'd rather see the Commissaries stay and AAFES go.

2015-03-04T21:26:36-05:00 2015-03-04T21:26:36-05:00 TSgt Private RallyPoint Member 512985

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>When you say AAFES are you talking about the Army, Air Force Extortion Service?

2015-03-05T04:44:58-05:00 2015-03-05T04:44:58-05:00 Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen 2251647

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I often relate this story as a joke, but sad fact is that it&#39;s true. When stationed overseas you would use AAFES out of necessity and get accustomed to certain products. When a product suddenly was no longer to be found we went to the Exchange manager and asked why. The answer, and this is fact, was: We used to carry that but couldn&#39;t keep it in stock, so we stopped ordering it. Somehow that mentality seems to be pervasive throughout AAFES; try as they may, management just doesn&#39;t seem to be in touch with the needs and desires of its customers.

2017-01-15T20:00:01-05:00 2017-01-15T20:00:01-05:00 Capt Private RallyPoint Member 2405170

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I think our BX is a very nice store.

2017-03-09T07:21:06-05:00 2017-03-09T07:21:06-05:00 SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member 2405931

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>AAFES is a racket. While deployed to COB Speicher Iraq (2008-09) the PX there would raise prices on items the week that a new unit would arrive. I watched this happen several times, where a portable stereo system that (for this example) cost $200 on a normal day. When a new unit came in, that same item would now be priced at $250 or more. I don&#39;t know how they knew when new units were arriving (perhaps they had an inside person who gave them lists) but I don&#39;t believe in coincidences.

2017-03-09T12:12:27-05:00 2017-03-09T12:12:27-05:00 CPO Private RallyPoint Member 2406171

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I have dealt with AAFES in Germany and state side, Both have the same idiotic issues. The first one is they do not stock what people are buying. If they keep selling out of Size X pants they don&#39;t order more next time, they keep only ordering what their pre defined chart says. They will order 50 of X 50 of Y and 50 of Z never mind Y and Z arnt selling. When they have a surplus of Y and Z they box them up and ship them to another store in the hopes they sell there. Name Brands... sure you save money on a Name brand item but you still spend more than you wanted. Its cheaper for me go out in town and buy what I want that does the job I need. Video games ...lol they would get 20 copies of the newest and hottest game.. for the WHOLE base... Amazon got a lot of business from me while in Germany for anything I needed. <br /><br />I think my biggest complaint though is the bait and switch they do in the Power Zone. I got into it with a Manager at the current base I&#39;m at over this. I was Looking for a new computer for the GF to use. I find all their displays and review all the specs. I find one that has the best bang for the buck was on sale and can handle what she was needing, only to be told they don&#39;t have any of them... I ask when they will be getting them in.. They had no idea. But hay how about this other one that is 400 more. I persist on the first one. When did you sell out of them? Well we haven&#39;t, we never got them. So you are displaying something for sale but you have zero of the product and have never had it and have no idea if you will ever get it? Well we have other computers. I then ask about another one that is in the same sale range as what I was already looking at. I am again told they don&#39;t have them and don&#39;t know when they will get them. <br /><br />That&#39;s when I lost it on them. I made them get the GM and explained that what they were doing was illegal. If you advertise you are selling a product and have it on display but try to up sale someone to something else because you don&#39;t actually have the item... its Bait and Switch. The manager had them take down the sale signs and the display models as I watched. I hate people who try and scam those of us in uniform or anyone for that matter. <br /><br />I make it a point to NOT shop at AAFES anymore.

2017-03-09T13:29:06-05:00 2017-03-09T13:29:06-05:00 MCPO Roger Collins 2406315

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>If anyone thinks the AAFES is bad, try the Navy Exchanges and their website. The worst, I have ever seen, merchandise and customer service. Amazon rules!

2017-03-09T14:16:48-05:00 2017-03-09T14:16:48-05:00 SSG Robert Webster 2406566

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Crappy!

2017-03-09T15:43:18-05:00 2017-03-09T15:43:18-05:00 SFC George Smith 2407177

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>last time I went in ... I figured I could save 1/2 a Tank of Furl and go to the outlet stores and pay the same and get Better Quality materials...

2017-03-09T19:57:21-05:00 2017-03-09T19:57:21-05:00 2015-03-04T16:55:12-05:00