We visited a KMART at 1647 Gordon Hwy, Augusta 30906, on 11/01/09 at 8:15 A.M. We attempted to purchase "clearance" items: ladies pants from the summer stock and fall-themed dish towels from the left (first) center aisle (adjacent to HBA). The pants were on the summer rack with all other items for $. 99; it rang up at $12.99. Without missing a beat, the elderly female clerk stated, "oh, it rang up 12.99. She neither checked the rack herself, requested someone else check it or looked at a circular. Likewise, the 40 ish female clerk that walked by said the price was wrong. Granted, staff members sometimes hang things wrong by accident, so I just left them there. The problem came when we attempted to make KMart honor the truth in advertising policy. When it came to the dish towel purchases, "... Oh, those were supposed to be under the card for 40% off and Halloween towels should be the only ones listed near the 50% signs". I explained twice that there was no 40% off signage at all. This was without the second clerk even walking to look at the signage above the display with me as I requested. We collected our change, and I went to show an employee in the aisles the actual posted price, the younger clerk had removed it! Predictably, when the front desk/returns clerk was asked what time the General Manager would be in on Monday to discuss this issue, she simply ignored the question and dismissed us with a short "have a good day". The dishonest nature of the staff, and utter disregard for truth in advertising laws is ridiculous. There's a Wal-Mart less than 3 miles away and a Target on Hwy 520, so why try to cheat customers when your stores are closing faster than a Wal-Mart can open? I emailed KMART on 11/02,1103 and 11/05. No response. A call to their corporate office on 11/23, confirms their lack of truth in advertising, and I quote "Our Sears stores have to honor the posted prices, but when it comes to the KMART stores the manager decides whether they'll honor the posted price or not". Amazing! It looks like KMART doesn't mind losing customers and revenue, and won't mind closing more stores in the future, since obviously we're not important to their survival.
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