Heltee Pantree

I hated them then and I hate them still. I will never step foot in this store ever in my life again. They are rip offs especially when you’re not paying attention and trust them. I sure learned a lesson. LOYAL customers or any customer shouldn’t be treated as theifs or scammers of wich THEY are.

This place has it’s ups and downs. It’s not a bad place if you need something local, but you have to really check things out before you commit. I’ll explain further.
When I first moved a block away from this store and visited it for a 6 pack, I thought «hey! Not a bad little place! It’s a typical dirty downriver party store, but the prices aren’t astronomical and they have a decent selection.» Unfortunately, it seems like after the first few positive visits I had, the problems started. Now, every time I go there is an issue.
First was the expired beef jerky. I bought a single stick of Jack’s Links Sweet n Hot and came home to find it was a weird color. I checked the packaging and found it had expired over 6 months prior. I took it back and expected them to be apologetic and immediately want to help. Instead, the cashier (who seems a little slow, in his defense) didn’t know what to do and took it to the guy who is always there, and I assume is the owner. The cashier said «the guy said it was past the date or something». It’s not about what I said, it’s about the fact. Look right at the label and it’s clearly expired. So the owner examines it very closely, looking for a reason to disagree, and when he doesn’t find one, he sighs and says «ok fine. Just pick out another one.» Wow, dude. Sorry if I don’t want to eat expired food that is turning colors. That’s not how I roll.
The next problem came when I bought a 6 pack of one of my favorite beers… Magic Hat #9. Came home to find it tasted very off and weird. The flavors were all wrong and it was just bad. I contacted the company directly and they are sending a refund. They said the date code from the bottle indicated that although it was near the end of its shelf life, that it shouldn’t have had a bad flavor. They said that usually happens from mishandling. Surprise? Not really… many of the beers I see in there have been there since I moved here a year ago. The reason I know that is because somehow they managed to have Sam Adams Octoberfest for an entire year, even though it’s a seasonal beer. This year, the packing is revised. The 6 pack at this store is the old packaging! Sam Adams says it should be consumed within four months of the creation date on the bottle. I’ve been frequenting this store for a year now, and the same 6 pack has been sitting there the entire time while every other store is sold out. No wonder my Magic Hat was gross… everyone else in this neighborhood drinks Bud Light or whatever is cheap. So the better beer sits there and gets old. Just like their select Vitamin Waters that are marked 99 cents. Is it a coincidence that they are turning a way lighter color than they should be? Nope, they’re just trying to sell off their old crap. Just like the 2 liter of Diet Pepsi I almost bought last week… EXPIRED. Not fair to sell that stuff to unsuspecting customers!
Finally today, the owner charged me for something extra. I had gotten my usual candy combo: something chocolate and something fruit flavored. Also a bag of chips and a beef jerky. After he rings me up for $ 5.26 and I walk out, I realize that I had only gotten four items. Everything was 99 cents, except the beef jerky, which was $ 1.29. I had to lay everything out on the counter, add up the total vocally, and then disagree with him several times when he tried claiming I bought «something Hersheys». When I finally explained that I always buy the same candy combination and invalidated his argument, he finally caved. He did his usual… he sighed, and said «ok, take something else so we’ll be even.» So I browsed, took something, held it up and walked towards the door. Right as I was about to hit the door he yells out «thank you!» and I’m just thinking too little, too late.
Don’t treat your customers like they’re trying to scam you when you have a history of shady business. I know the economy is tough and your store is not in the best of neighborhoods, so there are probably plenty of people trying to scam or steal. However, when someone frequents your store and never gives you a problem, you shouldn’t give them the same critical behavior and doubting attitude that you give the thieves. If you cleaned your store once in a while and checked your stock to make sure it wasn’t expired, maybe you’d see your business improve!
Overall, this place is doable if you don’t mind a little extra work. Check your expiration dates carefully, and add up your total yourself to make sure you weren’t overcharged!
5 days later… Overcharged again. Candy went up 10 cents in the past 5 days? I doubt it. I’m starting to get the impression they systematically overcharge everyone they can.