Shufersol is At it Again

No, no it's not the same dirty tricks they pulled on us in their last incarnation as Hyperneto.

In their new incarnation as "Shufersol deal" they've got a whole new bag of tricks!

They did away with the old membership cards.

Now, in order to get the benefit of their discounts (Doreen rolls her eyes at the irony of what she just typed) one must apply for a special credit card.

Listen up: The card is actually a Visa card that is issued by Bank Leumi but not in the framework of Bank Leumi itself.

They have contracted with some sort of an agent company that arranges the cards for them.

You must be a credit card holder in order to get this card. It is a card for transacting business only in Shekels. So, one must ask: If a person has a credit card, why get another one? Just to increase one's chances of a card being lost or stolen? If a person has a card that they can transact business in $s and Euros in, why get a card that is only good for Shekels?

The questions that are asked by this company are beyond an invasion of privacy. They ask:

Do you have children under the age of 18?

How many people are in your family?

How many rooms is your dwelling?

Is the property purchased or rented?

What is your profession?

Are you employed presently?

Are you a salaried employee or independent?

What is your income?

What is the total income of your family?

Only if you answer these questions to their satisfaction do they consider you worthy of their superfluous card that is limited to Shekels.

What is most ridiculous about this is that the Shufersol in Tzfat is located in the poorest section of the city.

How many folks around here are going to qualify?

I almost busted a gut laughing when I was told that the questions were being asked to determine whether I should get a gold or platinum card?

Me??? My neighbors??? ROFL

The questions are incredibly invasive - and stupid. They are based on stereotypical and shallow conceptions of who someone is and how much disposable income they have based on criteria that really say nothing. For instance: A person earning 25,000 NIS a month who is a gambler likely has less disposable income than a person who lives modestly and earns 5,000 NIS a month.

The bottom line is: There is no shortage of well-stocked, well-lit and pleasant supermarkets in Tzfat nowadays. Many of them cater to the Kasher L'Mehadrin set. They do not force people to become clients of any banks that they are in cahoots with.

Shefa Shuk, in particular, takes part in the MiCol HaLev program. In addition to their everyday low prices, the card gives the clients another 3% off the entire bill.

Super Story and the new Zol Po do not yet have mishlochim. That is their only drawback. Otherwise, they are lovely stores whose prices are very reasonable and whose wares are as kosher as kosher gets.

Please join me in requesting from Super Story and Zol Po that they get mishlochim. The infirm, the elderly and those without cars need that service.

Please join me in boycotting the Shufersol chain. I thought they had learned their lesson and improved when they became Shufersol deal here in Tzfat.

If they intend to become a fancy, epicurean chain that caters to people who qualify for Bank Leumi gold and platinum cards, then let them. But I can't think of a worse place for them to be situated that the southern part of Tzfat.

They are situation in a very desirable location. It is easily accessible by bus and there's plenty of parking in the Dubek Shopping Center. If they disdain the clientele that is typical of Tzfat, then by all means let them go where they will find the clientele they seek.

Let's do everything we can to "starve" them out of the highly desirable location they are in and let's make room for a more solicitous food chain that understands the economic needs of the average resident of Tzfat come in their stead. I'm sure that any number of food chains that already exist in Tzfat would be delighted to hear that that place was becoming vacant.

Don't let big business bully and abuse you. Increase justice and just plain sanity in our society!

G'mar Chatimah Tova,

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat (Safed), Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com