Balboa Candy — Local services in San Diego

I went there yesterday with my son to buy him some candy after a doctor's appointment. I believe that this place charges extraordinary high prices. I clearly heard that the total for our purchase was $7.63. I paid with my android phone and there was no price that was visible to me. I was only shown a device where you scan your phone. Later that day, I noticed a receipt in my gmail from Square saying the total was $27.63. The next day, I spoke with the store clerk (manager?) to inquire about the apparent discrepancy. She told me that the price per pound is posted. My son bought 1.03 pounds of mini tootsie roll candies and was charged $16.80 for it. That in my humble opinion is price gouging. Judge for your self if I am justified in saying so. You can buy 2.69 pounds of tootsie rolls at Walmart on line for $7.65, which comes out to $2.84 per pound. So by buying tootsie rolls at Balboa candy, you are paying 5.91x the price you would pay at Walmart. I don't want to give this store 1 star because the selection is good and kids like the atmosphere. I wish I had a recording of what the cashier said. Maybe I am wrong and besides, I have no proof to get any money back. The clerk today said, "sorry about the miscommunication". And added "yeah we don't charge what those kind of stores do." I don't remember if I was offered a receipt but I wouldn't have needed it because I'm not going to return candy. And besides, I wouldn't have looked at it. I heard $7.63 and so did my 10 year old son. If I had known we were paying 6x what Walmart or a similar place charges, I would have given most of it back. Mind you that the other stuff I bought that in was wrappers and tagged with the price was not 6x the normal price. More like 2x what I would pay at Gelson's (a local grocery store) which is why my...

It’s a shame that our experience was so ruined by the bad attitude of the employee working at the time. My (elderly) mother and I were in town for her first California vacation ever, and visited La Jolla because we heard it was gorgeous, friendly and easily walkeable. We stopped in for salt water taffy (one of my mothers favorite) and she asked if she was allowed to sample the banana taffy before she bought a bunch. The person said “sure one per person.” We said thank you, tried a piece, and my mother went to hand the empty wrapper to the employee (as opppsed to throwing it on the ground??) and the employee said “I don’t want your trash”and laughed. When I turned around and looked at the employee they said “there’s a trash by the door” and chuckled again.

The taffy was apparently delicious so my mother still purchased some but I put my items back. Didn’t get the employees name but they had pink hair, a cloth face mask, and green and white checkered leggings that were too small.

I get employees having a bad day, but especially in a “tourist” town I expected a little more than smart remarks and a rude...

Based on the staff only. Came in at about 7:45 on 10/24. The girl working was very unfriendly, and acted disgusted my son and I were in the store. Upon completion of our taffy purchase, she said absolutely nothing, and my son said “thank you.” Thank you for what son, she’s really very rude and makes your store uninviting. Can’t she at least speak when guests enter, I did?! If a friend didn’t request specifically that I buy them taffy, I would have walked out. Maybe she needs further training on the basics of being a...