H-E-B — Local services in The Woodlands

On the evening of 02-22-2020 my wife and I went to the HEB Magnolia, Texas store. We're regular customers and have been for several years. We first ate at the barbecue restaurant inside the store, then got a shopping cart and proceeded to grocery shop. When we determined that the amount of groceries we were purchasing exceeded the comfortable capacity of our shopping cart, we utilized another shopping cart from inside the store that someone else had discarded.

After completing shopping, we pushed both shopping carts through one of the checkout aisles and paid for our groceries. We engaged in brief, cordial conversation with the female checker. The young man sacking the groceries loaded both carts with our purchases.

When we pushed our shopping carts outside the doors on the east entrance/exit, the anti-shoplifting device activated on the cart I was pushing (My wife was in front of me with her cart). The cart unexpectedly and abruptly locked up in the doorway, with people walking in and out. It also sounded a loud, audible alarm, drawing attention to us. My forward momentum caused me to run into the basket, striking the handle with my mid-section.

I have a debilitating back injury and subsequent permanent disability. I have been in pain management and physical therapy for the past ten years because of same. The cart locking up, and the aforementioned immediate event, as well as a series of events that occurred afterwards, caused me great pain and unnecessary discomfort.

A female employee of the store came out to the garden area and inquired what was happening. My wife told her, and demanded that she send a manager out to where we were. Shortly after, the manager, Paulie, whom I know from the store, and happen to like very well, came out to us. Paulie was very professional,  concerned and apologetic. We explained that we did not blame him personally for the incident, but this was the second time it occurred, unjustly and by mistake to us, at this store. The first incident happened last summer. My wife informed Paulie about my back injury and that this had just caused my back to hurt.

When we explained to Paulie that we had gone through the checkout lane with both shopping carts, paid for our groceries, and the sacker loaded both carts, Paulie said the cart absolutely should not have locked up. He said he couldn't explain why it happened, but that it should definitely not have happened under those circumstances.

In addition to the physical pain to my back, this needless incident caused my wife and I great embarrassment and humiliation - for the second time! We were being stared at by shoppers, employees of the barbecue restaurant, and customers there, as if we were thieves caught in the act of shoplifting. My wife and I are both retired police officers, with 34 years each of service.

We were detained without reasonable suspicion or probable cause to warrant it. Our freedom of movement in transporting OUR groceries, that we had paid for and had receipts for, was halted without reason or justification whatsoever. This is unacceptable  - especially being the second time it occurred to us as the same store, under nearly exact circumstances.

We were willing to overlook the first time this occurred. We wrote it off as the store's mistake, a fallacy of human error. But NOT this second time. It is inexcusable, intolerable, and a violation of our civil rights - to be detained unlawfully. And to be wrongfully subjected to embarrassment and humiliation as we were. This is negligence and recklessness on the store's behalf. And we will not stand for it. We've contacted an...

I was refused the COVID vaccine based on personal objections despite my HIGH RISK PREGNANCY SPECIALIST AND PCP both recommending that I get it due to my other health issues. Even physician bodies and the CDC have stated it’s up to the physicians and patients to decide based upon risk factors.

“ ACOG recommends that COVID-19 vaccines should not be withheld from pregnant individuals who meet criteria for vaccination based on ACIP-recommended priority groups.“ From the ACOG website.

“Pregnant people are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 Observational data demonstrate that, while the chances for these severe health effects are low, pregnant people with COVID-19 have an increased risk of severe illness, including illness that results in ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death compared with non-pregnant women of reproductive age. Additionally, pregnant people with COVID-19 might be at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, compared with pregnant women without COVID-19.” - From the CDC website.

Suffice it to say, I don’t think these pharmacists understand how the vaccine works, & clearly believe that a very high risk patient with two separate physician recommendations to get the vaccine possibly DYING OF COVID is better than a statistically minimal chance of vaccine complications.

Pharmacies and hospitals are currently the only ones with the vaccines, otherwise my PCP would be vaccinating me herself. It is LUDICROUS that the two pharmacists who don’t have medical degrees denied me a vaccine that was recommended for me during this pregnancy by TWO of my physicians, one of which specializes in High Risk OB situations.

I will no longer be using your pharmacy, or your store. I cannot in good conscience do so, knowing that “personal objections” are being used to deny patients physician...

I have changed my 5 star review because of the pharmacy. While I always have overall good experiences in the store, the curbside has become extremely slow. The pharmacy really dropped the ball on my child's medicine.

My 3 year old has eczema and needed a refill of her "last resort" ointment for when the normal one doesn't do the job. I contacted them on Wednesday and was told that they would contact her doctor. I arrived at 6pm Monday and was told that it would be filled tomorrow. I asked the extremely rude pink haired girl why this was not filled since it has been 3 business days. She said that she couldn't tell me when the doctor was notified but that they just received it today. Last time my daughter needed a refill, it was sent in hours. (Her doctor responds immediately) Regardless, if it was there then why couldn't it be filled? I would have waited. She did not give me that option and told me that it would be ready in the morning. When I asked her what I should do for my child who is scratching her skin off, she said I don't know. Very caring people you've gotten working! I guess if you hire people who don't care about their appearance, I guess your customers should not expect you to care about them either. Pharmacy will be losing my business and I will probably start shopping at the other location just to avoid...