# Fresh food return to supermarket



## Happy_Harry (4 Jun 2007)

Bought lamb chops in a supermarket on Friday with a best before date of 8th June. Just opened the pack and almost got sick by the smell of it. Obviously I want to return them because I want to make sure this well known supermarket chain knows that a) they are selling poor quality of food and b) I , as their customer, am not happy. Of course I want to have my money back as well.

The thing is that I live far away from this supermarket, I only went there because I was nearby on Friday. It will take me about 2 litres of petrol and an hour to go there and back to claim back €6.50. Obviously not worth my while, and I am sure they won't entertain me claiming €2.50 for petrol and € 30 for my time. So why bother ? Is this how supermarkets get away with selling poor quality of food ? Sorry about the rant, but I am well P*d off.


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## PM1234 (4 Jun 2007)

Would it be worth writing to them (not email) to tell them what you posted here and to add that unless you get a satisfactory response from them, you will no longer be using their shop. 

Personally I think it would be worth it as the fewer people who complain the less likely they are to improve or to even be aware that there is a problem.


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## z108 (4 Jun 2007)

do they have another branch closer to you ?


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## davfran (4 Jun 2007)

I returned a can of dried mustard so out of date got refund at customer service. A week later same mustard on shelves told manager, he was very grateful. Other time I returned sandwich with greenfly in it, manager looked nervously at me and asked what did I want to do about it, I asked for refund, said they should be more careful that I would'nt buy sandwiches there again, with look of relief he gave me refund. In relation to meat products I would complain to the manager of the supermkt by phone, explain as you did re travel costs, and let the manager know that you will get in touch with head office, and Joe Duffy, he's your man. Also send letter to both of the above.


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## pamhughes (4 Jun 2007)

I bought butter that was a whole month out of date from a well know supermarket too. I telephoned the manager and I insisted that I wasn't going to travel back with a carton of butter and they left a 20 euro voucher at the customer service till to be collect on my next visit.
Pam


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## Happy_Harry (4 Jun 2007)

OK, that sounds like a plan. I'll call the manager tomorrow and see what happens.


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## steph1 (4 Jun 2007)

pamhughes said:


> I bought butter that was a whole month out of date from a well know supermarket too. I telephoned the manager and I insisted that I wasn't going to travel back with a carton of butter and they left a 20 euro voucher at the customer service till to be collect on my next visit.
> Pam



Can I ask do people not check the dates on products before they put them in their basket or trolley or is it that everyone is in such a hurry that they just dont bother.  I


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## ClubMan (4 Jun 2007)

_Happy_Harry's _chops were in date but were gone off.


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## steph1 (4 Jun 2007)

Hi Clubman
Yes I realise that Happy_Harry's chops were in date but gone off and this has happened to me before.  But another poster said they bought butter that was out of date by a month and I was just making the point about people checking dates on purchases.  I know I always do and especially lately with bread.  Many's the time I have come across bread that is still on shelves and is out of date either that day or the next.


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## tallpaul (5 Jun 2007)

steph1 said:


> Hi Clubman
> Yes I realise that Happy_Harry's chops were in date but gone off and this has happened to me before. But another poster said they bought butter that was out of date by a month and I was just making the point about people checking dates on purchases. I know I always do and especially lately with bread. Many's the time I have come across bread that is still on shelves and is out of date either that day or the next.


 
Have to agree. Nearly everything has a date on it and I will check most products, even Orange Juice or beer. Also I always look for the products at the rear of the shelf as they have a longer expiry date as staff rotate stock.


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## Firefly (5 Jun 2007)

The best before date is for the seller IMO - as a customer you shouldn't have to check the date on everything. In the case of the OP - has this happened before with the same supermarket - maybe it was a thimple mitake


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## Happy_Harry (5 Jun 2007)

It has not happened with the same supermarket and I am not suggesting this is deliberate, I am even thinking that something must have gone wrong with the packaging and storage of the meat. However it remains annoying. For other faulty products it is quite easy to go back to the shop you bought it from whenever it is convenient for you, with fresh produce you only have a limited time period available and the value of the product will typically be lower, which might make people just accept it and not do anything about it. That is my point.
Trying to call the supermarket in question this morning, but so far they have not picked up the phone.


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## davfran (5 Jun 2007)

Sometimes customers decide not to buy eg meat and leave them on shelves, or at till, hours later they are put back in fridge.


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## aircobra19 (5 Jun 2007)

steph1 said:


> Can I ask do people not check the dates on products before they put them in their basket or trolley or is it that everyone is in such a hurry that they just dont bother.  I



I usually check but might miss the occasional item.


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## Thrifty (5 Jun 2007)

I usually check things like bread, meat, milk, cakes etc (items that have a short shelf life) but not everything. I don't think i check margarine as i assume it it's got a longer life and it should be good for a while. Never check cans but i did once buy a can of beans that was gone off when i opened it and was two years past it's sell by date! It's still really the duty of the shop to insure food is in date - i think possibly under food safety legistaion.


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## davfran (5 Jun 2007)

I usually check date and ingr. What drives me bonkers when looking for date, usually says best before see top,bottom or side. Why not put it right beside 'best before', boggles the mind.


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## Hel_n (5 Jun 2007)

I always check the date on fresh produce - dairy, meat etc to make sure I'm getting the best date available. While supermarkets don't want to have out of date produce on sale, they naturally want to sell foods with a shorter date before food with a longer date and so push it to the front. So many people just pick up the first item on the shelf without even checking it.



davfran said:


> I usually check date and ingr. What drives me bonkers when looking for date, usually says best before see top,bottom or side. Why not put it right beside 'best before', boggles the mind.


 
I hate that too, drives me mad.


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## Joe1234 (5 Jun 2007)

Hel_n said:


> I always check the date on fresh produce - dairy, meat etc to make sure I'm getting the best date available. While supermarkets don't want to have out of date produce on sale, they naturally want to sell foods with a shorter date before food with a longer date and so push it to the front. So many people just pick up the first item on the shelf without even checking it.




Yes, so that's why I usually reach for the back of the shelf for meat, dairy products etc.


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## Happy_Harry (6 Jun 2007)

OK, called the supermarket , explained I was reluctant to spend an hour of my time to return rotten meat. They told me I could go to one of their outlets that is close to work. 
I have just come back... of course I got a " Well they shouldn't have told you to bring it here", which of course infuriated me even further. I got my money back and will not be buying any prepacked meat in this chain for a while. 
I am still waiting for a " We're really sorry that we sold you such an inferior product and we apologise for the inconvenience it must have caused you to get your money back" , but hey that is customer service these days.


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## foxylady (6 Jun 2007)

[, but hey that is customer service these days.[/quote]



Have to agree there, the customer service in this country is appalling to say the very least.


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## glan03 (7 Jun 2007)

In refrigerated displays the food at the front is always warmer. I generally pick stuff from the back of the shelves which is colder. The temperature displayed on the units is always air temperatures which rarely coincides with the product temperature. 
BTW it is not illegal to sell food which is out of date only illegal if there is something wrong with it. It is a legal requirement to put the best before date on it mkes very little sense!!


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