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Worst customer service ever at Asda

272 replies

motherofcatsandbears · 17/01/2024 14:59

I bought something to drink from Asda last week for me and my friends. We tried it and didn’t like it - some left in glasses.
I tried to return the (admittedly empty) bottle, not thinking to put the remaining liquid back in the bottle before trying to get a refund on the try me love me policy they claim to stand by.
I ended up speaking to a manager (after having to ask the service desk employee not to call me “my love” as I find it patronising and extremely rude. The manager listened to me and said that if I brought back what was left he would reconsider a refund. I did tell him that I realised I should have poured what was left back in the bottle but it smelled so foul, i couldn’t bear to smell it again.
I returned on Monday and the service desk employee opened the bottle to smell the drink and poured it back in after not finding I’d tampered with it and left a sticky mess all over the bottle.
She went to get a manager (different person from last week) who, before even listening to me, said that she stood by last week’s decision still stood. I asked her why she didn’t even listen to me and she couldn’t answer.
I have emailed Asda head office and I’m waiting to hear back from them.

OP posts:
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1offnamechange · 19/01/2024 22:34

dawngreen · 18/01/2024 09:20

Can some one explain what exactly is that Asda Offer? I have never known a supermarket drink be opened, and then a bottle taken back for a refund. If the drink had some contamination issue maybe but not because some one hated the taste! I know places sell a smaller item to see if customers buy, and give samples in store.

If only this was something you could google in less than 1 second. OP did helpfully provide the name of the guarantee in their first post. Or even if other posters had already linked to the exact policy upthread...oh wait....!

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 18/01/2024 09:50

Asda has a thing on their products saying "not 100% happy? We'll refund". The reality is most people won't bother if they aren't 100% happy. And if they do, it's not likely to be an empty packet because that looks like you're a chancer.

Obviously off or contaminated food is different. We've taken back cheese that's gone mouldy well before it's date, frozen food which had obviously defrosted before we brought it, ready meals that were gone off, wine which had soured etc. But in every case we took the item back as well to prove the issue. And the issue was quality not that we didn't like it.

dawngreen · 18/01/2024 09:20

Can some one explain what exactly is that Asda Offer? I have never known a supermarket drink be opened, and then a bottle taken back for a refund. If the drink had some contamination issue maybe but not because some one hated the taste! I know places sell a smaller item to see if customers buy, and give samples in store.

PuddlesPityParty · 18/01/2024 08:10

tothelefttotheleft · 17/01/2024 18:31

Absolutely they should have when she took the half filled bottle back . I would have used social media to take it further if they'd refused.

I would not have wasted that money. Not all of us can afford to.

Thing is though, because she had taken back an empty bottle first (which suggests all of it was drank so probs not so disgusting) & then went back DAYS later with drink that had been left out it does look like she’s tampered with it / purposely put spoilt product in it for the refund. Often with things like this it is stores discretion and it does look like OP was trying to pull a fast one from the way she went about it.

MoonWoman69 · 18/01/2024 07:47

Sung to the Addams Family theme tune!!! Nailed it! 🤣🤣🤣

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 18/01/2024 07:00

Ooh, I loved Trollied!

Mark Addy's character's party trick in being able to identify the variety of a sausage just by having it placed on his shoulder; and the mileage they got from the temporary manager who was "interim-ing" Grin

Babyblackbear78 · 18/01/2024 06:09

Maybe it’s because it’s just after 6am, but how do you go back with an empty bottle to then going back with contents and it not being tampered with???? <rubs head in total confusion>

ChristmasFluff · 18/01/2024 05:35

Worst customer service ever? My love, you've clearly never had problems with Ryanair or HMRC.

KarenNotAKaren · 18/01/2024 01:19

I bet you have the Asda employees a giggle in the staff room if nothing else.

Anyone remember Trollied? Comedy set in a supermarket. It was brilliant, there was always one man coming in trying to return things like empty sandwich packets and empty milk cartons. You know it’s bad when you’re replicating the behaviour of a character who is so ridiculous and unreasonable that they use it for material for a comedy

Alcyoneus · 18/01/2024 01:01

Are you an idiot, OP?

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 17/01/2024 23:55

Soubriquet · 17/01/2024 22:13

Addams family theme tune? Cos that’s what I sung it to

Yes, same here!

DesiredAffect · 17/01/2024 23:45

Seriously you complain about bad customer service when you’re trying to return an empty bottle. Get a grip

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 17/01/2024 23:25

Ah OP is never going to return to explain just where the drinks were stored and what it was.

I bet they try this a lot and the manager was like "Oh no, here comes My Love"

theilltemperedclavecinist · 17/01/2024 23:04

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 17/01/2024 22:05

I think Asda have really left themselves open here, by using the words 'try me and love me'.

With that in mind, somebody could quite legitimately bring back the empty bottle and demand a refund on the grounds that they enjoyed it very much, but they didn't actually love it.

It seems to suggest an assumed in-built binary expectation that you either love something or you hate it; but in reality, most of us will find plenty of different foods and drinks perfectly agreeable, without actually loving them.

Maybe they should amend their promise to something more concrete, like 'if it's nasty, we'll refund it fast-y; if it's just meh, next time decide 'nay' '.

That's really how it works though. Prove you bought it, say you didn't love it, and you get a refund plus a voucher. No need to return anything, stinky or otherwise.

thatsjustthewayitisok · 17/01/2024 22:53

When people lie, you should look for what they omit:

The manager listened to me and said that if I brought back what was left he would reconsider a refund. I did tell him that I realised I should have poured what was left back in the bottle but it smelled so foul, i couldn’t bear to smell it again.

>> massive gaping hole here between the OP's first visit and then WHAT THEY ACTUALLY RETURNED WITH AND HOW THEY GOT IT BACK IN THE BOTTLE >

I returned on Monday and the service desk employee opened the bottle to smell the drink and poured it back in after not finding I’d tampered with it and left a sticky mess all over the bottle.

How's my reading comprehension, OP? x

Cosycover · 17/01/2024 22:31

Was it their chocolate orange Baileys knock off? If so I agree with you!

ArabellaScott · 17/01/2024 22:15

Soubriquet · 17/01/2024 22:13

Addams family theme tune? Cos that’s what I sung it to

Same. Give that woman an Emmy.

Soubriquet · 17/01/2024 22:13

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 17/01/2024 22:09

It's sticky and it's stinky
It isn't nice for drinkie
Like sucking a mop by Minky
The Asda Guarantee

Addams family theme tune? Cos that’s what I sung it to

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 17/01/2024 22:09

ArabellaScott · 17/01/2024 21:57

It's sticky, it's stinky ...

No clue, but I seem to have written a jingle for it.

It's sticky and it's stinky
It isn't nice for drinkie
Like sucking a mop by Minky
The Asda Guarantee

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 17/01/2024 22:05

I think Asda have really left themselves open here, by using the words 'try me and love me'.

With that in mind, somebody could quite legitimately bring back the empty bottle and demand a refund on the grounds that they enjoyed it very much, but they didn't actually love it.

It seems to suggest an assumed in-built binary expectation that you either love something or you hate it; but in reality, most of us will find plenty of different foods and drinks perfectly agreeable, without actually loving them.

Maybe they should amend their promise to something more concrete, like 'if it's nasty, we'll refund it fast-y; if it's just meh, next time decide 'nay' '.

Mammyloveswine · 17/01/2024 22:04

Angelswatchingoverme · 17/01/2024 21:39

We need to know what this drink is ffs!!!!

Just tell us and put everybody out of their misery😂

This!!

ArabellaScott · 17/01/2024 21:57

Angelswatchingoverme · 17/01/2024 21:39

We need to know what this drink is ffs!!!!

Just tell us and put everybody out of their misery😂

It's sticky, it's stinky ...

No clue, but I seem to have written a jingle for it.

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 17/01/2024 21:51

QuerulousMegapode · 17/01/2024 20:22

But, and I know we'll never get an answer to this; I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THE STINKY DRINKIE WAS STORED IN BETWEEN THE VISITS TO ASDA.

My guess is inside one or more people's kidneys.

Angelswatchingoverme · 17/01/2024 21:39

We need to know what this drink is ffs!!!!

Just tell us and put everybody out of their misery😂

onceandneveragain · 17/01/2024 21:32

Maybe2 · 17/01/2024 20:28

I think you’ve approached this in the wrong way.

firstly, their policy is discretionary, it’s not the law. There’s no automatic entitlement to return something cause you don’t like the taste. You’re essentially appealing to their goodwill and trying to tip the balance of probability in your favour. By giving them an empty bottle and declaring you don’t like the item, you come across as a chancer as you’ve used the whole thing. Whereas someone who returned a full bottle would look like they genuinely tried the drink, and didn’t like it. You also then were quite confrontational with the staff, you really do get better results when you aren’t nitpicky and can build rapport with people. I’m not surprised they rejected the return

Except if the shop specifically has a policy that explicitly states you do have an "automatic entitlement" to a refund if you're less than 100% happy with the product, as it does in this case.

The "try me love me" policy (which OP referred to in her first post) is exactly what you're saying the shop doesn't offer....except it does and specifically advertises products with that guarantee.

If the shop states something as part of their terms and conditions then its not discretionary, they do have to honour it, regardless of if the customer is rude or not. OP wasn't appealing to their good will, she was referring to their own legally binding terms and conditions.

Is this particular scenario a bit weird? Yes

Doesn't change the fact that OP was technically right and the customer service staff wrong.