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Original poster

Meal deal frustration!

109 replies

ShirkingFromHome95 · 29/01/2025 20:55

So, this is totally a first world problem, but it really gets my goat how often I buy a meal deal to then find out at the till that it's not actually a meal deal.

Usually, it's because non-meal-deal items have encroached upon the space intended for meal deals. However, I was in Co-Op today and it was clearly labelled 'main', 'snack', and 'drink'.

I chose a halloumi wrap (defo a main), a brookie bar (defo a snack), and when I went to get the drink I saw there was a new flavour of Purdeys which actually looked quite nice. I remember thinking it wasn't usually in the meal deal but it was clearly well within the row labelled 'drink'.

Meal deal should've been £4 and I also grabbed some reduced bananas for my protein shake (45p) and some reduced wraps to chuck in freezer (60p).

So, I get to till, bag everything up, and cashier then goes on intercom and asks for another member of staff to come and man the next till which sort of disrupted the flow. Then turns back and says "eight pounds please". I knew it wasn't right but on the spot I wondered if I'd made a mistake and so just paid, thinking it must've been around £6 anyway so not gonna hold up the large queue to traipse right back across the shop and get another drink for the sake of a couple of quid (last time I queried it I was actually wrong as had forgotten about a can of deodorant I'd bought).

However, this time it was defo wrong and should've been just over £5. Not a biggie but I've basically paid an extra £3 just to have a Purdeys when I'd happily have chosen something else. Can't help but wonder how much extra they make from this kind of thing.

I've been in other shops where it's been less busy and upon changing the drink or sandwich have had to stand there holding up items and repeatedly saying "how about this one?" I know retail workers work hard for little money so not bashing them, but this one thing irks me. I mean, how frickin hard can it be to have a 'main', 'snack, and' drink' row that actually comprises of what it says?

OP posts:
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latetothefisting · 30/01/2025 10:51

ShirkingFromHome95 · 29/01/2025 21:27

Perhaps thats no longer an acceptable term. Obv I meant the restaurant rather than the individual.

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Just perhaps?
I can't believe anyone in 2024 isn't sure about that.
and given the speed in which MN deleted it seems they tend to agree
It's also on the list of BBC racist terms and is in the worst (highly offensive category) in IPSOS
https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidance/racist-language

Your time might be better spent having a flick through so you don't offend anyone else with any other language you think is fine, rather than moaning about meal deals

Getitwright · 30/01/2025 10:26

decorativecushions · 29/01/2025 21:54

Which is a small shop.

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Depends where you live, we have large Co ops. Small supermarket size.

Hankunamatata · 30/01/2025 09:32

I always read price label on shelf in Tesco as their stuff is always mixed up

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 30/01/2025 09:30

SandyDenny · 30/01/2025 07:06

I know the history of the Coop but I don't think anyone is confusing the large countrywide organisation with random locally set up cooperatives are they? How many of them even do meal deals?

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People in this thread seem to have done - as did I when I was on holiday and didn't realise that the Co-op shop was the regional one, hence they wouldn't accept my loyalty card.

Their logo is quite a simple one and thus not always that disimilar to that of smaller regional co-ops.

MotherBot · 30/01/2025 07:53

The staff 'admitting' that they label the shelves but don't then change prices at the till is wrong, the prices are set centrally and are sent to the tills overnight each day.

Stuff in the wrong places is often due to customers picking up an item then preferring something on the deal shelf, so dumping the original there. It takes time to work through the store to find and relocate these dumped items.

Yes there are multiple Co-ops around the country. The blue one is the national one, the ads you see are from them, with the blue logo all over them. There are other, smaller Co-ops in regions, and while they have the same products, they control their own pricing and deals. They have their own membership cards.
Blue Co-op deals are triggered by your membership card, so you won't get the member price unless you swipe it.

Personal opinion - the £1.50 sandwiches from Aldi taste cheap and have thin fillings, which is why they are £1.50 Grin

SandyDenny · 30/01/2025 07:06

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 30/01/2025 03:34

One main cause of confusion is that A co-op(erative) is a not-uncommon kind of organisation formed by and for a group of like minded people to share resources and trade between themselves for the common good.

However, the large national chain that began many years ago in Greater Manchester has presumptuously adopted the name of THE Co-op, without any qualifiers.

In principle, it's a bit like the (then) newly-created county centred on Birmingham being established in the long-existing region known as the West Midlands and those responsible for it arrogantly adopting the name West Midlands for just their one county.

I know the history of the Coop but I don't think anyone is confusing the large countrywide organisation with random locally set up cooperatives are they? How many of them even do meal deals?

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 30/01/2025 03:34

One main cause of confusion is that A co-op(erative) is a not-uncommon kind of organisation formed by and for a group of like minded people to share resources and trade between themselves for the common good.

However, the large national chain that began many years ago in Greater Manchester has presumptuously adopted the name of THE Co-op, without any qualifiers.

In principle, it's a bit like the (then) newly-created county centred on Birmingham being established in the long-existing region known as the West Midlands and those responsible for it arrogantly adopting the name West Midlands for just their one county.

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 30/01/2025 00:07

Shatteredallthetimelately · 29/01/2025 22:10

There's two CO-OP's in my area.
I was confused with the membership card when I first moved here but they are actually two different CO-OPs as in one is the blue logo and the other a green logo that's called Your COOP...

Never had a problem with the £3.50 (blue logo) CO-OP meal deals, they've become so popular, so many more items have been added and now takes up half of the large aisle/shelving.

I found out about the 2 different co-ops when I tried to spend a (green) gift card in my (blue) co-op. It took about 4 members of staff trying to put it through the till before one who knew they were different came to help.

The green co-op is on the otherside of town, the gift card is likely to expire before I trek over there to use it.

JoyousGreyOrca · 30/01/2025 00:04

I have stopped going to the co-op for this reason. Its always wrong and I cant be arsed

Agapornis · 30/01/2025 00:02

Cheersmedears123 · 29/01/2025 22:12

Co-op is really shit at this and it’s the only place I ever have an issue buying a meal deal. I also noticed recently that their “co-op prices” often don’t go through the till when I scan my card but it’s always either too busy or there’s no-one around to query it.

Exactly the same problems with Co-op over here. Their member prices are a scam - 'all these pizzas are included' except the one mixed in with the rest that weighs 20 grams more 🙄 Usually the beer in their pizza and beer offer runs out, so it's not even available.

The member voucher offers you need to choose in the app went from 75-50p off, to 20-40p off, then briefly back up and now down again. For months it refused to apply the fruit discount to bananas (customer service said it was a known issue). I always contact them when anything goes wrong, but they insist on a receipt and you only get 2.5 seconds to press the receipt button. Surely they can see my purchase history, why else are they collecting my data!

These days I only go to Co-op to use the money off on items with orange discount stickers. The other week it charged me -10p for something 😎

Btw customer service did once tell me that wraps are not included in the meal deal...

JoyousGreyOrca · 29/01/2025 23:57

PeloMom · 29/01/2025 21:07

If stuff is in the wrong place (eg in the meal deal shelves) the store has to honour the meal deal price.

Sadly they do not.

faithbuffy · 29/01/2025 23:43

Ah I get the undiluted stuff so it needs water! (Free from work hence why I use it)

Negroany · 29/01/2025 23:33

faithbuffy · 29/01/2025 23:30

I get a water and keep it in the car - used it before when I got stuck in traffic and remembered I had water and a snack! Then I refilled it and use it to top up my screenwash

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Well, I've lived 57 years without ever needing this. I take a (refillable) bottle of tap water in the car. There's always a small snack of some sort in my bag too.
And I have a gallon of screen wash in the boot 🤷🏻‍♀️

faithbuffy · 29/01/2025 23:30

Negroany · 29/01/2025 22:14

I hate meal deals. I often pop to my local Coop to get a sandwich and crisps. When I get to the till I get told "buy a drink and it will be less than it is without one". It's disgusting. Buy a pointless plastic bottle, waste the earth's natural resources for no reason, and we'll reward you for it.

I'm going home, I can drink water from the tap.

I wish there was an option of another food item instead of a drink.

I get a water and keep it in the car - used it before when I got stuck in traffic and remembered I had water and a snack! Then I refilled it and use it to top up my screenwash

JandamiHash · 29/01/2025 23:29

Weird OP as I was having this exact conversation today! Twice in 2 weeks meal deals have not been meal deals despite being labelled so. Very annoying!

Dogsintheyard · 29/01/2025 23:27

Silly question, did you scan your coop card? I forgot the other day and only realised when it was too late!

WhatsitWiggle · 29/01/2025 23:24

Coop is the worst for this. I once bought a wrap that wasn't part of the meal deal, but was right next to sandwiches that were. Was in a rush and had bought other items so let it go.

And another time bought 3 meal deal items and a packet of gum and it didn't apply the discounts - that time I knew I was right, so made them cancel the transaction, put through the meal deal which I paid for, then the gum separately.

StrawberrySquash · 29/01/2025 23:19

I am fed up with badly merchandised stock. Put it on the right shelf! Also don't mix up a bunch of 3for and 2 for products all with labels that look incredibly similar.

And stop with your loyalty card prices. I was fine with 1% but I'm not fine with the recent shift that essentially forces you to register your shopping.

distinctpossibility · 29/01/2025 23:17

@ShirkingFromHome95 yes, in the Coop, the Cornish and the Peppered Beef Ginsters are both snacks in the meal deal. I have the BBQ chicken pasta, a pasty and an Innocent Smoothie and give the pasty to DH. Only £3.60 with a Coop card too.

Rainyblue · 29/01/2025 23:13

I had the opposite and was surprised to find a Ginsters pasty counts as a snack in the meal deal!
Gave the pasty to ever-hungry DS.
So a sandwich, pasty and smoothie for £3.50 which I thought wasn’t bad.

Yogaandchocolate · 29/01/2025 22:51

Derbee · 29/01/2025 21:32

I’m sure that Coops pricing is going to be the next national scandal (or one of). The deals advertised on the shelf never go through at our local coop, and there’s always an excuse from the staff. Meal deals never accurate, and the lower Coop member price is never charged. When I’ve questioned it, they say it’s a coop member deal from a different area than ours falls under. When I ask why they’re advertising the price in that case, there’s never an answer. I just don’t go there anymore.

The same often happens at our local Coop. I queried it with a member of staff once and they admitted it’s because they put the labels on the shelves but then don’t always get around to reprogramming the tills with the offer.

Negroany · 29/01/2025 22:50

I do like Purdeys though, but never seen it in our Coop. It's all coke, water, lucozade etc.

No idea what a Brookie bar is either.

I just want my chicken and mayo on wholegrain bread with Macoys salt and vinegar. And I want them for the price they would be in the meal deal without having to add a pointless extra item.

Arran2024 · 29/01/2025 22:50

HotFuss93 · 29/01/2025 21:57

Wow. What kind of world do we live in where grown people are incapable of choosing a meal deal combination 😂😂😂
Embarrassing

Well, my 27 year old daughter has an intellectual disability and needs things communicated clearly to her. She buys meal deals - she is often confused. She ends up buying a bottle of coke as it is always in the deal. But it's not what she really wants.

Scottsmumof3 · 29/01/2025 22:49

Most meal deals are not a meal… or a deal.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 29/01/2025 22:48

Oh I hate this as well. In our local M & S at the BP garage they seem to have some of the sandwiches as part of the Meal Deal and some not but all have the red label on the shelf edge so you have to carefully check each one to see if it's included because obviously all the sandwiches are mixed up.

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