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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:
ShirkingFromHome95 · 29/01/2025 21:11

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.

I didn't know that but when there's a large queue and the cashier is already calling for assistance you don't really want to be that person that makes them walk all the way across the store to check. Often I'm wondering whether I made a mistake myself but today I 100% didn't.

OP posts:
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.

ShirkingFromHome95 · 29/01/2025 21:05

Abbaa · 29/01/2025 21:02

Had this in Asda recently- in the end they gave us an item free as it was such a palava to figure it all out. It was their mistake, things in wrong places.

This always seems to be the issue. Not the odd item that someone's put back in the wrong place, but a whole row of non-eligible drinks in the bit reserved for meal deal drinks. I've had it so many times that it's really annoying when you properly look and still get stung.

OP posts:
Abbaa · 29/01/2025 21:03

@Getitwright Thats easier said than done. Most small shops and petrol stations have very few staff in the aisles.

Abbaa · 29/01/2025 21:02

Had this in Asda recently- in the end they gave us an item free as it was such a palava to figure it all out. It was their mistake, things in wrong places.

Getitwright · 29/01/2025 21:02

Just ask which items entitle you to a meal deal at the checkout, or from a shop assistant before you pay? Sometimes shoppers put things back on the wrong shelf.

FieldInWhichFucksAreGrownIsBarren · 29/01/2025 21:01

Yeah this pisses me off too, very annoying.

ShirkingFromHome95 · 29/01/2025 20:59

SushiWarrior · 29/01/2025 20:57

Could it be because they’re counting the reduced banana as your snack element?

Definitely not. Only certain items are snacks. I'm pretty sure having the wrong drink meant it didn't class as a meal deal and I hence got charged full price for all three meal items - often the sandwich alone is only like 50p less than having the meal deal with drink and snack.

OP posts:
SushiWarrior · 29/01/2025 20:57

Could it be because they’re counting the reduced banana as your snack element?

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