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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU - Tesco and the sale of Hedrin

72 replies

WideWebWitch · 12/11/2010 09:29

I went to Tesco for a newspaper and as the pharmacy is on the way out thought "oh, we've just had a head lice letter from school, I'd better check hair and buy some Hedrin just in case."

The conversation went like this:

Me: Can I have 2 bottles of 1 hour Hedrin please?
Asst: Have you seen live lice?
Me: No
Asst: Then I can't sell it to you
Me: Why?
Asst: Because you need to see live lice
Me: Well, I haven't checked their hair yet but have had a letter home from school
Asst: Well I can't sell it to you then
Me: OK, I've seen live lice
Asst: But you just told me you haven't
Me: Are you seriously not going to sell it to me? It's hardly a controlled drug!
Manager: (who comes over, having heard this) Sell it to her. What she's trying to say is that if you use this all the time they get resistant. Combing through with conditioner works well.
Me: Yes, I am fully aware of that, my son is 13. I have combed through many times over the years. I doubt my children have live lice but we have had a letter home from school so I need to check them and if there are live lice I will need to treat them.

The assistant handed over the Hedrin with a heavy sigh and a stroppy look and demeanour. I handed over £23.

Fucking fuck right fucking OFF was what I was thinking. So:

AIBU? Was she BU?

Interested if this is general Tesco policy - shall I email them to complain? Not that I go in there often but it's Boots for me in future

Do people really mainline Hedrin? I've probably used it 3 times in ten years ish.

All views welcome. Thanks.

OP posts:

LilyBolero · 12/11/2010 11:20

The best used to be when people would say "I want that thing that was on the adverts last night, in the Corrie break, I don't want to tell you what it's for, it's a bit embarassing, but I think it had a red box..."

xstitchsparkler · 12/11/2010 11:38

Lily that just made me smile. One of my colleagues once called Granada and asked what they had been talking about on 'This Morning'.

This was after numerous conversations along the lines of:

customer: Have you got the thing the lovely Dr on 'This Morning' was talking about.

assistant: 'Possibly which product was it?'

customer: 'I don't know didn't you see it?'

assistant: 'unfortunately I was here, what was it for and I will show you what we have'

customer: 'I don't know what it was for I can't believe you don't have it he said all good pharmacies. YOU are rubbish.

LilyBolero · 12/11/2010 11:41

lol, that is so true!

People always used to get cross at me when I would offer them generic paracetamol instead of massively over-priced branded products - I used to show them the labels to prove that they were EXACTLY THE SAME but they all told me they had tried the cheaper version, and it didn't work, the only thing that worked for them was the branded one.

notso · 12/11/2010 11:50

Never said it was an issue just reminds me of my Great Gran buying the whole of Boots "just in case" then having to hours with my Mum chucking away out of date remedies.

ShrinkingViolet · 12/11/2010 12:16

not all generic priducts are the same as the branded ones - my mum gets a particulr painkiller on prescription, but the generic version leaves her feeling horrendously woozy, whereas teh branded one doesn't. The pharmacy at her GPs won't believe her and order in the branded one so she has to go to the local independent chemist to ge ther prescription made up.

Mind you, I much prefer generic decongestants as they don't come with extra caffeine (don't like caffeine), just the decongestant.

LilyBolero · 12/11/2010 12:20

No,I know not all generics are the same, but in the case of the paracetamol ones the only difference really was the packaging!

watercress · 12/11/2010 12:52

A woman once came into a pharmacy I was working in to ask for the MAP:

Me: OK, I just need to ask you a few questions to check whether it's going to be safe and effective for you. Is it that OK?

Woman: Yes.

Me: Please come into the consultation room with me as it's a bit more private... Now, is it for you?

Woman: What the f is that to do with you? It wasn't your husband I was fing.

As someone said, patience and a thick skin is frequently required!

stleger · 12/11/2010 13:08

There is a restriction in Ireland now on selling things like Solpadeine Plus - pharmacy staff have to ask a few questions - all hell broke loose over that. I think our local pharmacy uses a touch screen though, so staff are given a prompt on asking questions.

Original poster

WideWebWitch · 12/11/2010 13:30

Oh pmsl at "it wasn't your husband I was fucking" - I am hooting at that, thanks watercress!

I do realise they have to ask questions sometimes, totally fair enough.

Lol at lilybolero's old lady too.

OP posts:

Pixieonthemoor · 12/11/2010 14:40

Even if the assistant was trying to adhere closely to a rule, there is absolutely no need to be rude and stroppy. Def complain and loudly. If you are going to be rude and stroppy to customers then perhaps you are in the wrong job. And there aren't that many jobs going at the moment - perhaps she should think about that....As you may be able to tell, high handed sales staff make me growl.

Faaamily · 12/11/2010 14:45

I've had this conversation before ( not in Tesco, in a local pharamacy). I had to practically bully the sales assistant into selling me some nit lotion, FFS.

I have had a similar conversation trying to buy Canesten when pregnant.

Sales assistant: 'We don't recommend you use Canesten when pregnant.'

Me: 'Oh, well, my midwife does, so can I buy some please?

SA: 'No, sorry, I can't to sell it you.'

Me: Fuck Right --Off_- 'Could I kindly see your manager, please?'

Manager: That's fine madam, you can have some, we just have to make sure you are aware that our guidance is not to sell this to pregnant women'

Me: Fuck off Thank you.

DamselInDisgrace · 12/11/2010 14:50

Your midwife should've gotten you a prescription for it, Faamily, then you'd've had no problems.

sparechange · 12/11/2010 15:36

I think some shop assistants are just natural busybodies and that crosses over into the work life

I remember reading on another thread about a poster who went to the deli counter at Sainsburys to buy some parmasan while heavily pregnant and the assistane refused to serve it to her.

I think it ended with her phoning her DH and passing the phone over to the assistant and only when she was satisfied that only he would eat the cheese would she sell it to her

Some people are just crackers! (no pun intended)

fedupofnamechanging · 12/11/2010 15:51

Not read this whole thread yet, but think you should write to the manager of the store as well as head office.

You are waaay more polite than me. I'd have told her to mind her own fucking business and keep her nose out of mine. This is indicative of the nanny state, whereby the world and its dog (no matter how ignorant or ill informed) thinks they have the right to interfere in other peoples business.

fedupofnamechanging · 12/11/2010 16:04

Have now read rest of thread and want to add that assistant should have just said that the product is recommended for use on lice, not nits. Job done.

She should only be questioning people if the customer has asked for advice and the assistant needs to check that the product being sold isn't going to cause harm. If a customer knows what they want already, then I think shop assistants should confine themselves to statements regarding the conditions for which said product is appropriate/inappropriate.

Anything personal (like MAP) should be discussed in private and with the pharmacist.

Porcelain · 12/11/2010 16:12

I can sympathise.

I sent DH to Asda pharmacy to buy me some cystitis remedy, the conversation went like this:

Assistant: Is it for a woman.
DH: yes, it's for my wife.
Assistant: I mean for a real woman, it's no use for transexuals.
DH: I can assure you that my wife is a woman, and always has been...

How many transexuals does a small town Asda get trying to buy cystitis treatment to make him have to make such a point of it? It's only sherbert anyway isn't it? (ok, not actual sherbert, but it's food grade stuff, not crazy addictive drugs)

pacinofan · 12/11/2010 16:39

Actually, more shocked at the price of Hedrin - £23 is ridiculous. I get mine on prescription.

Original poster

WideWebWitch · 12/11/2010 17:04

Lol at being asked if his wife was a woman

That was £23 for 2 bottles btw

It's all barmy

OP posts:

Flisspaps · 12/11/2010 19:30

Lol at the ASDA pharmacist Porcelain - what cheek!

QuantaCosta · 12/11/2010 19:40

I think this must be a Tesco policy as this happened to me.

I have seen live lice on DS2's head. I wanted 3 bottles, one each for DS1,DS2 and me. I was questioned as to who actually had live lice. She was happy to sell me one for DS2 but refused for me when I said I hadn't seen live lice. I then had to lie about DS1 and claim to have seen live lice on him in order to get two bottles.

Luckily the two bottles was enough for the three of us and there has never been a reoccurance (in 5 years!)

AntonDuBurk · 12/11/2010 19:52

Not quite the same but the cashier at Tesco tried to refuse to sell me 2 x small boxes of paracetemol and 2 x small boxes ibuprofen the other day.

"I can only sell you three boxes"
"No, that rule is regarding paracetemol"
"No, I can only sell you three"
"No, that's three paracetemol products. Ibuprofen is a completely different drug and you can't top yourself with it"
"Well the till won't let me scan them"
"Can you try then?"

"Oh, it's worked. It didn't work last time"
"FFS Thanks"

muminthemiddle · 12/11/2010 21:05

Porcelin- Your post had me in stitches!

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