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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

tesco selling out of date goods

32 replies

twitchypalm · 12/04/2013 10:13

Hi all the last 3 mornings ive popped into tesco on my way to schooland work. Everyday ive gone to the chiller to get a salad for lunch and they have been out of date. Ive informed customer services of this and how dangerous it is seeing as its prawn salads they just shrugged and said thanks.

Today we go in and theres salads sandwiches and rolls out of date. We arent talking reduced isle this is normal priced stuff. Today on way out i confronted the store manager who was outside having a ciggarette with his supervisors his attidued was oh well when ive finished my fag ill go and look no apology no nothing.

Ive just phone enviromental health who are investigating it like i said to if an elderly or vunerable person ate an out of date prawn salad it could be very serious.

Aibu to think tesco really dont give a toss about there customers all they care about is there profits.

OP posts:
NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 12/04/2013 10:14

there;s a shortage of salad at the moment.

PseudoBadger · 12/04/2013 10:15

Well you did the right thing reporting it to the EHOs.

livinginwonderland · 12/04/2013 10:21

you did the right thing to report them. it's hugely illegal to be selling out of date stock. i work for another large supermarket chain and we're not allowed to sell ANYTHING out of date, reduced or not. obviously sometimes things get missed when we do check dates, it happens, we're human, but if a customer reports it, we have to take the stock off the shelves immediately. it's law.

the staff you spoke to had horrible attitudes as well!

Original poster
twitchypalm · 12/04/2013 11:18

I understand things get missed i work in a little corner shop and ive had times when ive missed something customers brought it to my attention. I apologise and immediatly remove the things then double check. Its just the whole attitude of staff there. I no someone who went to buy some fresh chicken breasts from there picked the pack up and they were green with slime took them to cystomer services whos answer was they are still in date what do you want us to do. In date or not they were clearly off

OP posts:
beenhereayear · 12/04/2013 11:22

Awful attitudes, I work in retail and our chain has a WYBI system (would you buy it), if you see something that is not the quality you would expect to pay full price for either reduce or remove as applicable.
The general Tesco attitude sucks and sadly as I love the clubcard days out points scheme I am coming further and further away from them by the day.
I have had extremely rude attitudes from them both in store and after making genuine complaints about online goods.

Callofthefishwife · 12/04/2013 11:24

So glad you have informed the EHO.

The attitude of the staff would make me want to write a complaint letter to Tesco HO or if I was feeling totally bitchy an email to my press.

MoaningYoniWhingesAgain · 12/04/2013 11:25

I regularly take out of date (past Use By rather than best before stuff) to the customer service desks in both Asda and Sainsburys.

I have contacted Trading Standards in the past to check about whether or not it's illegal - for fresh stuff with a Use By it is illegal. It pisses me off no end. Have always been too damn lazy to actually 'report' it though.

wigglesrock · 12/04/2013 11:25

I'm not condoning it at all but I have mistakenly lifted an out of date item out of a fridge and it won't scan through the checkout. It's picked up there and then replaced.

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 12/04/2013 11:26

A similar thing happened with me last year in another supermarket. I reported the item and they said they'd remove it. I went back a week later and the same stock was still on the shelves. My friend shops at the same supermarket chain but in a different town and she has had the same problem with them on a few occasions. Very very slopppy!

MandragoraWurzelstock · 12/04/2013 11:45

Tesco do this and you're right they don't care.

I've bought out of date pizza before, driven home and then had to bin it...also a pasta microwave thing I bought once contained black pasta, literally black, I have never seen anything like it.

And a couple of times I bought their bean burgers and had very bad stomach ache afterwards, only realising it was that when I saw a notice up recalling them a few weeks later.

Honestly I don't think they give a stuff. I'm appalled but not surprised, OP - good for you ringing EH

maddening · 12/04/2013 11:52

You'd think that after all the horsemeat issues that tesco would be trying to keep on top of this sort of stuff.

And also in the current economic climate it's staff would be working hars to ensure continued employment.

Idiots the lot of them.

Kaekae · 12/04/2013 11:58

This has happened to me twice when buying chicken breasts. Had to take them back, no apologie just made me wait to exchange. At least Sainsbury's exchanges and then refunds out of good will.

OnwardBound · 12/04/2013 12:06

Tesco aren't brilliant ime. I have bought meat from them [within use by date], taken it home to cook and it has been off.

Have had to take it back to the store where they quite ungraciously gave me a refund.

Contrast that to my experience with Sainsburys. I also bought meat from them [chicken breast about £5 worth] and it was within date but had a funny smell when I opened the package. So I emailed customer service and they sent me a lovely reply saying this was unacceptable and thanks for bringing it to their attention, could I please email them the barcode and store where it was bought as they want to discuss the issue with the store manager. Then they sent me a £10 gift voucher as an apology!

Customer service is sooo much better in Sainsburys than Tesco ime.

Just wish they had something like Clubcard so could use points earned on more than just money off my shopping at the till.

But generally just a nicer experience shopping at Sainsburys than Tesco.

Original poster
twitchypalm · 12/04/2013 12:09

Seems its not unusual for tescos then. Wonder if they would come on here for a chat. Or if we could start a campaign. As customers we shouldnt have to do the jobs staff are being paid to do by checking dates.

OP posts:
MouseyHousey · 12/04/2013 12:11

I accidently bought out of date fruit flakes from tesco before. Didnt realise until I opened a packet to give to 2yr old DD. I took the packet back into store and asked to speak to the manager. I really laid on thick about nearly giving them to DD and how they could have made her sick, how disappointed I was that they werent keeping up on stock checks etc etc.
I have to say they were very good. The manager called over someone as I was there and told them to go check all the fruit flakes, assured me that the person who was designated that aisle would be spoken to and gave me a £10 goodwill voucher.
Im sure their customer services department would take your complaint more seriously, maybe try writing/emailing to head office?

MsBella · 12/04/2013 12:15

Wow most supermarkets throw everything in the bin as soon as its out of date, was in co op yesterday just before it closed there was a massive pile of chocolate that goes out of date today reduced, was a bit annoyed because I knew it would all get thrown away which is a massive waste as ill be eating mine for days!

But as for 3 day out of date prawn sandwiches etc...well first of all the bread would probably be going a bit hard even if it isn't dangerous..yuck! And bagged salads wilt and go mushy quite quickly ime...

MsBella · 12/04/2013 12:18

By the way out of date fruit flakes wouldn't make anyone sick but id probably complain aswell as they're not meant to be selling it
Saying that I do think some of these best befores are ridiculous but I suppose its so they can be extra safe...and make more money
These big companies should stick to their own rules

BlessedDespair · 12/04/2013 12:19

Thing is though it's not that hard to date check even when you're busy.

We have chilled and store goods date checking books (chilled checked in the evening and store goods in the morning). Even if the product isn't in the book each section of the store is cleaned weekly and all products date checked so it would be found in time to reduce it.

Sandwiches, pasties, bread, milk and cakes are checked in the evening and a quick spot check done in the morning when each section is cleaned.

We only have two members of staff on each shift yet we manage :-/

BeckyhasapainfreeYoni · 12/04/2013 12:21

This is why I don't shop in Tescos, out of date food and bad customer service!

You did the right thing reporting it, I work in retail and if a customer gave me something that was out of date I would thank them, apologise profusely and take any more off the shelf.

Chelvis · 12/04/2013 12:25

I recently bought some chocolate in Tescos that was THREE MONTHS out of date. I had bought 4 multipacks, so it wasn't just one bar that had slipped through the net. They did give me a very nice bouquet as an apology, but it is appalling.
I've seen baby food, bread, crisps and tinned goods in the same store that are out of date, but staff weren't particularly bothered, which really worries me with the baby food! I think I will start reporting them. I wish I didn't have to use that store, but unless I want a very long walk or to get the shopping on the bus, I'm stuck!

Loislane78 · 12/04/2013 12:31

A taxi driver once explained to me in great detail turned out to be a hideous journey how he used to go into supermarkets to purposefully find and buy out of date foods. He would then go straight to customer services to 'complain' and be given a full refund as I guess thats illegal or something.

It got so ridiculous (he was finding so much stuff), apparently they knew who he was and the general manager came to talk to him and tried to ban him from the store Shock kind of missing the point they need to have better systems!

thermalsinapril · 12/04/2013 12:32

YANBU. You could also write to their customer service address, phone head office, or email them.

Tesco Customer Services
Freepost SCO2298
Dundee DD1 9NF
Head Office Tel: 08455 19 15 23
[email protected]

Usually I actually quite like Tesco as our local one is good (it's the nearest Asda that has staff with a rubbish attitude!)

redwellybluewelly · 12/04/2013 12:39

I have to occasionally use the pharmacy at our (very big) Tesco, the quality of the meat in there is shocking and I have now shopped at Sainsburys for years.

That said there have been occasions where the fresh salad (lettuce/cucumber) has turned very quickly from Sainsbury's but they are so so much more helpful in exchanging.

As for Waitrose, when I contacted them recently to say that the packaging on some fresh meat had come undone between the shelf and my fridge they thanked me for bringing it to their attention, send a refund for the meat (which I wouldn't eat) and also £10 in vouchers. Whoop whoop!

BinksToEnlightenment · 12/04/2013 13:57

Tesco are always doing this shit. God knows what kind of backwards stock monitoring system they have.

andubelievedthat · 12/04/2013 14:39

well done you ,especially for letting everyone know, i shall check the sell by dates closely from now on and switch my nose off.>>>f.y.i. Morrisons has, 2day, increased the price of a brand of milk they have for sale by almost 100%, according 2 my very old mum>interested ? (shocking !!!, i know , imagine, supermarkets selling past sell by date, food ! whatev er next ? cows bumholes in sausages?)the very thought !!!

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