A month ago I was sitting in my living room drinking a can of diet coke, I got to the last sips and something slipped out of the can and into my mouth, my immediate reaction was to spit the coke all over my living room floor. I looked down and found a red, inch long splinter laying on my floor within the spat out coke. I've attached a picture so you can see it for yourself.
It was a large wooden splinter which thankfully I managed to feel in my mouth so I could spit it out, I dread to think what could have happened if a child had drank from this particular can as it was sharp!
I contacted the company and told them what I had found, they were apologetic on the phone and sent out a box whereby I would send them the can, the splinter and another can from the multipack I purchased it from. I done exactly that and after a month I called them up to ask what the outcome was from the investigation, they said they had put it in a letter which came today.
This is the insulting part as the letter stated that;
The factory only uses wood based pallets for finished sealed products.
All components come in plastic boxes or plastic pallets.
We have no idea how you have come to find this foreign matter as we are confident that nothing has entered into the soft drink in the factory.
All packaging stations are verified against the companies standard specifications.
There are many preventative measures placed in critical points to stop any kind of foreign object entering or contaminating any of our products.
We have checked site records and this was the only complaint recieved for this particular batch in question.
We regret we cannot offer further enlightenment.
We are pleased to have had the chance to look into your complaint.
We have enclosed vouchers for £8 for goodwill.
I mean how insulting right? They have basically said that I've put it in there myself and that the piece of wood didn't come from them, what bullshit. I am perplexed at there cheek to be honest, I wasn't expecting vouchers or money from them but to know where and how this piece of wood had got into my coke can! There were red marks on the bottom of the can and as the piece of wood was red it crossed my mind that it could have been blood which worried me so to have knowledge about this would have let me rest my mind about something like that but instead I get called a liar and the blame is put on me as a customer who brought up a rather large concern not just for 'maintaining high standards' but for the safety of others who consume cans of coke.
I'll never be purchasing a can of coke again because of it, I think that it's disgusting how they have written the letter and think that it's my fault when this wooden splinter came out of there product!