To report the village butcher

[Matchstickbox]

Am I?
I'm on a budget (like us all) and I'll ask butcher for 1kg mince then I'll go home and weigh it in to portions to freeze.

(Butcher always tell me a portion is more than the 125g I've read else where. He thinks about 200g pp.)

I came home last time and weighed up the two bags of minice to dived up and I'm short. About 125g.
It's been playing on my mind but my neighbour said I'm being sill and should report him...
I think I should, he'll not know it was me, will he, and he should be weighing food correctly, so not unreasonable to report him.

If you're asking (and paying!) for 1kg, then you should certainly say something!

If he charged you for 1kg then that's what you should have.
Have your home scales been calibrated? Mine are often out by 10% or so.

Check them by weighing some other things of known weight.

How accurate are your scales?

Can you raise it with him first? Either go back or give him a ring and tell him your order was 125g short. If it was a genuine mistake and he apologises and makes up the difference then I'd let it go this one time. If he denies it or tries to minimise it then yes, I think you have to report him - 125g is a lot of mince, so if he doesn't see it as a problem them it needs dealing with. But I would give him a chance to correct what could be an honest mistake first, maybe his scales need calibrating and he hasn't realised.

O yes we checked our scales with two (unopened) 500g bags of flour. All fine.

My plan is to go in this week normal order, say nothing. And weigh it at home again. And if short take photographs, report.
Bit devious?

Who are you going to report him to?

Go back to him and tell him he left you short. Did the label say 1kg even though it only had 875g in it?

I wouldn't report him without giving a chance to put it right. Maybe his scales are off and he hasn't realised yet?

Perhaps a little...what's stopping you from just asking him about it on the off chance it's a mistake?

If it's labelled and you paid for 1kg then that's what you should have and not 850gms.

You do need to check your scales are correct first though. Use a tin of soup or something prepackaged with the weight on it. If they're accurate then yes report him but if they're out then obviously don't, get yourself some more accurate scales instead.

I think you are using too much mince though per person. I buy 1lb of mince and put half in the freezer and use the other half 225gms between 4 people bulked out with veg/pulses. I am also on a budget and serving 100-200gms per person is a lot really.

He's a little scary and the owner.
Also regular fetches meat from behind scenes, I have a phobia he'll spit in my food from then on!
No labels on the little white bags.

Talk to him first I think. I'm sure he'll refund / make up difference. Then keep an eye on it going forward.

Anonymous report to trading standards so they can send someone down to test purchase and check his calibrated scales

If he is selling by weight then his scales must be calibrated and accurate as far as I know

Give him the chance to hear your complaint and correct it first, OP. If this is your village butcher then you're presumably a long-standing customer. He has no interest in spoiling his product and livelihood so he will be reasonable.

DollyBarton that would be Trading Standards; local council's department.

Who are you going to report him to?

I thought trading standards were the authority here - each council having their own department.

There are laws governing selling things by weight - national regulation weights and measures so someone must enforce them.

If the butcher is selling less than the stated weight, it is a Trading Standards issue - they are required to have calibrated scales and sell an accurate amount of product.

Over 10% short is far too much. I would expect meat from the butchers to be accurate to within a few grammes.

Have you definitely bought the mince by weight and should you have a kilo? My farm shop still sells in multiples of a pound, so the sign will say 3 pounds of mince for £X, even though they do weigh and sell it in kilos.

Do you have a receipt stating what you were sold - maybe when you visit again look carefully at the signs etc in the shop. But the website for your local Trading Standards office should have helpful info online.

My butcher gives me an itemised receipt with weights and price per kilo. I've never checked the weights though - maybe I should.

Cross posted with a few others .

I'm sure he'll refund / make up difference

I don't think he will, sounds like he knows what he's doing, it's a pretty common scam.

I think Trading Standards would be the place to report this to. There are laws for prepackaged items but I'm not sure for bagged items like this.

Quite frankly you sound a bit ridiculous.

Just go back and say your order was short of the weight you paid for.

I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but my butchers has the scales in full view of the customer, and there is also a sticker on there to say when they were last calibrated. So either he has been really unlucky with the scales mucking up since they were last checked, or he is pulling a fast one.

Can you phone trading standards and explain? They'll probably send someone it to do a test purchase

Report to who?

You are being WAYY OTT, go back and ask for a partial refund or top up, or don't. Like a normal person.

Go vegetarian!

No, seriously, I would call Trading Standards. Totally understand that you don't want to do this personally if he is a bit intimidating. Though I have to wonder why you would trust someone who you suspect might spit in your food in revenge!! He sounds unpleasant.

Am I the only one thinking of the League of Gentleman and their "special stuff"?

OP give him another chance just in case it's no more than his scales were a bit off that day.

YANBU in my opinion. Butchers charge more than supermarkets. If you're not getting what you pay for, what is the point?

I would talk to him first though if you're a regular customer and then if nothing changes, report him