No compensation from Tesco for washing powder in my chocolates?

[StormTreader]

So I did some Tesco shopping last night and decided to get some of the mint Thorntons chocolates as they were on for £3.

Started eating them at home, and got a distinct "washing powder" soap taste, a closer look has revealed that what I thought was powdered sugar actually seems to be a tiny amount of strongly-perfumed washing powder, probably spilled at some point and has worked its way in.

Contacted Tesco, and all they will offer is that if I spend my time and petrol driving back to the store, wait in the huge xmas lines for the customer service counter, show them the issue with the product so they can contact their suppliers...they will refund my £3.

AIBU to think that with the time and petrol PLUS the fact my nice treat was ruined (and I was worrying and googling exactly how poisonous washing powder is), that a little bit of a goodwill gesture would not be unreasonable? Even an offer of a £5 voucher would have been something - if I'd wanted the £3 rather than the chocolate, I wouldnt have bought it!

I can see why THEY want to investigate with their supplier so they dont get sued by someone, but Im not sure whats in it for me thats better than just chucking them in the bin and going to Morrisons in future...

Thorntons chocolates always taste of washing powder.

Rather than make a big deal about your time and petrol she you return the chocolates, why wouldn't you just take them back when you next go near the store?

Unless of course you live on a remote island and was not jntdndknv if going within 5 miles of the store for the next year

"Unless of course you live on a remote island"

No I dont but I hate crowds and dislike shopping - this was actually a special trip to get my dads xmas present as the local small shops I usually use dont stock it, I was not expecting to go back there again until after xmas. I use Tesco for my "I want particular things" monthly shops.

I get most of my Tesco shopping online and occasionally over the years I have had a problem with a product. I email them and send a photo of the issue and they usually call me the same day and refund straight after. Is it worth emailing them a photo of the white stuff on the chocolates, a photo of your receipt and a description of the problem?

The courts haven't yet established a compensation scheme for ruined Christmases and I doubt they ever will.

How would getting money from Tesco change that?

Also in modern manufacturing, a few faulty products will always make it to the customer. Nobody checks that each tablet works before it is sold.

If one faulty gift is do significant that it ruins your whole Christmas then in future buy them well in advance of Christmas day and test them yourself.

I have bought PS3s, tablets and other gifts for my so over the years and I always opened them before Christmas to check that they were what they were supposed to be, that they worked and so I could charge them so he could start using them straight out of the box.

I received a Kindle from my parents a few years ago and that didn't work on Christmas day but I didn't make a big deal out of it. My Mum came back to the shop with me and we were going to ask for an exchange but they had gone down in price so I opted for a refund.

I then went and bought a new one with some of the refund money and pocketed £20. That was pure luck. I wouldn't have even thought about asking for compensation as there was nothing to be compensated for.

Egg
Are you that hard up for £3 that it can't wait?

I thought you were worried that if needed to be investigated for the sake of other people but am, you really care about is £3 and making a fuss.

Why don't you just throw the box in the bin and forget about It?

Some tho vs just aren't worth the hassle.

Slightly off topic I got s box of Thornton's for the first time in maybe six years last week and I was really looking forward to them bug they were gross.

Is this a new thing?

They tasted sort of slimy and weirdly greasy and they had to go in the bin.

I didn't say anything to the person that gave them to me but if they are all like this now, then I will make sure never to buy them for anyone.

Yabu. Tesco can't compensate for something they haven't seen and been given back. Unfortunately there are dishonest people out there who would phone up claiming all sorts. Having worked in supermarkets it's unlikely tesco staff spilled washing powder on it, it's more likely a factory issue at thorntons- maybe they use a lemon powder favouring in some of their products.

I don't get all the anger and vitriol though - a low paid factory worker has made a mistake, it's a cheap box of chocolates. Get over it.

Tescos is a huge multi national chain store. I don't understand why people don't expect more of them. Of course they should conpensate for something like this. The inconvenience, the petrol, the risk of poisoning and the disapointment. I'm not talking huge compensation, but a £50 voucher would seem appropriate.

I think the term compensation is a bit misused. You might get something as a goodwill gesture but compensation would be paid if for example;

-your life was seriously impacted by the distress and upset caused, -you were incapacitated and incurred loss of earnings
-your reputation or that of your business had been damaged
-you were seriously injured
-your mental health had been seriously affected.

Dry washing powder may cause some irritation of the skin or mucous membranes but injury or illness would not occur if you ingested negligible amounts.
Laundry detergent pods (the liquid ones) are highly toxic however and can cause death if swallowed. People may be confusing the two.

Sounds very unlikely chocolates and washing powder are produced in the same factory.

"Tescos is a huge multi national chain store. I don't understand why people don't expect more of them. Of course they should conpensate for something like this. The inconvenience, the petrol, the risk of poisoning and the disapointment. I'm not talking huge compensation, but a £50 voucher would seem appropriate."

Thank you, this. And really even a £5 or £10 voucher would have been great as an acknowledgement of "we understand this is rubbish for you for the reasons above, merry xmas. You can pick up the voucher when you return the product to us." would have taken the sting out of it.

To be honest, at the moment I'd rather chuck it in the bin than go back for my £3 back, its only the fact that this may have happened to other boxes and be a more serious issue for other people thats stopping me - kids will eat coal and dirt, I cant be sure that their parents would look too closely at the "sugar" on their chocolates before they eat it and washing powder is poisonous. I kind of feel like Tesco should care a little more about this! That said, I have been contacted by a Tesco person to try and get this moving along so clearly not everyone at Tesco is totally uninterested.

This is all somewhat surreal-feeling at the moment, I really wasnt expecting more from all this than to have already forgotten I bought chocolate yesterday....

I'm not talking huge compensation, but a £50 voucher would seem appropriate
For what, a box of choclates that may have a bit of washing powder on them?

Even though it took several of the chocolates before the OP stopped eating them??

The inconvenience, the petrol, the risk of poisoning and the disappointment
Don't be so ridiculous.

There doesn't need to be any inconvenience or petrol as the chocolates can be returned next time the OP goes to the store.

As for risk of poisoning, there probably isn't one and even if there was THE OP HAS NOT BEEN HARMED.

Finally, why on Earth do you think that a little tiny upset, sorry disappointment, is worth £50. NO HARM DONE.

I am not talking about the OP here, I am talking about people in general
If people knew that you could buy a product and then contaminate it and return it in order to get a £50 goodwill payment then stores would be inundated with chancers.

"There doesn't need to be any inconvenience or petrol as the chocolates can be returned next time the OP goes to the store."

Thats great persian, when will you be round to pick them up for me?

That said, I have been contacted by a Tesco person to try and get this moving along so clearly not everyone at Tesco is totally uninterested
Yet earlier on you wanted to just send a photo of the chocolates for your refund.

Now you are suddenly worried about other people eating the chocolates.

Next step is clearly to go to your local paper. Get your best pouty compo face on and soon you'll get the recognition you deserve.

StormTreader
Are you honestly saying that in the next month you won't drive past the Tesco store??

You will likely be asked to complete a form explaining the details when you return them. Once the matter is "investigated" you will likely receive a voucher in the post. If you get a voucher in the store it will be noted on the form and would likely be less generous than what head office would have offered. Ask how long it will be before you get a reply and make a note of your reference and if you don't hear back within a reasonable time frame call head office.

"Are you honestly saying that in the next month you won't drive past the Tesco store??"
Yes, I am. I will not even be home between 23rd and 2nd.

"Yet earlier on you wanted to just send a photo of the chocolates for your refund."
Did I? Quote me. Or would that slow down your accusations and sneering at me? I believe I said I was disappointed that there was no gesture towards acknowledging that this was an unpleasant experience for me that would need even more inconvenience to do anything about, since that is in fact the truth.

""Are you honestly saying that in the next month you won't drive past the Tesco store??"
Yes, I am. I will not even be home between 23rd and 2nd."

I mean, obviously I will now, in amongst the very many other things I have planned, but I wouldnt have been before xmas if this hadnt happened. Just to stop people jumping in with "AHA so now you DONT care about other people, youre just looking for your Compo Handout!!!"

@PersianCatLady

The tablet had a quality control sticker on it & as was over £100, I would expect that it is checked

My ds was 7 so yes Christmas was ruined for him.

I believe I said I was disappointed that there was no gesture towards acknowledging that this was an unpleasant experience for me
You ate a few chocolates out of a box before you noticed that they didn't taste nice and you think they might have washing powder on them.

Consider yourself lucky then if that is what you consider to be an unpleasant experience.

I bought some tortillas once. They had mold on them despite having a deep by date of 2 months later. Tesco told me they were the ones who had to complain to the manufacturer. I heard zilch! No money back or anything.
In the end I complained to old El Paso myself. They had not received any info from Tesco. They simply sent me vouchers for anothe pack of tortillas in the end which is still more than what I got from Tesco

Id contact the Health And Safety people at your local council. It's a poison.

Persian, I'm still waiting for that quote from your earlier post where you lied about what I'd said, maybe do that before posting another one about your opinion of me? I appreciate thats not as satisfying for you as it involves judging yourself rather than me.