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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain to Sainsbury’s about their Valentine’s balloons?

276 replies

BalloonTrauma · 12/02/2021 23:50

I was blowing one up when it popped right in my face - forehead and cheeks now extremely painful, red and swollen. I wear glasses, so I don’t know if that had a protective impact, but I could have sustained a corneal abrasion or some eye injury... very scary to think about.

And it was still relatively small when it popped - hardly overinflated. I’ve never had this happen before either.

AIBU to complain about these bastard objects?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
littlepattilou · 13/02/2021 11:24

I echo what a few others have said @BalloonTrauma

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this distressing time. Flowers

littlepattilou · 13/02/2021 11:24

@whatonearthhappened

Yes if I was you I would pop along to Sainsbury's and tell them. I imagine they will be bursting to assist
Grin
littlepattilou · 13/02/2021 11:25

The OP can POP down to Sainsburys with a letter of complain.

littlepattilou · 13/02/2021 11:25

*complaint

missbunnyrabbit · 13/02/2021 11:32

Just read the first page of this thread and can't believe how mean people are. Bet you wouldn't be laughing and being sarcastic if it happened to you.

OP, I would send a quick message - perhaps it was a faulty pack but they should know about it. Balloons shouldn't do that.

Original poster
BalloonTrauma · 13/02/2021 11:34

@Soontobe60

Having trawled the Sainsbury’s site, all the packs of balloons they sell say ‘it is advisable to use a balloon pump to inflate this balloon’ on. Did you read the instructions OP?
The offending item. Nothing written anywhere.
To complain to Sainsbury’s about their Valentine’s balloons?
To complain to Sainsbury’s about their Valentine’s balloons?
OP posts:
missbunnyrabbit · 13/02/2021 11:36

@Mrgrinch
Can you even read? She said it was barely inflated. My God.

Original poster
BalloonTrauma · 13/02/2021 11:37

@missbunnyrabbit

Just read the first page of this thread and can't believe how mean people are. Bet you wouldn't be laughing and being sarcastic if it happened to you.

OP, I would send a quick message - perhaps it was a faulty pack but they should know about it. Balloons shouldn't do that.

Thank you. Honestly it was painful as fuck and my face was swollen and red for a good while afterwards. You wouldn’t laugh at a friend who had that happen to them (I hope).

Just because someone’s hurt in a manner that’s unusual, bizarre or even comical, it doesn’t make it less painful.

OP posts:
SmallPrawnEnergy · 13/02/2021 11:37

I’d love to see the packaging for these balloons, there are no heart shaped balloons on the website but I’d be willing to be there is some sort of advice as per their normal inflatable balloons which state “It is advisable to use a balloon pump when inflating balloons”

DenisetheMenace · 13/02/2021 11:40

YABVU to buy these bastard objects. Just what’s needed, more landfill.

SmallPrawnEnergy · 13/02/2021 11:41

Cross post. Well no warnings, nothing seems to indicate they’re manufactured by Sainsbury’s through so they may direct you to the manufacture.

lockeddownandcrazy · 13/02/2021 11:42

Hopefully you will complain, they will add it to their 'laughs' and will stop selling balloons which are environmentally unsound

QueenoftheAir · 13/02/2021 11:46

You wouldn’t laugh at a friend who had that happen to them

No, of course not. But I wouldn't be encouraging them to complain to Sainsbury's (or whoever). It's an accident FFS - these things happen.

And frankly, the lovely staff at my local Sainsbury's are keeping us all going at the moment. Just deal with it.

Hetilia · 13/02/2021 11:48

And frankly, the lovely staff at my local Sainsbury's are keeping us all going at the moment. Just deal with it

What on earth has that got to do with it?

Sparklingbrook · 13/02/2021 11:51

Looks like it’s Ginger Ray you need to be directing your wrath at then.

Hetilia · 13/02/2021 11:58

It's the retailer (Sainsbury's) that has the responsibility as they sold the product to the op. It would be down to Sainsbury's to take that up with the manufacturer.

GrapefruitGin · 13/02/2021 11:59

Petition to get this on to Classics. This is the best thread ever.

fastwigglylines · 13/02/2021 12:07

@GrapefruitGin

Petition to get this on to Classics. This is the best thread ever.
Seriously? This is what you think MN is about? This is MN at its best for you?

A playground-level pile-on of an OP where you all laugh at her for hurting herself?

Do you have issues with empathy?

The pathetic display of bullying on this thread makes my wonder why I'm still on this site.

Get a life, FFS.

Changeismyname · 13/02/2021 12:10

@BalloonTrauma

Mockery aside, and without too much searching on my part, I have found a fellow sufferer from a decade ago:

www.scotsman.com/news/nurse-sue-balloon-makers-after-explosion-leaves-her-blind-days-1666606

Sainsbury’s is the culprit here also...

A decade?! Jesus this is rife!

Anyway OP blowing up a balloon is not what the BJ in steak and BJ night means

PattyPan · 13/02/2021 12:14

From the title I thought this thread was going to be complaining about why they sell valentines balloons when they are horrible for the environment Confused

GrapefruitGin · 13/02/2021 12:14

@fastwigglylines no, definitely no issues with empathy. The balloon/Valentine puns are really funny to read! Yes, if the site is affecting you in this way I think you should probably stay of it too.

BraveGoldie · 13/02/2021 12:15

@draughtycatflap

Are you sure it was a balloon and not novelty Valentine condoms?
😂😂😂😂
fastwigglylines · 13/02/2021 12:16

@QueenoftheAir

You wouldn’t laugh at a friend who had that happen to them

No, of course not. But I wouldn't be encouraging them to complain to Sainsbury's (or whoever). It's an accident FFS - these things happen.

And frankly, the lovely staff at my local Sainsbury's are keeping us all going at the moment. Just deal with it.

This seems to have happened because of poor design and lack of safety info.

The OP treated the balloon as if it was a normal balloon, and through doing that ended up in pain and at risk of damaging her eyes.

The balloon was a different design to normal balloons.

Possibly, it should only be blown up with a pump, but the packaging did not say this.

Shops have a responsibility to sell products that are not dangerous. It sounds like this unusual design of balloon is.

But none of you seem to want to acknowledge this, as it'd ruin your pathetic pile on fun.

How would you feel if you were in A&E with your DC if they'd been injured by this balloon? And had read information saying this is a known issue with this style of balloon?

Would you be making balloon jokes then?

BraveGoldie · 13/02/2021 12:18

@Zevia

Be careful pursuing this. Could blow up in your face.
😂😂
Hetilia · 13/02/2021 12:23

How would you feel if you were in A&E with your DC if they'd been injured by this balloon? And had read information saying this is a known issue with this style of balloon?

I think the 89% of people on here voting that the op is unreasonable just sums up what I always suspected; that the percentage of the population are nasty / unpleasant or just plain stupid is really quite high. I'd put it at around 85% percent. Seemingly I'd underestimated.

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