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Original poster

I’ve stolen someone’s shopping. Do I own up?!

251 replies

RachyRoo1 · 26/09/2021 22:25

I’ve name changed for this. I feel absolutely awful….

My shopping was delivered tonight.
As I was putting the bags in the house, the delivery driver told me that my “meat” bag was on the top of the tray of bags.

I wasn’t really paying much attention to what was in the bag, but I do remember thinking that it was heavy that I didn’t remember ordering that much meat…. I then briefly thought DH must’ve added it on.
I did think to myself, I wonder if this is even ours, but brushed it off as me just over thinking.

Once the driver had gone and I was unpacking the bags, I was checking off my items against the delivery sheet and realised the items infact weren’t on the list.

I checked with DH and he hadn’t ordered them, so we have been given a bag of meats by mistake.

We have….
2 x pack of chicken breasts
1 x pack of diced chicken
2 x pack of sirloin steak
2 x pack 20% fat beef mince
1 x pack 5% fat beef mince
1 x pack pork meat balls

I feel really awful about it now. I should’ve spoken up at the time.
I was rushing and just trying to get my bags in the house as quickly as I could.
DH has often added things to our shop last minute and I did just think he’d most likely done the same this week.

So what do I do now. Do I contact the supermarket and take the items back?
What if these items belong to someone old / vulnerable and they were reliant on them…

I’ve stolen someone’s shopping and I feel shit about it now.

OP posts:
chesirecat99 · 26/09/2021 23:14

Just call in the morning, it happens all the time. They won't charge you and they probably won't collect it either.

I acquired a case of prosecco that way a few weeks ago. I called straight away but I was told to keep it.

Tulips15 · 26/09/2021 23:16

Ott reaction from you re guilt ect.

Just call up again Am. Explain you didnt realise until driver had gone and you unpacked, you tried calling last night but closed.
This is a non issue you are making tbh.

Original poster
RachyRoo1 · 26/09/2021 23:18

@ItsNotMeAnymore

You felt so guilty about it but didn’t bother trying to phone for over an hour 🤔

😂😂. This happens from time to time. We always phone (immediately!!) and usually get told to keep it

@ItsNotMeAnymore

Only because my husband talked me into not calling. He told me they won’t do anything and we should just stick our freezer with the free meat.🙄

To be fair, it wasn’t really an hour. The shopping came around 9.40pm(ish)
By the time is got it all into the house, unpacked and put away, it was after 10pm.

OP posts:
Willow19C · 26/09/2021 23:19

Absolutely no one (and I mean no one) checks their order as it is delivered.
It would take me forever and the delivery driver would just be stood there like Hmm

You check your order when it's being unpacked and then you call the main call centre if you have any issues.

You are being a bit silly to say you feel guilty over the delivery drivers mistake. Ring in the morning and they will tell you just to keep the extra food. They're not going to send someone back or charge you. Or tell you you stole from someone else.

Original poster
RachyRoo1 · 26/09/2021 23:19

@chesirecat99

Just call in the morning, it happens all the time. They won't charge you and they probably won't collect it either.

Yes I will call in the morning.

I think that’s what I’m a bit worried about.
Either being charged or being told off 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
ForgedInFire · 26/09/2021 23:20

Don't worry about it. They won't be able to take the meat back from you for health and safety reasons anyway and whoever should have got it will be refunded. It wasn't your mistake- I know when I get a delivery I just want to get the food in as quick as possible so I dont hold the delivery driver up.

user1471447863 · 26/09/2021 23:21

would you want food that had been sat in someone else's house? especially chilled stuff? Not a chance.
There is no way they will take it back to re deliver. You get to keep it (or if you are weird and pushy about it) they will come take it and bin it.
I used to deliver for tesco a number of years ago - there were houses you would wipe your feet on the way out of (the alcoholics houses - it was always a few bottles for the mother in law).

genericuserneeded · 26/09/2021 23:21

Tell them, they’ll let you keep it.

It’s a hygiene issue if they take it back and resell it/give it to the original customer now that it’s been in your possession. Their only option is to take it back and dispose of itc which is a waste of a driver coming around. Asking you to keep it saves them the hassle and means you’re more likely to shop with them in the future bc good customer service

ducksalive · 26/09/2021 23:21

This has happened several times to me, the supermarket isn't allowed to take the stuff back due to safety.
We've ended up with some very random stuff.
We've also not had things delivered, we just get refunds.

BoreOfWhabylon · 26/09/2021 23:22

You haven't stolen anything and the other person will be compensated.

I would still call, just so they don't think it's the delivery driver thieving stuff.

Original poster
RachyRoo1 · 26/09/2021 23:23

I’ve emailed. I will follow up with a call in the morning.

OP posts:
UmbilicusProfundus · 26/09/2021 23:23

I think maybe you need to do some shoplifting to desensitise yourself to future such dramatic events.

To reassure you a little maybe, that bag of meat doesn’t sound particularly like the shopping list of an old alone vulnerable person to me.

Summersun2020 · 26/09/2021 23:30

They can’t charge you for the meat, don’t be ridiculous.

shesellsseacats · 26/09/2021 23:33

Meant in the nicest possible way, but Jesus Christ, woman, are you always this wet?!

THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT!!!

The supermarket has caused this. The sum total of the problem is:

  • you have been incovenienced by having to call them to sort it out
  • you have been inconvenienced by the anxiety it has caused you
  • the person who bought it has been inconvenienced because they don't have their meat, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE OUT OF POCKET, the store will sort it out. In fact, the store will probably give them something like an extra credit voucher to say sorry.
  • the store will have lost the price of the meat as they can't resell it, but they make billions of pounds. Tesco's annual revenue last year was almost £53 billion, for example. They won't give a shiny shit about the price of some meat.

So the only one that's lost out really is the supermarket, BUT IT IS THEIR FAULT! Not your problem.

Please don't refuse the meat. If you give it back it'll go in the bin, they can't resell it.

I'm a vegetarian on animal welfare grounds, and if there's one thing I hate more than meat consumption, it's putting meat in the bin! What a senseless waste. Please don't.

Why on earth would they charge you? Would you shop there again if they made this mistake and then had the gall to charge you for it? (Please don't tell me you would!).

Please, spend some time on yourself and working on finding a back bone. I hate to think who you're letting take advantage of you if your first thought is to blame yourself for everything. Who taught you to do this? You really don't need to Flowers

GatoradeMeBitch · 26/09/2021 23:35

I think emailing is fine. They won't come back for it, but it might help out the person who is claiming a refund.

TheHouseILiveIn · 26/09/2021 23:38

@chesirecat99

Just call in the morning, it happens all the time. They won't charge you and they probably won't collect it either.

I acquired a case of prosecco that way a few weeks ago. I called straight away but I was told to keep it.

Fucking hell, lucky you! Prosecco is something that can be taken back and re-delivered
TheHouseILiveIn · 26/09/2021 23:39

@UmbilicusProfundus

I think maybe you need to do some shoplifting to desensitise yourself to future such dramatic events.

To reassure you a little maybe, that bag of meat doesn’t sound particularly like the shopping list of an old alone vulnerable person to me.

Haha, yeah. I think OP is being faux concerned.
TheHouseILiveIn · 26/09/2021 23:41

In fact the more I think about it, someone with that kind of shopping list doesn't sound like they will starve if they don't get their order. I'm sure they have reserves in their cupboard 🤔😂

Dreamstate · 26/09/2021 23:41

Just chill out literally, stop freting i mean god its not the end of the world.

They made the mistake the right thing to do is contact them when they are open and let them know so its helps the other customer out.

Talk about drama over nothing

TheHouseILiveIn · 26/09/2021 23:42

They sound like me...a greedy bastard!

MobyDicksTinyCanoe · 26/09/2021 23:42

This happened to us at Christmas only it was an entire Christmas food shop. I contacted the store and they wouldn't take it back...... I ended up dividing it between family and gave some to some friends I knew were making food hampers up for vulnerable families because I had nowhere to put it!

And yes, I probably would have clocked the sea lf bags and questioned it but that's what happens when dp is left to bring in the shopping. 🙄

ozymandiusking · 26/09/2021 23:42

The supermarket would probably dispose of the meat if it was returned as they wouldn't know how long it had been out of the fridge.
And just send a fresh delivery out to them.

nettie434 · 26/09/2021 23:43

I am actually surprised that people have had fresh food collected. How do the supermarket know it has been stored safely? It happened to me once. It wasn't anything I wanted particularly but I was worried the driver would be blamed. One Christmas when I tried to give an Ocado driver a tip, he told me he couldn't have it as they are are searched when they finish their shift so I suspect they can't accuse drivers of theft if items are missing.

careerchangeperhaps · 26/09/2021 23:44

It's not your fault. They don't expect you to check everything while the driver waits.

The chances are they'll tell you to keep it. They can't take it back to re-distribute to the rightful owner after it's been out of their possession for so long, in case you hadn't chilled it properly etc. They'd only throw it away even if they did collect it.

The person with the missing meat will be reimbursed or have it replaced if they can't get to the shops themselves.

(I speak from experience as it's happened to me before).

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 26/09/2021 23:48

We’ve had similar but it was a bag of tinned goods - even then they told us to keep it and thanked me for ringing.

Recently I had an ASoS order go “missing” and they sent a replacement. The replacement came the next day, and the missing item the day after. I was told to keep both but actually did return one - even I don’t need two identical grey jumpers!

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