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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:
SuperstoreFan · 27/09/2021 08:43

Why are you making such a big deal out of this OP? Tell the supermarket but they won't care and it's not your fault.

Livelovebehappy · 27/09/2021 08:43

I would guess this happens lots, and that the supermarket has strategies in place for these situations. A quick call to the supermarket would resolve the matter pretty quick.

TartanJumper · 27/09/2021 08:49

Call them, they will either come and collect it, or tell you to keep it IME.

TartanJumper · 27/09/2021 08:51

With meat, I would suspect they can't resell it in case you haven't stored it correctly. So the likelihood is they will tell you to keep it.

minimecantrollerskate · 27/09/2021 08:54

I have had this happen a couple of times over the years. I always ring the number on the order, and let them know, and they always say to keep it.

I do it mainly so that they don't think that the driver stole it.

MissingInk · 27/09/2021 08:56

We were given two bottles of wine from Tesco by mistake. DH ran up the drive to give them to the driver once we realised. Driver was astonished but we don't drink so no use to us.
Agree your reaction seems disproportionate. These things happen all the time.
.

Itsanewdah · 27/09/2021 09:06

Call/message as you have done.
if they collect the meat, change supermarket. Cool chain is really, really important and the moment they gave the food to you they weren’t in control anymore. Selling food that they knew has been out of controlled storage for any amount of time would be negligent (they don’t know it was in your fridge - as far as they know you had it sitting outside for hours).

DancesWithTortoises · 27/09/2021 09:08

That happened to us in the early days of click and collect. They told us it was their error and if we took it back it would be scrapped.

Handsoffstrikesagain · 27/09/2021 09:11

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

notacooldad · 27/09/2021 09:11

So far 184 post over a complete non event!!🤣🤣

Brefugee · 27/09/2021 09:13

I don't understand why this is even a question, OP. Just contact the supermarket.

peachgreen · 27/09/2021 09:16

Happened to me with someone's Christmas booze order. They were delivered in cardboard boxes and I didn't look in them when I took them in as it was such a big shop. I just assumed DH had added some extra wine to our order until I opened the boxes and realised they were full of expensive wine and spirits we would never buy! Rang the online helpline when I realised what had happened and they seemed very surprised that I'd bothered and told me to keep them, and that a replacement had already gone out to the other customer.

Lockdownbear · 27/09/2021 09:16

I'd phone just to keep the driver in the clear. I'd hate him to be facing accusations of theft.

Madcats · 27/09/2021 09:19

I did a "click and collect" with Waitrose during one of the lockdowns from a city centre store. DH parked up outside on the street and helped me load the bags. It wasn't until we got home that I realised that somebody must have muddled up the bags as half my shopping was missing and I had half of somebody else's.

Waitrose wouldn't let me return any of the food items, even tins. When I collected the rest of my shopping they gave me a big bunch of flowers to apologise.

Peanutbuttercupisyum · 27/09/2021 09:20

What good would letting them know do? People like the delivery driver, then packer etc could get in trouble. The people whose meat it is will get their meat or a refund. The only people missing out are the supermarket giants, and it’s a totally irrelevant amount to them. Just keep it and have a a bbq

Lily78123 · 27/09/2021 09:30

Relax a bit, you’ve not stolen it from anybody vulnerable. The supermarket will have to put it down as a loss.
You can call the supermarket helpline, but most likely they will tell you to keep the items anyway. They shouldn’t put perishable items back on shelf as they don’t know if they’ve been stored correctly and so on.

Ashitaka · 27/09/2021 09:31

[quote RachyRoo1]@TheHouseILiveIn

It sounds like you have gained from this so no refund is needed.

That’s precisely what I don’t want to happen, I don’t want to have gained from this.
I’m probably being really soft, but I just can’t shake the worry of some poor old / vulnerable ale person going without now, all because I didn’t bloody say something![/quote]
Seriously - you are over reacting, its not your fault. They wont be starving missing a bag of meat.
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

this is not a meat order for one person - and if you only have one extra bag, then its not their entire order and even if it is, they would have other items to eat with it!!

as @Summersun2020 said
8Oh ffs, turn in the martyrdom 🙄 the supermarket will tell you to keep up, they’ll reimburse the other customer and all will be fine. All the hand wringing and feeling wracked with guilt is silly.8

Lockdownbear · 27/09/2021 09:34

@Peanutbuttercupisyum

What good would letting them know do? People like the delivery driver, then packer etc could get in trouble. The people whose meat it is will get their meat or a refund. The only people missing out are the supermarket giants, and it’s a totally irrelevant amount to them. Just keep it and have a a bbq
I'd strongly suspect that if it happens to often the driver could be accused of theft.
Furries · 27/09/2021 09:35

@Peanutbuttercupisyum

What good would letting them know do? People like the delivery driver, then packer etc could get in trouble. The people whose meat it is will get their meat or a refund. The only people missing out are the supermarket giants, and it’s a totally irrelevant amount to them. Just keep it and have a a bbq
The delivery driver could already “be in trouble” as the people who are missing their bag of meat will definitely have phoned up to complain. If the OP calls the supermarket to let them know, it at least ensures that the delivery driver can’t be accused of theft.
SVRT19674 · 27/09/2021 09:49

Non issue. This happened to us, and the delivery man came back half an hour later when they realised what had happened. I hadn´t realised as I hadn´t put anything away. YABvVVU re your title, you haven´t stolen anything, the company has delivered in error. It is their responsibility to deliver correctly. It sounds like clickbait.

Practicebeingpatient · 27/09/2021 09:49

Ring the supermarket and tell them. As everyone else has said they won't take it back, not just because of CoVid but because the cool chain will have been broken. They will refund or replace for the other customer and you will be able to enjoy your free meat with a clear conscience.

This is a little gift from the universe to you. Let the supermarket know, then relax and enjoy it x

fruitbrewhaha · 27/09/2021 09:49

I do think you are worrying unnecessarily.

I doubt they will collect it as they cannot resell.

If you want, you could pass on the good luck you've had. Invite someone to dinner who has been having a tough year, a family who have lost there income. Or make something to give to them, or similar. Send around a casserole. Might make you feel better.

SofiaMichelle · 27/09/2021 09:57

[quote RachyRoo1]@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 🤦🏻‍♀️[/quote]
What on earth..?

Of course you won't be 'told off' or charged, OP. It's their mistake.

They can come and get it back if they really want to (but they won't).

There's often only one of us at home when our shopping is delivered and I'd have no idea whether DH had ordered things I wasn't expecting, and likewise for him.

In fact, even if I had done the complete order myself I still wouldn't know it was wrong until they'd gone because, as with you, I wouldn't even think about checking what was in the bags until I was putting it away.

You're definitely overthinking this, as others have said.

Rachie1973 · 27/09/2021 09:59

I had a whole Iceland delivery once. I’d not ordered one at all. I was at work and the kids took it in assuming it was ours because I do use Iceland delivery quite frequently.

They put it away as it was mostly frozen, I came home at 22.30 and went to bed. Was only next day when I started cooking dinner that I questioned how this freezer seemed rather full.

Had to hunt through the bin for the receipt to work out what was on there! Rang Iceland and they said ‘can’t take it back’.

spiderlight · 27/09/2021 10:00

This happened to me once and I felt really bad - it was an entire bag full of extra-super-jumbo-mega sized sanitary towels and two massive bars of choclate. The supermarket told me to keep it and that they'd replace it for the rightful recipient.