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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To throw a wobbly at TESCOS checkout today because they would not let me buy

160 replies

NotanOtter · 07/12/2008 23:01

12 boxes of malties!

I ask you??

OP posts:
Niecie · 08/12/2008 09:29

Let the children take two packs through each and let them pay in pennies.

Tesco's are a not a nice company.

My particular bug bear with them is that they charge different prices in different shops. Surely they should have a national pricing policy not be trying to rip off local shoppers in their small stores by charging them more.

duchesse · 08/12/2008 09:29

Who wants to spend time getting around arbitrary Tesco rules, ladies? For God's sake, you are the customer! Just exercise your rights. You are spending your money in their shop- it's not a bloody soup kitchen.

Tesco must think they are running the country if they can come up with stupid rules like that and expect people to follow them. If I shopped at Tesco, I'd seriously be thinking about organising a "buy more that 8 identical items" protest at this time. Just Say NO!!

anothertescoworkerhere · 08/12/2008 09:36

The bulk buy policy is 10 not 8 and is discretionary and not really a rule as such. Where I work it would only really be applied to items on special offer or if someone wanted to buy huge amounts not 12. I work on the customer service desk and have first hand experience of how understandibly cross customers can get if an item on offer is out of stock. It's about getting a balance between allowing customers to buy what they need and preserving availability for other customers. I would certainly never have stopped you buying 12 boxes of cereal but might have suggested you might like to place an order so you could be sure that you would always be able to get them.
FWIW the store where I work doesn't have a huge warehouse with loads of back stock. The stock for most items is on the shop floor so it isn't a matter of sending the "shop monkey" to restock the shelves.
BTW the mobile phone policy is 2 per customer not 1 and where I work that is very neccessary.

NorbertDentressAngel · 08/12/2008 09:39

So the moral of the story seems to be that when you're all doing your Christmas and New Year shop (especially for all those big parties with lots of family and guests) don't go to Tesco as they won't let you buy enough to cater for everyone (not unless you have less than 8 people in total and limit everyone to only eating or drinking 1 of everything!)

A message to Tesco -you've shot yourself in the foot methinks

aSpacePunkcametravelling · 08/12/2008 09:40

yabu...what if i wanted some?..i wouldn't be able to have any cos you've got them all!

FanjoForTheYuletideMammaries · 08/12/2008 09:40

Maybe you could write to Tesco head office to complain rather than shouting at the poor staff who would probably love to sell you any amount of anything but are told to say no so have to endure being ranted at..

FanjoForTheYuletideMammaries · 08/12/2008 09:40

(can you tell I have been on receiving end of people angry with company policy!!)

duchesse · 08/12/2008 09:46

SpacePunk- If you wanted some as well, then Tesco has to get its bloody act together and order enough in. We're not living under blinking rationing! This is a modern, vibrant economy supposedly regulated by the laws of supply and demand. Frankly I don't give a damn if Tesco gets into trouble with customers for being out of stock- that's their business. It's a not a flipping charity, it's the largest retailer in the country (achieved apparently with the full cooperation of its customers) and now going for global domination (see Tesco rubbish flapping around Cambodia and Thai beauty spots). Frankly anything that hurts them even a little in the wallet is good.

anothertescoworkerhere · 08/12/2008 09:49

Duchesse. I kind of agree with you. We are all entitled to spend our money where we wish and Tesco do not press gang the public in to shopping in their stores. Neither do they promote themselves as a charitable, non profit making organisation.
I have to disagree with "They are single-handedly wrecking the country and any notion of civility in service standards."
I think it's a bit much to blame Tesco for all the ills in this country and I always go out of my way to be more than just civil to the customers I deal with. And believe me when I'm being sworn at and threatened by a drunk that I have refused to sell more alcohol to (as the law dictates I must)that hasn't always been easy. But I see civility as part of my job no matter and I don't think I'm unique by any means.

duchesse · 08/12/2008 09:54

Tesco-worker- I am referring to Tesco's drive to squeeze prices paid to producers, whilst simultaneously increasing their own profits. Ultimately they do not care if there are no dairy or pork farmers left in the UK, as they will simply source from Hungary or Poland. As market leader I think they bear a huge amount of responsibility for driving farmers out of business by driving down prices paid to unsustainable levels. Most dairy farmers in Devon are earning less than £15000 for a 7x12 (84) hour week.

aSpacePunkcametravelling · 08/12/2008 10:00

duchesse....if i went into my bank and said..hi, can i have £100,000 in cash please (if i had the money) they wouldn't say..no problem, would you like that in 10's or 20's?....they'd tell me to go away....why? because that would clean them out and there wouldn't be money left for anyone else (that's why there's a £500 limit)....shops are the same, they can't order endless supplies of goods..they work on weekly sales fiqures....and order accordingly....now, if lots of people were buying 12 of everything (regularly,) then that would be reflected in their orders...but i doubt that happens.

WellOiledWench · 08/12/2008 10:05

I often try to buy lots of value fizzy water online, but the limit is 10 bottles. But I can get what I like in store. Unfortunatley I cant carry that many with a toddler in tow! It nearly killed me when I was pg with ds1 cos I was drinking up to 12 litres of water a day.

anothertescoworkerhere · 08/12/2008 10:08

Not wishing to get in a discussion about how Tesco treats it's suppliers as I don't think that was the point of the op but!!!.... Surely it is also the competition from other supermarkets that promotes price wars which has a direct impact on what price farmers receive for their goods. Tesco can't be entirely blamed for this. Asda, Sainsburys and all must share some of that responsibility imo. And working for Tesco I too earn alot less than £15000!

duchesse · 08/12/2008 10:15

Yeah but I bet you're not doing over 84 hours of hard work a week, or working Christmas Day and Easter...

CruellaDevile · 08/12/2008 10:20

I don't think Tesco get to say who buys how much of its product tbh. If they have 100 packets on the shelves and someone comes along and buys 100 packets, er, sfw?

They can't choose WHO buys their products or how many.

I would send them this thread.

CruellaDevile · 08/12/2008 10:22

And I don't think it's reasonable that there's a £500 limit on cash withdrawal either, that seems to me to be an arbitrary low limit. If it's my money and I want it, a bank should give it to me.

Sonnet · 08/12/2008 10:29

I don't think you are being unreasonable.
I wouldn't bother arguing with the till staff though - I would have just walked away and left the entire basket/trolly of shopping.

Life is too short to argue with tescos who think they own the world.

If I was in a pmt mood though I would have gone round twice....

ThePregnantMerryYuleWitch · 08/12/2008 10:40

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kiddiz · 08/12/2008 10:41

CruellaDevile....oh yes they can...as can any retailer. They don't have to sell you anything if they don't want to! Wouldn't make good business sense but they can refuse to serve a customer should they be so inclined.

BexieID · 08/12/2008 10:45

If there is something on special offer and theres none left on the shelf/warehouse then you can goto customer service and get a voucher allowing you to get it at offer price when they next have it in stock. I don't think it's well advertised that and I don't know if the other supermarkets do that either.

CruellaDevile · 08/12/2008 10:49

Kiddiz, well, technically they may be able to legally refuse to serve anyone but morally, I don't think they should.

If someone has 6 children and wants to buy 12 packs of cereal why tf should Tesco tell her she can't?

They can't decide to like the free market only when it suits them.

ThePregnantMerryYuleWitch · 08/12/2008 10:54

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nappyaddict · 08/12/2008 10:56

That's ridiculous. I can understand if they were on an offer but otherwise it is just stupid.

kiddiz · 08/12/2008 11:02

Well you can guarantee that if they let one customer empty the shelf of a particular item there would be an AIBU thread on here complaining about it!!!

lou031205 · 08/12/2008 11:14

.