Why do supermarkets take back perishable items? especially

amother

Amethyst

Fri, Sep 21 2018, 3:45 pm

those that say they don't? I was standing behind someone who returned packets of deli to a store in Brooklyn. This store has a policy that you can't return perishables which I completely understand. What if the customer hadn't refrigerated or kept it frozen properly? It's a recipe for food poisoning. I hope they're not putting it back on the shelf, but how should I know? And if this is their policy, why do they break it? Which stores do you know for certain, don't accept perishables back in Brooklyn? This store also has their workers cutting fruit and packaging fish without gloves. I've told the managers a few times and they say the workers are not supposed to do that.

SixOfWands

Fri, Sep 21 2018, 3:48 pm

amother wrote:

A lot of stores take things back, and take it as a loss, because it engenders good customer relations.

But are you sure they weren't returning them because they were spoiled?

ra_mom

Fri, Sep 21 2018, 3:52 pm

I've returned spoiled items or items that they sent me in error from an email order (though this is less likely as I often just use what they send).

amother

Turquoise

Fri, Sep 21 2018, 4:01 pm

If the milk I bought that day is spoiled, I return it & expect the store to take it back. Same goes with meat & all perishables.
I got cookies for shabbos at the bakery, they where stale, I returned them. Why shouldn't the stores take back spoiled food?

SixOfWands

Fri, Sep 21 2018, 4:05 pm

amother wrote:

She's not referring to spoiled goods.

I think that this is a spin off of a thread where someone said she purchased a pickled roast by mistake, and returned it several days later in exchange for a regular roast. She thought that the store would re-sell the meat; I sincerely hope they won't.

So the question is why do stores accept the return of unspoiled perishables. Like you purchased two pounds of turkey for lunch, but the kids only ate a pound. Does the store take the other pound back, and if so, why.

amother

Amethyst

Fri, Sep 21 2018, 5:31 pm

It makes sense to take it back if it's spoiled but the person who returned it didn't say it was spoiled. She just said she wants to return it, so I'm assuming she returned it for some other reason.

amother

Powderblue

Fri, Sep 21 2018, 6:00 pm

I just spoke to the milk company because I work in a school and I told them please credit me for two bottles and that's exactly what they did. The grocery store also do. My grocery does not take back perishables after two days especially ice cream after like an hour.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Sep 23 2018, 12:12 am

In the US I used to return produce if it was buggy.

In Israel, they just shrug and say "That's why you're supposed to check first." No apologies, no refunds.

amother

Amethyst

Sun, Sep 23 2018, 12:51 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

In the US I used to return produce if it was buggy.

In Israel, they just shrug and say "That's why you're supposed to check first." No apologies, no refunds.

Produce doesn't need refrigeration so it's ok if you return that. But deli, dairy, meat fish need refrigeration and I wouldn't trust someone else to refrigerate it properly.

amother

Royalblue

Sun, Sep 23 2018, 6:05 am

I hope they are not reselling it. shock

Maybe the owner or workers take it home at their own risk, or they just toss it.

Some small/frum shops are just not good at food safety...I have relative who owns a business selling a perishable food item and they sell to small frum shops as well as large chain supermarkets. In the frum shops things are not always put in the fridge in a timely manner, and may be mishandled so the seal breaks and food goes back. (then my relative gets complaints that the food is bad...its only when people buy in small shops that this happens)

amother

Seafoam

Sun, Sep 23 2018, 6:31 am

I would hope they are not restocking any food item, perishable or not. In Israel I believe they are not allowed to.
I would not want to buy a food item that had been in someone's house and possibly tampered with.

amother

Floralwhite

Sun, Sep 23 2018, 8:16 am

I once emailed a grocery order and asked for a raw corn beef. Instead I got vacuumed sealed corn beef slices which I returned.

About the gloves, we were once waiting in line for a pie of pizza and the worker who was preparing it sneezed, then rubbed his nose and continued preparing our pizza!

And what good is it when they wear gloves, answer the phone with the gloved hand, take money....

amother

Amethyst

Sun, Sep 23 2018, 10:47 am

amother wrote:

puke. I would make them change gloves. In this supermarket, I saw the workers preparing the fish and then he touched his face (all without gloves) and continued preparing the fish. At least the fish gets cooked but fruit and pizza don't!