Moldy bread and the grumpy old man!

[neesmom]

My husband likes the Iranian flatbread/naan from a local family owned store. We are not Iranians, but he tried these naans at work and so we get them often for his lunch. He makes sandwiches with them instead of using regular bread.

Anyway, we have been buying these naans for over a year from this store and the store owner knows us well, and has been nice every time we go. Two days ago, my husband brought home naan and thank goodness I saw it before I cut and froze in the freezer - the surface was full of tiny grey moldy spots! Eek!

My husband said he'll go the next day and get a replacement. "It won't be a problem", he says.

So when my husband goes to the store owner, an older Iranian man, and told him about the mold, he says to bring the naan back. Really? I threw it in the garbage! Was I supposed to put the moldy naan in the fridge or counter top? Never has any retail store asked me to bring the moldy cheese, or other bad product back.

So I dug through my green bin. Found the naan not too deep and put it in the bag for hubby.

So yesterday on his way back from work, my husband came home furious!! He says that the store owner said to him "How can I tell this is the same naan, and not a week old naan that got moldy in your fridge?" Wow!!! Like as if we will burn gas and time to go fight over a $1.50 naan! (Mind you, $1.50 is a lot of money for me, when you are tight on money, any hard earned amount is valuable). But I won't cheat to get a free naan! The nerves of this man! So he accused us of being dishonest people.

He didn't give my husband another naan! My husband left the store and said "You shouldn't sell moldy food" so the other customers could hear. He's so upset. I think more upset because he had been a customer for a year and the man was always so pleasant and then all of a sudden he's a grumpy cheap store owner. My husband wasn't expecting such poor customer service.

I just wanted to rant that we will be careful buying things from small ethnic stores who may be selling unsafe food.

I want to complain so the food inspectors could go check his store. But not sure who to call.

[marstec]

I wouldn't bother siccing the health inspector on them, that would just be petty. Talk with your feet...don't ever give them your business again and tell your friends about your experience. It's amazing the way social networking has transformed the retail/food services industries. I'm sure you can get naan bread at a grocery store, just looks around and try a few brands. If it's a store brand, you have nothing to lose...they guarantee a refund if not satisfied...this is the advantage to shopping at a large market.

[roseofblack25]

I wouldn't bother siccing the health inspector on them, that would just be petty. Talk with your feet...don't ever give them your business again and tell your friends about your experience. It's amazing the way social networking has transformed the retail/food services industries. I'm sure you can get naan bread at a grocery store, just looks around and try a few brands. If it's a store brand, you have nothing to lose...they guarantee a refund if not satisfied...this is the advantage to shopping at a large market.

You can buy that bread at No Frills or Freshco if it's the stuff I'm thinking about. Is it called lavas or lavash? It's very very thin flat bread? or is it the really long thicker loaf with the bubbles? I can't remember what that one is called.
I have an iranian roommate but we live too far away from the good stores that are up north of the city so never actually shop there...I would like to go someday though just to check the stores out and get a few things that I know I really like...They have the best sweets!

[neesmom]

I wouldn't bother siccing the health inspector on them, that would just be petty. Talk with your feet...don't ever give them your business again and tell your friends about your experience. It's amazing the way social networking has transformed the retail/food services industries. I'm sure you can get naan bread at a grocery store, just looks around and try a few brands. If it's a store brand, you have nothing to lose...they guarantee a refund if not satisfied...this is the advantage to shopping at a large market.

These flatbreads are not like the Indian naan. They are a little different. Long, rectangular shaped, and each naan is sold separately. They bake the naan at this store fresh. I will try and see if I can find these types of naans at other stores.

And yes you are right. We are absolutely not going back to this store/half restaurant.

[GoJays]

i had to go back and re-read your post several times to make sure, so let's see if i heard you correctly.. you said you threw the bread in the garbage and still expected them to give you a new one? really? try that with any store and see what their reaction will be.. i would never expect a new product without handing over the faulty one.. call me crazy

[lessthannat]

I would say don't shop there any more, common sense should have dictated to him that a returning customer such as yourself who has paid for this product time and time again, is most likely telling the truth about the $1.50 product they consistently purchase

Probably should have not thrown out the product before returning it though, just in case... you never know

[MakaylaGreen]

That stinks! i hate when a item goes moldy though at the store i used to work at you had to bring the product and the receipt in order to do a exchange/refund.

[glowworm2k]

i had to go back and re-read your post several times to make sure, so let's see if i heard you correctly.. you said you threw the bread in the garbage and still expected them to give you a new one? really? try that with any store and see what their reaction will be.. i would never expect a new product without handing over the faulty one.. call me crazy

I have gotten refunds on bad cottage cheese, goods that had spoiled in packages, etc., but like GoJays, I always brought the product with me; I live in a poor area of town (aka "Fabulous Las Vanier") and there are lots of people who try scamming store owners here unfortunately. As such, I always make sure that I prove my case so that I don't get thought of as someone who's trying to pull one over on a store owner and that they welcome my business in the future, especially in small shops where the margins are small.

(sorry if that sounded preachy or condescending, that's not how I meant it at all although I realize that it's hard to put that across in typing)

[RebeccaRYoung]

I would expect to give back the moldy item before getting a new one. The moldy item might have an expiry date or batch number on the packaging to help them.