Loblaws - Moldy pasta

[Addicted2Coupons]

Hi there,

For the first time, my boyfriend cooked supper alone because I was writing a paper. We had purchased Ziggy's tortellini pasta (the fresh kind, which is made by LOBLAWS) a few weeks back, expiring in 12 days, package was never opened. He managed to cook the meat, warm up sauce, and was putting pasta in the boiling water when he yells in disgust; the pasta is green and moldy throughout the package. Ok, not the worst thing ever.....

So, now I have to go back to the store, again, use my gas, again, and wait in line, again to replace a product that is supposed to have guaranteed satisfaction. Knowing my store, they will want me to bring in the moldy product (my mother was asked to bring in an entire turkey) and will refund my lousy $5 (I bought it on sale, it's regularly $8.99). So, all that shopping, back and forth, to be exactly where I was before I bought the product. Does anyone else feel this is a huge inconvenience? I always thought the best policy was to refund the money and replace the product too. Apparently I am better off if it comes up the wrong price (SCOP) versus having it go moldy.

Initially, when I called, I didn't tell the rep I only paid $5. He offered me a $5 gift card......which is less than the regular price! He wanted me to wait on the line while he called the Dartmouth store and determine the price. They pretty much refused to do anything other than replace the product or my money - again, which puts me back where I was before I bought the pasta, minus all the time. I had them make a one time exception; they are sending me a PC gift card for $10, plus I am going to the store to get my refund. AND, I "lost" my receipt, so I want full price refunded. I'm also going to bring the moldy pasta in and let them keep it. Might wait a few days and leave it out on the counter so it gets even more moldy.

Since I'm venting, a few other experiences:
-No cashiers available to ring customers through at 10:50 pm (24 hour store). The cashier has permission to leave early. Made me go to SCAN'N'GO. Not so great if I was visually impaired or had mobility issues. Nice! I don't believe in self-service because eventually they will make cashiers obsolete and they will not have jobs - full-serve gas and bank tellers are perfect examples.
-Another time, shortly before 10pm, three cashiers cleaning their cash stations but none to ring me through. Told me to go to SCAN'N'GO.
- FYI, You can't return a book at Stupidstore. There is a tiny little notice up at customer service. My Mom accidentally bought a book my Dad already had. Been shopping at that store weekly for 20 years. Wouldn't let her return it.
-Noticed moldy breads on a shelf and told the bakery person and they did nothing. Didn't even remove it from the shelf.
-Waited 20 minutes at the meat department to use a raincheque.

I'll leave it at that for now, but there are many more bad experiences. Do other people experience this at LOBLAWS? I never have experiences like this at Sobeys or Wal-Mart.

Thanks for reading. Would love to hear your thoughts

[Scorp411]

You know, I feel that it's not so much a specific store these days... service is disappearing EVERYWHERE. Some places are just ahead of the extinction curve, if you know what I mean.

There used to be a time when stores/services competed to give the BEST service to gain and retain our business. That was when businesses were owned and managed locally. Big box stores answer only to the investors profit margins. They don't give a damn about keeping our business because we have to shop there... they've put all the little guys out of business. We have no more alternatives short of boycotting the worst of them and even then it's really just the lesser of two evils, I'm sorry to say.

I'd love to tell ya, your Loblaw's store is the exception but I've experienced similar at EVERY big box store at one location or the other. It's on the downward decline and moving at light speed.

Take comfort that you are not alone in your frustration...

[Addicted2Coupons]

How random is it that we are both Nova Scotians?

[Natalka]

Well, ew...

Anytime - at a variety of stores - the few times over the years when I've had trouble with a food product and returned it to the store, I've only ever gotten my money back - never asked for more, wouldn't have thought of it!

Just stop shopping at that store, period. Vote with your feet and shop elsewhere.

BTW, it's common for stores to not allow book/magazines returns - because of stupid people who read them and try return them.

[pippinelkhound]

Did I read it correctly? You paid $5 for it. "Lost" (your own quotation marks) your receipt, want $8.99 for it and are complaining you are getting a $10 giftcard?

I've just thrown it away when I found it spoilt. It's not worth my time, gas, and dignity to fabricate a story to get a $10 giftcard.

[Addicted2Coupons]

Did I read it correctly? You paid $5 for it. "Lost" (your own quotation marks) your receipt, want $8.99 for it and are complaining you are getting a $10 giftcard?
I've just thrown it away when I found it spoilt. It's not worth my time, gas, and dignity to fabricate a story to get a $10 giftcard.

I think perhaps you did not read this thoroughly. I did not complain about getting a $10 gift card, I complained when they offered me a $5 gift card, which would not replace the product!

Sorry, but I don't throw my hard earned money away. I also don't give it away to companies. I have more "dignity" than that. There is no 'fabrication of a story', the product was worth $8.99, which is more than $10 after the tax.

Does anyone else on this site give their money away? That's shocking! Isn't the whole point of this site to save money?!

[CrazyQT]

They pretty much refused to do anything other than replace the product or my money - again, which puts me back where I was before I bought the pasta, minus all the time. I had them make a one time exception; they are sending me a PC gift card for $10, plus I am going to the store to get my refund. AND, I "lost" my receipt, so I want full price refunded. I'm also going to bring the moldy pasta in and let them keep it. Might wait a few days and leave it out on the counter so it gets even more moldy.

They offered to replace the product for you. That's what companies do. Either replace the product or issue you a refund. I'm not exactly sure what else you expected from them? I've never had fresh pasta last 3+ weeks. You said you purchased it a couple of weeks ago and the pasta was expiring in 12 days.

As for the "lost" receipt. I don't even know what to say about that. You wasted the clerks time making them call the Dartmouth location to find out what the price was that you paid. So they wasted your time and you wasted theirs. Even slate IMO.

[SassyAshley]

I do not see the issue if they are replacing the product or are compensation you for the product. I think we have all had product go bad before the expiry date, sadly it happens, that is life.

I am not sure what you are expecting from them, yes the product went bad before the expiry date but they were willing to send you a gift card to replace the product. Considering if it had of been another company they may have sent you a FPC which would not include the taxes so you fully being compensation for the product with money left over. I am impressed they would be willing to send you a gift card since you "lost" your receipt, if you read their refund policy on the internet it states that a valid receipt must be submitted, so they actually have the right to refuse your refund.

Really not sure what you are expecting in return.

[marstec]

Sometimes there is a pin-sized hole on a package and that allows air to get in - food can get mouldy quicker. When I shop, I try to be very careful that the seal is not broken. This happens a lot with blocks of cheese. Most stores have a money back guarantee on their products, which is fair. They certainly aren't going to compensate you for your gas and time, that is too much to expect, imo. It doesn't matter how much the product is worth...it's how much you paid for it, anything else is fraudulent as far as I'm concerned.

I agree with Natalka, let your feet do the talking, don't go to stores that have return policies that offend you...There are some aspects of your post that come off as being really petty, like leaving the stuff on the counter to get mouldier before returning it. What does that say about you as a person? Are you the type of individual who is perfectly fine with "screwing" a large corporation just because they have deeper pockets than you?

[Addicted2Coupons]

Funny enough, they never asked for the receipt when I went to return it! And the pasta I bought had an expiry date of APRIL. Not sure where you are buying fresh pasta but it should have a fairly long expiry.
Also, what was I supposed to do??? Put moldy food back in my fridge? Ewww.
I had a bad cheese and Armstrong sent me coupons for TWO cheese blocks in return.

[SassyAshley]

That was very generous of Armstrong but in general most companies do not go to that far. I think to compare all companies to this is a little unrealistic, most companies will not go this far.

I would have accepted the $10 gift card and tossed the pasta personally as they compensated me for the product I purchased and it is saving me a trip back to the store.

If my intention was to return to the store I would have placed it in a baggie and back into the fridge. If it is moldy I do not see the point of waiting for it to have more mold.

Money back guarantee is just that money back, they do not promise compensation on top of your money back. IMO maybe it is time to cut your losses and shop somewhere else as it looks like you are looking for compensation they are not offering.

Funny enough, they never asked for the receipt when I went to return it! And the pasta I bought had an expiry date of APRIL. Not sure where you are buying fresh pasta but it should have a fairly long expiry.
Also, what was I supposed to do??? Put moldy food back in my fridge? Ewww.
I had a bad cheese and Armstrong sent me coupons for TWO cheese blocks in return.

[pippinelkhound]

Hi there,

For the first time, my boyfriend cooked supper alone because I was writing a paper. We had purchased Ziggy's tortellini pasta (the fresh kind, which is made by LOBLAWS) a few weeks back, expiring in 12 days, package was never opened. He managed to cook the meat, warm up sauce, and was putting pasta in the boiling water when he yells in disgust; the pasta is green and moldy throughout the package. Ok, not the worst thing ever.....

So, now I have to go back to the store, again, use my gas, again, and wait in line, again to replace a product that is supposed to have guaranteed satisfaction. Knowing my store, they will want me to bring in the moldy product (my mother was asked to bring in an entire turkey) and will refund my lousy $5 (I bought it on sale, it's regularly $8.99). So, all that shopping, back and forth, to be exactly where I was before I bought the product. Does anyone else feel this is a huge inconvenience? I always thought the best policy was to refund the money and replace the product too. Apparently I am better off if it comes up the wrong price (SCOP) versus having it go moldy.

Initially, when I called, I didn't tell the rep I only paid $5. He offered me a $5 gift card......which is less than the regular price! He wanted me to wait on the line while he called the Dartmouth store and determine the price. They pretty much refused to do anything other than replace the product or my money - again, which puts me back where I was before I bought the pasta, minus all the time. I had them make a one time exception; they are sending me a PC gift card for $10, plus I am going to the store to get my refund. AND, I "lost" my receipt, so I want full price refunded. I'm also going to bring the moldy pasta in and let them keep it. Might wait a few days and leave it out on the counter so it gets even more moldy.

Since I'm venting, a few other experiences:
-No cashiers available to ring customers through at 10:50 pm (24 hour store). The cashier has permission to leave early. Made me go to SCAN'N'GO. Not so great if I was visually impaired or had mobility issues. Nice! I don't believe in self-service because eventually they will make cashiers obsolete and they will not have jobs - full-serve gas and bank tellers are perfect examples.
-Another time, shortly before 10pm, three cashiers cleaning their cash stations but none to ring me through. Told me to go to SCAN'N'GO.
- FYI, You can't return a book at Stupidstore. There is a tiny little notice up at customer service. My Mom accidentally bought a book my Dad already had. Been shopping at that store weekly for 20 years. Wouldn't let her return it.
-Noticed moldy breads on a shelf and told the bakery person and they did nothing. Didn't even remove it from the shelf.
-Waited 20 minutes at the meat department to use a raincheque.

I'll leave it at that for now, but there are many more bad experiences. Do other people experience this at LOBLAWS? I never have experiences like this at Sobeys or Wal-Mart.

Thanks for reading. Would love to hear your thoughts

Ok, I'm posting your original post just in case we've all read it wrong.

Look at what you've said about the date of purchase and expiratation. Nowhere does it mention APRIL.

[pippinelkhound]

Funny enough, they never asked for the receipt when I went to return it! And the pasta I bought had an expiry date of APRIL. Not sure where you are buying fresh pasta but it should have a fairly long expiry.
Also, what was I supposed to do??? Put moldy food back in my fridge? Ewww.
I had a bad cheese and Armstrong sent me coupons for TWO cheese blocks in return.

Reread your original post you mentioned an expiry period of 12 days. Isn't April like, 45 days away???

[marstec]

Reread your original post you mentioned an expiry period of 12 days. Isn't April like, 45 days away???

That's the thing about internet forums, you can post anything but when you can't get your story straight, you lose all credibility.

[Addicted2Coupons]

Reread your original post you mentioned an expiry period of 12 days. Isn't April like, 45 days away???

Actually, I was referring when I went to return the moldy pasta (purchased January 24, 2013 with expiry February 26, 2013 - opened the package on February 14, 2013....which equals 12 days) and I replaced it with new pasta. The expiry on all the NEW packages I purchased was April. Sorry if that wasn't clear to you and you just assumed my story wasn't true. I apologize for trying to help the SC who said they couldn't find fresh pasta that lasted that long.

Sorry, I didn't think the purpose of this site was to question everything someone says, but I can post pictures if you'd like.....

Maybe next time you shouldn't make assumptions! Next time I won't try to offer help.