I did something I never thought I'd do...

[starrzone]

...I returned fruit to the grocery store!

Bananas here have gone from $0.49/lb to $0.95/lb, which I consider a pretty substantial increase. Well, I bought $2.40 worth of bananas last week, and 2 days later, they had all gone mushy around the stem. We keep bananas in a fruit bowl on the counter, and have never had this problem before! Well, I was going back to the store anyway and thought I'd see what they could do about the problem. Not only did I get a refund, but they let me pick out another bunch for free!

Lesson learned: if you're paying $$$ for fruit (fruit at this time of year is quite expensive where I live, on the East Coast of Canada), make sure you check it before you leave the store!

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Good for you!!!

I just did something similar. Dh bought a bag of apples (pre-bagged) at the store. As I was unloading them into our fruit basket, 12 out of the 16 had at least one mushy spot..some had many and others just looked bad.

While we didn't get a refund, we were able to exchange them for a larger bag of better apples.

Karen

 

[walkdmc]

I've never done this but have seriously thought about it after opening a net sock of garlic that was full of mold in the middle. I paid about $5 for that garlic!

 

[pixiewings71]

I've done it a time or two. Our store takes it back no problem. I recently started using a home delivery service for fruit/veggies, they are 100% organic. I've done 4 shipments, the last 2 had items go bad very quickly, within 2-3 days of receiving the box! I contacted the delivery service and they said to let them know when it happens and they will credit the product for me. I'm very happy with that resolution and very happy with the organic fruit/veggies as well.
OP I'm glad they didn't give you a hard time.

 

[sherry7]

I did this at Sam's Club last year. I bought a big container of kiwi fruit. When I went to eat one the next day, they were half way rotten. I've been tempted to do it other times, but sometimes it's not worth the trip to the store by the time I figure in the gas I'd use.

I had a somewhat different situation this weekend. I ordered 2 boxes of Harry & David pears, which were fairly pricey, even on sale. We've had single digit temperatures here, and when FedEx delivered them they were frozen. I called customer service, and they're sending me a new shipment. They told me to keep the frozen ones, so I'm making pear sauce for my baby with them.

 

[Malibustyle23]

Be careful putting your fruit together in a fruit bowl type setting. I remember reading somewhere that some of the fruit gives off a gas (apples I think?) that makes other fruit bananas in particular go bad quicker.
I really hope I am not remembering this comepletely wrong anyone else ever hear this too?

 

[nena]

I thought of doing this. I bought Dulcina Watermelons from Costco. They come 2 in a mesh bag. So, that night I cut up the watermelon and it was bad. How was I going to bag up the cut fruit and take it back with the other melon? So I didnt, but now I wish I had.

 

[IDoDis]

I bought a bunch of bananas in a pre-sealed bag from Costco last Tuesday. They were as green as green could be, but all of the bananas were like that. Here it is, Sunday night and the bananas are still green. They are hard to peel and taste like cardboard! I should take them back. I wonder how green these things must have been when they were picked.

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

My mother did it too, she bought strawberries a few months ago...and they were going for nearly $5 a PINT....she just needed them for a specific recipe....

Well she went to use them and lo and behold, they were moldy in the middle...so she took them back and good for her! They gave her a store credit, since she didn't want to exchange them.

Good for you though, stores shouldn't sell a sub-par product. Returns are how they know to recall items or not to use certain suppliers.

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

I bought a bunch of bananas in a pre-sealed bag from Costco last Tuesday. They were as green as green could be, but all of the bananas were like that. Here it is, Sunday night and the bananas are still green. They are hard to peel and taste like cardboard! I should take them back. I wonder how green these things must have been when they were picked.

Try putting them in a brown paper bag or on top of your fridge. It makes them ripen Or make fried green bananas! Yum!

 

[mrsw94]

Every once in a while I've had a checker replace an item for me. I've commented that "I hoped I got a good one this time." And then mentioned that the last one (I know I've had it happen with pineapple and carrots) was bad, and they've given it to me for free. It doesn't always happen, but it never hurts to say something if you never got around to bringing back the bad ones!

 

[sameyeyam]

For those of you that buy perishable items that are bad or go bad in a short time, but aren't going back to the store soon, just call them. I've done this a couple of times and each time they tell me to save my receipt and/or freeze the items (so they don't get stinky or rotten) and then bring them back when I have time.

 

[pixiewings71]

Be careful putting your fruit together in a fruit bowl type setting. I remember reading somewhere that some of the fruit gives off a gas (apples I think?) that makes other fruit bananas in particular go bad quicker.
I really hope I am not remembering this comepletely wrong anyone else ever hear this too?

Yes it is apples I think. I rarely put fruit together and bananas are never in a bowl with other fruit. I have a banana hanger and use it for bananas. I will put apples with oranges or other citrus fruits but not anything else. Grapes have their own bowl, strawberries, anything else has it's own bowl.

 

[Carina]

As someone who works in a grocery store ( cashier) I must say there is NOTHING wrong with returning fruit. If its bad bring it back!

And like someone else suggested, if you can't get back within a day or 2 just phone and ask to talk to customer service or a manager, their work something out for you.

You work hard for your money, you sure dont need to waste your money on sub-par food!

 

[mhsjax]

I just have to say wow. getting bananas at .49 a pound. I don't think I have seen that in the past few years where I live. I get excited when they go down to around .69 cents a pound.

And yes I would have taken the back, our store never has a problem with this. Fruit and really any other food is too expensive these days, to not get what you pay for.

 

[Swimalie]

I bought a bunch of bananas in a pre-sealed bag from Costco last Tuesday. They were as green as green could be, but all of the bananas were like that. Here it is, Sunday night and the bananas are still green. They are hard to peel and taste like cardboard! I should take them back. I wonder how green these things must have been when they were picked.

I eat bananas a lot. About 2 a day so I'm always buying them. I can't buy them at Costco anymore because when I do, they always do this - not yellowing up. I tried the brown bag trick and it didn't work. I spend a little more to buy them at the local store. I buy them just barely green and they usually do okay. But the ones that are green for too long usually turn yellow really fast, all at one time and then go bad really fast, all at one time and they are nasty.

 

[kelcoppens]

Just a few wks ago, we bought grapes that turned moldy after two days. We threw them out, but it bothered me that i had just bought them. Next time it happens, I will probably return them.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I shop at a local produce/deli shop and last month I bought a container of grated parm cheese. A week later there was tons of mold in the container so I took it back, it was still over a month until the 'sell by' date. My next shopping trip after the return, the cashier told me they ended up getting another moldy cheese return after mine.

 

[kellyg403]

Just a few wks ago, we bought grapes that turned moldy after two days. We threw them out, but it bothered me that i had just bought them. Next time it happens, I will probably return them.

Definitely return! Grapes, along with any other 'bagged' fruit should be returned. In the case of grapes, if one little grape in the middle gets smooshed or starts to leak, it starts the deteriation process and gets moldy/shriveled faster. Mixed fruit bags/or same fruits in a bag, same thing. If you are at the grocery store and pick a bag of fruit, make sure you pick a bag that has no condensation within the bag, this is an indication that there is an overrip fruit in the mix. Grapes, take them out of the bag before you purchase and examine the quality of the grapes you can't see. Even if you wash and take off the worst grapes when you get home, the process has already started and those grapes will not last.

As others have posted has to do with the gas that is emitted and will deteriate all fruits in the bag.

Onions, coconuts, some of the more tropical fruits with harder shells are more difficult since they tend to rot from the inside out. Kiwi, if it is shriveled or the skin is leather looking..not smooth, is overripe and will alst at best a day or two. The harder and smoother looking the kiwi the longer it will last. If you buy a box of kiwi, check the bottom set. Kiwi is one of the more 'sensitive' fruits and stacking and weight will cause a certain amount of deteriation.

It is harder for the produce/grocer to manage fresh fruits. Most of us prefer to have fruit that will last once it gets home...but you would be surprised how many people complain its not 'ripe' enough because they plan on cooking that day or eat several banana's a day etc. Its best to always thoroughly check the fruit/veg and any questions, the produce mananger should be able to answer the ripeness.

Kelly

Kelly

 

[eliza61]

I have thought about it a time or two but honestly haven't done it because usually the time it takes for me to drive back to the store, park, etc etc doesn't make it worthwhile for $3 bucks worth of fruit.