Sam's return policy on non-perishable food--NOT happy

[here757]

discourage returns?? u did get a refund didn't u?

 

[a1tinkfans]

Soup is probably one of the worst things to eat if you are looking for low sodium, gluten free or not! One serving of soup contains 60% of your daily sodium. Buyer beware, read labels. I wouldn't blame the supermarket - people buy soup, and the store isn't your food police.

I agree totally

 

[dsanner106]

Not to make you feel old, but I think that was more like 3 decades ago....I think it was the early 80s!

Yikes!! speak up and into my good ear, youngin...

 

[POOHsie]

I shopped at a Walmart grocery and when I got home, I opened a bag of popcorn I had just bought. It tasted awful. It was then I looked at the expiration, and it was expired more than six months earlier. I had bought two of these products, and they both expired on the same date. I returned the bags for a refund, and pointed out to the clerk that the expiration date was long ago. A few weeks later I returned to the store. I was curious so I looked for the popcorn product I had issues with. Sure enough, the unopened, expired bag I had returned was back on the shelf! I was pretty disgusted.

 

[chisnpeke]

We only returned food once. We opened a bag of store brand oyster crackers and they were stale. We returned them.

 

[texasroni75]

I seriously can't believe people return FOOD to the store.

I've done it - a handful of times. Since I am pre-diabetic, I am a consumer of several brands of meal replacement shakes like Atkins, Glucerna, etc. Occasionally, DH picks up the wrong brand or flavor. A four-pack runs almost 10 dollars, so YES, I have returned them (exchanged for the correct ones). There are legitimate reasons to return food. Although I hate to think they toss away the ones I'm returning

 

[tvguy]

Don't get me started on people at the food bank. I volunteer there and a few people get mad if the commodity they get is a brand they don't like. We had to put up a big sign to NOT throw items out if they are a brand you don't like, return it so someone else can use it.

 

[Burnedout]

Reading the label
Goes a long way...

 

[kymom99]

I shopped at a Walmart grocery and when I got home, I opened a bag of popcorn I had just bought. It tasted awful. It was then I looked at the expiration, and it was expired more than six months earlier. I had bought two of these products, and they both expired on the same date. I returned the bags for a refund, and pointed out to the clerk that the expiration date was long ago. A few weeks later I returned to the store. I was curious so I looked for the popcorn product I had issues with. Sure enough, the unopened, expired bag I had returned was back on the shelf! I was pretty disgusted.

I bought my son a bottle of Disney vitamins from Kroger. When I got home, the safety seal was torn open and half of them were gone! I took them back and the girl just said ok get another bottle! I wanted them to know how gross that was but I doubt anyone in management had a clue it happened. I also wonder if they had been returned.

 

[marmalade]

well I just returned 42.00 of canned soup yesterday with ZERO shame. I figure if they can sell a Gluten Free product and put enough sodium in it to kill you I have zero shame in returning it. DD's doctor diagnosed her with kidney stones, gee I wonder why, upon investigating some of her gluten free products they are loaded with salt. I returned them. I wouldn't donate something to someone else that I personally wouldn't consume....

Do you know how many pots of REAL gluten free soup you could have made for $42?

I have never returned food to a grocery store and honestly the thought has never crossed my mind. I have plenty of parties with left-overs, either I give them to friends/family at the party or I use them up at home.

 

[anna08]

It would never occur to me to return food that was purchased in excess. We have to host many functions a year due to DH's work and if we have leftovers we take it into the hospital to feed the nurses on shift that day. They are always grateful and they are there 24/7.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I bought my son a bottle of Disney vitamins from Kroger. When I got home, the safety seal was torn open and half of them were gone! I took them back and the girl just said ok get another bottle! I wanted them to know how gross that was but I doubt anyone in management had a clue it happened. I also wonder if they had been returned.

I wonder if the kid who stole these got sick from eating so many?

I'm certain these weren't returns! How would any store employee know this had been opened, unless they checked every bottle on the shelf constantly. Why didn't you notice the bottle had been opened and half the vitamins were gone? Didn't it feel light?

 

[ceecee]

Ironic timing on this post...So last Friday I needed to return a clothing item to Walmart and as I'm waiting to return I see an employee throwing food into a cart from behind the counter. He seen I was looking and commented that it was all returns - a heaping cart. There was some cold stuff in there, chips, bread, juice, soda, etc. I was completely grossed out by it. Sorry I don't like the idea that I'm spending my money on food that has sat in who knows what type of conditions at someone's house or in their car and now is back on the shelf. I would much rather them just pitch the food - which I'm really hoping the items that were meant to be cold were eventually pitched.

Not sure why you would return excess food. Either eat it or donate it yourself. The only time I see where a food return would make sense is if it was expired when you purchased or was defective after opening somehow.

I totally agree, I don't want to purchase food that has been in someone else's house, etc. I have seen that at Walmart too and it is gross, one of the reasons I refuse to buy food there. I didn't even know you could return food unless it was spoiled or something, I would just throw it out as well.

 

[dpswift]

I think all grocery stores are required to do that. They may not always tell you about it, but it is the requirement.

Maybe the reason she mentioned the policy is to discourage people from making food returns simply because they changed their minds. It is wasteful, and it causes increased expenses to the store which are then passed off to the customers, but it's not the store's fault.

Exactly. Once something leaves the store they do not know where it has been. For all they know you are returning it because you left it in the car for a week. Years of working in retail I have seen returns that would turn your stomach. Clothes that have been worn, some covered with pet hair others that have been washed or filled with cigerette smells.

 

[sunnyday123]

Never in a million years would it occur to me to take food back simply because I over purchased.

 

[kymom99]

I wonder if the kid who stole these got sick from eating so many?

I'm certain these weren't returns! How would any store employee know this had been opened, unless they checked every bottle on the shelf constantly. Why didn't you notice the bottle had been opened and half the vitamins were gone? Didn't it feel light?

No I didn't, sorry.

 

[kidshop]

I believe I've read Target does the same thing (although I admit I've never done it so I don't have first hand knowledge).

They do. I was just behind someone in target returning about 10 cans of evaporated milk and the girl told him they would throw it all out. He still wanted his return.

I do think if the policy is it gets thrown, maybe it should be hilighted somewhere. It might give someone pause to buying too much in the first place.

I personally don't think anything could be wrong with in date, non dented canned foods returned.

 

[Jake&IzzyLand]

I'm sure that any of us would be grossed out if we knew we were eating returned food. If I buy too many bags of chips for my super bowl party, I would not drive back to the store and try to return them and then getting mad because they would not donate them for me? Silly.

 

[3Gsandme]

well I just returned 42.00 of canned soup yesterday with ZERO shame. I figure if they can sell a Gluten Free product and put enough sodium in it to kill you I have zero shame in returning it. DD's doctor diagnosed her with kidney stones, gee I wonder why, upon investigating some of her gluten free products they are loaded with salt. I returned them. I wouldn't donate something to someone else that I personally wouldn't consume....

I'm late, but to me this is a different issue.

Returning items, particularly expensive ones, that you tried and found "gross" is one thing, to me. Returning things you over bought? No.

I would be kind of unhappy to find out my store sold me food that had been returned. I have no idea how it was stored or what was done to it by the costumer who had it previously and I'd be really unhappy to find out that I'd purchased it. It's different, of course, for a store to re-shelve food that has been abandoned throughout the store (we called them orphans )

 

[fbb]

I wonder if the kid who stole these got sick from eating so many?

Store should have immediately been locked down and the strongest, healthiest kid identified.