PJCNET

(A suspicious circular hole found in the packaging on a sandwich brought at Tesco Express)

I am utterly disgusted by the way I’ve been treated by management at new local Tesco Express store based at 165 Granville Street, Birmingham, near Bath Row in the UK. In the store’s favour, all the other staff have provided a good service up until this incident and I’ve been happy shopping there.

Last night at the time of writing on the 21st July 2009, I visited my local Tesco Express to shop as usual. I walked past the sandwiches section and saw no items marked reduced what-so-ever, but a minute later a member of staff attended to reduce the prices of certain sandwiches, I later found out that this member of staff was also the store manager. I watched the store manager reduce the items and I then picked up 3 sandwiches immediately after he reduced them. Two sandwiches were vegetarian, while the other sandwich contained Southern Fried Chicken for my friend, this was the sandwich that I later tried to return because of suspected tampering.

I finished shopping and paid as usual at the counter, collecting my receipt without incident. When I arrived at my nearby home a few minutes later, my friend noticed the sandwich in question had a circular hole in the plastic packaging at the side, like it had been cut open on purpose. We considered this potentially very serious that the product may have been tampered with, especially by the way the packaging appeared to had been cut in virtually a perfect small circle, so we was very concerned that perhaps other products may also have been tampered with. The item only cost 40p, so I wasn’t really interested in a refund, but as a good caring citizen I thought it very important to report it to the store immediately.

My friend and I quickly returned to our local Tesco Express and spoke to who we soon found was the store manager. I explained and showed the manager the sandwich in question, expecting to be thanked and given a replacement or refund. Instead I was immediately spoken to in an extremely abrupt and very nasty manner even though I’d been polite from the start and my friend also witnessed this terrible inappropriate unprofessional behaviour. He nastily said that he didn’t mark the sandwich reduced as the use by date was the 23rd July when it was only the 21st July, arguing in a horrible way, implying very nastily that I’d actually tampered with the product myself. I felt extremely uncomfortable by the way I was spoken to and in front of numerous customers at the tills. I produced the receipt as he demanded and it showed the exact item in question listed at the reduced price of 40p, but he still wouldn’t listen. He continued to be extremely rude and abrupt in every way insisting that he hadn’t reduced this product despite the item clearly having 2 Tesco reduced stickers on it. He continued to imply that I’d tampered with the product and I naturally protested my innocence, telling him that staff at Tesco marked the product reduced and I only brought the item in good faith, but he strongly disagreed that this wasn’t possible. I was insulted and shocked by his inappropriate behaviour and I then asked to speak to the store manager only to find that he was the store manager. I demanded that he check the CCTV to see that I most certainly brought the item in good faith and that it was reduced then, but he refused and was damn right horrible to me in every way, even muttering that he knows our sort. He refused to help in any way what-so-ever and spoke to me like a piece of dirt throughout. He wouldn’t even consider that he might have made a simple mistake, marking the wrong item reduced which he must have done. I asked for an apology, but he refused abruptly and told me that he won’t be taking the item back or refunding either. I then explained that I will be complaining to Birmingham Trading Standards and Tesco Head office because of the disgusting way I’d been treated, but he simply told me to do what I like, continuing to insist that he didn’t mark the product reduced. I finally told the store manager to call the police because I was literally being accused of a very serious criminal offence that I hadn’t committed as I now desperately wanted to prove my innocence, but he refused and simply turned his back to completely ignore me from then on. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s banned me from the store which would also be totally and utterly wrong in every respect as I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong, in fact I’ve only done my duty as a good citizen as one is instructed to do when the packaging on a product is suspicious. I’ve certainly been completely humiliated in store and I don’t feel comfortable shopping there ever again.

The item in question had 2 Tesco reduced stickers clearly marked on it and I know the store manager did mark it reduced as nothing was reduced until AFTER the manager finished labelling them. How could I have got 2 Tesco reduced stickers and why would I do this? My receipt clearly showed the item sold at a reduced price of 40p. I would be seen on CCTV buying these items in good faith, but the store manager refused to check it. I have the product as evidence for Trading Standards as it could be poisoned or anything, hence why I tried to do my duty as a good citizen by informing the shop immediately. The manager showed total utter disregard for this potentially serious matter as other products could have been tampered with too, yet the manager did absolutely nothing. I shop regularly at this new Tesco Express and I’m an extremely honest person without any criminal record, it upsets and completely shocks me to be accused of committing a criminal offence that I most certainly haven’t committed. I’m dismayed and can’t believe how I was spoken to by someone who is supposed to be there to satisfy customers.

I will now be complaining to Trading Standards and Tesco Head Office in the morning. I would like a formal apology from the store manager at Tesco Express on Granville Street, Birmingham and I want this whole matter investigated as no store manager should be treating customers in this extremely insulting and unprofessional manner while totally ignoring a serious risk of contamination to customers and their health. Unless this matter is resolved fully I will be also contacting the local press and/or Clare Short, MP about this matter.

(Photos of both reduced stickers clearly marked on the sandwich in question!)

Please read my comments below for updates about this complaint…

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Legal Disclaimer

This article is my own personal opinion and is without prejudice to Tesco or any other organisation. My full legal disclaimer applies to this article and all other articles on this website. I would be delighted to print any response from Tesco to this matter and I sincerely hope the matter is resolved a professional manner one would normally expect from a large organisation such as Tesco.

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