Should I reject the offer for foreign object found in food?

onechildintow_2

I found a 1/2" screw in a pack of Iceland chicken nuggets (I found it when I bit into it). I've returned it though the proper channels to Iceland and after 10 days they have returned a "good will gesture" of £15 vouchers.

This object was found by me by accident, it was part of food layed out for a kids party and its only the fact I am a bit of a piglet that mean't I ate it instead of one of the kids. I could have broken a tooth trying to chew it or swallowed it.

Do the experienced members of the forum think I should accept the £15 or push for something more?

ms_night_ryder

What exactly are you hoping for is the question, you obviously expect more, what will you accept?

onechildintow_2

Honestly it's not that I expect more, I am just wondering whether it is worth pushing for more. Should I simply reject this first offer to see what comes next?

If I'm honest, after finding a screw in their food I'm in two minds as to whether I want to shop in there again, so any amount of vouchers may be irrelevant.

I'm not looking for some huge payout, I don't have a figure in mind, I'm really looking to see if someone else had a similar experience and rejected the first "good will gesture" and received something better or if everyone thinks £15 is enough.

stephen77

I would accept it. If not your not going to shop there anymore. what value would more vouchers have?

Stopping shopping at iceland will not make a big difference as they do not make the food themselves. The chicken nugget will also supply other retailers as well.

Alikay

I'd accept the £15 too: Yes, something worse could've happened (broken tooth, child choking etc) but it didn't. No-one was hurt, so I don't think anyone needs compensating, but £15 for your inconvenience and a rap on the knuckles for the supplier seems reasonable IMO.

Even though you're in two minds whether to shop there again, I'm sure you could manage a final trip to spend the £15 on branded products.

dktreesea

That's a ludicrous offer. Have you tried the no win no fee accident compensation lawyers? There are plenty of them and for sure that's not a reasonable offer.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

If you wanted to have them by the short and curlies, you should have held onto the packed, screw, nugget, and sent photos to them, and threatened them with the environmental health, food standard agency etc..

You could call their bluff and say you have taken photos of the items etc, and you are thinking of taking the matter further as you think the £15 is an insult, considering the potential injuries the screw could have done... it is a VERY long shot in trying to squeeze more money out of them, but its your choice and gamble, and its only you that knows how far, or how much you want out of this...

Personally I would take the vouchers spend them on milk, bread etc and dont shop there again..

thinking about it if you still had the items, etc you could have said you were going to the national press about it, as I should imagine with all the burger thing in the news and papers, they would love another foodie news head-liner to put into the mix of things

COOLTRIKERCHICK

dktreesea wrote: »

That's a ludicrous offer. Have you tried the no win no fee accident compensation lawyers? There are plenty of them and for sure that's not a reasonable offer.

but there wasn't a accident...there was just something in her food that shouldn't have been there..

frugal_shopper_2

What could of happened is neither here nor there. As no injury was caused you are just entitled to a refund or a replacement product as you would be for any substandard product. They can choose to make a goodwill gesture at their discretion but are under no obligation to do so.

If you feel that they may not fully investigate why the problem occurred or put measures in place to prevent it happening again then you can contact the food safety team (environmental health) in your area, contact details will be on your local authorities website & they will ensure the matter is thoroughly investigated. If they feel it is appropriate they may also prosecute either the retailer or their supplier who may end up being fined as happened in the instance reported here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/6242082.stm

Ignore any comments about getting lawyers involved you would be wasting your time if you tried for compensation... no injury no claim.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

good constructive points by frugal shopper..

also if/once you have excepted the vouchers, then the matter is then resolved between the two parties, and no agencies can then get involved, or investigate the matter.


Years ago I bought chicken in a supermarket, when i got it home it was all green underneath:eek::eek: took it back to the shop, and they gave me a refund with a gift voucher, but when i phoned the environmental dpt in the local council, they could not do anything, except go and check their fridges...

LadyDee

dktreesea wrote: »

That's a ludicrous offer. Have you tried the no win no fee accident compensation lawyers? There are plenty of them and for sure that's not a reasonable offer.

For goodness sake, the OP found a screw in her chicken. No injury, no death, I doubt she's suffered permanent trauma.

Yours is the sort of response to such an incident that is directly responsible for spiralling prices; even if manufacturers/suppliers do not in the end have to pay ridiculous sums of money for nothing or spurious claims, the insurance premiums they have to pay to guard against such claims, not to mention legal fees when people take their little hiccups in life to ridiculous lengths.

OP - spend the £15, and be thankful that nothing really happened.