Tesco haven't learnt their lesson!

poppasmurf_bewdley

Happened to call into Tesco Express in Bewdley this morning after doing my shopping at Lidl in Stourport-on-Severn to pick up the odd item I couldn't get at Lidl.

One of these items is Hovis Thick, which Lidl have unfortunately stopped selling. Their replacement tastes like crumpled newspaper.

On entering Tesco, I went to the bread aisle and there were all the Hovis Thickies in their bright green wrappers sitting there. As usual, I checked the date on the item and it read "Best Before 10/5/16 which of course is today. So I rummaged through, only to discover they were all the same, even the ones right at the back.

I called over an assistant and asked him to read the date, which he did. "What about the words before the date?" I asked, and he read out "Best before"!

"Exactly," I retorted. "They are all best before today, it's ok up to yesterday. Do you have any fresher loaves or why aren't these reduced?

"We're entitled to sell them at full price today" was all he could keep repeating.

I handed him the Gala Apples I was also going to buy, and left the shop.

Did I do the right thing?

BrentMeister

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

Happened to call into Tesco Express in Bewdley this morning after doing my shopping at Lidl in Stourport-on-Severn to pick up the odd item I couldn't get at Lidl.

One of these items is Hovis Thick, which Lidl have unfortunately stopped selling. Their replacement tastes like crumpled newspaper.

On entering Tesco, I went to the bread aisle and there were all the Hovis Thickies in their bright green wrappers sitting there. As usual, I checked the date on the item and it read "Best Before 10/5/16 which of course is today. So I rummaged through, only to discover they were all the same, even the ones right at the back.

I called over an assistant and asked him to read the date, which he did. "What about the words before the date?" I asked, and he read out "Best before"!

"Exactly," I retorted. "They are all best before today, it's ok up to yesterday. Do you have any fresher loaves or why aren't these reduced?

"We're entitled to sell them at full price today" was all he could keep repeating.

I handed him the Gala Apples I was also going to buy, and left the shop.

Did I do the right thing?

If it happened just as you said, then I think you came across as rude and obnoxious.

Might be worth reading up on the difference between use by and best before.

tripled

It sounds like you were a bit of a douche to the shop assistant. And yes, they are entitled to sell them at full price just as you are entitled not to buy them.

poppasmurf_bewdley

BrentMeister wrote: »

If it happened just as you said, then I think you came across as rude and obnoxious.

Might be worth reading up on the difference between use by and best before.

I was neither rude not obnoxious. I was perfectly pleasant to him whilst at the same time making him aware I was not happy with his reply.

And if something is marked best before a certain date, then it must be a fact that once that date is reached the product starts to deteriorate!

Interesting also that it didn't look as though any of them had been sold from the shelf, so maybe I wasn't the only one checking the dates!

unforeseen

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

And if something is marked best before a certain date, then it must be a fact that once that date is reached the product starts to deteriorate!

I refer my honourable(?) member to post#2

BrentMeister

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

I was neither rude not obnoxious. I was perfectly pleasant to him whilst at the same time making him aware I was not happy with his reply.

And if something is marked best before a certain date, then it must be a fact that once that date is reached the product starts to deteriorate!

Interesting also that it didn't look as though any of them had been sold from the shelf, so maybe I wasn't the only one checking the dates!

Quite clearly you was from what you posted. What would have been wrong with a simple "Excuse me, all these loaves have a best before of the 10th, do you have any fresher ones available at all?" instead of trying to belittle the assistant.

Best before is not some magical date in which the bread will deteriorate the second the clock goes past midnight. Again, have a look at best before vs use by.

tripled

I don't think loaves of bread wait for a specific date or time before degrading. The best before date is an estimate as to when the manufacturer thinks the degredation may start to become noticable. I've always understood it to mean "on or before" and a quick Google search backs this up (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/food-labelling-terms.aspx).

For longer dated items the big retailers will usually start reductions the day before, but not necessarily with shorter dated items like bread. They'll probably be reducing it this afternoon. They have no obligation to reduce it at all though.

You may have been better if you found a shop assistant doing reductions somewhere and asked if they would reduce it for you. Your explanation doesn't suggest you did this though, it sounds more like you kept asking why they weren't reduced (asking for an explanation as opposed to an action) to which to which he repeatedly gave you the correct answer, then you flounced off.

dlusman

Totally agree with #2
This appears to be a case of a consumer with a small/limited amount of knowledge, and then trying to incorrectly apply it.

You need to do some reading about the difference between "best before" and "use by".

You said :

"We're entitled to sell them at full price today" was all he could keep repeating.

This is perfectly correct - in fact they are entitled to sell them at full price tomorrow and the next day and for as long as they want to ( wether they will sell is totally irrelevant )

janiebaby29

It seems that the OP hasnt learnt the lesson about manners !!!

ARandomMiser

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

Did I do the right thing?

The way you tell the story makes it look like you were acting unreasonably, and, as others pointed out, you're assumption about the date was incorrect.

pmduk

Shop assistants really earn every penny they receive.