Mouldy sweets in kids lucky bag - Debenhams

fesdufun

Hi, I popped in to Debenhams yesterdays and picked up a couple of lucky bags in the sale reduced to 60p. Luckily my kids don't really like jelly sweets as I have just noticed today that the sweets are covered in mould :eek: . Unfortunately I ate one yesterday but I seemed to have survived - serves me right for nicking the kids sweets.
The sweets are individually wrapped in cellophane. I have just looked for the best before date but I think they must have stuck their reduced sticker over the top as the sticker with the DOB as been peeled of the bag.

What would you do? I have the receipt and the original packaging.

I would not be happy with just a refund. Just the thought of some child eating all those mouldy sweets make me feel sick. I was thinking of asking for £10 each packet and if they refuse take it along to environmental health.

Any advice on what is fair compensation for this type of thing?

Thanks

fudgeukraine

shouldn't the DOB be printed on the bag as opposed to a sticker? You'll prob get a refund if you can take it back but it'd be a bit cheeky to ask for £10 right away and will prob stop you getting anything.

hjb123

£10? for a 60p bag of sweets? Hmmm, I think to be honest I would just get a refund and see if they will replace the sweets free of charge

fesdufun

fudgeukraine wrote: »

shouldn't the DOB be printed on the bag as opposed to a sticker? You'll prob get a refund if you can take it back but it'd be a bit cheeky to ask for £10 right away and will prob stop you getting anything.

The DOB is not printed on the bag. There is a space and printed next to it is batch no and DOB and the remains of a sticker.

I don't think it is cheeky to ask for £10 and it wouldn't stop me getting a refund as the goods are faulty.

I will phone the store as soon as they are open so they can remove any remaining packets.

It will cost me more in diesel and parking costs that the £1.20 I paid so I don't think £10 each packet is being cheeky I think it is fair compensation for Debenhams selling unfit goods.

fesdufun

hjb123 wrote: »

£10? for a 60p bag of sweets? Hmmm, I think to be honest I would just get a refund and see if they will replace the sweets free of charge

I certainly don't want another bag of sweets. Like I have said in the above post my costs in terms of parking and diesel will be more than £1.20.

If my children had ate any of them and consequently became ill I would be asking for much more. To be honest I think £10 each packet is letting them off lightly.

sarahg1969

I suspect it was a mistake, rather than company policy to try and poison their young customers.

OP - do you not make the occasional mistake?

Personally, I'd ring the store and tell them their sweets are of, so they can remove them from the shelves. And throw away the ones I'd bought.

uktim29

fesdufun wrote: »

I was thinking of asking for £10 each packet and if they refuse take it along to environmental health.

Blackmail.

fesdufun wrote: »

I would not be happy with just a refund. Just the thought of some child eating all those mouldy sweets make me feel sick.

But you'll do nothing if they give you £20. Like you really care then!

You said you'll phone the store so they could remove the remaining packets, although it's probably no more different or a risk than an orange going mouldy in a pack whilst the others are all fine. It's not bacteria/mould you can see anyway that makes people ill, it's bacteria you can't see that gives food poisening. So why don't you just do that then if you really care?

Your wanting £20 is just greed.

hollydays

I would ask for a refund plus expenses to cover your petrol.Alternativly,ring them and ask if its ok to bring them back next time you go shopping,so you dont make an extra trip.

andyrules

Personally I would ring to warn them that the sweets are mouldy so they can remove them from the shelves, and tell them you will come for your refund next time you are in town.

Then as soon as possible I would go and check that they have removed the bags (or ask someone else who is in town).

As uktim says, anything else is blackmail. btw uktim, your post reads as if you are saying that if you can see the mould it is harmless. Perhaps you mean that mould and bacteria can give off invisible (to the naked eye) spores that are harmful?
Either way, I wouldn't feel safe eating mouldy food!;)

hollydays

:rotfl: ..a lucky bag..

fesdufun

Thanks for your replies.

Rereading my post it does sound a bit greedy asking for £20 and maybe a bit of blackmail by saying I would take them to environmental health. The post was written in haste just after I discovered the mould.

uktim29 - Yes, I know that it is unlikely that we would get ill from the sweets however I would rather not take the chance.

sarahg1969 - I know that Debenhams are not deliberately trying to poison my children and yes I do make mistakes but I try to make amends for any I make.

I have tried ringing them but the store doesn't open until 11.00am. Just getting hold of the direct number was a job in a half and involved several calls. The people I spoke to in customer services didn't seem to care anyway.

Will see how I get on at 11.00.