Grocery Store F-ckups

May 9, 2005 10:02 AM

Hey - Has this ever happened to you? I was unloading my groceries last night and I found a bag of groceries grouped in the bunch that wasn't mine. I checked my receipt to make sure I wasn't actually charged for this stuff, and -before anyone panics- don't worry, I thankfully wasn't. And everything I bought was there ... But seriously, I wasn't in any mood to go back to the grocery store ... So now this bag of food is sitting on my kitchen counter. Do I return it? What responsibility to society do I have to return these groceries? There's no receipt indicating the proper grocery item owner. Could the grocery store even find out who these belong to? What steps would they even take? These are the sorts of questions I am askmetafiltering you. The second dilemma is that the bag has some toiletry items in it that I'd just feel silly or embarrassed about returning. In fact there's no way I could keep a straight face returning them. And there's also some nice looking organic juice in there that I wouldn't mind drinking. Questions are, do I return the bag? Throw it away after drinking the juice? Donate the toiletries to Goodwill? Post fliers around town with the word FOUND - BAG OF GROCERIES with a phone #? I mean, wtf? And also, have any of you ever gotten home to realize you're missing a bag of groceries? Or found yourself in a situation like I am in now with a bag of groceries not my own? Thank you for your thoughts.
posted by Peter H to shopping (57 comments total)

Yes, and I found the best new conditioner I never would have tried otherwise. Green apple scented!
posted by lucien at 10:05 AM on May 9, 2005

Call the store, let them know what happened. They might ask you to bring them back. Refuse -- it wasn't your mistake (presumably). If it's important to them, they'll come get them. My mom once had an entire order loaded into her car, only to get home and realize the groceries belonged to someone else. The store brought her her stuff, and took the wrong stuff back. Granted, this was quite a few years ago.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:06 AM on May 9, 2005

Assuming that it's not wildly out of your way, and assuming that you feel guilty about the inadvertent theft, just return it to the store. If you're worried about toiletry-related embarrassment remember that the people behind the customer service desk don't really care what you bought, and they're not your items, anyway.
posted by bshort at 10:07 AM on May 9, 2005

Call the grocery store and let them know. Don't offer to bring it back, but tell them you'll hold it for a day if they want to send someone to pick it up. Really, what you want to do is make sure that when the other person comes back and says, "hey, where are my groceries?" the store won't think they're being ripped off.
posted by mkultra at 10:08 AM on May 9, 2005

You know, these things happen. The person who lost their produce will probably be able to get a refund from the store.

I ended up with a sack of delicious kiwi fruit a few weeks ago. I knew they belonged to the woman in front of me, and felt sort of bad about eating them.

But they were so perfectly ripe and delicious, the guilt was easily dismissed.
posted by aladfar at 10:10 AM on May 9, 2005

It doesn't belong to you, it *does* belong to someone else, just take it back. The person who paid for that bag of groceries might well be on their way back to the store to see if their bag is still there.

Why be embarrassed about what's in the bag? Take the whole bag, unpacked, and take it to the service desk. Say to the clerk there, "This got packed with my groceries, but it's not mine." They will say thank you, you will say have a nice day, end of transaction.
posted by headspace at 10:11 AM on May 9, 2005

I think it depends a bit on the layout of the checkout. If they clearly gave you the incorrect bag of groceries, then it is their error, and you should phone them and let them figure out how to correct it. On the other hand, if the situation was such that youpicked up someone elses bag at the end of the checkout lane (the first filled bag of the person after you, or one that the person before you was still picking up), then it is your mistake, and you should take the stuff back. Because the person most likely to be shafted in this situation is another customer, and not the store, I think it is incumbent on you to at least let the store know so that they can treat the other shopper fairly, as well.

As for the toiletries, if you take the stuff back, you shouldn't need to go through the bag and itemize it, so there shouldn't be a lot of opportunity for public humiliation. Just go to the Customer Service desk, explain what happened and hand her the full bag and leave.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:15 AM on May 9, 2005

mkultra and jacquilynne have it exactly right. Your "responsibility to society" here is to report the error so that when the person who got shortchanged reports their part of the problem, the store won't doubt them. You've probably already waited too long to be of much help (the store would probably have had to make a decision without your help by now), but you should still make the call to connect the dots for the store manager. I'm sure this isn't the first time the store's dealt with something like this.

Even if it wasn't your own mistake, taking the bag back certainly would be a nice gesture - and might even get you something in return from the store.
posted by mediareport at 10:17 AM on May 9, 2005

Taking the bag back, it occurs to me, is also helpful in determining the value of the items the other customer paid for but didn't receive. In other words, don't drink that juice unless you're comfortable fucking with someone else's reimbursement for the lost goods.
posted by mediareport at 10:19 AM on May 9, 2005

I second mkultra's suggestion, with the caveat that you shouldn't "tell them you'll hold it for a day if they want to send someone to pick it up" just out of the blue--save this for a sort of counteroffer if they ask you to bring the stuff back. Unless the items were unusually expensive, they probably won't even ask you to bring them back.

And if they do ask you to bring them back, be polite in your refusal: "Oh, I'm so busy, I'm afraid I couldn't possibly find the time..." and not "It's your mistake, so you can damn well come and pick them up if you want them back."
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:20 AM on May 9, 2005

assuming that you feel guilty about the inadvertent theft

There is no such thing as inadvertent theft. Just call the store, that's all anyone can expect you to do.
posted by grouse at 10:23 AM on May 9, 2005

Good debate! Thank you.

My pain-in-the-ass filter is that it actually puts me out pretty badly to get in my car at the end of the day and trog back to the store, I only go grocery shopping twice a month because of this. The part two is, for my own sake of privacy, I don't really want a home visit from the grocery store guy.

I do want to return the bag. But I wouldn't be able to do it until tonight - and depending on how my workday goes I would need to be in a fine enough mood to do the damn trip, which would be about 45 minutes roundtrip, I'd guess.

Okay, so one vote for "no" on drinking the juice.
And can I count lucien and aladfar as "yes" votes for drinking the juice? It's a delicious seeming cranberry.
posted by Peter H at 10:27 AM on May 9, 2005

I'm not sure there's any responsibility to society here, but if you lost a bag of groceries, what would you want the unintended recipient to do? At least call the store, and probably take it back too. It's certainly well within your rights to refuse to take it back, but it doesn't seem particularly nice, or polite (if that's the kind of thing that you go for).
posted by advil at 10:29 AM on May 9, 2005

Whatever. If this person is buying organic juice, they're probably not on welfare. Drink it, toss the rest, and let the store suck it up. The store should reimburse the other person regardless of your intervention. If they don't, they'll be guaranteed to lose that person's business, well, forever. How much can this one sack possibly be worth?
posted by MrZero at 10:37 AM on May 9, 2005

It would be nice to take it back to the store, but if it's really that much of a hassle, I'd say call them - to cover the ass of the customer who may come asking for for his groceries - and explain that you live far from the store and would like to return them but can't conveniently.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:39 AM on May 9, 2005

Good karma for making the call to the store.
posted by vega5960 at 10:41 AM on May 9, 2005

If I was the person whose groceries you accidentally took home, and I called the store, or worse yet, went down there, I really doubt that I would talk to the same people that you talked to if you decide to call the store (or go down there) and report the items you recieved but didn't pay for. If it was a place like Target, where they have an area just for returns, that'd be another story.

Drink the juice.
posted by 23skidoo at 10:46 AM on May 9, 2005

ha, vega, I am aware of the karma aspect. I almost put it in the tags! I like to do nice things for people. If I find a wallet on the ground with money (has happened twice) I like to just mail it anonymously to the owner.

The problem here is I'm not sure I need to nice things for gigantic million dollar corporate grocery stores.

On preview, the "yes" votes are sure pilling up, aren't they?
posted by Peter H at 10:47 AM on May 9, 2005

Cranberry has many health giving properties, in addition to being a refreshing and delicious beverage.

The checkout fairy has been kind. You must be reaping some well earned good karma.
posted by lucien at 10:54 AM on May 9, 2005

Return it - your karma will be the better for it & by doing the right thing, even it it puts you out, you set in motion a positive energy flow the ultimate effects of which are beyond comprehension.
posted by Pressed Rat at 11:00 AM on May 9, 2005

I'm not sure I need to nice things for gigantic million dollar corporate grocery stores.

Huh? Did you miss the part where folks pointed out you're helping the customer? At the very least, connecting the dots for the manager after the fact might help ease the way for the next customer this happens to - a reminder that, yes, this kind of thing does happen.

I'm really at a loss to understand why you haven't at least called the store yet, Peter H.
posted by mediareport at 11:16 AM on May 9, 2005

Call the store if it makes you feel better, or at least to verify the contents of the bag.

I'd be surprised if they ask for the stuff back, and I suspect that if you take it back they'll simply dump it in the garbage as they have no way of knowing what you might have poisoned or tampered with. Certainly they won't want it back after you point out to them that they can't know what you've tampered with and what you haven't.

Might as well keep it and drink the organic juice. That was the store's fuckup, and it's the store's job to make it up to the relevant customer. You don't enter into it.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:31 AM on May 9, 2005

My impression, looking back over many years of grocery shopping, is that this sort of thing pretty much evens out in the long run. Last weekend I somehow got home without the bag that had the catfood and the cookies--neither kids nor cats were pleased. Several months ago I was the involuntary recipient of some truely vile cans of "organic" soup. I have always treated it as a wash, checkout fairy giveth, checkout fairy taketh away. The worst such occasion happened many years ago: I was sent to the store specifically to get diapers, and I'm absolutely certain I got diapers, I went to the diaper section first to be sure I didn't forget them; but when I got home I had sixty bucks worth of impulse groceries and no diapers. I was sent back. The most piquant instance happened last summer, I was on a major grocery run for a large group picnic and had two carts full. I emptied the first cart on the conveyor belt. Turning to the second cart, I found that the lady behind me had put her toddler in my cart's baby seat. It was a cute kid, and my own youngest is fourteen already so I'm in for empty-nest syndrome just a few years from now, but I did give him back to his mom. After only a little consideration.
posted by jfuller at 11:35 AM on May 9, 2005

Maybe the free groceries ARE karma, eh? Ever consider that one????

and felt sort of bad about eating them.

But they were so perfectly ripe and delicious

WCW would have been proud. Nice
posted by tr33hggr at 11:36 AM on May 9, 2005

MrZero, a good friend of mine is disabled with a severe case of MS. One of the ways she can manage the disease is to eat foods in as pure a state as possible--and that includes drinking organic juice.

So, there are people on welfare buying organic foods.

(BTW...the difference between non-organic food and organic food for me is taste; for her, it's literally the difference between partial movement--pushing herself around in her wheelchare--or lying 'frozen' on her bed, completely stiff.)
posted by luneray at 11:40 AM on May 9, 2005

I'd phone, but I wouldn't make any special effort whatsoever to assist the store in correcting their fuckup. I'd also wholly expect them to tell me to keep the bag, because it sure wouldn't be worth the cost of coming out to get it.
posted by five fresh fish at 11:40 AM on May 9, 2005

I would not shop at a grocery that restocks returned food products. Health code in at least one state prohibits such a practice.

So, in my opinion, call them if you want, but if they take the stuff back, find a new grocer.
posted by Kwantsar at 11:41 AM on May 9, 2005

Also, I gotta say, I'm surprised at the number of you reporting grocery errors. I don't recall any, ever, in our household. Certainly none that involve entire bags of missing/extra groceries!
posted by five fresh fish at 11:44 AM on May 9, 2005

tr33hggr wins.
posted by grouse at 11:46 AM on May 9, 2005

> Certainly none that involve entire bags of missing/extra groceries!

Distinguo. Losing a big paper bag full of groceries is hard to do, when your whole shopping trip is in two bags. Losing track of one of twenty little plastic bags is easier.
posted by jfuller at 11:51 AM on May 9, 2005

Ha! I left a sack at the store last week. It was my fault; it always happens in the self checkout lines when I'm in a hurry. I called the grocery store and as long as I have a receipt they will replace what I forgot. So don't worry. If the person wants their groceries they will get replacements.
posted by Alison at 11:52 AM on May 9, 2005

*koff* Might want to utilize the "more inside" feature next time.
posted by Specklet at 12:17 PM on May 9, 2005

This is a great bunch of responses, thank you.

I'm really at a loss to understand why you haven't at least called the store yet, Peter H.
Mediareport, such a tone! Ha - on the phone right now.

"For our bakery, press 1 .... For our deli, press 2 ..."
posted by Peter H at 12:19 PM on May 9, 2005

GROCERY STORE CUSTOMER SVC: "Yeah ... Yeah .. I'm sorry that happened to you ... yeah we can't take those back ... (mutters) I'm inclined to say just keep em"
posted by Peter H at 12:21 PM on May 9, 2005

(!)

on preview
Specklet, it's more fun not too, ;)
posted by Peter H at 12:23 PM on May 9, 2005

Call the store and tell them what happened. You will probably talk to a bored service center clerk who will tell you not to bother bringing it back. Hopefully s/he will also thank you for being honest.

You didn't find the receipt in your bag, so the other person probably has it. When s/he complains to the store, they will give her a refund or replace what you took home.
posted by initapplette at 12:38 PM on May 9, 2005

Her/him. Consistency ...
posted by initapplette at 12:40 PM on May 9, 2005

Well, I see the specific situation has been resolved, but as for the more general question, I'd just like to urge you to ignore anyone who's advocating one action or another on grounds of "karma." Promises of non-existant rewards and threats of non-existant punishment should not be your motivation, regardless of whether they're called "good karma" and "bad karma" or "heaven" and "hell."
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:45 PM on May 9, 2005

Well, I see the specific situation has been resolved

Ha, not really. I'm such a nut I'm now loaded with guilt over suddenly remembering the older lady that was in front of me at the checkout. As well as the older hippy lady who was behind me. I feel bad for either of them. Now I'm probably unable to do anything other than drive to the store tonight to hand them the bag of stuff.

Damn bummer too. Looks like good juice! (/neurotic)

Promises of non-existant rewards and threats of non-existant punishment should not be your motivation

Well put and agreed with. That's why I didnt put karma in the tags. I was debating social responsibility, all that.
posted by Peter H at 12:51 PM on May 9, 2005

You've done your part, now enjoy the juice. Sheesh.
posted by grouse at 12:58 PM on May 9, 2005

> Promises of non-existant rewards and threats of non-existant punishment
> should not be your motivation, regardless of whether they're called "good
> karma" and "bad karma" or "heaven" and "hell."

Karma being spiritual-speak for the strong likelihood that you'll go on doing in the future as you did in the past, I encourage Peter to go right on being concerned about the ethical implications of his actions. The question next time may be more important than a sack of groceries, but one doesn't want to approach even trivial deeds in oblivious animal mode. Mindfulness today makes for mindfulness tomorrow.
posted by jfuller at 12:59 PM on May 9, 2005

You've done your part, now enjoy the juice. Sheesh.

Hah. (laughs, nearly clicks "marked as best answer")
posted by Peter H at 1:07 PM on May 9, 2005

I'm such a nut I'm now loaded with guilt over suddenly remembering the older lady that was in front of me at the checkout. As well as the older hippy lady who was behind me. I feel bad for either of them.

I can understand feeling bad for whichever lady it was, but I don't see that taking back the groceries will help her. The store now knows the groceries were given to the wrong person, so if she contacts the store to say she's missing a bag, the store will replace it. (Assuming communication is in place so that the person she talks to knows that this happened. If the store doesn't have good communication, it's unlikely that actually bringing back the groceries would do any more good than calling them would.) You don't have any way, as far as I can tell, of actually identifying the person whose groceries you took, so you can't get them to her directly.

You've done all you can to help the woman get her purchases replaced. Bringing them back to the store might make you feel better, but I don't see that it's any more likely than what you've already done to make sure the woman gets her groceries. And you have the store's permission to keep the items.

If it's really the only way to assuage your conscience, then take them back for that alone, but if your conscience will listen to reason then you may enjoy the cranberry juice free of guilt.

On preview: Karma being spiritual-speak for the strong likelihood that you'll go on doing in the future as you did in the past, I encourage Peter to go right on being concerned about the ethical implications of his actions.

I, too, encourage Peter H to go right on being concerned about the ethical implications of his actions, but I doubt your definition of "karma" is universally agreed upon. In particular, your usage of the term seems at odds with the way Pressed Rat used it.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 1:17 PM on May 9, 2005

Now I'm probably unable to do anything other than drive to the store tonight to hand them the bag of stuff.

Well, if it'll help, why not ask what the store will do with the groceries if you bring them back?
posted by mediareport at 1:25 PM on May 9, 2005

I think you must have accidentally hit the "shuffle" button on your cart. Inspired by the latest Ipod, it has inserted a whiff of whimsy into the otherwise dull and meaningless lives of many a shopper.
posted by craniac at 1:32 PM on May 9, 2005

That is most definitely the best answer.
posted by crapulent at 1:49 PM on May 9, 2005

Questions like these come up with regularity on Ask MetaFilter, and there's always some churchy busybody who insists you have an obligation to right every detail of the wrong yourself.

You don't! Just call the damned store. You're not a frigging delivery service.
posted by joeclark at 1:50 PM on May 9, 2005

Karma being spiritual-speak for the strong likelihood that you'll go on doing in the future as you did in the past ... one doesn't want to approach even trivial deeds in oblivious animal mode. Mindfulness today makes for mindfulness tomorrow.

Indeed.

---

Would you accept a bag of groceries from a stranger? In a big city, I'd be a little wary.

Don't take the groceries back. The original shopper will get refunded and will purchase new off-the-shelf replacements. The grocery store will just dumpsterize them. It'd be more a shame to waste the food than to keep it.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:32 PM on May 9, 2005

Sheesh. I have to admit I'd just keep the bag. Call the store if it makes you feel better, but i can remember a time just before the super bowl that I was at a supermarket that takes your groceries out of the cart and once they're bagged puts them in the cart of the person who just left. Long story short, I got a case of cold beer. In fact, i'm 99.9% sure the person in front of me didn't pay for it either. In my book: free beer.

Look, to paraphrase Chris Stevens (and happy birthday to John Corbett btw) when you go up for a shot and miss, but the ref calls a foul on the other team do you say 'hey, i really wasn't fouled'? Of course you don't. You step up to the line and you take your foul shots. Why? Because the next time a ref blows the call, it could be on you. Despite all this talk about karma, the universe has a way of evening things out.

(sorry for the basketball imagery. Its just time for Pistons Playoff Basketball!)
posted by indiebass at 2:37 PM on May 9, 2005

I doubt your definition of "karma" is universally agreed upon.

It's definitely widely used this way, though, the same way a lot of people say "soul" but don't believe in astral travel or whatever.
posted by mdn at 4:11 PM on May 9, 2005

I work at an upscale grocery store here in MN. In this situation, the customer who DIDN't get the food usually calls first, we then drive with our van and get the groceries from the house that mistakingly got them, then drive them to the other destination.

I've had some LONG and interesting drives doing this.
posted by AMWKE at 4:46 PM on May 9, 2005

AMWKE, how do you figure out which house mistakenly got them?
posted by mediareport at 6:08 PM on May 9, 2005

AMWKE, how do you figure out which house mistakenly got them?

because basically honest people call the store upon discovering the error. basically dishonest people post askme threads on what's essentially a no-brainer for most. i cringe for y'all.
posted by quonsar at 7:32 PM on May 9, 2005

Why not give the toiletries and food you don't want to a homeless shelter?
posted by JDC8 at 7:47 PM on May 9, 2005

Finally quonsar criticises someone on morality! That's a space on the Horseshit Bingo board I've been waiting to cross out with a marker for ages.
posted by Peter H at 8:06 PM on May 9, 2005

Our bagboys, bless their pointed heads, aren't very bright. We have grocery errors all the time. I can usually call, talk to the store manager, tell her it's happened again, and she'll send someone out to switch bags. I swear, I've seen the produce manager so often that the neighbors are beginning to talk. I do feel sorry for the poor folks who got one of my bags during the 8th month of my pregnancy...the stage we referred to as the "liverwurst, goat cheese and olives" stage.
posted by dejah420 at 11:01 PM on May 9, 2005

on preview
Specklet, it's more fun not too, ;)

Huh? My point is that you're taking up space on the AskMe page unnecessarily. The page scrolls fast enough as it is. In your case, I would have given a summary (I ended up with groceries that weren't mine. Help me with an ethical dilemma.) and put the details in the "more inside" section.
posted by Specklet at 2:03 PM on May 10, 2005