Tesco respond to 'Breaking the law'

Ste.phen

(Victor)
Are they banned from alcohol special offers from next week with the new legislation?

Not as far as i can tell, we were warned (by HO) not to serve intoxicated persons or we risk being closed for a week, and also that we now have a responsibilty to remove drunk and violent persons from the premises, apparently there's a few more things we need to be aware of, but there hasn't been a full briefing pack yet

All in keeping with Tesco's usual "Shoot first, Ask Questions later" theory on staff training

It reads something like this: "deny anything is wrong. If the pleb^H^H^H^H customer persists, tell them to contact head office."

Pretty much, Personally the first two sentences the pleb^h^h^h^h customer says are what decides their fate, if they're polite and calm and vaguely respectfuil, i see what i can do for them. If they start complaining straight away they get fobbed off. If they get abusive, they dont even get fobbed off.

parsi

I was in Tesco in Douglas Cork this evening...guess what.. bagged apples weren´t showing a per-kg price. I think it may be because a 750g bag of Gala apples cost 2.69 whilst 1kg of loose Gala (and much nicer looking) cost 1.99 - go figure.

It also reminded me why I stopped shopping there...only 2 packs of nappies available in the size I wanted. A suburban Tesco with only 2 packs of size 5 nappies. Sheesh...other sections looked like a horde of rampaging rampagees had rampaged through them..

Victor

Igy, if Tesco can't comply with the law, why do they constantly make meaningless change in price? Surely if they did a little less +€0.01 one week and -€0.01 the next, it would reduce overheards & staff stress and increase compliance, competitiveness and customer satisfaction. Or is it just management keeping themselves in jobs?

Originally posted by parsi
rampaging rampagees

Surely you mean "rampaging rampagers"?

Gordon

slave1 - genius!

parsi

Originally posted by Victor
Surely you mean "rampaging rampagers"?

Well English as it is spoken in Cork is a rapidly evolving language...and I thought that rampagers might be a bit dead sounding..:D

MadsL

Well it is with a touch of sadness that I post this. The ODCA have finally investigated (18th August) and found only one item to be in breach of the regulations. They have decide to take no action.

I had a very nice conversation with one of the inspectors, and I will be watching the newspaper headlines - but in this case, the ODCA decided not to proceed with any prosecution.

One rather distrubing thing is though, that the inspector told me that they have decided not to apply the law (or feel that the law does not apply, depending on your perspective) where a multipack does not show a weight. NOW here's an odd piece of consumer 'protection';

So, A retailer HAS to show the per kilo price of, say, onions if they are sold loose. Put the very same onions into a net and don't mark a weight on it. Think of a number to sell it at. You do not have show the per kg price for this item, nor the weight. Or even provide weighing scales. The consumer has no idea what is the true cost of the onions or what they are being asked to pay for the 'convenience' of the pre-packaged item.

Personally, I'm off on me jollidays - and will have to suspend hostilities with Tescon (every little scam helps)TM
but I will be asking Mary to explain why the Irish govt and the ODCA are not applying this piece of the law, if a loophole exists and what steps they are taking to close it.

Victor

Was in Rathmines yesterday. Tesco Jaffa Cakes (12) and Tesco Value Jaffa Cakes (24) don't even have a weight on them, never mind unit price. Prices were obscured by those special offer signs.

Some brand of bread (didn't say brown or white) was advertised on a special offer sign for 79c. The actual price lables said something like 79c and €1.23.

MadsL

those special offer signs

has a specially designed, at a cost of thousands no doubt, hinge that allows the consumer to see any labelling information including the unit price underneath.

B*****cks say I. And so do the OCDA who reckon, but not using the words I did, that it should be printed on the special offer label anyway!

Victor

Originally posted by MadsL
has a specially designed, at a cost of thousands no doubt, hinge that allows the consumer to see any labelling information including the unit price underneath.

http://www.entemp.ie/tcmr/639of2002.htm

6. (1) A trader shall ensure that the indication of the selling price and where appropriate, the unit price of a product offered by him or her to consumers or to prospective consumers is -
(a) unambiguous, easily identifiable as referring to that product,
(b) clearly visible and legible to prospective customers, and
(c) in proximity to the product or, in the case of a product for sale by distance contract, to the description of the product.

parsi

Originally posted by MadsL
One rather distrubing thing is though, that the inspector told me that they have decided not to apply the law (or feel that the law does not apply, depending on your perspective) where a multipack does not show a weight. NOW here's an odd piece of consumer 'protection';

So, A retailer HAS to show the per kilo price of, say, onions if they are sold loose. Put the very same onions into a net and don't mark a weight on it. Think of a number to sell it at. You do not have show the per kg price for this item, nor the weight. Or even provide weighing scales. The consumer has no idea what is the true cost of the onions or what they are being asked to pay for the 'convenience' of the pre-packaged item.

What in the hell is the point of the legislation then ? Mammy Harney tells us all to shop around and then makes it difficult. These multipacks without weights are a pain especially now that most supermarkets have moved the weighing scales to the checkouts so you can't even check it out yourself..

bah...

Ste.phen

Originally posted by Victor
Igy, if Tesco can't comply with the law, why do they constantly make meaningless change in price? Surely if they did a little less +€0.01 one week and -€0.01 the next, it would reduce overheards & staff stress and increase compliance, competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

What's worse than the 1c price changes are the label "changes" with NO noticeable change. Even if the price is the same, the barcode's the same & the unit price is the same, someone has to go find the product, take down the old label, put up the new one, and stick the old one onto a sheet and mark it as changed.

Gets a bit tiresome after the first few dozen....

Or is it just management keeping themselves in jobs?

That's my theory anyways, though upper HO management probably dont know how or why prices get changed, merely that they send a memo and it gets done.

Victor

I made a bit of a scene in Lower Baggot Street today. After eventually finding the sugar (a staff member had been standing in front of it) I realised there was no SEL (Shelf Edge Label). I went to the checkout. It happened to be the one under the "No Quibble Guarantee" sign (if you are charged more at the till than the price on the shelf the product is free).

I asked that seeing as there was no label, was the product free of charge. The cashier said "no". I pointed out the above and the senior cashier suggested she check with "Helen", so she went off to check with "Helen" (I suspect the staff member who had been standing in front of the sugar). This dragged on for about three minute and she returned with a "supervisor" (Tescos appear no longer to employ managers in their stores while customers are present). Argument ensues where I accuse them of breaking the law and their own "no quibble guarantee" and them insisting they weren't and threatening to remove me from the premises. I left without my (the) sugar, but having made the point (not sure if it was accepted). When I asked for a manager, none was on duty. When I asked for the manager's name I was refused. When I asked for the "duty supervisor's" name I was told "Claire".

Will be writing a "nice" letter to Customer Services.

Ste.phen

Originally posted by Victor
"No Quibble Guarantee" sign (if you are charged more at the till than the price on the shelf the product is free).

Strictly speaking they were correct not to give you the sugar for free under the No Quibble Policy, as it applies only where you pay more than the SEL price.
If you notice it on the little LCD screen at a higher price, it doesnt count (as you haven't payed for it yet).

Sneaky, but that's the way it was explained to me.

Argument ensues where I accuse them of breaking the law and their own "no quibble guarantee" and them insisting they weren't and threatening to remove me from the premises.

That seems a little severe, perhaps someone pis5ed in the coffee that morning?

When I asked for a manager, none was on duty. When I asked for the manager's name I was refused. When I asked for the "duty supervisor's" name I was told "Claire".

Will be writing a "nice" letter to Customer Services.

Good idea, there's a chance you'll come out of it with a few gift vouchers and a grovelling apology.
Their refusal to give you the duty / store managers name is a little puzzling though, particularly since (in my experience) most Tesco stores have a board at the Customer Service desk with the names and Photos of the store manager, customer service manager, and trading managers.

*shrugs*

Victor

Originally posted by Igy
Their refusal to give you the duty / store managers name is a little puzzling though, particularly since (in my experience) most Tesco stores have a board at the Customer Service desk with the names and Photos of the store manager, customer service manager, and trading managers.

Lower Baggot Street is one of their smallest stores (shop floor at least) and doesn't have a proper CS desk (it's a phone and a public address system).

I actually suspect they had outside "people" (saw some suits checking out the refrigereated displays) in and didn't want me interfering.

spongebob

Which aisle in Baggot St. has the sugar with no SEL, lunchtime is coming and I fancy a Quibble with Tesco to work up a thirst

Sometimes you find sugar in more than one location in the store, it may be correctly labelled in its 'home' location, not that they are entitled to quibble about that are they? It is also the closest Tesco to Mary Harneys office ISTR.

M

Victor

Originally posted by Muck
Which aisle in Baggot St. has the sugar with no SEL, lunchtime is coming and I fancy a Quibble with Tesco to work up a thirst

It was in the booze aisle near the goods lift. There was a variety of different sugars. It was a standard 1kg packet of I believe Síucra. It scanned at €1.10.

They claimed they were printing a new SEL.

spongebob

Hmmmm

No manager and no SEL there either. I had to 'quibble' with a supervisor instead. I won't name her but she got herself in knots when I asked her (in a loud enough voice for everyone around to hear) to tell me what the "Tesco no Quibble" guarantee actually means ... it means fúck all but she wouldn't admit that .

She could not state the substance of the "Tesco no Quibble" at all, so I asked for someone who did know it. She could not find ANYBODY who knew it so i asked again for a manager. She could not find a manager so I gave her my mobile number and told her to tell a manager to ring me before 3 pm .

Tesco do not train their staff on when NOT to quibble, that what the "Tesco no Quibble" guarantee means. Every time you quibble about something else that they have done wrong they say no we didn't. The managers must have a really easy life in there seeing as they won't talk to anyone...especially a customer.

No phone call yet. I will name and shame if I do not get one before 3PM.

M

sceptre

Originally posted by Muck
No phone call yet. I will name and shame if I do not get one before 3PM.

Any call then?

dahamsta

This should really be in the Humour forum.

spongebob

manager did call with excuses , adamant that there is a SEL where the product is. (/me is no longer near Maggot St ).

Demanding to see the correct SEL, at the point where the item is for sale, seems to touch a managerial nerve somehow.

Who's turn is it to hassle Tesco in Maggot St. This time ?

M

Ste.phen

We could make a game of it I suppose?

As for the no quibble guarantee, there should be a large-ish wooden sign on the wall behind the checkouts (note that not all stores HAVE a wall behind the checkouts, but still...) stating it.

I'm not too sure of the wording, but it basically states that if you're charged more than the price on the shelf, you get a full refund and get to keep the item without argument (no quibbles)

Ste.phen

As a side note, around the time of the most recent VAT increase, I saw someone get a free Microwave out of the No Quibble thingy, the price went from 49.99 to 50.45 (I think).
SEL was replaced OK, but there was an A4 POS stating the old price.

Just something you may wish to keep a look out for. Particularly around the home entertainment section?

Victor

Originally posted by Victor
Tesco Jaffa Cakes (12) and Tesco Value Jaffa Cakes (24) don't even have a weight on them, never mind unit price.

They claim that because it includes the number of contents (12/24) it doesn't need weight. /me runs off to sell boxes of 10,000 Cornflakes. :rolleyes:

ednwireland

how about getting a bar code scanner for the palm pilot then you wouldn't have to go to the checkout to get a free basket of shopping !!!

dahamsta

Originally posted by ednwireland
how about getting a bar code scanner for the palm pilot then you wouldn't have to go to the checkout to get a free basket of shopping !!!

You still need to associate the barcodes with prices. You're not suggesting we hack into Tesco's system are you?

adam

Victor

Originally posted by dahamsta
You still need to associate the barcodes with prices. You're not suggesting we hack into Tesco's system are you?

In some of their stores (Lucan?) Superquinn actually give you the scanner (with database).

Of course the ODCA is entitled to demand their database from them.

dahamsta

I can't see them giving it up without a fight, that's pretty valuable information to them. Plus it'd be out of date the second it's out the door.

adam

Victor

Originally posted by dahamsta
I can't see them giving it up without a fight, that's pretty valuable information to them. Plus it'd be out of date the second it's out the door.

Sorry, they are only allowed the product name and price bit, not the stock quantity, purchase price blah, blah, blah bit. And if they got the database of an evening and stayed overnight in a shop (or use several people over a few hours), they could check everything.

dahamsta

It's still valuable info Victor, all of the supermarkets spend quite a lot of money simply sending people into their competitors stores to check prices. Getting it all in a nice big list would save them employing that person.

Of course we're talking about the ODCA here, who should be trusted with this information, but I still can't see a big operator giving it up without putting up a bit of a fight. Perhaps I'm missing the point though.

adam

parsi

I was in Tescos last night (Douglas) and Muller Corner Multipacks were on offer at 2.49 so I picked up the breakfast cereal variety and continued shopping.

It scanned at 3.25 and I told the cashier that it was wrong. He sent someone off to check and they said that it was 3.25 on the shelf as well. I pointed out that the sign was a big yello/red one and he went off to look and came back saying he couldn't see the sign.

I paid for the shopping and went back through the shop, took the sign off the shelf and went to customer services looking for a manager. The manager was called and meantime the person at the desk said... "oh is that sign still on the shelf"... "oh that offer ends on 12. October". Hmm...

Anyway the manager came, accepted the mistake, refunded money etc.. all in less than 1 minute.

arrrgghhh !