Grocery Shopping. Do You Carefully Inspect Seals?

Discussion in 'Shopping & Sales' started by Kitty Carmel, May 14, 2018.

  1. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
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    I do. I once purchased something and when I took the lid off at home the seal covering the jar was partially off and I don't think it was from me taking the lid off.

    Now I always take the cap off and check the seal underneath for peanut butter, mustard, ketchup etc. I also make sure the seal is still in place on jars for jams, pickles, things like that.

    If I notice a popped seal on a jar, I take it up to an employee. This has happened a couple of times. I'm concerned that someone may not look good enough and purchase and use the item.

    Do you do the same or is it just me?
     
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  2. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    @Kitty Carmel
    We are very careful that way, especially after learning how little some store owners/managers care. In Salem, MO, a family-owned supermarket we always frequented, had cottage cheese on sale at half-price. I looked through the entire display, and the "sell-by" dates of all were three weeks earlier! I took one to the Manager, pointing it out to him. He brusquely replied they KNOW the stock is past sell date, that's why it's priced at 1/2!

    Ever taste spoiled cottage cheese?
    Frank
     
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  3. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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    Watch out when buying cashews or mixed nuts. The seal might be broken and a handful removed. Sometimes the "mixed nuts" are pushing the shopping carts!;)
     
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  4. Holly Saunders

    Holly Saunders Supreme Member
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    Yes I'm pedantic about checking dates, and seals.
     
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  5. Patsy Faye

    Patsy Faye Supreme Member
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    Yes I do Kitty
    Recently bought a packet of pills, fortunately I checked the carton and there was only one strip of capsules inside instead of two
    told a worker
     
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  6. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I never check seals at the grocery store, and I have never had a problem with finding that the seal was broken when we opened it at home. The only thing that I check for expiration dates are things that have a short shelf life, like bread, or milk products.
    What i do always check, is the receipt , to make sure that I paid the correct price for everything and also that I wasn’t charged for more of the item than I actually purchased.
    The Kroger where I shop seems to be really bad for this, and I am always having to stand in the customer service lane to get the prices changed and the money refunded. Usually, they have an item on sale and charge full price when they overcharge me; but sometimes, I have found items on my receipt that i didn’t even purchase, and then the customer service people have to look through everything to make sure I really do not have that item.
    Kroger seems to be the main one that has this problem; but since I have learned to check everything there, now I always check the receipt at any store before I leave the store.
     
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  7. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    We don't check all seals, but do check expiration dates and have found some at Walmart there were definitely expired. Took to Customer Service and they acted like "so, it's expired" and then said "thank you".

    Bought one item, that, at one time, had a seal, but the manufacturer stopped doing the seals. When we got home and noticed no seal, we took the item back and found out that all of the same product on the shelf were without seals.

    We were told by a Walmart employee that it has been documented that some customers will open and unseal a product to taste it and then put the top cap back on and put back on the shelf. That's hard to believe, but it happens. The customer will look around to see if anyone is watching and do it. In some cases, Walmart Security will see them do this and call law enforcement. Actually, the customer is stealing part of the product and then returning to shelf. Walmart Security will detain a person, and some of Walmart's Security people are not to be messed with......tough people.
     
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  8. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I check expiration dates; in fact, that used to be part of what I did for a living. I am one of those obnoxious people who will sometimes reach to the back of the shelf for the stuff with the best expiration dates, particularly on stuff like milk and yogurt. I don't check to see that the inner seal is intact because I would worry that other shoppers or store staff might be concerned seeing a shopper remove the outer cap. We have, once or twice, brought something home to find that the inner cap had been broken. Since the store isn't that far away, we simply returned the item for a replacement.
     
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  9. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
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    I too will look at expiration dates depending on the item. Things go quickly at Trader Jo's and I don't worry about it much.

    I have wondered if someone doesn't like that I'm taking a screw top lid off a jar of peanut butter or mustard. But I put the lid back on and purchase the one I looked at so it's too bad I guess if someone doesn't like it.

    Like Ken stated some people might be doing a taste test. They have ruined the item and that is stealing in my opinion.
     
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  10. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    Most things that I buy come with a plastic seal around the outside of the lid. You have to manage somehow to get that off and then remove the inner seal. If it's in a box, that is sealed, too.
     
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  11. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
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    Yes, some things do have that outer seal. I find other items don't. If the outer seal is intact, then no problem.
     
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  12. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    Sometimes I wonder if all that is really necessary. If the box is sealed, it should be obvious that the product hasn't been tampered with.
     
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  13. Kitty Carmel

    Kitty Carmel Veteran Member
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    Since the time of the Tylenol poisonings, items have been progressively more sealed. I'm personally in favor of it.
     
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  14. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    I'm in favor of it, too, but three seals?
     
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  15. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
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    I use Baby Lotion, the pink stuff in the pink plastic container, not big-name, though, buy it at Dollar Tree. This stuff has NO seal, a screw on cap equipped with a small open-close lid.

    A malicious employee at the point of bottling, in the back room of a retail store, or even a customer buying a number of bottles, could easily slip some really dangerous stuff into some bottles, return it to the shelf surrepticiously, and likely get away with injuring children, or even old men!

    Some acid would do the trick, or maybe poison or pesticide.......but, heck, no one would seek to purposely hurt children, right?

    Frank
     
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