I usually don't take it back, but I call and let them know. Once I bought a rotisserie chicken and it was pretty raw inside. I was going to use the chicken for soup so I didn't have to throw it away, but I called them to let them know and the store sent me a gift card.

This has happened to me several times at our grocery, especially with salad greens. I love the baby super greens that come in bags and clamshells, but sadly sometimes the outside looks fine while the inside is slimy. I must confess, though, sometimes I am too lazy to return to the store in the same day.

I have definitely done this! If I buy something that is off, like a container of milk, I return it promptly to the store. I have even returned some fresh broccoli that I bought that was just crawling with bugs! Or a mango that looked yummy but was brown and rotten inside. In these instances I feel like the store was responsible and if they guarantee fresh good food, it's their responsibility to provide it. I don't return things often though and the employees at my local store know me well and know that I won't return something unless there was a legitimate problem with it. However, if I buy something and am just unhappy with it I chalk it up to lesson learned but will occassionally call the company. Especially if the product says "compare to..." and it doesn't measure up, I'll call about it and let them know. Sometimes I recieve coupons in return but generally they don't get used!!

Twice. First time, was moldy cheese. In the dead of winter, I order from Peapod so I didn't pick the cheese out myself. They quickly refund the price of the cheese. The second time was for a bag of rotten carrots. I now live a 1/2 a block form my store, so it wasn't a big deal.

I once bought a package of string cheese that turned out to be past its sell-by date, and tasted that way, when I got it home. It wasn't my usual grocery store, and I wasn't planning on going near the store, but called to let them know. They offered to refund me, but I didn't really want to go all the way back, so I just threw it away. I also emailed the company that produced the product, and got a very short, rude response, about how they urge consumers to look at the sell-by date before purchasing, and they urge the stores to check shelves for expired product. Not even an apology for the fact that I had eaten bad cheese.

Twice now I've gotten bell peppers from the store that were moldy inside (but looked fine on the outside). Since they were inexpensive I just chucked them.

Yes, I have. I bought a bar of chocolate and when we unwrapped it at home it was full of tiny worms. Blergh! The costumer service clerk asked if I wanted another bar. No, thank you, I'll take my money back and go.

I found lots of live bugs inside a container of dried chili peppers once. Needed for a recipe to returned them and exchanged for a different brand.

I bought one of those Trader Joe's prepackaged lunch salads on a break from work. When I took the first bite (it was a caprese salad), the mozzarella was DEFINITELY rancid. Wish I had smelled it first!! Sell-by date was also in the future. I brought it back- my work was next door- and they kindly switched it out. No caprese salad that time though. Yuck. Now every time I see any of those TJ's salads, I feel a little queasy.

I think at least letting the store know is important. I've done this with bad premade sandwich at Trader Joes and raw chicken that had a strong odor. They prefer that you keep the packaging or note the code or lot number that gives them information to know what they should pull from the shelves.

I found flies inside a sealed bag of salad mix. The store manager practically fell over himself trying to apologize and seemed mightily relieved when I told him I don't mind, I know it's not his fault, I just want a clean bag of salad :)

My local grocery recently expanded its cheese section. It's gorgeous. They offer samples and recipes along with their wide variety, and I just love it. I did purchase some curd from them (I miss good, squeaky curd from WI almost as much as I miss my family there) and halfway through the bag I got a nasty one. Shook the rest out and the rest of them were fuzzy and blue. It was well before its "sell by" date, so I returned it the next day. They were gracious and apologetic, and in subsequent purchases I spend a moment shaking the bag around so I can see that the curds aren't growing that punk rock 'do.

I've picked up bad products a few times, but I'm always to lazy/busy to return them. The few dollars I would get refunded isn't worth the time it would take to go back to the store, especially during the dead of a Wisconsin winter.

I was recently employed at a specialty grocery store, and your predicament is not unusual. Lots of product in specialty shops are not loaded with preservatives, so they will spoil more quickly then sometimes the manufacturers even realize. However this does not rule out the possibility of improper handling or storage by the distributer or store. Anyhoo, I (working as a cashier) preformed A LOT of returns, on everything from meat, dairy, and canned goods. Pretty much everything can be returned, and is. So I would never feel bad about returning an item. Really it's all about customer satisfaction and service. If a store accepts returns (especially on spoiled products) customers feel they are being taken care of, and they will return to the store to buy more items.

I have definitely done this. If it was bad, or something was wrong with it. I've only returned stuff I didn't like at Trader Joes, they are really awesome about that. Its sad to take a gamble sometimes and end up with yuck.

I bought soy milk at Trader Joe's and when I went to open it, the inside seal was missing. I took it back -they were super nice about it and just gave me cash back.

One more thing. If you just purchased a spoiled product it is imperative to call the store immediately, so the store staff can pull bad products off the shelf. This helps the store and fellow customers from having a bad experience.

Yes, I have returned moldy (eek) Veggie Meatballs to Market Basket and they did not give me any hassle.
I wouldn't try to return food without a receipt, though.

Returning unsatisfactory products gives useful feedback to the store and food companies. I once opened a can labeled carrots and found string beans inside!

I have returned products if there is something wrong, e.g. gone bad, contained foreign elements, still on shelf after sell-by date (yeah, I should have checked first), etc. I've never experienced a problem getting my money back.

I always return defective products. It's not only $3 or $4 on cheese because it's my money being wasted on cheese I didn't even get, and I would have to replace it. Then it's $6 or $8. I have returned anything moldy and that had a broken seal.

I returned a package of two chickens to Costco (counts, right?). I felt bad because they immediately chucked it, but my roommate was buying that trip and had accidentally bought the organic chicken ($30) instead of the regular ($10) for my dog. $20 buys a lot of chicken.

I always try to take something back. The store management needs to know that there's a problem...a potentially big problem...with food that's spoiled or damaged in some way and get it off the shelves.

We recently purchased some grated parm from the cheese section of a local chain. When I got it home, it smelled off and some of it in the middle was really moldy. It was well before the sell by date. We took it back and the manager checked others from that brand and they were similar to ours. Whether you take it back or not, I think it's good to notify the store, so they can check their shelves (and if it's a chain notify other stores to check theirs).

Yes. I bought almond butter from Trader Joe's and when I got home and opened it up I found that the seal was bad. Exchanging it for another jar on my next trip was no hassle.

Meanwhile, at the big regional chain supermarket around the corner from me, I found a container of cheese that was moldy and I didn't see any employees around, so I dropped it off at customer service on my way to the checkout. I didn't want some less observant customer to accidentally buy it. The woman working the counter looked really angry with me for making her walk 8 feet from her desk to deal with it. I don't look forward to the day that I actually have to return something, but there's a better grocery store being built across the street this year so hopefully I can stop going there.

Kosher chicken. Couple times in NYC from fairway uws and key foods in Washington heights and once from trader joes in bala cynwyd pa.
Gotta smell that stuff before buying, nothing is worse to me than spoiled meat.
Depends on the produce, usually I just chuck it since its hard to determine if something is bad on the inside.

Yup, but only a couple times. Once I got a package of tortillas at Whole Foods that turned out to be moldy. Another time I bought 2 boxes of puff pastry at Trader Joe's. I used one box, and it just...sucked. :P (Stick to Pepperidge Farm or Dufour.) I was told that you can take back any TJs product you're unsatisfied with, so I returned the remaining package. They gave me a store credit for BOTH boxes, which I thought was really nice.

It depends. I bought a cold noodle salad at Safeway once to take on the plane that was way past it's sell by date, so I had to go back to get something to replace it anyway, and I returned a moldy tub of hummus to Whole Foods because it was expensive. I've gotten chunky milk a couple times from a certain Lucky nearby and called them because both times it was in the morning and I didn't have time to stop on my way to work. If I have to get milk there now I reach for the ones in the way back.

Only once. I specifically made a trip to the store to buy milk for something I was baking. Of course I found out at the worst possible moment that the inside seal was broken and even though it was well before the expiration date, it was spoiled.

Fortunately a watered down version of half-and-half saved the day.

All the time! My most returned items are whole foods brand organic milk (spoiled), whole foods brand mozzarella (rancid... twice! I'll never by it again), and Trader Joe's bagged arugula (mushy). The first thing I ever returned was a pork tenderloin from TJs that had definitely gone bad. Thankfully, I live less than a mile from these store. I never get any guff about my returns.

Always return something, or at least give a call, just so the store knows that it needs to check its product. I'll often tell an employee that a bunch of their stuff is past code if I run into that situation.

Things I have returned? Chunky milk, moldy yogurt, funky smelling meat, buggy veg. If i just don't like something, I won't return it unless it's Costco ;) -- they take everything back.

Several times. I accidentally bought expired bacon and mustard, so returned for non-expired versions. The bacon got me double my money back. In December I returned a whole bunch of chocolate that I ended up not needing, the lady at the counter gave me a weird look which I thought was unnessecary- they were still wrapped, it was 3 days after I'd bought them, and it was $15 worth of chocolate that would just sit in my cabinet for a year otherwise.

The worst incident was having to return a whole chicken that, upon opening the plastic, smelled god-awful. Having to find a container to return it in was a challenge, and the store also gave me double my money back.

The first time I bought a jug of milk with a two week ahead sell-by date, I was needing it for a recipe. Fortunately, I poured the milk into a measuring cup instead of eyeing it. During the pour, the milk stringed out. Had the receipt, and full bottle and drove straight back to the store. After dealing with a well-meaning peon at Customer Service, finally got the Manager who could actually refund/swap out the milk. Since that happened multiple times with the milk, when they even had it, over the next few months, I quit shopping at the store.
The most recent spoilage issues was with a new local brand store. Store-branded crudite box had slimed carrots, tomatoes, peapods, and jicama. I didn't bother returning or calling. Massive hassle to park anywhere near the store, and get into the store because it was still in the Grand Opening phase of life. Another massive line to pay out, and no obvious customer service area. Had already decided that store was not worth my time or money.
I currently live in an area with 8 other major chain stores, avoiding one is no big deal.
Yes, I was wanting to make things better for the other customers with the milk issues, but the store for whatever reason didn't care.
With the prices of food now, I will always return just for the swap option, if I trust the other shelf items.

I always return spoiled food or items with damaged packaging. If can't get back to the store right away, I call the store manager so he can at least check the stock & tell him I'll stop by for an exchange the following day after work. Never had a problem

I always return bad product. Even if I just don't like it. All of the stores in my area are 100% satisfaction for quality or taste and accept returns for any reason.

Most stores want you to return bad items and replace or refund it. If the problem is in store, they want to fix it; if the problem is with the purveyors, they may want to change. Groceries are huge business and they do factor in losses due to returns/refunds so don't ever feel guilty. It's your money and your health that's at risk.

My sweet, sweet husband made soup for me a couple of nights ago. It smelled so good when I got home. The finishing touch was to be some heavy cream. As I was changing out of my work clothes he called out "Is heavy cream supposed to come out in lumps?" Despite a sell-by date in March, the cream was spoiled and the addition of it ruined about $25 worth of ingredients that went into the soup. Not to mention the cost of dinner out that evening. He intended on going back to the store today to try to get some of his $ back.

If something's bad, I'll return in. However, I'm vegan and occasionally I'll buy an item I think is vegan (or was the last time I bought it) and upon returning home I'll realize that it's not (sometimes companies change the recipes). Since I live alone, there's no reason for me to have the product anymore, so I return it if I haven't opened the container yet. Most places are really nice about my returning unopened food--they can just put it back on the shelves.

I found that my former and next-door grocery store often sold borderline or icky foods, especially fresh (read: not-fresh) produce. I definitely called to speak with the manage to let them know. Sometimes I brought back the item. Finally, I just stopped going. I pay a pretty $ now for my groceries, but I'm almost always confident that I won't be buying duds.

I've never returned anything to a grocery store (and I probably never would), but reading the comments reminds me of the few times I have written to a company to complain about something (once, mold in a sealed container, once a completely new recipe without noting the change on the package). They both offered to send a coupon (only one actually got to me, but I probably wouldn't have used the other anyway on account of not liking the new recipe).

I bought some stone crab claws a few months ago at the grocery store. Brought them home and into the fridge right away. Went to take them out a few hours later and the smell that came out of the bag was horrific...they were obviously bad. I did bag them up and brought them back the next day. The lady that did the refund was almost puking as soon as I pulled the bag out...full refund, no questions asked.

I always return products that are spoiled, but with the nearest supermarket 30 miles away, I usually call to inform the store and ask if they want me to keep the item or just the packaging until I return to the store in about two weeks. They usually just want me to keep the label to return. Thank heavens, cause bad chicken is really repulsive. If I just don't like the product and it's a national brand, I call the company. Did just that today with some instant oatmeal that was so salty I couldn't eat it. They were a little touchy about it, but will send full price coupons for the FOUR boxes involved.

I always buy salad in bulk at whole foods, and once I found a dead grasshopper in the arugula bin. I took it out, put it in a bag and went over to the produce manager to let him know.. I still buy bulk salad, but I make sure to be extra vigilant as to what I'm putting in my bag. I also get boxed organic spinach on occasion from Earthbound. I found a grasshopper once and huge, bright green praying mantis another time.. I took them out and used the spinach anyway. Honestly with large scale organic operations, it's bound to happen...

I saw a news story on the Today show about some refrigerated trucks not being cooled at the proper temperature. I often wonder if that is the reason why some food turns out that way because of it, especially in the summer.

Yeah, I've had a range of unusable items from various stores. Depending on my schedule and/or mood I toss or return. If it's a smaller or independent business I usually call to let them know.

One time I got a sealed clamshell container of shredded coconut marked with the weight at 8 oz (exactly the amount I was missing to complete the recipe) but when I put the container on my scale it was only 5 oz, clamshell included, so no way was there 8 oz inside the container. I felt super cheated!! That's the only time I walked right out of the house and went straight back to the store.

But god, reading through all these comments is a queasy adventure.

If it's something like wine, then, yes. The whole batch could be affected, and the store should know about it. Fruit often spoils before the 'use by' date, but I don't tend to return it as I feel it's partly my fault for letting it sit around in a warm kitchen. I'm quite careful to consume meat on the day of purchase, so I rarely have a problem. Recently, though, I bought a whole organic chicken that had the faintest smell - barely noticeable, and it was still well within the 'use by' date, but I am quite fussy about meat. I ended up roasting it for the cats as it felt wrong to return a chicken, knowing it would be tossed in the rubbish.

Yes, I always try to return something that is bad. Most grocery stores are just fine about this.

I've returned things if I planned to use them and never did. **cheap** LOL

Yep... returned a box of frozen chicken breasts once... They cooked weird and tasted horrible. The store was super chill about it and refunded my money without asking any questions.

Oh, and I also bought a bag of grapes without checking them over and they were covered in tarantula webs when I went to eat them. I threw those out, but now I check the grapes over really well first.

On 3 separate occasions I bought cream from the supermarket only to discover it was hideously spoiled. Date showed it was nowhere near expired. I did not return any of them but was seriously ticked off. Shame on me for letting it go and I suppose also for supporting an incompetent chain in the first place. I think it must have been the "semi-refrigerated" section that did it in. Either that or they lied about the date.

Oh ps I also discovered grain flies in some cereal that I bought, although in all homes I think those critters are cute (although I surrendered the cereal to the birds).

I wondered too does the store absolutely require you bring the receipt? I often refuse one because it's extremely rare I'm unhappy with my groceries and the receipt is nasty wasteful BPA.

Pfffffft! "In all homes" should have read "in all honesty". Thanks again, autocorrect!

Twice. Once rancid potato chips--I'd already popped one in my mouth before the smell hit me, & had to brush my teeth for about 5 minutes to get the taste out. I didn't have a receipt, but the cashier remembered me & did an exchange. Once a piece of metal in a local chain's (excellent) baked-in-store bagels that almost had the manager crawling on the floor in shame. I finally had to say, "I'm not hurt. I'm not angry. I'm not going to sue. Just give me another bag & go check your machinery for missing bits".

I return anything that isn't what it's supposed to be (old, gross, etc.), and the customer service people are always pleasant. I usually wait until I'm headed back to the store anyway, though. I don't make a special trip to do it.

I think it's okay to return whatever you're having a problem with. If nothing else, at least the store knows something is wrong with a product on their shelves.

Only once I trudged into my local (luckily 24 hour) super market at about 2 am to return a bunch of bad chicken - i had bought about 8 lbs of chicken thighs for a large dinner party the next night and was about to get them marinating before i went to bed and when i opened the package you wouldn't believe the smell. The store replaced it.

Even though the grocery is just a few blocks away I wont head back immediately unless I absolutely have to. It doesnt hurt to give them a call and let them know the problem tho as soon as you know it, usually they will offer a replacement on your next visit.

I have had lots of problems with Trader Joe's cheeses - the good stuff, like St. Andre. I think whoever does the packaging for them (I don't know if it's done in-store, or what) doesn't follow properhandling practices. I try to do my shopping at TJ's 2 or 3 weeks before holidays to avoid the crowd - I always check the date on the cheeses to make sure it is after whenever I plan on using it, and I swear half the time the cheese gets moldy before I ever open it, and then I have to make a trip back to TJ's during the holiday crowds to replace it. They are always very good about taking it back, but it happens enough that I think they should be rethinking their packaging procedures.

I've done this with tons of stuff at Trader Joe's and Fairway, and they don't even blink.

I've returned lots of food to the store. Mouldy figs, rotten chicken, wormy chocolate. But one return was my mistake entirely. I'd opened a bottle of drinking yoghurt, when I realised the seal was broken. There had actually been an incident at that chain of stores where someone had poisoned some goods on a shelf. So with that fresh in my mind, I returned the bottle for an unopened one. When I opened it at home, I saw that it had a different kind of seal than I thought it had and the other one had actually been fine. I did feel a bit silly about returning a perfectly good bottle of yoghurt, but better safe than sorry.

My mother once bought a package of pepperoni from the grocery store and put it in the refrigerator. I immediately grabbed the package, and took a good look in the clear window and noticed that the pepperoni was green. I showed my mother, and she returned it the next day for a new package, no hassle whatsoever. My mother was very glad that I was paying attention.

I've returned all kinds of stuff! Moldy cheese cheddar that's best before date was weeks away, a package of cookies that was already expired when I bought it, a jar of olives with a broken seal, etc. My roommate one returned a half-eaten box of mint chocolate chip ice cream because she didn't think it had enough chocolate chips. (She was right.) They apologized and gave her a new one on the spot, no questions asked.

This happened to me once and it was one of the most disturbing experiences of my life. About the only time I've ever been genuinely put off my food. I couldn't eat chocolate for a week afterwards, which is a big deal for me!

I am genuinely shocked by all the reports here. Fortunately I have never had an experience like that and a quick poll of friends found they hadn't either. Different food laws maybe?

Wilted greens or a bad food are not always the fault of a market and when you return those things think of the sheer amount of energy it took to get that food to you. Perfect food isn't manufactured and sometimes we throw out more good food just out of pure fussiness. And water that has a sell by date? Are we crazy? I once watched a man paw through a stack of cookies looking for the best date! Those numbers are sell by dates not spoilage predictors.We throw cans of food away and loaves of bread because of those numbers. Think of the sheer waste we contribute to- there are many whose lives might be changed if they had a portion of what we deem unfit. I speak not of rotten food but that which is defined by some legal guesstimate. I urge you to donate food to a shelter before that date if you see that you will have no use for it. Thanks.

Just recently, I got home with some milk, only to realize that the seal wasn't intact and the milk inside was rancid. I'm typically pretty good about checking the sell-by date (and had in this instance), but now I will also be paying closer attention to the seal! I took it back to my store, and they very graciously gave me a refund. The cashier also mentioned that she had recently had an issue with the same brand of milk, though different fat content. I was so glad I returned it. Not only did I get back the cost of my pricey organic milk, but I also learned that the brand I had been buying had quality issues beyond my experience!