I purchased some bananas on Sunday, December 14, 2003, from a major supermarket in Sharjah, UAE. While opening this packet at home, we found a SMALL SNAKE (almost 0.5 mtrs long), dead and wound at the top part of the bunch.
Sheer breach of consumer rights!
This is the narration of a horrible event that happened to me recently. My intention is not to harm anyone, but
to present to the world about how a horrible situation passed by me.
I was a regular customer of a major supermarket chain in the
UAE. I purchased some bananas on Sunday, December 14, 2003, from this outlet. While opening this packet at home, we found a SMALL SNAKE (almost 0.5 mtrs long), dead and wound at the top part of the bunch.
Seeing this, my family members started vomiting and ultimately the sight comes to our mind making us lose control thereafter. My wife vomited the whole night, making it difficult to feed the newborn baby, and my aged mother-in-law almost fainted with high blood pressure.
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This is something crucial and intolerable, and totally unexpected from this
reputed chain of supermarkets. Just after the incident, I called up the
outlet and informed the matter. They reluctantly gave me the mobile number of
the Store Manager. He asked me to bring the stuff back to him the next morning. He
had nothing to comment, even when I said that I wanted to bring it to the attention of the Municipal authorities.
Meanwhile, I recorded the entire picture of the pack in the same condition, on my video camera, so as to maintain a proof of it.
I sent a complaint to the management of retail chain, the same night, by email and fax. I wanted to get a sufficient response from the management, as to how such a low level of quality control exists on a food item. I don't think
the issue of finding a snake on a food item is such a trivial thing to
discard. God knows how poisonous it can be, and the repercussions of this are unimaginable. I wanted to know their response, reaction and compensatory measures for the kind of trauma that I underwent in my home, after sighting this. I informed them, through the complaint that I am determined to take this issue forward for the sake of all for ensuring that this does not happen in future.
On unpleasant handling of the issue, the matter was taken to the
Municipality and also to the Consumer Protection Forum. CEO of the
supermarket chain met me, only to give threatening words and a
compensatory AED 100 voucher, which was returned back to them.
Ok. What am I debating here?
What are the points of disagreement?
How does this amount to breach of
consumer rights?
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My point is not strict on the
compensation part of the claim; but very sharp on reacting to the way it was
handled by the retail chain.
The CEO of the chain makes an
argument that, as the banana was chosen and given to the cash counter by myself,
they would not be responsible for the event of finding the snake.
Does this mean that they can sell anything? What does quality stand for? You pay little higher at
their outlets to get
comparatively better quality. Is this the assurance on quality? What if the snake was alive and bit a customer while choosing it?
The CEO of the chain says that the snake was dead and therefore, the event was harmless!
He is correct!. But he forgets that the snake was alive at the time of winding inside the banana bunch until it
died during handling or even later at the supermarket itself. You just cant say that the snake did not bite on the bananas!
And, what if I got the bananas after the dead snake got off it?
The retail chain management took the packet from me on the very next day of the event.
They however had to sign on the document that prepared, which states the situation of the packet handed over to them.
Also, they in their further correspondences agreed to the fact that there was a snake found in the packet
and they never disputed on the matter of whether there was a snake in it or not. However, when the case was
submitted to Health authorities, I was being asked why the packet was not given to the authorities, and that
they would not trust if I just put a point on this, despite the fact that I have documents from
the retail chain accepting the
fact.
Worst. I found that the retail chain was trying to twist the case by saying that I was intending for major
cash compensation on this.
Unreal!. Obviously, I would not have denied if they had compensated me with a statement accepting the fact finding
and assure customer faith and confidence.
At the end, my fight turned towards the basic claim of a customer!. To return the money I spend on the banana!.
The bananas were returned back and definitely the supermarket owes me that amount.
Unheard!. CEO spoke to me about challenging my job. After discussions, he sent a Dhs.100 gift voucher to me.
I declined to accept it.
I just wanted that Dhs.5.60 and not the Dhs.100! I deserve it, and nothing more!
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 Other Info :
Author : Tomy Varghese. Photographs retrieved from video source.
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