Reason 19,614 why you SHOULDN'T buy crap.

UPDATE!!!! (23.10.08)

A couple of things. Firstly, I just received a call from the lovely Ria, from 7 Eleven. And yes, she apologised for the situation, particularly in my not having received a call before. Here's the thing. Because I reported the issue as a "past its use-by"complaint, it was dealt with as a stock rotation issue. And here's where I buggered up. As the luscious and canny Vida says in the comments section of this post, the youghurt was NOT a month past its use by. That big date in the photo? That's the date the product was packed. The youghurts use-by date was actually 09.10.08, the date it was purchased. So the youghurt wasn't out of warranty (just). I still reckon it's a bit bloody confusing, but I admit, I had my facts wrong.

It was however, still mouldy, so Ria will now be investigating the issue as a production problem.

I was offered a sincere apology (Did the lovely Ria know of my prediliction for a Scottish accent?? *le swoon**), some compo (err... not in the form of any foodstuffs, BTW!), and all is right in pg's little world.

And the funny thing?

Ria didn't follow up because of the original complaint. She followed up because "someone" alerted her to this post. ;)

Just more fuel for my permanent encampment on the Grassy Knoll **insert slighty nervous of Big Brother icon**






Ok, it's no justification, but I'm going to try anyway.

Life has been crazy busy. Crazy busy like I haven't had a day off in 26 weeks busy. Busy like sitting in the driveway, in the car, in tears, not wanting to come to work busy.

Hence that lack of posts over the past month. It's been the end of a very long and grueling professional crisis. That unfortunately spilled over into my real life. And affected my time and desire to blog.

So, it's all coming to an end soon, and Furry and I will FINALLY have some time off. In which we're going to recharge, fall in love again.. with food and life and each other. And hopefully, I will return from my 2 weeks in Merimbula with photos and blog posts galore.

So, to heart of this post.

With all the above going on, Furry has been shouldering most of the cooking at The House of Fur and Purple Love. And despite him conjuring up some AWESOME food, I just haven't had the wherewithal to photograph anything and plan posts. It also translates to a complete lack of interest in food. And believe me, when that happens to me, I am sick. Very VERY sick. So early on Thurday 9th Oct, I had once again forgotten lunch and decided to drop by a 7-Eleven and pick up something.

Berry yoghurt. Doesn't look too bad, does it? Sorta healthy. Better than a pie, right? Or one of their sammies that was probably put together some time last Millennium?

Newp. Wrong. None of the above. I purchase it, drive to the office, whack it in the fridge, get it out at lunch time and notice:

The use by date.

Check my dates again. I purchased this yoghurt at 7.25 on 9th Oct. That means it was exactly ONE MONTH past its use-by date. And see that weird looking discoloration on the right hand side??

Yup, you guessed it. Despite the seal being intact, THIS is what greeted me in my lunch.

Now, as well as being stressed at work and giving up smoking, I've got me a useless frickin' mouldy lunch, that has stunk out my office with the vilest odour you can imagine.

So I call 7-Eleven head office and complain. Someone tells me that someone else will get back to me. The day wears on, and no phone call. So I ring the local city council, who come and take offending yoghurt away, promise to look into the issue and get back to me.

And maybe cause I am currently a pre-menstrual, nicotene-deprived middle aged woman prone to ranting, but here's the thing.

AS OF TODAY, Tuesday 21st Oct, NO-ONE HAS.

I recieved one call on the Friday after this incident, where someone with an inteligible accent, from 7Eleven rang and took my name, my number, and where I bought the yoghurt. (The 7Eleven at 792-806 Heatherton Road Springvale 03 9562 3123, if anyone is interested). But no apology, no offer of a refund... NOTHING!!!

Not so much as a "By your leave". And no feed back from the Council, either.

But here's the thing that pisses me off. Not only were 7Eleven selling goods outside their use by date, not one single person from that organisation has apologised.

I'm not interested in a refund, I want someone to say "Oh, I am terribly sorry that happened, Ms Hall, and we've discovered a glitch in the store's checking of stock, and it has now been fixed. Thank you so much for bringing it to our attention"

And WHY does that make me feel so pissy? (apart from the stress and the nicotene withdrawl)?

COS IT MAKES ME FEEL OLD.

Cos I find myself saying "In my day........." and wondering when basic human courtesy slipped away.

Cos I wold like to believe that a tub of youghurt ONE MONTH past its use by date is a once-off thing, and an honest mistake, but I find myself muttering into my twin sets, that it was more likely a grab for a fast buck ("Hell, no-one will notice, and it's still sealed, she'll be ok, mate!")

Cos of ALL the things I DON'T need right at this minute, is to feel like a GRUMPY OLD WOMAN.

And when a tub of, albeit it, mouldy youghurt makes me feel more righteous than Germaine Greer on Day 3, with a chocolate jones, then I KNOW it's time to get some down time.

Bah Humbug.

pg will be away from Fri 24th Oct to Mon 10th Nov. She will attempt not to bite the heads of small children, should they act like screaming gibbons in her presence, for the duration of her holiday. She will also attempt to "go to her happy place" should she encounter any Green P Plate drivers in Supra's with Remus exhausts, blaring out ooonce ooonce music, during the drive.