Woolworth No Return Policy for Change of Mind Purchases

Darayus on 18/09/2023 - 10:35
Last edited 18/09/2023 - 11:16 by 1 other user

My wife got soya sauce from WW shop and she noticed the next day that she already had one new in her pantry so she decided to return it back next day.

Went to WW with the receipt and requested for refund or voucher to use credit next time.

The bottle was intact and unopened.

The service desk refused to accept it back stating that it's not a WW policy to accept any grocery once sold unless there is some issue ie defect. When she asked when this policy has been in place, WW said since 2020.

I understand during COVID-19 WW and other grocery shops set this practice to limit people's hoarding the stuff and it was reasonable during that period, unfortunately, they continued this policy even post-COVID-19 covid and everything is fine.

Apparently, WW is becoming like another Qantas.

Have you experienced this or have you just ignored consumer rights and got accepted to big corporation bullying tactics?

thanks

Food & Grocery Soy Sauce

Related Stores

Woolworths
Woolworths

Comments

  • brendanm on 18/09/2023 - 10:36
    +366

    Hahaha went all the way back to Woolies because you already had soy sauce? Just leave it in there for when you use the other one, holy hell.

    • jv on 18/09/2023 - 11:43
      +19

      Also, they haven't accepted 'change of mind' returns for many years now…

      • EightImmortals on 18/09/2023 - 13:22
        +13

        True but they are jerks nevertheless, they refused a refund on a bunch of unopened dog food that I bought 2 days before but then my dog died.

        • Tleyx on 18/09/2023 - 14:10
          +50

          Donate it to an animal shelter.

        • callum9999 on 18/09/2023 - 14:28
          +30

          It would be nice if they did, but not doing so doesn't remotely make them "jerks".

          But sorry for your loss none-the-less.

        • vchar on 19/09/2023 - 10:03
          +1

          from my personal experience, it depends on your luck and who you are dealing with really. I successfully returned once after a second attempt at the same store.

      • DoctorCalculon on 18/09/2023 - 20:09
        +7

        They also stopped rainchecks for many years. But Coles still has them going.

        • DontNeedThis on 18/09/2023 - 22:18

          They've stopped rainchecks?

        • jv on 18/09/2023 - 23:44

          But Coles still has them going.

          Our doesn't…. It appears to vary store by store.

          • Yola on 19/09/2023 - 07:31
            +3

            @jv: All the Coles in my area have them. I think they did stop for a while during Covid but have been back for maybe a year. Woollies did the same but has not brought them back Scummy.

        • johnfuller on 21/09/2023 - 14:30

          they stopped it during covid because items went out of stock frequently and never brought it back

          • DoctorCalculon on 21/09/2023 - 16:08
            +1

            @johnfuller:

            they stopped it during covid because items went out of stock

            As did Coles around the same time when all the hoarding started. But Coles bought it back when supply chain returned back to normal later in the year.

    • Loopholio on 18/09/2023 - 21:14
      +5

      Yeah just keep it. It's massive salt content will keep it fresh for at least five years. Eight if you keep it in the fridge.

      • Munki on 19/09/2023 - 10:13
        +3

        Soy sauce in the fridge? Sacrilege.

        • Loopholio on 19/09/2023 - 18:43

          Huh, I've never thought about where I keep soy sauce. It takes me around.. three years to go though a bottle.

        • Fobsessive on 20/09/2023 - 10:21
          +3

          Soy sauce in the fridge is better for maintaining quality

        • eek on 20/09/2023 - 10:29

          Do you keep ketchup in the fridge? Mustard?

    • jayzee on 18/09/2023 - 23:47
      +12

      Was it because that OP's wife bought it at full price, but now they are half price. Lee Kum Kee Gold Label Soy Sauce $5.95

        • Munki on 19/09/2023 - 23:32

          That's just plain ignorance. China does have reputable brands as well.

          • milanoxpress on 20/09/2023 - 17:09
            -5

            @Munki: Haha golden here haha… got downvoted for not supporting ccp cr#p here in Ozbargain.
            Jee wiz at least tell me which prc products are reputable.
            I will include made in Taiwan to further aggravate loyal ccp undercover keyboard warriors here in Ozbargain.

            • dukeGR4 on 21/09/2023 - 10:24
              -2

              @milanoxpress: you got downvoted because you're an idiot for bringing politics into food, and not because people here are loyal to CCP.

              Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce is THE gold standard for Chinese cuisine, made in PRC.

              Korean or Japanese soy sauce are not the same. Use them for Korean or Japanese cuisine. The fact that you're even suggesting using Korean or Japanese soy sauce as alternative shows how little you know about Chinese food.

            • Munki on 21/09/2023 - 11:39

              @milanoxpress: Me pointing out your ignorance doesn't equate to me downvoting you. I'm sure people are downvoting you for the ridiculousness of your claims - not because they're all pro CCP.

              The Pearl River Bridge soy sauces are excellent. I personally use the Golden Label Superior Light for seasoning/flavouring and either the Mushroom Flavoured Superior Dark or Superior Dark for colouring.

    • dealsucker on 20/09/2023 - 18:48
      +3

      Seriously. It would have costed much more in time wasted and petrol and car wear and tear!

      • magic8ballgag on 21/09/2023 - 11:34

        Don't forget the unnecessary stress!

  • Settero on 18/09/2023 - 10:38
    +89

    Change of mind does not entitle you to a refund/return.

    Not sure what you are going on about consumer rights or how its bullying

    • AustriaBargain on 18/09/2023 - 12:18
      +8

      Yup. You are free to change your mind at any point, but they aren't obliged to refund or exchange. You just need to deal with the soya sauce you are stuck with.

  • jugsy on 18/09/2023 - 10:38
    +72

    "Apparently, WW is becoming like another Qantas" what a ridiculous sentence, this is nothing alike. You already spent more than the cost of the bottle in fuel, so cut your losses and leave it in the pantry til you need it

    • BillyG687 on 18/09/2023 - 19:33
      +11

      It's not like Soy Sauce has a shelf life of two days…surely this is a thought out troll forum post.

      • bmxr on 18/09/2023 - 20:17
        +7

        Troll post for sure. OP chastises other posters for not considering spending a minimum $1K a night AUD in the Maldives. Then spends however much personal wife's time going back to WW and gets sandy about a <$10 refund?

        • Name on 20/09/2023 - 13:15

          Sounds a bit like a DV/narcissistic situation. Like forcing wife to return something that is only a few dollars and shelf life of years as she didn't realise she already had it in the cupboard and then gets upset when she can't and starts blaming everyone.

    • CyberMurning on 18/09/2023 - 11:45
      +5

      my wife is faulty now but out of warranty period so i stuck :(

      • FutureTech on 18/09/2023 - 15:15

        Have you tried claiming your rights under the consumer law with the retailer?

      • capslock janitor on 18/09/2023 - 15:16
        +3

        put her out on the nature strip, i'll pickup adddy

  • mbck on 18/09/2023 - 10:41
    +9

    Oh no, anyways

  • Godric on 18/09/2023 - 10:41
    +2

    lol

  • bohn on 18/09/2023 - 10:44
    +1

    I've never had an issue returning things in the past to either coles or woolies without receipt.. but may not have done it since 2020.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 18/09/2023 - 10:45
    +13

    thats an outrage it is

    • Almost Banned on 18/09/2023 - 11:13
      +5

      Call the Prime Minister Jimothy.

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 18/09/2023 - 13:13
        +2

        Call Dennis Denuto. He'll be right with you after he sorts that printer.

      • bargaino on 18/09/2023 - 13:27
        +5

        Aye mate! What's the good word?

      • ThithLord on 19/09/2023 - 08:34
        +1

        Why would you call him Jimothy?

      • cktftw on 19/09/2023 - 08:35

        but does his son get Chairman's lounge access?

  • Ynk on 18/09/2023 - 10:48
    +12

    Can't really believe this is worth your time posting and asking about but a google search would have provided you the answers: https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/about-us/returns…

    No refunds/credits but they will exchange it for change of mind.

    Alternatively if it means that much to you, open it and say it tastes funny :P

    • bohn on 18/09/2023 - 11:14
      +3

      Alternatively if it means that much to you, open it and say it tastes funny :P

      hah .. yeah that is probably a way around it.

    • bamzero on 19/09/2023 - 11:14
      +1

      Yeh pretty much sums it up, no refunds anymore but they should have offered an exchange.

      Need for this post aside, it does kinda sh!t me when the staff doesn't know their own policy. Getting them to follow through on their voluntary participation in the scanning code of practice has always been a mission too (are they even part of it anymore or have they reneged on that one too, can't find anything online and haven't taken note lately if they still have it posted up at the service counter)

      Even ACL, I had one staff member try to tell me I need to return faulty items with all their packaging

    • bobbified on 18/09/2023 - 11:07
      +20

      Is it really a surprise that different countries have different rules?

      • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2023 - 11:10

        When in Rome ….

        • jv on 18/09/2023 - 11:49
          +2

          Buy sandals…

          • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2023 - 11:54
            +1

            @jv: lol - here we were blaming the Deutsche for wearing their Birks with socks when it was the Romans that started it all.

    • Almost Banned on 18/09/2023 - 11:15
      +10

      But even in the US/Europe they don't have to. However many do as a goodwill gesture - and so do some Australian stores.
      I don't think we want to get to the place where customers think they can make stupid demands of stores, insist they must speak to a manager, and they will always get their way.
      I certainly do not want that type of interaction becoming commonplace here.

    • MrHyde on 18/09/2023 - 11:17
      +15

      Why should businesses lose money for people's change of mind. At the end of the day, that will just lead to increased prices for everyone else as businesses factor in a higher percentage for returns.

      • frugalftw on 18/09/2023 - 13:57
        -3

        You don’t actually lose money on this though. I’ve made a lot of purchases from Bunnings because I know I can return them easily but never did. Some things you might really need to use it first to know if it works for you or your use case.

        • smalltime0 on 19/09/2023 - 10:09
          +3

          this is food though

          • frugalftw on 19/09/2023 - 10:48
            -3

            @smalltime0: Unopened food won’t be that big of an issue, would it? What does anyone have to gain from putting poison on something then seal it back? If by accident, say a child put some chemicals on a food item, the parent returns it without knowing, that’s one thing, then again that means the child would have access to unsafe chemicals at first place. What’s the baseline assumptions are you making about the person returning the food, really?

            • unwashed00 on 19/09/2023 - 11:04
              +4

              @frugalftw: Maybe cause food may need to be stored at some conditions, but the buyer left it out in the sun for the whole day, for example.

              • frugalftw on 19/09/2023 - 12:03
                -1

                @unwashed00: Right, that I can understand. Would be a shitty move for the person returning it tho? I still think most of us would not do it for $5.

            • smalltime0 on 19/09/2023 - 11:08
              +3

              @frugalftw: Its not like she got to the car and went "shit I got the wrong one, I meant to get oyster sauce"
              The OP's wife got it and realised the next day that they already had one.
              This is an issue of supply chain security

              • frugalftw on 19/09/2023 - 12:15
                -2

                @smalltime0: Or an issue of understanding humanity. The world isn’t made up of numbers, not everything is measurable. Being able to return things provides me with a sense of security knowing that I have an undo button. If you design systems that don’t allow humans to be humans, it’s arguable that you are actually serving humans.

                Would you save money? Potentially, if you believe returns only generate expenses. Would it improve the quality of life of your customers? No. Who do you ultimately work for? Aren’t customers the ones paying for your shareholders at the end of the day?

                Also, people from Scandinavian countries seem to be more open with returns, just an observation so far.

            • try2bhelpful on 19/09/2023 - 12:14
              -1

              @frugalftw: Nut jobs and people who want to extort money might contaminate a product. Would you like to take the risk? Would you, knowingly, select a food product labelled returned by customer?

              • frugalftw on 19/09/2023 - 12:20

                @try2bhelpful: I would if it’s unopened. And there’s no risk afaik. The manufacturers are far more concerned about product safety and storage these days.

                How do people extort money by contaminating a product then returning it to the shop? Can you give me an example case?

                  • frugalftw on 20/09/2023 - 07:45
                    -1

                    @try2bhelpful: So the first case tells you that nothing is safe buying from anywhere lol And the second case is not even remotely doable with single customers.

                    Also the world of 1982 and 1997 are vastly different from 2023, not to mention the huge difference between America and Australia.

                    You have to realise the people have evolved and it’s no longer the case that we are starving for food, especially in this country. People would tell you they are struggling, as always, it’s just and outdated perception. I can’t imagine holding these fears being healthy for anyone.

                    • try2bhelpful on 20/09/2023 - 08:12

                      @frugalftw: You asked if there were cases and I showed you that there have been cases of adulterating products and people trying to extort money from it. There were cases both in Australia and America.

                      Frankly I think it might even be a bigger issue now given the rise of the conspiracy theory nutjobs out there. I think you are naive if you think it won’t happen nowadays.

                      • frugalftw on 20/09/2023 - 10:12

                        @try2bhelpful: I asked for a scenario where it made sense for a customer to make a gain of sorts from returning food products. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.

                        Maybe I am naive, or maybe I choose to believe in the goodness in people and act accordingly.

                        Every single post on buying stuff from fb marketplace and gumtree is filled with scammer warnings, just as every gift card purchase I’ve made at Colesworths. I give and receive freebies on the secondhand markets all the time, including random food items lol Most recent was buying some $2 plants and the seller gave me a bunch of veggies for free. Does that raise an eyebrow for you? It not even packaged! All I’m trying to say is maybe you want to allow the possibility that strangers can be kind in your reality and perception, and watch how it transforms your life. But by all means, there’s nothing wrong with you being you as you are 😇

                        • try2bhelpful on 20/09/2023 - 10:45

                          @frugalftw: That is a different scenario. This is small potato interaction between a small number of people. There isn’t any money, nor a high profile example, to be made here. The reality is stuff like this that is returned to a Supermarket will never go back on the shelf because they would be worried about it being adulterated. As my examples show adulteration happens, even if it is small. If they returned a product that had been adulterated to the shelves the reputational damage would be enormous. I, suspect, you wouldn’t cop it if you were the victim. I certainly wouldn’t be happy.

                          For them to change a policy like that they must be getting a significant hit on the bottom line from it.

                • smalltime0 on 24/09/2023 - 08:37

                  @frugalftw: "no risk afaik"
                  genius thats called supply chain security

        • spaceflight on 19/09/2023 - 16:45

          You don’t actually lose money on this though

          You've clearly never seen what happens in retail.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 18/09/2023 - 11:24
      +25

      Slightly off-topic: living in Australia for 8 years, I'm still baffled by Aussies defending strict firearm laws. In the US and Europe, you can buy and carry nearly anything, even open carry! We're missing out, also on great police auction and deceased estate deals from gunshot victims (such as electronics, come on we all love a bargain!)

      • Switchblade88 on 18/09/2023 - 11:52
        +7

        Don't forget the reduced demand on schooling expenses.

      • Leiothrix on 19/09/2023 - 08:49

        Yeah, going outside should instill the fear of random death just like the USA.

        I'm not sure why people proritise having a silly toy over living.

        • OzBarAnon on 19/09/2023 - 10:42
          -2

          You say this as if the entire country has the same homicide issues, which is blatantly untrue. In Vermont, you don't even need a license to buy firearms, yet it has a lower homicide rate than here in Victoria.

          • Chandler on 20/09/2023 - 12:30

            @OzBarAnon:

            Location Population Density (per km²)
            Vermont 647,064 27
            Montpellier 8,074 300
            Victoria 6,704,300 29
            Melbourne 5,031,195 503

            Much lower population and at a lower density. 75% of Victoria's population is in Melbourne; 1.2% of Vermont's population is in Montpellier. Melbourne has 623 times the population of Montpellier, and almost 8 times the population of all of Vermont. At these sorts of size disparities, I wouldn't expect crime rates to be linearly comparable.

            It's like expecting a sleepy country town to have a comparable per capita crime rate to a huge city… oh wait!

            • OzBarAnon on 20/09/2023 - 21:49

              @Chandler: Singapore has a far higher pop density than Melbourne but a lower homicide rate. The reality that people like you can't quite seem to face is that the meme of "guns don't kill people, people do" is very much true. The removal of guns doesn't address the actual core of murder, which is obviously people wanting to kill each other to begin with. If I give you a gun, does that suddenly imbue you with homicidal desires that weren't previously there?

          • try2bhelpful on 20/09/2023 - 12:37
            +1

            @OzBarAnon: If you look at the stats the homicide rate per capita is the same between Victoria and Vermont. This is 2.2 per 100,000 people.

            The suicide rate in Vermont is 14.4 per 100,000 and it is 10.1 per 100,000 in Victoria. This is the other side of the equation with ready access to firearms. The suicide rates are higher.

            However Vermont is also considered the fourth lowest murder rate of any state in the USA. Victoria is the second highest state by population in Australia.

            The proof in the pudding would be a comparison of murders based on connections of the victims to organised crime. In Melbourne, at the moment, we have a bunch of criminals topping each other. As long as innocent people don’t get caught in the cross fire I suspect many of us see this as a positive thing.

            I can walk out of my door and the odds on me being threatened with a gun is miniscule. In America you are just never sure.

        • CommuterPolluter on 20/09/2023 - 12:14
          -1

          Live free or die. Guns aren’t dangerous, unscrupulous statisticians are.

          • try2bhelpful on 20/09/2023 - 12:25

            @CommuterPolluter: Ya mean guns don’t kill people bullets do.

          • Leiothrix on 20/09/2023 - 12:30

            @CommuterPolluter: Guns aren't dangerous, but the average idiot wandering around with one is.

            From what I can tell Australia has less than one mass shooting per year, USA has more than one per day.

            Very few people actually have the need for a gun. The rest just want a toy.

            • CommuterPolluter on 20/09/2023 - 12:41

              @Leiothrix: Australia also doesn’t have the massive overprescribing of SSRIs that is commonplace in the USA. USA and New Zealand are the only nations which allow direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. Every major school shooter has been jacked up on prescription medication.

      • Hangryuman on 19/09/2023 - 10:23
        -2

        'In the US and Europe, you can buy and carry nearly anything, even open carry!'

        assuming you mean guns I suspect you are confabulating the US failure to control firearms to the extent that mass school shootings were occurring weekly last I looked, with some European country like Switzerland's expectation that citizens owns guns to defend their country if necessary (as worked in WWII)

        I would find it very strange and have never heard of Europeans swaggering around with pistols in their pockets - I expect there are a whole lot more requirements before someone can walk into a gun store and buy a pistol to 'open carry' in public.

        If you have evidence that you can easily buy with minimal background checks, and 'open carry' in most European countries, please provide - otherwise I'm not buying your story.

      • try2bhelpful on 18/09/2023 - 12:47
        +27

        No, we just don’t have an oversized sense of entitlement. We expect people to have some sense of self responsibility. Grocery prices are expensive enough without this sort of nonsense. The amount of effort to try to return one lot of Soy Sauce is amazing. Some of us are grown ups. We read return the T&Cs before we buy things.

        We also think people going online to have a rant about this as entertainment. It makes us feel better about our own emotional intelligence.

      • ripesashimi on 18/09/2023 - 19:47
        +2

        Or they want to protect themselves from crazy fellas who want to tamper soy sauce. Who wants second-hand soy sauce? You dont touch my food.

    • Protractor on 18/09/2023 - 12:47
      +4

      I hear that Euros and Yanks check their pantry before publicly shaming themselves and their families,online, though.

    • vicerum on 18/09/2023 - 12:58
      +3

      Slightly off-topic: living in Australia for 8 years, I'm still baffled by Aussies putting up with magpies swooping. In the US and Europe, you can laugh at birds and give them the finger, even throw them bread, they won't swoop! We're missing out, also on great number of injuries and maybe deaths from magpie swoops (such as pecked eyes, come on we all love animals!)

      • BluebirdV on 20/09/2023 - 10:35

        I copped a peck below my ear the other day. Still love these amazing birds defending their nests.

        • try2bhelpful on 20/09/2023 - 10:46
          +1

          Apparently hats with fake eyes on the back are meant to help.

    • qaz182 on 18/09/2023 - 17:58
      +1

      In the US so many business list prices that don't include taxes so you end up paying (sometimes much) more than you thought you would. So I guess there are advantages and disadvantages everywhere.

        • greatlamp on 19/09/2023 - 08:16

          Are you trying to defend this ridiculous practice?

          Price tickets don't get shipped from national HQ, different stores can have different prices, let alone different states.

    • Breno785au on 18/09/2023 - 19:37
      +1

      Def wouldn't go for open bottle soy sauce bargain

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