My fiancé and I are big Aldi fans, and have happily converted many friends. Although the Altamonte Springs Aldi has a better layout and selection, the Casselberry Aldi is more convenient--so we tend to wind up there. (IMO, New Smyrna's is hands-down the best in Central Florida.)
Until recently, we haven't had issues with quality, but in these COVID-19 months we've had a string of them from the Casselberry location. Including: hazelnut spread missing its protective seal; moldy Swiss cheese (unopened, and months before the sell-by date); romaine lettuce that rotted a week before the sell-by date; and, most recently, sealed, unopened hummus that went rancid several weeks before the sell-by date.
Fortunately, Aldi has a fantastic quality guarantee and return policy--which is "twice as nice" for applicable Aldi products. It states: "If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with the quality of any product, we will gladly replace the product AND refund your money." (www.aldi.us/en/about-aldi/return-policy/)
So today, with receipt in hand, I tried to get the replacement and refund for the rancid hummus (which sported the Aldi "twice as nice" branding on the side of container). The check-out staff member asked if I had used it, and I pointed out the bulging-but-intact plastic seal and said I hadn't, but it had clearly gone bad. The staff member said I could replace the hummus, but it didn't qualify for refund part of the "Twice as Nice" guarantee--because the guarantee is only for products that had been opened and tasted. The staff member cheerfully explained this was meant to encourage customers to try new products. (And replace and refund with no $ loss if undesired.) I said I appreciated this generous business practice, but the "Twice as Nice" policy on the website clearly states replacement and refund "for any reason." The staff member told me it didn't, I said I was pretty sure it did, they told me it didn't, and so on--until I offered to open the hummus and pretend I had tasted it in order to get the refund. The staff member then humored me and gave me the full "twice as nice" replacement and refund.
So it ended well for me, but I remain annoyed that the staff member wasn't fully educated about Aldi's gold-star quality guarantee. (I have a long career in public relations and perhaps I get more frustrated than other shoppers by things like this.)
This interaction isn't going to stop my fiancé and I from shopping at Aldi, or even dissuade us from this Aldi location, but I disliked being put in the position of having to argue about a return policy that Aldi widely touts--and about which I knew more than an employee. However, I do appreciate that the staff member was polite and cheerful throughout.
TL;DR: Aldi needs to better educate staff about its fabulous return policy. read more