We are frequent customers at this Vons location and have always had pleasant experiences here,…read morewhich is exactly why this situation was so disappointing and honestly very scary.
About a month ago, we came in and immediately noticed that the store was unusually hot and stuffy. This stood out because the store normally does not feel that way. We asked a male cashier (I didn't get his name, but he was shorter with black hair) and his coworker, a woman with long curly hair wearing a safety vest if the AC was down because of how warm it felt. They responded, "It seems like it." They then started discussing what appeared to be management issues near the self-checkout area. At the time, we didn't think too much of it.
Yesterday, however, we came back and purchased several groceries, including salmon, halibut, pita bread, hummus, and other items. While we were ordering the fish, the employee at the seafood counter even mentioned that the fish had a strange smell. At the time, we brushed it off because some people are simply more sensitive to the smell of fish.
When we got home and opened the salmon to cook it, it was extremely slimy and smelled terrible. We immediately knew something was wrong. We then checked the halibut and noticed that it also had an unusual smell, although it wasn't as strong as the salmon.
We put the halibut in the oven and went back to Vons to return the salmon. I do want to acknowledge that the female manager who helped us was nice enough to issue us a refund for the salmon, which we appreciated.
Unfortunately, when we returned home, the smell from the halibut had intensified while cooking, and the fish was literally flaking apart. At that point, we did not feel comfortable eating it because we were genuinely concerned about getting sick. We threw it away, and our oven STILL reeks from the smell.
To make matters worse, we later opened the pita bread we purchased during the same trip and discovered mold on it the very first time we opened the package. The expiration date isn't even until September, approximately a month away.
At this point, we have wasted close to $100 on products from this shopping trip that we cannot comfortably eat or use. Yes, we could drive back to the store again and request additional refunds, but we simply do not have the time to keep making trips back to Vons because multiple products purchased during the same visit turned out to be defective or potentially spoiled. A grocery trip should not turn into multiple return trips just to get your money back for food you don't feel safe eating.
Having one bad product can happen, but having salmon, halibut, AND packaged bread all appear spoiled from the same shopping trip is extremely concerning, especially after previously noticing how unusually warm the store was. I obviously cannot say whether the temperature in the store or refrigeration equipment is responsible, but I sincerely hope Vons investigates the refrigeration, storage temperatures, and food-handling practices at this location.
This is a food-safety concern, not simply a complaint about product quality. People trust their grocery store to properly store and sell food that is fresh and safe to eat. Spoiled seafood in particular can make someone seriously ill.
We have been frequent customers and have generally had very pleasant experiences at this Vons, so I don't say this lightly, but after this experience we will not be returning to this location. It is simply too concerning to purchase food and then have to question whether it was stored properly or is safe for our family to eat.
I sincerely hope management and Vons corporate take this seriously and investigate what is happening at this store. Customers should be able to trust that the groceries they purchase are being stored safely and that the food they bring home is safe to consume.
