Tesco Lotus - What A Rip-off!

[gennisis]

Most supermarkets in Thailand carry out this practice, from what my wife tells me. I watched assistants in 'Tweekies' emptying packages of shampoo containing a tube of free toothpaste. They then put a price label on the toothpaste and put them on a shelf. So it's not just Tesco's.

Just to report,....but not to advertise them.....At Rimping in CM when they have a 'buy 1 get 1 free' offer, the items on the shelves are sellotaped together in pairs,with the price stuck on the dual pack.....so no confusion there.

Edited March 5, 2009 by gennisis

[Cuban]

> But I'm still careful with my money, I always have and always will.

Indeed - this can only be true if you keep a record of the serial numbers on your 20 Baht notes as well.

As for Tesco, Big C and Carrefour - their adverts always offer an enticement to get you to choose 'their' store over another, the adverts generally offer 2-for-1s or discounts on popular items but what the large print gives - does the small print take away. Most often in the form of "...not every discount is available every day during the 'promotion'..."

And yes, the smaller mom&pop shops clear the shelves when certain items are discounted to a point that they can buy cheaper than 'their' wholesaler. The packets of six Eurocakes are a good example, the typical Tesco offer takes 10 Baht off the price and that will clear their stock in a day easily.

[yabaaaa]

Also common in the UK, use the bogoff advert to lure you in and when you get there "sorry all gone"

Not common at all.

Trading Standards and consumer protection groups such as Watchdog quickly work to see these schemes eradicated.

Actually recently a diy store in the Uk advertised loft insulation at a ridiculously low price , huge advert in many papers. Small print at the bootm and I mean VERY SMALL "said not available in all stores" sure enough it wasn't when I rang 3 local branches!!

[Maigo6]

Actually recently a diy store in the Uk advertised loft insulation at a ridiculously low price , huge advert in many papers. Small print at the bootm and I mean VERY SMALL "said not available in all stores" sure enough it wasn't when I rang 3 local branches!!

Typical Farang practice.

[Cuban]

Not sure the OP's comment about the practice being illegal is correct.

More from that evil store.

[Birdman]

What Tesco Lotus does is obviously false and misleading advertising. Under the new Consumer Protection Act you could sue them.

Unfortunately, Tesco Lotus is not the only company here to with these deceiving sales practices. Big C is also famous for this. The last time they advertised something like "Buy 2 get 1 free" and so I bought 6 of these apple juices. At the cashier however, I had to pay for 6 and was motioned to the Service department. There a lady gave me some vegetable juices I did not want. I complained that the advertising said "Buy 2 get 1 free" but the lady said, get one free of another 50 ml veggie juice. So I said, take back the apple juice and refund me. After a long discussion, she gave me back some money but less than I paid. Then I got really angry and if my wife would not have calmed me down, I would have called the police.

I wonder how many customer got cheated this way, in BigC or Tesco Lotus. Most Thai people, however, don't complain.

Can understand you. On the other hand, Thais would never react that way. The would just let it go. No Thai would complain about a minor incident like that.

So, the Service lady, who is only an employee, who follows company's instructions, experienced an unusual scene.

[mrtoad]

Try going in there and hiding the 1 bottle in the wrong place in the cooler, come back 30 minutes later when they have replaced the empty space with 1 more bottle, and watch the look on their faces as they try to figure out how you managed to find 2 bottles at the same time

UPDATE: This is for you 111223:

My Thai wife went again to that Mini TESCO in Don Muang, about 30 minutes ago. Remember, there was only one small bottle left, because my wife had bought that single 2 litre bottle which was left this morning.

Scene there about 30 minutes ago: one small bottle and one 2litre bottle available! (???)

So my wife said to the cashier guy: "I want to buy milk "Buy one get 1 free, but there is only one bottle left."

"Yeah, sorry, you have to pay the normal price of 80 Baht for that single bottle, because there is only one left."

"Oh really?" countered my wife How come there is one bottle here now, when I bought the last one this morning?"

The guy didn't know what to answer. He was at a loss of words ...

By now it is clear that every time a customer buys a bottle they make 40 Baht into their pocket. Making extra money THai style!

Could you continue to keep this fascinating thread updated, it's been giving me sleepless nights not knowing whats happening with the milk in Tesco's.

[soap]

Subject: INFAMOUS TESCO MURDER

Tired of constantly being broke & stuck in an unhappy marriage, a young husband decided to solve

both problems by taking out a large insurance policy on his wife with himself as the beneficiary,

and then arranging to have her killed.

A 'friend of a friend' put him in touch with a nefarious, dark-side, underworld figure

who went by the name of 'Artie..' Artie then explained to the husband that his going

price for snuffing out a spouse was £5,000.

The husband said he was willing to pay that amount, but that he wouldn't have any cash

on hand until he could collect his wife's insurance money.

Artie insisted on being paid at least something up front, so the man opened his wallet,

displaying the single pound coin that rested inside. Artie sighed, rolled his eyes,

& reluctantly agreed to accept the pound as down payment for the dirty deed.

A few days later, Artie followed the man's wife to the local Tesco where he surprised her

in the fruit & vegetable department. There he proceeded to strangle her with his gloved hands,

but as the poor unsuspecting woman drew her last breath and slumped to the floor

the manager of the fruit & vegetable department stumbled unexpectedly onto the murder scene.

Unwilling to leave any living witnesses behind, Artie had no choice but to strangle the manager as well.

However, unknown to Artie, the entire proceedings were captured by hidden security cameras and

observed by the store's security guard, who immediately called the police.

Artie was caught and arrested before he could even leave the store.

Under intense questioning at the police station, Artie revealed the whole sordid plan,

including his unusual financial arrangements with the hapless husband who was also quickly arrested.

The next day in the newspaper,the headline declared.............

ARTIE CHOKES TWO FOR A POUND AT TESCO

[skettios]

I went to Tesco a few months ago, they had a 2 for 1 deal on something or other. I forget what now. But the point is I got 2 for 1, probably on something I didn't really want or need. But as it was half price I must have thought 'Why not?' and got it.

Anyone else successfully shopped at Tesco in Thailand or elsewhere in the world recently?

Yes, pretty much every week for the last two years.

Although I think OP was talking about one of those mini-tescos that comes attached to a gas station. I'm actually not at all surprised to see a clerk running a scam for some pocket money. He would probably never get away with this at a full size store.

Also, I don't feel that this one clerk/store is a fair reflection on the entire supermarket chain. Interesting post though.

[Gippy]

I'm pleased to report that I did in fact get a free bottle of milk from a large Tescos. Not only did I get the free one, I didn't even know about the offer and the cashier got somebody to run over and get the free one for me. Must be my lucky day.

[Heng]

Less well to do folks typically clear out the available stock before you get a chance to. I did incidentally see plenty of Dutch Mill available (in that medium 1 for 1 promotion), so it's not always the case... but certainly nothing accurate about saying there is "never" stock. I passed because I am a CP-Meiji fan.

[photojourn]

Last year I bought a pre-cooked chicken from a Tesco store in Chiang Mai and after consuming only a portion of it experienced extreme food poisoning.

An email fired off to the Bangkok head office complaining about the chicken in question and non-observance of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) standards resulted in telephone calls from senior management in Bangkok, as well as from the store in question, early on the Monday morning following the rather blunt email being dispatched.

This was followed up shortly after on the same morning by a visit from three very apologetic store staff with a consolatory basket of fruit (which I was in no condition to eat) and insistence that I get my self to a hospital and the store would pay all the medical bills.

Several days later I received a further telephone call from a senior foreign manager in Bangkok.

From my experience an email to Tesco head office would soon see this situation quickly rectified and I wonder why the OP – who has already gone to great lengths to impress everyone with his level of stated wealth and property tycoon status – needs to mount such a public slagging match with a defamatory topic title libeling the entire company over an Bt80 bottle of milk instead of raising the matter with Tesco head office.

Perhaps in the OPs case Tesco could send him a cow and crate of bottles.

Edited March 6, 2009 by photojourn

[neverdie]

Be forwarned: TESCO-LOTUS is applying illegal practises to lure customers into their stores by advertising products as "Buy 1 - Get 1 Free, but never have any stock"

This is the case with Dutch Mill Fresh Milk 830 ml bottle. I went last night to one of their small stores in Don Muang, but there was only a single bottle there. The 2l was also advertised as "Buy 1 - Get 1 Free" for 80 Baht for 2 bottles. Guess what: only one bottle available.

13 hours later, this morning, my wife went for me to the same mini Lotus. Same scene: 1 small bottle and one2 liter bottle available. When she asked the personnel when they would come back, they said, they don't know.

My IT friend just came along. He always buys that same milk from Dutch Mill. He told me that he only got 2 bottles on the day the campaign started which was February 26, but ever since that milk was out of stock e v e r y single day.

TESCO, shame on you!!! Taking the Thai people for fools ...

Wow!

You must really have a fascinating life... NOT

Yaeh, I do have a fascinating life, I own several properties in Thailand and they're all paid ... cash. But I'm still careful with my money, I always have and always will.

I'm not sure the OP should be wearing that one as a badge of honor.....owning several properties in Thailand is no real acheivement. Last place I would want to own properties, theres bugger all captal gain here, the quality of the product is sure to cause headaches & rents arnt exactly high, that is providing the OP didnt buy in an area which is flooded with vacant rooms, apartments or shops etc.

OP, are you suggesting that by saving a few dollars on milk once a week for a few years that everyone will be able to afford several properties? You big property baron you

[Oberkommando]

Many Thai people however disregard the notices, and waltz through the check-outs with a trolley full of these items, and the cashier does not say a word. They do however refuse the farang in similar circumstances.

Had that exact experience myself.

The pecking order.

Last year I bought a pre-cooked chicken from a Tesco store in Chiang Mai and after consuming only a portion of it experienced extreme food poisoning.

An email fired off to the Bangkok head office complaining about the chicken in question and non-observance of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) standards resulted in telephone calls from senior management in Bangkok, as well as from the store in question, early on the Monday morning following the rather blunt email being dispatched.

This was followed up shortly after on the same morning by a visit from three very apologetic store staff with a consolatory basket of fruit (which I was in no condition to eat) and insistence that I get my self to a hospital and the store would pay all the medical bills.

Several days later I received a further telephone call from a senior foreign manager in Bangkok.

From my experience an email to Tesco head office would soon see this situation quickly rectified and I wonder why the OP – who has already gone to great lengths to impress everyone with his level of stated wealth and property tycoon status – needs to mount such a public slagging match with a defamatory topic title libeling the entire company over an Bt80 bottle of milk instead of raising the matter with Tesco head office.

Perhaps in the OPs case Tesco could send him a cow and crate of bottles.

Tescos is British so they have a decent customer service at that level.

Doubt you'd get the same from a Thai company.

[chefshane]

What Tesco Lotus does is obviously false and misleading advertising. Under the new Consumer Protection Act you could sue them.

Unfortunately, Tesco Lotus is not the only company here to with these deceiving sales practices. Big C is also famous for this. The last time they advertised something like "Buy 2 get 1 free" and so I bought 6 of these apple juices. At the cashier however, I had to pay for 6 and was motioned to the Service department. There a lady gave me some vegetable juices I did not want. I complained that the advertising said "Buy 2 get 1 free" but the lady said, get one free of another 50 ml veggie juice. So I said, take back the apple juice and refund me. After a long discussion, she gave me back some money but less than I paid. Then I got really angry and if my wife would not have calmed me down, I would have called the police.

I wonder how many customer got cheated this way, in BigC or Tesco Lotus. Most Thai people, however, don't complain.

Here we go.

Yes, why not start every body in Thailand suing everybody for everything under the sun.

Then all the expats could relax and feel right at home.

Why the fascination and attraction with being outraged and offended by everything and suing everybody like we do back home?

Whatever happened to voting with your feet and your wallet.

For every asshol_e in life or business, there are one or more doing the right thing.

Why not do business with them instead.

No - screw doing business with people who respect me as a customer and run an ethical business.

Better to spend a year or two, and a few hundred thousand baht suing a multinational company over 40 baht and a missing packet of milk.

LMAO

Are you joking?

I normally pick up on sarcasm.

[loong]

Shopping in Big Tesco stores, usually found that there is plenty of stock when these offers are on.

Obviously the staff at the small stores are up to no good. You should notify Tesco head office as another poster suggests - you might get a reward for bringing a scam to their attention

[loong]

How about this, buy 2 you only get 1

Thai economics dontchaknow

[ballpoint]

There's a far more serious scam going on at Tesco's, or rather, in their carparks. I'm glad I can take this opportunity to share it with you:

Over the last months I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping at Tesco.

Simply going out to get the food supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic.

Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.

It could....

Here's how the scam works:

Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the boot.

They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windowlene, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts.

It is impossible not to look.

When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say "No" and instead ask you for a ride to another Tesco branch.

You agree and they get in the back-seat.

On the way, they start undressing.

Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen on January 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, & 24th.

Also on February 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th, 28th, three times last Saturday and very likely next weekend.

So please be careful and tell your friends to be careful too.

(PS - cheap wallets can be gotten at any market)

Edited March 7, 2009 by ballpoint

[sheff_mick]

Less well to do folks typically clear out the available stock before you get a chance to. I did incidentally see plenty of Dutch Mill available (in that medium 1 for 1 promotion), so it's not always the case... but certainly nothing accurate about saying there is "never" stock. I passed because I am a CP-Meiji fan.

What a load of bollows !!!!!!!

Less well off indeed. ????

Try the other end of ladder if you really want to point the finger.

Edited March 7, 2009 by sheff_mick

[loong]

There's a far more serious scam going on at Tesco's, or rather, in their carparks. I'm glad I can take this opportunity to share it with you:............Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the boot.

They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windowlene, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. ..............

On the way, they start undressing.

Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen on January 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, & 24th.

Also on February 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th, 28th, three times last Saturday and very likely next weekend. ...............

I'm very sorry and outraged that you have fallen victim to these foul creatures............................................

err......which branch was that?

[jackr]

Try going in there and hiding the 1 bottle in the wrong place in the cooler, come back 30 minutes later when they have replaced the empty space with 1 more bottle, and watch the look on their faces as they try to figure out how you managed to find 2 bottles at the same time

Nice one

Why would one demean oneself by shopping for food at a low-class establishment like Lotus anyway, and purchase that <deleted> Dutch swill

[Dario]

From my experience an email to Tesco head office would soon see this situation quickly rectified and I wonder why the OP – who has already gone to great lengths to impress everyone with his level of stated wealth and property tycoon status – needs to mount such a public slagging match with a defamatory topic title libeling the entire company over an Bt80 bottle of milk instead of raising the matter with Tesco head office.

Perhaps in the OPs case Tesco could send him a cow and crate of bottles.

photojourn, not very nice what you say here, doesn't show much of education. I had tried to contact Tesco via their email system several times that day but only got an error message. If that had worked I could have settled that without your interference.

Edited March 7, 2009 by Dario

[Heng]

Less well to do folks typically clear out the available stock before you get a chance to. I did incidentally see plenty of Dutch Mill available (in that medium 1 for 1 promotion), so it's not always the case... but certainly nothing accurate about saying there is "never" stock. I passed because I am a CP-Meiji fan.

What a load of bollows !!!!!!!

Less well off indeed. ????

Try the other end of ladder if you really want to point the finger.

LOLZ. Sensitive much?

The folks who get to the goods first are typically the masses who are the first in line in the morning, those who are always actively looking to save a few Baht out of absolute necessity, not tradition or good practice/good form. Naturally, there will be some exceptions. I've purchased plenty of 2 for 1 goods.

[Ijustwannateach]

I'd stay away from that Japanese milk if I were you, Heng- major scary things that those Japanese companies do with milk, in Japan at least if not here.

I used to surprise Japanese by telling them that in other countries milk stays good for more than 2 days.

[Heng]

I'd stay away from that Japanese milk if I were you, Heng- major scary things that those Japanese companies do with milk, in Japan at least if not here.

I used to surprise Japanese by telling them that in other countries milk stays good for more than 2 days.

How scary, Steve? Talking about scary like hormone loaded dairy cattle raised in slings and stacked 8 stories high in warehouses or scary like your buddy Yoshi told you that he once peed in the giant milk vats at his old job?

Edited March 8, 2009 by Heng

[sheff_mick]

What a load of bollows !!!!!!!

Less well off indeed. ????

Try the other end of ladder if you really want to point the finger.

LOLZ. Sensitive much?

The folks who get to the goods first are typically the masses who are the first in line in the morning, those who are always actively looking to save a few Baht out of absolute necessity, not tradition or good practice/good form. Naturally, there will be some exceptions. I've purchased plenty of 2 for 1 goods.

From many observations at my local Tesco and the one in the next locality to ours with a large store, i again disagree with yours.

When the promotions start ( and everyone knows the dates courtesy of the ending of the previous one ) you get the traders ect. taking their trolleys loaded with the selected bargains and leave them with a third party near the exits or as in our local, next to the cafeteria, go back inside and replicate their purchase, which in some cases continues several times. with yet another party shunting the purchases to their mode of transport.

It is well know among all the security and senior staff that this takes place and yet, no one bothers to stop it.

The less well off, as you should know, assuming you are a Thai National, are hardly able to make similar mega ventures into the store to do the same. due to monetary restrictions, that allegedly make them less well off.

So they are not typically as you quote the main cuplrits

" The folks who get to the goods first are typically the masses who are the first in line in the morning, those who are always actively looking to save a few Baht out of absolute necessity, not tradition or good practice/good form. Naturally, there will be some exceptions. "

I agree their are exceptions, but most are just geting odd bargains and not the bulk of what is on offer.

Your discriptions of the customers as "Less well to do folks" and "typically the masses" says much about your considered self importance, society wise.

The masses and the less well off stand way above you in terms of social acceptance, importance and equality.

Thank you

A rant, maybe, but i have long been amazed at their greedy escapades, only to sell it on to their customers who in many cases have no choice to shop elsewhere when living out of town,

Edited March 8, 2009 by sheff_mick

[neverdie]

There's a far more serious scam going on at Tesco's, or rather, in their carparks. I'm glad I can take this opportunity to share it with you:

Over the last months I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping at Tesco.

Simply going out to get the food supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic.

Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.

It could....

Here's how the scam works:

Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the boot.

They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windowlene, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts.

It is impossible not to look.

When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say "No" and instead ask you for a ride to another Tesco branch.

You agree and they get in the back-seat.

On the way, they start undressing.

Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen on January 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, & 24th.

Also on February 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th, 28th, three times last Saturday and very likely next weekend.

So please be careful and tell your friends to be careful too.

(PS - cheap wallets can be gotten at any market)

You are as mad as a cut snake ballpoint

[nookiebear]

Thai buy the sales up for their mom and pop stores. You never seen them buying large qualities of items on sale. 20 bottles of cooking oil and the sale clerk will scan one at a time.

It's common amongst the Thais ,BUT try & do the same....................

[Heng]

From many observations at my local Tesco and the one in the next locality to ours with a large store, i again disagree with yours.

When the promotions start ( and everyone knows the dates courtesy of the ending of the previous one ) you get the traders ect. taking their trolleys loaded with the selected bargains and leave them with a third party near the exits or as in our local, next to the cafeteria, go back inside and replicate their purchase, which in some cases continues several times. with yet another party shunting the purchases to their mode of transport.

It is well know among all the security and senior staff that this takes place and yet, no one bothers to stop it.

The less well off, as you should know, assuming you are a Thai National, are hardly able to make similar mega ventures into the store to do the same. due to monetary restrictions, that allegedly make them less well off.

So they are not typically as you quote the main cuplrits

" The folks who get to the goods first are typically the masses who are the first in line in the morning, those who are always actively looking to save a few Baht out of absolute necessity, not tradition or good practice/good form. Naturally, there will be some exceptions. "

I agree their are exceptions, but most are just geting odd bargains and not the bulk of what is on offer.

Your discriptions of the customers as "Less well to do folks" and "typically the masses" says much about your considered self importance, society wise.

The masses and the less well off stand way above you in terms of social acceptance, importance and equality.

Thank you

A rant, maybe, but i have long been amazed at their greedy escapades, only to sell it on to their customers who in many cases have no choice to shop elsewhere when living out of town,

I'd lump the less well off into the 'mom and pop' store trader category. And they, along with regular folks of the same socio-economic level do typically clear out most of the promotion stock. Their financial status is mentioned matter-of-factly without any consideration to my own self importance (but thanks for trying to read between the lines anyway).

I do agree with you though that there is some ranting going on here, and IMO often baseless.