Villa Market Users Beware!

[buadhai]

Well, at least the beer's safe.

Or is it?

Here's my GF's reaction to this thread:

Come on, This is Thailand. There is no such a word as "out of

date". Don't you see in "Som Tam", we put anchovies and crab? When you

guys drink wine which is fermented so many many years you guys say "it 's

vintage" .  When we put stuff the label shows is 'out of date' you

guys said "it is spoiled".

(Cleaned up a bit...) Edited March 18, 2005 by mgnewman

[udon]

Well, at least the beer's safe.

Or is it?

Here's my GF's reaction to this thread:

Come on, This is Thailand. There is no such a word as "out of

date". Don't you see in "Som Tam", we put anchovies and crab? When you

guys drink wine which is fermented so many many years you guys say "it 's vintage" .  When we put stuff the label shows is 'out of date' you

guys said "it is spoiled".

(Cleaned up a bit...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've never looked for a sellby date on beer cans in LoS.

Do they have 'em?

Imagine holding up a beer in the dark recesses of the Toy bar to check the sellby date!

Take a little Maglite?

[buadhai]

I've never looked for a sellby date on beer cans in LoS.

Do they have 'em?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know, Budweiser, the US beer (is it really beer?) advertises a "born on" date on the bottom of the can. Presumably this is the manufacture date. I don't think they pull old beer from the shelves, though.

[udon]

In Aus we had Tooheys New and Old.

The wits reckoned New was made yesdy and Old was made the day before!

[Ijustwannateach]

Villa's still ok for packaged imported junk food (gotta have those pretzels!), which more or less can sit on the shelf as long as it needs to (within reason)... but I stopped shopping for other things there when I saw they were selling the SAME Thai-German brand of various meats that Tesco sells for about 100% markup!

"Steven"

[Timmo]

interesting, i'll check the product date next time im in there

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[madbutcher]

I find this very difficult to understand. Under FDA rules this is strictly forbidden in Thailand. FDA is the customers assurance of quality. Are Yorkies products and premises FDA aproved ?

Since Yorkies service these Villa stores at least twice each week I find it difficult to understand why his own staff did not pick up on the out of date products. Since almost all fresh products now sold to Villa are sale or return what possible advantage could be gained by Vila staff in re dating these products?

[Jamiesiam]

I find this very difficult to understand. Under FDA rules this is strictly forbidden in Thailand. FDA is the customers assurance of quality. Are Yorkies products and premises FDA aproved ?

Since Yorkies service these Villa stores at least twice each week I find it difficult to understand why his own staff did not pick up on the out of date products. Since almost all fresh products now sold to Villa are sale or return what possible advantage could be gained by Vila staff in re dating these products?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What indeed?

I've been a Villa customer for about 13 years and am always very wary about their products. Sometimes they just don't bother to re-date anything and just leave it on the shelves.

Oh and what about all those lovely Christmas delicacies still on the shelves even now and the Beaujolais Nouveau which sells year round? and and and, the list goes on

[HarryHacker]

After a night on the P1ss in 33, I always end-up buying some kind of pie to scoff on the way home......however, the next morning's drama in the loo could be down to gallon of JW Black, the 8 Heini's or the pie. Anyway, welcome to the tropics.

[victor15]

Just updating you. Today I made a phone call to the number provided by Sriricha John. Was put through to another department, very helpful, listened, appeared sincere(who knows). They took my details and told me that the shop in question would get a visit in the next few days.

They also requested that I keep, as evidence , the 3 packs of bacon that I kept to prove this malpractice, and that if they needed anymore info, they would call me.

Whitewash???? Who knows?. I will let you know of any further developments.

As I say its not the fact that an out of date product was being sold, anyone can make a mistake!!. But the fact is that this shop DELIBERATELY altered the label making it appear to be a fresh product. Thats potentially very dangerous!!!

Anyways keep you informed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I took a moment and cc'd Eileen over at Yorkies about the thread (knowing they put quality ahead of any other concern and their products are top nosh in my opinion, nice folks too). Just got an email back, suffice to say, they're none to pleased about the switched labelling and will be following up as well.

Edited Quote: "We have always prided ourselves on top quality goods and would only EVER send Yorkies products out in good condition with the proper date etc." and "We never compromise on quality, nor do we cut corners in order to make an extra few baht. I am therefore horrified to find that this happened and I will make it my business to call in and see Mr **** (at Villla) personally..."

If you'd like their email, pls pm.

Daniel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[victor15]

Just updating you. Today I made a phone call to the number provided by Sriricha John. Was put through to another department, very helpful, listened, appeared sincere(who knows). They took my details and told me that the shop in question would get a visit in the next few days.

They also requested that I keep, as evidence , the 3 packs of bacon that I kept to prove this malpractice, and that if they needed anymore info, they would call me.

Whitewash???? Who knows?. I will let you know of any further developments.

As I say its not the fact that an out of date product was being sold, anyone can make a mistake!!. But the fact is that this shop DELIBERATELY altered the label making it appear to be a fresh product. Thats potentially very dangerous!!!

Anyways keep you informed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I took a moment and cc'd Eileen over at Yorkies about the thread (knowing they put quality ahead of any other concern and their products are top nosh in my opinion, nice folks too). Just got an email back, suffice to say, they're none to pleased about the switched labelling and will be following up as well.

Edited Quote: "We have always prided ourselves on top quality goods and would only EVER send Yorkies products out in good condition with the proper date etc." and "We never compromise on quality, nor do we cut corners in order to make an extra few baht. I am therefore horrified to find that this happened and I will make it my business to call in and see Mr **** (at Villla) personally..."

If you'd like their email, pls pm.

Daniel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[victor15]

Just updating you. Today I made a phone call to the number provided by Sriricha John. Was put through to another department, very helpful, listened, appeared sincere(who knows). They took my details and told me that the shop in question would get a visit in the next few days.

They also requested that I keep, as evidence , the 3 packs of bacon that I kept to prove this malpractice, and that if they needed anymore info, they would call me.

Whitewash???? Who knows?. I will let you know of any further developments.

As I say its not the fact that an out of date product was being sold, anyone can make a mistake!!. But the fact is that this shop DELIBERATELY altered the label making it appear to be a fresh product. Thats potentially very dangerous!!!

Anyways keep you informed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I took a moment and cc'd Eileen over at Yorkies about the thread (knowing they put quality ahead of any other concern and their products are top nosh in my opinion, nice folks too). Just got an email back, suffice to say, they're none to pleased about the switched labelling and will be following up as well.

Edited Quote: "We have always prided ourselves on top quality goods and would only EVER send Yorkies products out in good condition with the proper date etc." and "We never compromise on quality, nor do we cut corners in order to make an extra few baht. I am therefore horrified to find that this happened and I will make it my business to call in and see Mr **** (at Villla) personally..."

If you'd like their email, pls pm.

Daniel

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry messed up before, what Eileen says is most proberly true, but I've seen her pies in Frienship (Pattaya) and in shops in Chiang Mai where there is is only Yorkies brand name and price on the pies, no run out date and no manufacture date. Since January the Thai government requires a list of ingrediants (also missing)

[madbutcher]

I have been asked by the owners and senior management of Villa markets to post the reply below:

The quality is not compromise

Enable us to strengthen the value we provide to the customers

I have read the comments and complaints on your forum concerning Villa’s products, specifically the Yorkies in particular. Please understand the problem of 2 expiration date stickers was not intentional. We do not intentionally assign a new expiration date. Importantly, we do understand the confusion and we are deeply sorry about that. After read your forum, we have decided to adjust our policy immediately.

From now on, we only put the price sticker on this product. The only expiration date on the product will be the one from the manufacturer. We are going to look to other products in the market and start to use this new policy in our fresh department in Villa Market.

Villa is well known for carrying a vast selection of product, quality and freshness and of course excellent service rendered by our staff for about 30 years. We have no intention to risk our reputation by misleading our value customers.

[bkkmadness]

From now on, we only put the price sticker on this product. The only expiration date on the product will be the one from the manufacturer. We are going to look to other products in the market and start to use this new policy in our fresh department in Villa Market.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So they admit it was their policy to sell out dated foods with their new stickers on?

Edited April 16, 2005 by bkkmadness

[astral]

Well, at least the beer's safe.

Or is it?

Here's my GF's reaction to this thread:

Come on, This is Thailand. There is no such a word as "out of

date". Don't you see in "Som Tam", we put anchovies and crab? When you

guys drink wine which is fermented so many many years you guys say "it 's vintage" .  When we put stuff the label shows is 'out of date' you

guys said "it is spoiled".

(Cleaned up a bit...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've never looked for a sellby date on beer cans in LoS.

Do they have 'em?

Imagine holding up a beer in the dark recesses of the Toy bar to check the sellby date!

Take a little Maglite?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If it is a can, then the date is on the bottom,

so by the time you have turned it upside down it is empty anyway, so who cares!!

[JacknDanny]

I have been asked by the owners and senior management of Villa markets to post the reply below:

  The quality is not compromise

  Enable us to strengthen the value we provide to the customers

I have read the comments and complaints on your forum concerning Villa’s products, specifically the Yorkies in particular. Please understand the problem of 2 expiration date stickers was not intentional. We do not intentionally assign a new expiration date. Importantly, we do understand the confusion and we are deeply sorry about that. After read your forum, we have decided to adjust our policy immediately.

From now on, we only put the price sticker on this product. The only expiration date on the product will be the one from the manufacturer. We are going to look to other products in the market and start to use this new policy in our fresh department in Villa Market.

Villa is well known for carrying a vast selection of product, quality and freshness and of course excellent service rendered by our staff for about 30 years. We have no intention to risk our reputation by misleading our value customers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With the greatest of respect, that is total Bullsh#t

I noticed that the original stickers had been either overstamped with Villa stamps or even removed and fresh stamps replacing them.

At that time I complained to the store manager who immediately removed all the product.

Three days later I returned to the same store wherby I saw the same product had been returned to the shelves in exactly the same manner. Upon complaining again, I was told by the store manager that the "big boss" had told them to leave it on the shelf.

Needless to say I refuse to shop there anymore even though it was convenient, I find the store at the Emporium and the Foodland stores to have far better quality products at better prices

[DJ Pat]

I know Thais hate farangs but trying to blatantly poison them is terrible!!

Luckily I have always hated bacon.

[The_Other_Mac]

On a vaguely related note: I buy a lot of "Hungarian kolbasz" in Foodland. It has a Foodland Best Before sticker printed out at the counter. As it happens, I buy the full prepackaged sausage, not the slices that they do in front of you, so I also get to see the manufacturer's date. It's several months LATER than Foodland's date...

(Kolbasz is identical to Spanish-style chorizo. It's a spiced, dried, cooked sausage, which in this case is contained in a skin inside a sealed package and then refrigerated. After opening and slicing, it's usually eaten fried. I reckon it has a shelf life of decades... )

[RDN]

I have been asked by the owners and senior management of Villa markets to post the reply below:

  The quality is not compromise

  Enable us to strengthen the value we provide to the customers

I have read the comments and complaints on your forum concerning Villa’s products, specifically the Yorkies in particular. Please understand the problem of 2 expiration date stickers was not intentional. We do not intentionally assign a new expiration date. Importantly, we do understand the confusion and we are deeply sorry about that. After read your forum, we have decided to adjust our policy immediately.

From now on, we only put the price sticker on this product. The only expiration date on the product will be the one from the manufacturer. We are going to look to other products in the market and start to use this new policy in our fresh department in Villa Market.

Villa is well known for carrying a vast selection of product, quality and freshness and of course excellent service rendered by our staff for about 30 years. We have no intention to risk our reputation by misleading our value customers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With the greatest of respect, that is total Bullsh#t

I noticed that the original stickers had been either overstamped with Villa stamps or even removed and fresh stamps replacing them.

At that time I complained to the store manager who immediately removed all the product.

Three days later I returned to the same store wherby I saw the same product had been returned to the shelves in exactly the same manner. Upon complaining again, I was told by the store manager that the "big boss" had told them to leave it on the shelf.

Needless to say I refuse to shop there anymore even though it was convenient, I find the store at the Emporium and the Foodland stores to have far better quality products at better prices

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What do you expect Villa to say? Admit they've been selling old food? What happened in the past, happened in the past. Time to move on.

The guy from Villa says they will stop the practice of putting their own sell-by dates on the Yorkies products. Give them a chance and see what happens. I don't see what more anyone could expect. If you see more evidence of what you reported in your original post, then please let us know. But you should be pleased that you've got a result. Not many people can claim that!

And, well done Villa! We will, of course, be watching and reporting here.

[astral]

Did I see that Villa is coming to Pattaya soon?

Watch out down there!!

Could be the old stock from Bangkok.

[donna]

I went to Villa Sunkumvit 33 yesterday and, with this post in mind, checked the dates on the packets of food I was buying.

They all appeared to only have the manufacturers date on them. I saw no evidence Villa stickers on the packs.

Maybe they are telling the truth? Maybe everyone should give them the benefit of the doubt, and give them a chance.

[RooBoy]

I have noticed over the years of shopping at Villa ploenchitt, that alof of the aussie imports had no use by date on them at all! Many of the items were stale and I just stopped buying their shit.

The manager at ploenchitt is a complete fukwit, I couldnt carry home everything I had in the basket one day, and couldnt stop the girl from scanning the large loaf of bread that I wasnt going to be able to carry. I said to her just reverse the scan, the POS machines are quite capable of it, Oh no we cannot do that, ok call the manager over to do it, and he tells me he cannot reverse the scan even while I am standing at the &lt;deleted&gt; counter! The fag manager got a right serving and I ended up giving the loaf of bread to a farang woman behind me. I was on the bike and my bag just wasnt big enough for the bread. Never mind I shopped there every week for 2 years and he knew it! They will never rise above the immoral greed that controls them, so just find a way to make it work for you!

[maesai]

The fag manager got a right serving

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice mouth you got there, dick.

[sriracha john]

We have no intention to risk our reputation by misleading our value customers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I dare say they risked far more than their reputation by their actions. By disregarding such basic FDA regulations, they put all their "valued customers" health at potentially serious risk.

I would not be so tempted to "give them the benefit of the doubt" or other forgiving measures. Absolutely this is Thailand, but in the Western world, any supermarket pulling such stunts would get shut down and fined heavily, irregardless of any public apology.

Once trust is lost, it's not so easy to earn it back.

[udon]

The fag manager got a right serving

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice mouth you got there, dick.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think rooboy means the ciggy sales manager

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The fag manager got a right serving

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice mouth you got there, dick.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think rooboy means the ciggy sales manager

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[MikeWill]

Some selective quotes from the Tentative Translation of Food Act B.E. 2522

SECTION 25. No one may produce, import for sale or distribute the following foods:

     (1) impure food;

     (2) adulterated food;

     (3) substandard food;

     (4) other food which specified by the Minister.

SECTION 27. Food of the following description shall be deemed adulterated:

(4) Foods labelled in order to deceive or try to deceive the purchasers in matters of quality, quantity, usefulness or special nature or place or country or production

SECTION 29. Food of the following description shall be deemed food under Section 25(4)

     (1) not safe for consumption;

     (2) unreliable indication;

     (3) value or usefulness is not appropriate to the consumer.

SECTION 30. For the benefit of ensuring that food be hygienic and to protect consumer from health hazard. The Secretary of the Food and Drugs Administration shall be empowered to give written order to.

(3) Publicize the results of analysis to the public in the case that it is impure food under Section 26 or adulterated food under Section 27 or substandard food under Section 28 or food which could be harmful to the health of the public or that container is made of materials which are likely to be dangerous when it uses as a food container. The publish shall be included the following.

     ( a ) If the producer is known the name of the producer and the class or description of the food or containers and if the food or containers have trade names or lot number, as the case may be.

     ( b ) In the event that the producer is not known but the distributor is known, the name of the distributor including class or description of the food or container.

SECTION 40. False or deceptive advertising of the quality, usefulness or indication of a food is prohibited.

---

Chapter 8

Punishment

(altho' most fines are in the range of THB 1.000-5.000 max., however...)

SECTION 58. Whoever violates 25(1) shall be liable to imprisonment of not more than 2 years and a fine of not more than twenty thousand baht.

SECTION 59. Whoever violates Section 25(2) shall able to imprisonment from six months to ten years and a fine from five thousand baht to one hundred thousand baht

SECTION 60. Whoever violates Section 25(3) shall be liable to a fine of not more than fifty thousand baht.

SECTION 61. Whoever violates Section 25(4) shall be liable to imprisonment of not more than five years and a fine of not more than fifty thousand baht or both.

SECTION 62. Any licencee who does not follow the orders of the authority under Section 30(1) shall be liable to a fine of not more than ten thousand baht.

SECTION 63. Whoever does not follow the orders of the authority under Section 30(2) shall be liable to a fine of not more than fifty thousand baht and a daily fine of five hundred baht for the whole period the order was not follow the order.

Edited April 18, 2005 by Condo_bk

[Eddiee]

I have lived in BKK for a long time now and Villa Market selling out of date food is not anything new its been happening for years.

[RDN]

[udon]

Bad stutter you've got there R.

Put a pebble under the keyboard!