Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants)

PRODUCT OF PERU

I didn’t buy these, my wife did. Each berry is enormous. To me they look a bit weird, almost unnaturally big. On the contrary, wild blueberries, which I think are the tastiest, are tiny! Anyway my wife saw these and was intrigued enough to try them. However when she tasted them she was extremely disappointed and told me “these have no taste“.

I tried them and they were just OK. I don’t see the point really and would prefer good old regular sized blueberries, organic if I had my choice.

Are Jumbo Blueberries a new thing? I am seeing these jumbo blueberries all over at the moment at lots of fruit vendors.

These are from Peru. I prefer fruit in season anyway. In the middle of winter, I would buy frozen ones over fresh ones that had to take an airplane to get here. Not very green.

We would not buy these again. On the subject of Returning Stuff…..

RETURNING ITEMS TO TRADER JOE’S – Now I don’t think my wife ever returned anything to Trader Joe’s before, but she said she would like to return these. They were $4.99. So on the topic of Trader Joe’s and Returns/Refunds…. as far as I’m concerned no other store even comes close to Trader Joe’s user friendly and generous refund policy. I don’t abuse the return policy however I have on occasion taken stuff for a refund if I didn’t like a product.

WHAT IS TRADER JOE’S RETURN/REFUND POLICY?

Here’s what they advertise: “We liked it, but if you didn’t, just bring it back”

Trader Joe’s has an extremely generous return policy — you can bring any item you were not happy with back for a full refund with or even without, a receipt. So if you got something and it didn’t meet your expectations you can get your money back. If you prefer a credit, just ask them to credit the amount off your current purchase when you’re shopping. Seriously what other store is like this and makes it so easy and painless to get a refund? In this respect I think TJ’s is unique.

This policy includes food items you’ve opened and eaten (i mean how would you know you didn’t like it otherwise) As well as non-edible products that didn’t meet your expectations. At checkout (or go to the front desk) you can just tell them you didn’t like something. They don’t make you feel awkward. They will either refund your money or replace the product or apply the amount to your purchase. If you just tell them you were not happy with a product, they happily take care of it…they don’t give you grief, they don’t roll their eyes, or make you feel bad…. you know, the way at other stores they try to make you feel like you’re a crook? Not at Trader Joe’s.

Sometimes I have brought an empty package when carrying something back to the store was just too inconvenient/difficult, sometimes even minus a receipt. Sometime I just bring the label. I don’t return stuff that often or abuse their generous return policy. However if I ever want, to they make it guilt free and painless.

I recently got a bag of mandarins that I found had 3 rotten ones. When I went back the next time I brought the empty bag and just told the cashier that and they just said we’re sorry, go take another one and gave it to me.

Seriously Trader Joe’s is quite unique with their generous policy. They don’t of course appreciate people who abuse this policy, so don’t abuse it. For example, someone returns a plant they killed by not watering it and requesting a refund.

Trader Joe’s Return Policy Explained

Also “try before you buy” — now I’ve never actually done it but they do have a store policy that customers can try anything. If you want to know what something tastes like you, just bring it to an employee and ask if you can try it and they will open it up and let you taste it (ok maybe not a steak). Supposedly the break rooms are filled with opened things for leftovers and snacks for staff to enjoy.