[annymoll]

While shopping today I noticed a woman sampling the grapes,also observed a fellow taste testing the candy on the Brach's rack.Can't tell you how many times I have witnessed people opening fingernail polish to test shades or spraying deoderants. Just wondering..... do you taste test, graze or sample?

 

[pollypurebred39]

NEVER! We were just talking about this at my in-laws. Just awful! It's stealing for goodness sake! I don't know what's with people!

I might open a cap of a perfume bottle to take a whiff, but never spray it.

 

[sunshine]

Not generally -- I did drink a bottle of soda once , but I took the empty bottle to the check out , and paid for it (severely low blood sugar, when pregnant).

Other stuff- nope.

 

[daylily]

No for two reasons. It seems like stealing and I never eat between meals.

 

[fernykins]

Nope can't say that I do. I think its just terrible the way people act in the stores,
Fern

 

[DixieJ]

No way could I eat something like grapes without washing them first!

 

[dcompton]

Never. If I haven't paid for it, it isn't mine.

When I see someone paying for an open package - a mother with children who ate some of the crackers, or a case like Sunshine's - that's different. But just random tasting and sampling, no. I once saw a woman (years ago) open jar of jam, sniff it, close it and put it back. Yuk.

 

[starsapphire]

I'll taste a grape or cherry if I'm planning on buying some to make sure they're not overly sweet or sour.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Our stores put out trays of fruit, crackers, dips, cold cuts, etc for people to taste. If it looks appealing and reasonably sanitary I try it.

I have had grocery managers encourage me to try the grapes, cherries, and other similar produce in the local stores, so I do. I got no problem trying *one* grape to see if they are sweet or sour so I know whether to buy them. The store managers here apparently don't have a problem with it either. It's not like I'm walking around eating the entire bag.

Now, I don't bite apples or rip open oranges, or open other sealed packaged items in the store... except sometimes for scented items. Yeah, I'll open perfume if it is not safety sealed. I never mangle the box and you'd never know I had a sniff at it. I can usually smell enough of it without spraying anything, so I'm not "using" the product. I open liquid detergent sometimes too to see if it is something I want on my clothes. Perfumes give me a headache so I have to be careful about them.

 

[Syn D]

Never........ I'll do the candy thing, but only when it has the coin box with it..

I never get an item off the shelf from the front, only from the back for 2 reasons, one cos' of the sampler people and 2 cos' the ones in the back are less touched (slight bit of a germ-a-phobe here)..

 

[2ndGenGranola]

NO! We call that stealing.

 

[onencgirl]

No never... I feel it is stealing.

 

[Hamada]

Yes, I do sample foods that are on display and a person is handing them out or I ask for a sample at the deli.

So I was originally going to say no I do not open bottles or rip open packages. Then I realized that Yes, I have opened lotion bottles or shampoo bottles to see what they smelled like. I did this at a health food store since I didn't know anything about the products.

When working at a grocery store I used to get upset when someone came to the checkout with an empty canister of soup saying they wanted to pay for it after they ate it. UMMMM, we have to weight it before you eat it.

 

[jvera]

Yes, I will taste grapes to see if they are sweet or sour. And I will spray perfume testers or if not tester then carefully open the box to smell the perfume. How else will I know if I like the scent or not.

 

[Ramona]

I don't sample grapes, etc. but I do sniff perfume if there's a tester. I am guilty of sniffing shampoos and lotions.

 

[mndtrp]

Nope. If everyone tried only one grape, the bunches would end up being consumed. I don't see how people can justify stealing something, simply to see if it meets their standards.

Samples being handed out is different.

 

[imagine]

Our stores put out trays of fruit, crackers, dips, cold cuts, etc for people to taste. If it looks appealing and reasonably sanitary I try it.

I have had grocery managers encourage me to try the grapes, cherries, and other similar produce in the local stores, so I do. I got no problem trying *one* grape to see if they are sweet or sour so I know whether to buy them. The store managers here apparently don't have a problem with it either. It's not like I'm walking around eating the entire bag.

Same here. Sampling a grape is something that is encourage because you can return fruit if they were bad, sour etc and then they would have to toss the whole bunch. So they prefer to have someone try one rather the risk it and return them. So sampling one is considered normal. I don't see people doing it often. If someone does where are several asking how they taste to decide if they want some.

 

[starsapphire]

Nope. If everyone tried only one grape, the bunches would end up being consumed. I don't see how people can justify stealing something, simply to see if it meets their standards.

Samples being handed out is different.

When I sample, its with the intent to purchase. I do not sample if I don't intend to purchase. That, to me, is stealing. Only once or twice have I sampled and not purchased because they tasted bad. And I am not going to eat produce that tastes bad. I either have to give it away or it will go bad.

What if I purchased them without sampling one, took them home and then tasted one and it tasted bad? I would then have to take them back to the store for a refund. They would refund my full purchase price, not the purchase price minus the weight of one grape. The store still has one less grape and now I have less gas in my tank too.

What about the occasional rotten onion/garlic/potato I get? I don't keep my receipts and its usually more hassle than its worth for me to go back to the store to get one onion/garlic/potato replaced. And if I did, I would be out the money I paid for gas, and my time is worth something. It was not the store's intent to steal from me but yet I am still out the money for that piece of produce.

 

[druthb00]

I'll taste a grape or cherry if I'm planning on buying some to make sure they're not overly sweet or sour.

I do the same, usually with grapes.

Nope. If everyone tried only one grape, the bunches would end up being consumed. I don't see how people can justify stealing something, simply to see if it meets their standards.

Samples being handed out is different.

Same here. Sampling a grape is something that is encourage because you can return fruit if they were bad, sour etc and then they would have to toss the whole bunch. So they prefer to have someone try one rather the risk it and return them. So sampling one is considered normal. I don't see people doing it often. If someone does where are several asking how they taste to decide if they want some.

When I sample, its with the intent to purchase. I do not sample if I don't intend to purchase. That, to me, is stealing. Only once or twice have I sampled and not purchased because they tasted bad. And I am not going to eat produce that tastes bad. I either have to give it away or it will go bad.

What if I purchased them without sampling one, took them home and then tasted one and it tasted bad? I would then have to take them back to the store for a refund. They would refund my full purchase price, not the purchase price minus the weight of one grape. The store still has one less grape and now I have less gas in my tank too.
*snip*

This is too funny. I found myself agreeing with each person's argument as I read through, first mndtrp, then you two. Tasting a grape is a minor offense to me. I buy enough crappy produce that is "untastable" (an orange, an apple) that they can eat the cost - no pun intended - of me tasting one lousy grape for every couple pounds I buy LOL.

 

[annymoll]

The little old lady we saw was just happily scarfing away her grapes! She looked to be about 80 and she said,'" These things are expensive, try these red ones, they are good!" I told her," No thanks, I'll take your word for it"My husband was laughing and stating that at least she appeared to be getting her daily servings of fruit and veggies!I can't imagine eating fruit that has not been washed like that.I saw a child once licking grapes and putting them back! EeeKKKK!I reach a little higher and always grab the back bottles also, they have not been "tested" as much!