ComplaintsforBlount Seafood Corporation

• Initial Complaint

  11/10/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On on about Thursday, October 8, 2021, I purchased a container of Clam Shack Gumbo by Blount fine foods from the Weiss grocery store in Kettering (sp?), MD. It was the next night that I was eating it at home. I had thrown the bags awayand I believe the reciept was in the bag. As I was eating, I bit down on something hard that seemed like a rock or a broken piece of plastic from an industrial mixer. I immediately called the number of the side of the container but they were closed and I was unable to leave a message. I texted and recieved an automated response. I recieved a call on Saturday but I was unable to recieve a call at that time so I had to call back and the person that I got was unfamililar with what needed to happen. She took my name and address. Someone called me back on Monday and explained the process for sending the product back with the rock (which I did) and told me they would be in touch. About a week later after I sent the product back, I got a call that they recieved the product and would be in touch. A few days after that, I got a call and was told it was " a piece of okra" and when I said to them, no, it definitely was not okra, I was asked to send pictures of the item again. I sent pictures but I was told that they have now discarded the product (becasue it was perishable) but I also havent heard from them and cant seem to get a call back. Additionally, I was told that they are reaching out to the supplier to see if it was something in the supplier's batch of product. I asked what happens when the supplier says it wasnt and she sasid well let me offer you a couple coupons to get our product again at no cost to you. I think I may have cracked my tooth on the rock that was in the container and now, they are claiming ignorance like it never happened. I want them to cover my dental cost. This is a shady practice and I should have kept a piece of the rock that was in their gumbo but I sent everything back to them.

  Business response

  11/29/2021

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
   
  I write on behalf of Blount Fine Foods Corp. (Blount Seafood Corp) in response to complaint #******** that was filed on 11/10/2021 through the BBB Complaints System.  We received a copy of this BBB complaint on November 19, 2021.  Blount takes all customer complaints very seriously.  Therefore, below is the summary of the interaction we had with the customer in question, along with the action we took in response.   Based on our conversations with the customer, we believe this matter has been resolved. 
   
  October 8, 2021 (Friday at 10pm) Blount was contacted by this customer after hours with a complaint about an unknown material in her soup, and asking for a refund.
  October 11, 2021 (Monday) Blount contacted the customer and asked for more detail about the material found in her soup, and Blount coordinated the retrieval process with the customer so that the material she found could be sent to Blount for testing. 
  October 18, 2021 Blount spoke with the customer and confirmed that she had sent the testing kit on this day, and also obtained the lot code information on the product.
  October 20, 2021 Blount received the testing kit and turned it over to Quality for testing.
  October 28, 2021 Test results indicated that the material found was a piece of okra.  The customer did not agree with the test results.
  November 2, 2021 Customer accepted offer of coupons as refund for product that she found unsatisfactory.   Blount provided 2 free product coupons as well as 4 x $1.50 off coupons for other Blount products.
   
  Blount always strives to respond in a timely manner to any customer complaint, to work diligently to investigate the matter, and to accommodate the concerns raised.  Because Blount cooks its products with natural ingredients, there can be variation in textures and consistency, which sometimes leads to customer concerns.  That said, ********************** has numerous safeguards in place to ensure that all Blount products are safe. 
   
  In this case, Blount quickly worked with the customer to obtain the product of concern, to analyze the material, and to determine the cause of the customers complaint, which was concluded to be a piece of okra.  We attempted to accommodate the customer by providing a full refund as well as additional compensation (through coupons) for her inconvenience.    
   
  Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need any additional information on this matter.
   
  Best regards,
   
   
  *********************
  Blount Fine Foods | EVP

  Customer response

  11/30/2021

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  October 18, 2021 Blount spoke with the customer and confirmed that she had sent the testing kit on this day, and also obtained the lot code information on the product.
  
  ***I followed the instructions that the company gave in hopes that in good faith they would be above board and I sent the product and whatever the hard thing that I almost broke a tooth on back to them.***
  October 20, 2021 Blount received the testing kit and turned it over to Quality for testing.
  
  ***Blount pretended they found okra and that was not the case. I grew up on a farm so I am very clear on what okra is. I would not reach out to a company regarding a piece of a vegetable that was supposed to be in the container.***
  October 28, 2021 Test results indicated that the material found was a piece of okra.  The customer did not agree with the test results.
  
  *** Luckily, I did take a picture of the thing that was found in my food. It is definitely not a piece of okra. I find it interesting that the company suddenly became confused about what okra looks like. I emphatically disagreed with the representative nd she stated she would follow up with the supplier and I asked what happens if they also deny it, and she didnt really give me an answer. Interesting, that part was left out of the chronological order of the interaction with me. I never heard back from Blount foods. I was told they threw away the container and all contents after thy determined it was okra because it was perishable.***
  November 2, 2021 Customer accepted offer of coupons as refund for product that she found unsatisfactory.   Blount provided 2 free product coupons as well as 4 x $1.50 off coupons for other Blount products.
  
  *** I never accepted any coupons, I was offered them by the rep that tried to convince me that okra is what was located in the gumbo I sent back. I didnt agree to anything I was waiting to hear what the supplier said. Interesting, I was led to believe there was a third party that would be performing the research and that it was truthful but once they got the product and the rock back, suddenly they became non communicative. I am attaching pictures. This is definitely the same picture I sent to the company but they also did not list that. Blount did not work quickly to resolve, they worked quickly to cover up. I am livid and still dissatisfied especially now that they are covering up the rock that was in my food. I am not interested in any coupons for future products. They lied about what they most likely confirmed was found in the container that I sent back to them. If you look closely at the picture, it is stained from the gumbo it was found in.***
  
   
  
  Gwinette

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩