What would you have done (long)

I had an awful and very disturbing experience with a local merchant yesterday and I’m still trying to get over it. So, I thought I would share it with you guys to get your opinion.

I’m the retail manager of Highland Fish Market; recently we expanded the shop to include more gourmet items and a space for KY products. We had already carried Lotsa Pasta, so we decided to also include Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheeses and Luna Mercato.

We started ordering from Luna about 6 weeks ago and in that time had 3 deliveries and spent about $700.00-$800.00 bringing in pretty much their entire line of spreads, aiolo’s and pesto’s. I really wanted more then just 3 or 4 products because I really liked the products and wanted to give our customers a good selection.

The Luna items were selling really well and Ed the owner of Luna said he was pleased as well. After about 1 week of getting our 3rd delivery (I was stocking up for derby and Mothers Day) a customer brought back a container of the Tuscan spread. It was completely moldy. YUK. The exp date was May 20; it wasn’t even close to that date yet. I apologized to my customer, offered her a refund, but she just wanted to pick out another type of spread. I thought great, and she left happy.
I then went to the case and checked all the Tuscan spreads. Everyone was moldy. Including the one returned, I had to pull 9 off the shelf. I then check all the other products. The Black Bean Spread had the same problem; I pulled all 5 of them. Again exp date was the 20th.
I immediately called Luna and spoke with Ed’s wife, who assured me I could get a credit. She also said they had had a bit of a problem with the Tuscan spread holding up. She also told me they are delivered from their shop in St Mathews to all their accounts cold but with no refrigeration along the way. I wasn’t real thrilled with that, what could a cooler cost w/ some ice packs? But I thanked her and left it at that.
During the next 2 weeks they called twice for an order but both times I had enough stock to last me until this week. Well during that period of time I had to pull 5 Irish Pub Spreads and 2 Fresco Spreads, all dated May 27, because of mold. I made a note of it and added them to the list of what I expected to get credit for.

Yesterday I called them to place my order for Thursday delivery, accompanied by ice packs, I hoped. Ed answered. I started off by telling him of my previous conversations with his wife and that she had told me about their warm delivery method.
He said that his product was safe and still cold when it arrived at the destinations, because it only took ½ to get here. He then said the problem was mine, that our case wasn’t cold enough. Also said he was an expert at these things and he had a special infrared thermometer to get true readings. He did not offer to bring it by.

I was still counting on getting some sort of credit, so I said well are you ready to take my order? He says I’m not going to do business with you anymore; I can’t make you happy and then hangs up on me!!

I’m still so angry I’m seeing red! Sorry this so long but I needed to vent.
Anybody out there ever experienced this type of treatment before? How would you react?

BTW, later on yesterday we had our case checked out and the temp on all levels was holding at 34 degrees.

Michele, I can't offer any insight as a store owner, but I can confirm it's not just you.

I bought some of the black bean spread probably a year or two ago and it had mold on top, long before the expiration date. On one hand, I appreciate that Luna doesn't put artificial stuff in the spreads to make them hold longer ... but as a consumer I found that incident frustrating. Fortunately, I've never had a problem with their addictive gouda pecan spread!

WOW!!!
That's pretty messed up.

I can't even fathom why things would go down like that. Weird and bad on so many levels.
Bottom line - it's up to the business to please the customer via the quality of it's purveyors. It is certainly not up to the business and it's customers to please the purveyors.

Ed may be wrong? Valuemarket, Amazing Grace, and Rainbow Blossom I doubt all have faulty freezers, but who knows? Because I have gotten moldy Luna Mercado products from all of those places. Value was the latest, moldy Meditteranean goat cheese dip. Which made me literally mad because that stuff is crack to me. By the way, all of the purchases were in the last 6 months. Now I inspect quite rigorously because with a little deducing, I thought it was a Luna Mercado problem. Oh I forgot, and liquor barn about a year ago I got some of the feta dill. I like their stuff but IF they are as you proposed, I don't need it but I would like to do further investigating before I jump to conclusions and I can't really comment on that part of your post. I have also put their products back on the shelf because I wasn't sure if they were moldy or not.

He may be correct about his delivery process. It shouldn't cause mold in 30 minutes or 15 minutes out of a freezer. If cooling was the true problem then nothing in peoples friges would ever mold, because they are always cold, right? That was not rhetorical, I want someone to tell me. The biggest cause of mold is poor packaging. Ed may want to stop his cockyness and check on his package sealing process (my cockyness, im probably wrong) . If all of that is true of course, I don't want to jump to conclusions.

I stopped buying Luna Mercato spread because of mold. The asiago spread had it multiple times from various locations. Their stuff tastes great, but that kind of creeped me out.

I would like to take a moment to reply to all of this nonsense....I am the owner of Luna Mercato and as far as the incident with Michelle goes let me inform all the readers of what has really happened...over the past 3 weeks Michelle has badgered my employees to the point where no one wanted to talk with her on the phone or call for her order. It should also be noted that she has NEVER spoken with my wife, only our employees. She is rude and one of the most difficult people we have ever had to deal with. Even though, in every single case, mold issue of our product is related to temperature, we continue to reimburse stores when they have a product mold. We stand behind our product every time. The reason I hung up on Michelle was because she was unreasonably rude and would not listen to any suggestions i had as to why the problem might be occuring and didn't even give me an opportunity to address the problem. She has been impossible to satisfy from day 1. As far as our delivery methods are concerned, we have been delivering for over 5 1/2 years, and in the summer months we do deliver in coolers with ice packs....either way, the product is always delivered cold, and at the appropriate temp.

As far as the mold issue of our product is concerned allow me to make a few points. First of all, we use only the finest ingredients in our spreads without any preservatives. Everyone knows that cheese molds easily and is temperature sensative, at least anyone with any food sense. Secondly, we have had our product put through extensive lab testing and it has been proven, without a doubt, that if the product is held at the appropriate temp then it will not mold within the expiration date. If a customer buys a moldy container of our spread, they should inform the store they bought it from so that the temperature of the cooler can be checked. Also, when buying our spreads, they need to be taken home and refrigerated immediately. Don't leave them in your car or on the counter for an extended period of time. Any reader out there who has purchased a moldy container please feel free to email me or come by our operation (which has received the highest ratings by the State and Local Health Departments) and I will be happy to give you a complimentary spread, as well as show you containers that we have tested that have held free of mold weeks beyond their expiration date. Our phone number is 895-0950, if we don't answer it is because we are in production, but leave a message and we will get back with you soon.
Thank you and thanks to all of you who have been our loyal customers over the years!

I take it the truth is somewhere in the middle? I appreciate hearing from you Ed. Good stuff. I just don't know what to believe and not really wanting to get into the middle of it. So, I will keep doing what I do. From my viewpoint the mold issue doesn't reflect the product, it's a great product, maybe packaging. I sent a very cordial email Ed mainly to get both sides because I am bored at work and have nothing better to do except talk to people. Although she really didnt give her opinion about you, just what happened in her perception. But it's not really a good thing to get on a public forum and mention names. I am so torn!

IAs far as the mold issue of our product is concerned allow me to make a few points. First of all, we use only the finest ingredients in our spreads without any preservatives. Everyone knows that cheese molds easily and is temperature sensative, at least anyone with any food sense.

This lack of preservatives is what I assumed was the cause in my case. Ed, thanks for giving us your side of the story.

Of the 8 posts in this thread, 4 posts talk about buying moldy products. In one case it lists 3 or 4 different stores where they have purchased moldy products. I understand the "No preservatives" thing and appreciate it actually! But maybe it's an issue with the package dating???

In distributing your products, is there a way for your people to check temperatures of the coolers where they are being stored/sold?

Might sound silly/too labor intensive, but ultimately these issues reflect badly on you, not the retail outlets.

great quote in your sig line Heather. I am a big fan of Wendell Berry.

IAs far as the mold issue of our product is concerned allow me to make a few points. First of all, we use only the finest ingredients in our spreads without any preservatives. Everyone knows that cheese molds easily and is temperature sensative, at least anyone with any food sense.

This lack of preservatives is what I assumed was the cause in my case. Ed, thanks for giving us your side of the story.

Lack of preservatives is the best part, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if Ed made his stuff from unpasteurized cheese as well. Mold doesn't bother me much but it can put me out a bit and get me interested in why there is mold before the date on the label. I have no life.

great quote in your sig line Heather. I am a big fan of Wendell Berry.

Thanks Ron! I am a huge fan as well. I miss my bookstore days

Well, I was not rude, I'm usually very happy and laid back. I was just trying to place my order and stock up my case. I'm not going to get in a fighting match with Ed. But I do know who I've talked to on the phone, Amy Hoover, Jennifer (Ed's wife) and Ed.
And I was not trying to start sh*t, I just could not believe how I was being treated!

I did find out today from my Haddon House Rep that Ed's trying to sell Luna by the end of the month or they will go out of business.
So if you like the products and lot's of people do, you'd better stock up.

Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions of local products that I can bring in?

IAs far as the mold issue of our product is concerned allow me to make a few points. First of all, we use only the finest ingredients in our spreads without any preservatives. Everyone knows that cheese molds easily and is temperature sensative, at least anyone with any food sense.

This lack of preservatives is what I assumed was the cause in my case. Ed, thanks for giving us your side of the story.

Lack of preservatives is the best part, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if Ed made his stuff from unpasturized cheese as well. Mold doesn't bother me much but it can put me out a bit and get me interested in why there is mold before the date on the label. I have no life.

I agree now that I think about it. I've bought cheese before that I got home only to realize it was past its prime. I shrugged and thought that's just the risk of buying an all natural product. I've also had it happen with tomatoes and apples. c'est la vie.

[Robin Garr]

I would like to take a moment to reply

Thanks, Ed! Without sitting in judgment on this issue, I'm always most comfortable when both sides are heard on forum topics of this type.

Irrespective of this experience, I'm another big fan of Luna Mercado, can't get enough of that Pecan Gouda Spread, and have never had a problem with moldy product. (I almost always buy it at Lotsa Pasta, for whatever that's worth.)