# Can I get a refund?



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I am going to be extremely frugal and cheap here, but I am also a very dissatisfied and upset customer.

I purchased $20 worth of Taco Bell food around 8pm tonight. I did not eat all of it and stuff myself.

I had 1 Chicken Crunchwrap, some fries, cinnamon twists and a Dr. Pepper.

Now, I have the rest of the food left over (some tacos and a burrito) that are now in my fridge.

5 hours later, I am not feeling so good. A little nauseous and gassy, but I am okay.

5.5 hours later.... I am in deep trouble on the toilet and in massive pain and my Taco Bell is coming out of the front door and the back door.

I have my receipt and my leftover taco's + burrito.

Do you think I can get my $20 back? 

That's a little bit ridiculous..

And to top it all off, the chick working the drive through sucked at her job and kept telling us to "hold on". It would have been faster to order in person.

I used to eat at Taco Bell all the time and have never had an issue until now.

I am convinced this is food poisoning and not just "low quality" food.
My body is used to low quality food. I am a healthy 21 year old male.


----------



## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I think there's a more important issue here than getting your money back (although you certainly should be entitled to that). It's a public health issue and, since you have the evidence of the leftover food, I think you have an obligation to report the situation to your local public health authorities. As nasty as its effect was on you, it seems that you, a healthy young person, are not going to suffer any serious long-term effects from the food poisoning, but if an elderly person with other health problems had eaten this bad food, the results could have been serious - even fatal.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> I am convinced this is food poisoning and not just "low quality" food.
> My body is used to low quality food. I am a healthy 21 year old male.


Anybody that eats at "Taco Hell" can expect "low quality junk food".

While your body may be "used" to low quality fast food, it is telling
you to start eating foods which are healthy.

Do you know what they do to prepare the fillers for those tacos and wraps?
If you don't, then anything could have been thrown in..
spoiled meat, meat that was left sitting around unfrozen in a warm area..botulism bacteria.....somebody sick..not washing hands after going to washroom..coughing on your food while preparing it..the filler mixture
sitting around under warmer lights for many hours and bacteria growing
inside it. 

If you are throwing up and experiencing the "D" thing..you have
injested contaminated food. You can try to get your money back
but they may just shrug and stare at you dumbfounded
..and you are not going to do anyone else any good by not reporting 
your case it to the health inspector.
A few years ago..Loblaws here was selling contaminated cole slaw
from their instore delis and a few people got sick. That was reported
to the health authorities and they traced it to improper sanitation
at the manufacturer of the cole slaw..salmonela bacteria!

Same with the big listeria infections and the contaminated prepackaged
cold cut meats that Maple Leaf Foods was selling a couple years ago.
It resulted in a nationwide recall of all their prepacked cold cuts.
Contamination was traced to improper sanitition/cleaning of process
machinery. Dont remember if anyone died from that outbreak, but
a LOT of people were very sick and their health was damaged (at
least temporarily) from eating contaminated Maple Leaf food.



Save the left over food and call your local health inspection branch for
more directions on what to do. 
Anytime you eat at a fast food place, you take a chance on your health.


----------



## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Ah yes. I gave up on TB a very long time ago. Of course, I do expect the company spin doctors/social media managers to be along very shortly once the spiders find the keywords in your post.  Anyway, on the TB issue my recommendation is simply to move on and not eat there anymore. $20 won't make a shred of difference in your life. You could call the mgr and explain what happened once you've calmed down, say on Monday, and just explain that you suspect food poisoning and see what the mgr says. Keep in mind these fast food retail people are not well paid for what they do and deal with demanding customers and tempermental/unreliable staff all day. Try not to make an enemy of them.

I had that happen to me a few years ago at Tony Romas of all places and it was a very painful experience. It happened across town and the drive home was difficult, I barely made it. I called up the next day and spoke to the mgr, who listened but said mine was the only call. I wasn't offered anything, despite there being 14 people with me and having told all of them what happened. I have also since warned all of my friends about this and they too have been hearing stories from other people locally.

Stay away from places you know, or hear about that have this type of issue. Just stay away. It's not worth your aggravation trying to get some "satisfaction" beyond that.

Again, sorry about what happened to you.


----------



## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

I'm a Saskatchewan transplant living in Ontario. Growing up in Sask I was lucky enough to have Taco Time available to us. Taco Bell is a very poor substitute. I would love to have a crisp meat burrito from Taco Time again. Not sure why anyone goes to Taco Bell, even before their low quality beef alligations came out. 

If you have samples left of the food, contact your local health authority responsible for Restaurant Inspections. Tell them you have suspicions the food is no good, and what you should do.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

mind_business said:


> Taco Bell is a very poor substitute. I would love to have a crisp meat burrito from Taco Time again. Not sure why anyone goes to Taco Bell, even before their low quality beef alligations came out.


Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut are now owned by YUM! Brands. They seem
to be big in China, where there isn't as strict control on food quality and
sanitation. Does that tell you something?
Taco Bell, KFC and Pissa-Hut have all gone down hill in recent
years.



> If you have samples left of the food, contact your local health authority responsible for Restaurant Inspections. Tell them you have suspicions the food is no good, and what you should do.


Absolutely! I would be worried about my own health more than the $20
spent on that junk! If the meat used in the filler came from a packer/slaughter house that had bad sanitation..that meat and other meat
they used could be more than likely infected. All you need is one infected
cow..(hopefully not with Mad Cow) find it's way into the slaughterhouse and
infect the process chain there.

Lot of the fast food chains buy their meats from the cheapest suppliers, who in turn to make more profit buy their meat from 'slaughter houses" that are not gov't inspected very often. This was the case in Toronto not long ago, where the entire plant was condemned. It was found to have RATS running around as well as bad food storage (improper refrigeration) and bacteria found on the meat! 

If he injested contaminated meat (used in the Taco Filler covered up
by all those tex-mex spices), he may be VERY LUCKY that a day or two of discomfort is all that he is going to experience!

Contaminated meat with different strains of E-COLI can serious affect
your internal organs, especially if he doesn't see a doctor and get some
prescribed anti-biotics if his symptoms continue for more than 24hrs. 

If it was me, I would not take the left over back to Taco Bell to ask for a refund.

That is up to the discretion of the store manager and their policy..but
if he did, they would just perhaps say he's the only one complaining,
perhaps give him a refund, throw the evidence in their dumpster, and cover up any incident for fear of bad publicity.

What about the other people who might get sick? Especially children?

We all know about what E-Coli bacteria can do to people from the
contaminated water in Walkerton Ont. Two local idiots didn't bother
to fix a clorinator and the E-Coli (bad strain) run off from pig farm
manure got into the towns drinking water and HUNDREDS of people got
sick and some even died.


----------



## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

You can always get a refund, that's what the receipt is for! I've seen people return half eaten slices of cake at the grocery store and get refunds because the "taste was off". They aren't going to argue with you.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Sure, he might get a refund and they will cover up this incident..but
does he know what goes into the Taco Bell meat filler..
there is not too much real beef..as a matter of fact..they refer
to it as "meatmud" to keep the price of the tacos they sell at 99c!

As I mentioned..they are in business to make a profit..and if they
can compromise the quality of their food without getting caught
at it..they will do it! They don't care about your health or what
you are putting into your body!

Read this!!!!!
http://gizmodo.com/5742413/this-is-what-really-hides-in-taco-bells-beef


----------



## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

When there is something legitimately wrong with the food I agree KaeJS it's on you to report this to the city's Public Health department (if you were in Toronto http://www.toronto.ca/faq/health.htm#restaurants)


----------



## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

One of my friends caught Hepatitis A from an unsanitary restaurant, they were hospitalized for a week and had jaundice for like 6 months. There is no cure. Makes me think twice about eating out...


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

So I slept.

The vomiting has ceased, but I am still gassy and have a little bit of the "D" factor left over (although not as bad as last night).

I will be attempting to get a refund (worth a try, right?), as well as calling DineSafe. Thanks to ddkay for the link.

I know it's Taco Bell, and I wasn't expecting gourmet... but I also wasn't expecting to have a horrible experience.


----------



## ddkay (Nov 20, 2010)

I don't really see anything wrong with the filler, if those are really all the ingredients.

It's definitely wrong to call it beef, but it's not the industrial sludge people make it out to be. The article talks about maltodextrin like its something from another planet, but you consume it every time you drink beer. You probably have soybean oil in your salad condiments. Soy lecithin (emulsifier) is non-toxic and probably in your chocolate bar, your Eggo's waffles, frozen pizza, etc.

Of course soy lecithin can cause allergic reactions, if you're allergic to soy (symptoms http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/soy-allergy/DS00970).

[Still going through the ingredients]

The silicon dioxide might be a problem, what the heck is that doing in there?


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

If it's less than 40% real beef and the rest of the ingredients in their
"meatmud" are chemicals to preserve it and taste enhancers..what
does that tell you about their product? the contamination could have
happened anywhere in the food chain, not just that particular TB retail
store. 

The question here is who else got sick (intestinal cramps etc)
from eating that same filler on the same date that Kaejs did? 

I'm sure if there were others, TB is not going to tell anyone,
or any of their customers with intestinal discomfort that they
possibly had a bad batch of it and they are sorry...
that would open them to a health inspection and later on
to a class action law suit even in Canada!

It's easier for them to refund his $20 and keep quiet about it.


----------



## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

Last time I went to TB was about 10 years ago, they served me taco with a plastic wrap inside, I now realize that the plastic was probably the healthiest part of the meal but it was such a turn off I never went back since.

If you are still gassy today just stay home (open the window), your friends may not enjoy the company


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

ddkay said:


> I don't really see anything wrong with the filler, if those are really all the ingredients.
> 
> The silicon dioxide might be a problem, what the heck is that doing in there?


from online sources
*Silicon Dioxide in Food Safety*
Silicon dioxide food safety is of prime concern especially when it is used as an additive. SiO2, added as an anti-caking agent to a food product is not safe when the SiO2 quantity is more than 2 percent of the food's weight. More specifically, for SiO2 to be safe, it should be made by a process known as vapor phase hydrolysis. If it is manufactured by any other process, then the recommended particle size of SiO2 should not exceed the safety norms. *Supplements having over 2 percent of silicon dioxide are also not considered to be safe for consumption.*

Hopefully it's less than 2% and we don't have that same problem when the
Chinese put melamine as a protein substitute in pet foods a few years
ago..a lot of pets got sick and died as a result.

Fast food..unless you are sure of the ingredients and if they are good for
you..stay away from it!

If you like tacos..buy the beef at a recognized food store and the tacos/
taco spices and make it yourself. You can do the same with burritos and
wraps.
When you can't be sure how safe the meat/food is in the food chain,
your health can be comprimised.

There is a lot of that happening these days, with the meat/fast food
industry trying to maximize profits, not just the additives. 
The meat can be contaminated anywhere in the food chain with salmonela or listeria or* deadly strains of e-coli bacteria*, with improper
sanitation, refrigeration or even handling before the end sale. 

Heck, I'm ready to throw up just thinking about it!


----------



## zylon (Oct 27, 2010)

Sorry to hear about your experience *KaeJS*

Chances are pretty good that you weren't the only one. There was likely a batch of "something" that made dozens of people sick.

Check out the social networks ... see if there's any chatter about it. 

Run a free ad on Kijiji looking for similar experiences at that location, at that time.

You'll get your money back, and prol'ly a few extra meals thrown in; if you're still interested in them 

________________
"have a crap and raise some ****, that's what I always say"
~Diarrhea Dick, author of _Brown Streak on the Prairie_


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

zylon said:


> if you're still interested in them
> 
> ________________
> "have a crap and raise some ****, that's what I always say"
> ~Diarrhea Dick, author of _Brown Streak on the Prairie_


Not interested in TB anymore.

love the quote, zylon.


----------



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I got my refund! 

I also got my refund in CASH.

This means I get to keep the $0.20 I earned with my TD Rebate Rewards VISA.

Sounds good to me!


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I got food poisoning from a sushi place in Oshawa ,my friends daughter had bleeding from her bowels and was in hospital on IV for 3 days.We reported it to health department and they found a fridge was set 2 degrees higher than it should have been ,it was ecoli from the salmon.I was lucky i only had 24 hours sitting on toilet and puking in the garbage pail.The restaurant gave my friend $500 to cover her out of pocket expenses for taking care of her daughter etc.And gave us free sushi for a month but I could not bring myself to go back to this day.


----------



## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

Next time you should go to the doctor. I did that after getting food poisoning from Swiss Chalet. The doctor said it was from Swiss Chalet. The pain, vomiting and washroom visits were brutal. 

I emailed the customer service people with this info from the doctor and had the Regional Director of Swiss Chalet calling me and apologizing to me. However she would not admit it was from Swiss Chalet, despite the doctor saying it was.. 

I did not argue after she gave me a $50 gift card for the bad experience.


----------



## hystat (Jun 18, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> I got my refund!
> 
> I also got my refund in CASH.
> 
> ...


good work on the refund... hope you make a swift recovery
I stick to the vegetarian stuff there - like the 7 layer burrito... low quality meat is scary
my friend thinks they put laxatives in the meat on purpose... "if it doesn't stay in you, you can't get e-coli"


----------



## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

And you still go to Swiss Chalet Jungle?


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

hystat said:


> *low quality meat is scary*
> my friend thinks they put laxatives in the meat on purpose... "if it doesn't stay in you, you can't get e-coli"


Well at least in his case, even if he couldn't "keep it down" he got his money back and still managed to keep his 20c rewards on his CC. 

A+ for being frugal in the utmost sense. But maybe he was 
just plain lucky this time, he didn't have to be hospitalized on antibiotics. 

Personally, I would NEVER touch any fast food chain where the filler in the
sandwich is "mystery meat". You just can never be sure of what's in there.
If you injest a bad strain of e-coli...your internal organs can get damaged!

I read a book about slaughter houses where carcasses dropped off the
hook onto contaminated slime (fecal matter etc)..they just hoisted the
carcass back up and washed it off and kept going with production.

The worse parts of the animal (that they can't sell otherwise) goes into
ground meat...full of preservatives and added colour to hide the deterioation taking place, sold at discount prices to those that can use it.
Pet foods etc. It is called 'animal digest". A slurry of animal parts that
go into pet foods to act as filler reducing the cost of real meat in
the pet food. Not sure if road kill is involved in pet food, but I now
carefully read the ingredients on the cat food label before I feed my
cat and she will tell me if the food is bad. PC cat food contains "animal
digest "slurry..I will Never buy it! Vet bills are much too expensive these days!

Hot dogs are one item that is a mixture of unsaleable meat from animal
parts that are ground up with added preservatives (nitrites).
high nitrates (which form nitrosamines in the body which are carcinogenic!)
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/food/hotdogs.htm
Bacon has nitrates and high sodium too..but it does taste good!


check out this link on unsafe animal slaughtering practices and
people getting seriously sick from eating contaminated meat!
7.5% of samples tested by USDA contained salmonela bacteria
11.7% of samples contaminated with listeria bacteria
30% of samples contaminated with staphylococcus bacteria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcal_infection
53.3% contaminated withj clostridium ....
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/processing/

The way it's going with these slaughter houses, even grade A USDA
certified meat may not be entirely safe in some cases. In Canada,
do the health inspectors do a bacterial check on every cow that gets
slaughtered for food? I think not.


----------

