Man seeks justice after rotten chicken saga
BLACKHEATH – Willem Bossert alleges that he got sick after eating chicken that he bought from the Blackheath Super Spar.
Willem Bossert wanted to get some dinner on his way home and made a turn at the Spar in Blackheath on 31 March, where he bought a ready-to-eat chicken.
“When I arrived home I put the chicken in the fridge and finished some work, afterwards I went back to the fridge took out the chicken, nibbled on a piece and warmed up the rest,” Bossert said.
He alleges that while the chicken was warming up in the microwave, he was overcome by a rotting smell that he immediately started investigating. Unable to identify where the smell came from, he returned to the microwave and was horrified by the smell that emanated from it when he opened the door.
“I was terribly upset that Spar had given me a rotten chicken and I returned it to its bag and resolved to return the chicken back to the store,” he said.
During the night Bossert alleged that he was hit by an upset stomach where he threw up and felt a bout of nausea and was unable to go to work in the morning.
“In the afternoon the next day I felt a bit better and I took the chicken back to Spar but I was surprised at the attitude of the manager who did not apologise but arrogantly told me that he would give me two more chickens. I insisted that I did not want any chicken from them but would rather have an apology and my money back,” he said.
According to Bossert, the manager at Spar then took him to a board that declared that the right of admission was reserved and that he would be arrested if he did not leave. “The store security guard approached me and ordered me to leave the premises, which I did after some time,” he explained.
Bossert said that the whole incident has left him with a bitter taste in his mouth and that he felt intimidated by the store manager who did not acknowledge that the chicken he bought caused him pain and suffering.
Brett Botten managing director of South Rand Division, under which the Spar Group Limited falls, said that incidents such as this one, were viewed in a serious light by store management and also, the relevant staff members at their regional office. “It appears that the store manager attempted to resolve the issue with the customer concerned as the owner was not in the store at the time, but was unable to do this to the customer’s satisfaction,” Botten said. He added that the matter was ongoing and that the store owner would continue speaking to Bossert in order to resolve the matter.
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