Woolworths — A FOREIGN OBJECT IN MY JUICE, AND APPARENTLY NOBODY WANTS TO DEAL WITH IT

I am absolutely disgusted with the way Woolworths has handled this.

I purchased a bottle of juice from Woolworths. While drinking it, I noticed something floating in the juice. Initially I thought it was a piece of pulp.

When I removed it and examined it, I was horrified to find what appears to be a dark brown, elongated object resembling an insect pupa or larval casing.

I am deliberately NOT claiming that I know exactly what this object is — I am not an entomologist or a laboratory. That is precisely the point. Woolworths needs to identify it and establish how a foreign object like this ended up in a food product.

I have retained the object and the juice and have photographs showing the object being removed from the juice through a sieve.

So this isn't a case of a customer saying, "I think I saw something."

I physically recovered a foreign object from the juice.

And what has Woolworths' response been?

Nothing.

For THREE DAYS I have been trying to get someone to actually deal with this.

I battled around the Woolies App trying to find somewhere to lodge a complaint and upload photographs as evidence. I could not find a straightforward facility to report this type of serious food/product complaint and submit photographs.

Eventually, after having to scrounge around on the internet myself, I found the email address *** and sent a detailed complaint.

I have heard absolutely nothing. Not even an acknowledgement.

The store's response was that I must bring the product back in its packaging so that they can inspect it.

Seriously?

The product has been opened because I WAS DRINKING IT when I discovered the foreign object.

Am I supposed to decant the juice back into the bottle? Or perhaps drive around with a sieve full of juice and a suspicious-looking object so that I can prove what I found?

I have photographic evidence. I have retained the actual foreign object. I have retained the juice.

What more am I supposed to do as a customer?

And this is where my frustration with Woolworths' customer service becomes even greater.

If I compare this experience with other major retailers such as Checkers and Pick n Pay, there are much more obvious digital routes for customers to raise issues and provide information. With Woolworths, I have spent days trying to navigate the App and find a way to actually get help.

Then, when I finally find an email address myself and report a potential foreign object in a food product, I am met with silence.

I used my Woolworths/WRewards card when purchasing the product, so the transaction should be traceable against my account.

My details are:

Janine Michel

I am not asking Woolworths to simply take my word for what the object is.

I am asking Woolworths to INVESTIGATE IT.

If it is pulp, tell me it's pulp.

If it is some harmless manufacturing residue, explain what it is.

If it is an insect, pupa, larval casing or something else, tell me what it is and how it got into a bottle of juice.

But don't ignore me.

This is a FOOD PRODUCT.

Finding an unexplained object resembling an insect pupa/larval casing in something I am drinking is disturbing enough. Having to spend three days fighting through your App, searching the internet for a customer-service email, sending a complaint and then receiving absolutely no response is frankly unacceptable.

And please don't tell me to simply bring it into the store without explaining how you expect me to preserve the evidence.

I am still sitting with the juice and the foreign object.

So Woolworths, here is my very simple question:

ARE YOU GOING TO SEND SOMEONE TO COLLECT/INSPECT THIS PRODUCT AND INVESTIGATE WHAT THE OBJECT IS, OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO CONTINUE IGNORING THE COMPLAINT?

I expect a proper response.

Not another runaround.

Not a generic automated reply.

Not "please return it to the store" without addressing the evidence I have retained.

I want this investigated properly.

And I want to know why it has been so difficult to get Woolworths to listen to me in the first place.

Three days. A foreign object in a food product. Photographic evidence. The actual object retained. An email already sent to Customer Service. And STILL no response.

That is not the customer service standard I expect from Woolworths.