Trader Joe's

I love shopping here. As a vegetarian married to a carnivore, I have to compromise when grocery shopping. TJ's is the best of both worlds! I have even turned my husband and my parents (previously Whole Foods groupies) into big time TJ fans too! Countless times I have only had the time to run in and grab a few of the gourmet meals from the frozen aisles, which can stock us up for a couple days and a bottle or two of whatever wine is being showcased, which is always inexpensive but delightfully unique.

I disagree with any complaints about service, granted it may be that my Greenville, SC branch is just a pleasure to "do business with", but the service sets them apart from any other grocer (besides Whole Foods, I must say, which also cares about their product a lot) because they know their food and their brand kills. It's as healthy as advertised and prepared deliciously well. Every time I step out and buy a new TJ item, my expectations are so pleasantly met! I do have my ''regulars" that pretty much always make it into my cart, but I get excited every time I try one of the samples the little kitchen puts together because I end up wanting every ingredient. No doubt, Trader Joe's, you are my guilty pleasure!

We love Trader Joe's and have never had anything bad happen until this week. We found a piece of hard, sharp plastic in our bag of Potato Trio potato chips. It is definitely a foreign object which, I'm sure, you would not be happy about. I will save the piece and send it to you, if that is your process. It is kind of big and would have been hard to swallow, but if it had been bitten into could maybe have cracked a tooth.

This message is in response to AMH of Washington, DC. AMH, I'm sorry, but your complaint about being called a "spot" seems to stem from not understanding how Americans use that word. I don't think the cashier was calling you (or any other customer for that matter) a spot. When someone asks another person to trade "spots" with them, it's the same as asking to trade places. Like, I don't like where I am or the register that I've been given, would you mind trading spots (in this case, trading registers) with me?

It doesn't make much sense for a cashier to do that in the middle of a transaction, however. But your post was a little confusing in that regard as well, because at first you said the cashier was in the middle of handling a transaction with an older black lady and the register was still open, then you claimed that you were the one being waited on when the comment was made. Either way, I've never known the word spot to be used as any type of racial or offensive term in America. Honestly, it sounds like you overreacted because you didn't understand how the word was being used. Best of luck to you.

I was eating Trader Joe's blubbery brain muffin that I bought few days ago, when I felt something strange in my mouth. I took out a shred of it and looked closely what's inside the muffin and I found a whole mouse baked inside and I bit a piece of it. I was vomiting all night long. I had nausea and diarrhea. The next day, I had to call-in sick and missed a day of work.

I am a foreign national and was discriminated against because of my origin and race.

I was called a "spot" by a white female cashier at the Trader Joe's store on 25th Street in NW Washington, DC. The cashier, white female, was serving an older black woman with brown skin. She was in the midst of the transaction with her drawer open, handling cash. The cashier turns to the black male sales associate and says, "Can you trade 'spots' with me? I don't want to work with this 'spot'. " I was purchasing two bananas and had put in the wrong pin number. The black male associate agreed to move and walked over to the open cash drawer to complete the transaction. I turned to the customer behind me and shook my head. I refused to make the purchase and told the cashier that I would not buy from a salesperson that did not want to work with a "spot." I left the store.

Over the past six months, I have shopped at Trader Joe's 5-6 times per week, sometimes twice daily, purchasing food and coming in regularly. Some customers complain about the long line and the wait for making a purchase. I am offended by the behavior of the cashiers that make the cafe tables their own hangout. They smoke cigarettes, confer with each other about their hassles of working at the store and seem to have "contempt" for the customers that sit there. I am planning on filing a racial discrimination complaint. I am offended by the cashier's use of the term "spot".

Trader Joe's new chocolate bar is way smaller than the box it comes in. False advertising and wasting precious resources is not okay. Shame on you, Trader Joe's. I am no longer buying the product.

For the past week, I have visited three Trader Joe's within the perimeter of my neighborhood to buy Double Rainbow Chocolate Sorbet. After asking different people behind the "desk", I am generally told it has not been ordered. In it's place is a Trader Joe's Brand Ice Cream, made from coconut milk that is also chocolate. It has the same size and look of packaging. The Double Rainbow Chocolate Sorbet has 110 calories per serving and 1 gram of fat. The Trader Joe's Brand has 180 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving. At the store on National Blvd. I was told that many, many people were requesting the Trader Joe's brand and there was not room to carry them both. This branch/location of Trader Joe's has carried Double Rainblow Chocolate Sorbet for at least ten years and I find it hard to believe that it's popularity has suddenly waned.

At the branch/location on Glendon Avenue in Westwood Village, I was told by another person behind the desk when I confronted him with the same nutritional information about these products, "Trader Joe's never said it was a health food store. Ninety percent of the meals that are in the refrigerated section bearing the Trader Joe's brand label are very high in fact per serving (often 18 to 20 grams) and generously caloric. I have been a customer of Trader Joe's since I was 24 years old but I think I am going to allow myself time to shop around and give some new up and coming stores my business if I see they are more willing to present a balanced selection of offerings than Trader Joe's. Also, the attitude from these people behind the desks were uninterested and designed to make me feel like a problem customer.

Something seems to be happening at Trader Joe's in recent months. I guess I can understand their price increases, but the attitude by many employee/clerks and their readiness to discontinue items is beyond me. My most recent problem was to find out that they are discontinuing the unsalted blister peanuts. The reason given was that they were not a "big seller". When I complained to one of the store managers, he rudely told me if I wanted, he would wash the salt off of them for me. How rude! As a result, my shopping at Trader Joes will be declining drastically in the foreseeable future until their policy and practice of ignoring customer wants, discontinuing more healthy items (e.g. unsalted blister peanuts) in favor of less healthy ones and rudeness is changed.

My husband was blown off by customer service (626-599-3700), and was told to take his wrongly priced issue up with the local store captain. The store on National Blvd, Los Angeles had again charged me more for items that were advertised in-store for less. The store captain (manager) had been reluctant to sell me the items at the price advertised. Check your bills at this store. I will not shop at this store anymore, especially since there are others nearby.

S. **, a cashier, refused to acknowledge my conversation with him upon check out. He absolutely would not answer and all I was expecting was some pleasantry that I'd be on my way soon or anything. When I asked if he was going to answer or say something, he said that I was "ignorant". Why was I ignorant? It did not make any sense since I was just talking about forgetting my wallet and having to return to the store. He actually called me "ignorant" two more times and said he would cancel my transaction.

Does Trader Joe's get gang members to be their cashiers? I thought that they have been propelled to success by customers perceiving them to be a customer-friendly store with a "mom and pop" store atmosphere. This incident was shocking. I said nothing to be called names like ignorant and what right does he have to call any customer whatsoever insulting names and why does he not acknowledge customers chatting in the first place?

A negative, evil, bad experience in Pittsburgh.

I have shopped at this Trader Joe's since the store opened, 10 plus years ago. I have been an excellent customer and have had a very good rapport with everyone who has worked or works at the store. Past and current employees and past managers (the company calls them captains), with the exception of the current manager (captain) Art **.

I have had a fair rapport with this individual up until about July 2010. My son got hired in October of 2009. He was 18 at the time of being hired and had been shopping with me at this particular store since the age of 8 or maybe younger, so he was very familiar with the other employees and the Trader Joe's product.

He worked there until July 2010. He left due to this particular captain and another assistant captain. At the time my son left working for Trader Joe's, I experienced harassment from the current captain. In the beginning of my son's departure for working at Trader Joe's, I was made to feel extremely uncomfortable by the current captain, either by actions or some dialogue. I think he was hoping he could intimidate me into not shopping there any longer.

At first, I would only shop there if someone else was with me. Then eventually, I started going just as I always had throughout the years, making sure to avoid this particular person. It seemed to be working until yesterday, August 14, 2011.

I stopped in to the store for a few of my regular items and one of the items was some deli chicken that I always purchase for lunches for my husband. I noticed the refrigeration where the deli chicken didn't seem to be cold. And I let the employee who was working in the demo area know that there may be a problem. She made a call to someone. I was waiting, to ask if there was any of the product in the cold storage because I didn't know if the product on the shelf was okay or not.

The person that came over was Art, the current captain. I had not had any real contact with this person since July of 2010. When he approached the situation, I was going to be adult about dealing with him. As I was starting to speak to him regarding the product in question, he instantly became unprofessional towards me. He made comments towards me and about my son.

By coincidence, my daughter and her fianc were in the store at the same time and I had to call her over to me because of his behavior. My daughter asked him what was his problem and he responded that we could both be asked to not shop in the store ever again. That we were ganging up on him, which was not the case at all. He thought he could get away with harassing and intimidating me because he thought I was there by myself.

I have been told by Art himself prior to July 2010 that I am probably their best customer. I have always treated the employees with respect and kindness. The problem lies with this individual. He doesn't show his true self unless you have any kind of disagreement with him or if he is challenged. You have to have a strong backbone to stand up for yourself or he will humiliate you or bully you, whichever he feels he can get away with.

On 8/2/11 at approximately 6:55PM, we entered Trader Joe's parking lot. One of the Trader Joe's employee was moving several shopping carts from the parking lot. The carts were not tied together therefore, due to his negligence, one of the carts got lose and banged against our 2011 Toyota Camry.

On 6/3/2011, during the early evening, my son and I were half-way through our grocery shopping. My son had to use the restroom. I wasn't aware of the location of the facilities. I politely asked an employee, whom was making free samples, where the bathrooms were located. She ignored me and started gossiping with another shopper about what I could gather, another employee. I politely asked her the same question again, and she says, "hi" and continues to ignore my request, and gossips with the customer. If the other customer was asking about a product or some other work related topic, that would have been understandable. I found it rude, unprofessional of the employee to ignore me and continue her conversation without taking two seconds to help me.

I rushed through my shopping, forgetting a couple items I needed in my rush to leave, and took him to use another store's restroom. In stores like Trader Joe's that advertise their wonderful customer service, I would expect a much higher quality of professionalism. I shop at the local Wal-Mart, which employees are much more helpful then what I experienced at this Trader Joe's. To discuss another employee out in public, and to ignore a simple request to continue gossiping is beyond unprofessional and rude. Considering the state of the economy, and how many people are desperately trying to find employment, you would think that Trader Joe's wouldn't have a problem finding employees with a work ethic. I won't be shopping at this Trader Joe's again.

As I was being checked out, the cashier clerk named Corey was looking at me up and down in an inappropriate manner. I immediately felt uncomfortable. He then commented on my looks and stated loudly that I was beautiful, that my hair was beautiful, all within earshot of other customers. As I was swiping my credit card, he then looked at my wallet on the counter and read my personal information off my driver's license. He repeated my first and last name back to me. After which he looked at my left hand, and asked me if I was married, looked at my ring finger and stated that he could see that I wasn't married because the ring was on the wrong finger. He then said, "How inappropriate of me." I felt extremely uncomfortable the entire time.

The unwarranted attention and blatant invasion of my privacy left me feeling violated and emotionally distressed. I am fearful that this person saw my address and could find me at my residence. The remarks he made were not only excessive, but were unprofessional as other customers around me heard and saw this take place. I have been shopping at Trader Joe's for 10 years and never once have I felt that I didn't want to return.

Within the last year, I have purchased bad meat from each of the Santa Barbara area Trader Joe's. These meats included organic chicken breasts, organic chicken thighs, and two free-range roast chickens. And just last night, I opened a stinky pork tenderloin. All were well within the "sell dates."

For the most part, the stores have been accommodating. But until yesterday, when I made a real stink about the stink, I felt they would really follow up with the distributors. One time the crew fellow was nice, but he blew me off when he said, "Well, that happens sometimes."

I love TJ's and I am not a squeamish meat-eater. In all my years, I have never purchased bad meat except for these at TJ's. I'm getting creeped out about buying meat from them anymore.

My vet said that most Glucosamine Chondroitin supplements are merely placebos. I have been giving my dog these pills for 5 years. Has this all been for nothing? How do I know that this is real since its not regulated by the FDA. The vet said over half of the products are not Glucosamine Chondroitin. How do I find out?

In California, the USDA requires that all almonds be pasteurized. Trader Joe's uses these pasteurized almonds to make "raw" almond butter. I wrote Trader Joe's and received a letter from Nicole **, customer relations manager, who wrote me that these almonds only received a "short burst of steam." She neglected to add that the almonds are then dried in 400-degree air, effectively cooking them.

I don't know whether she intentionally or unintentionally tried to mislead me but the effect is the same, TJ's is misleading their customers on this product at least in part because the USDA allows them to legally do so. Whole Foods, on the other hand, clearly labels "raw almonds" as being made from pasteurized almonds.

November 15, 2010, I was eating Trail Mix and crushed a shell. Nowhere on the package does it say there are shells. I lost my tooth. Trader Joe's say they're not liable because I don't have the shell. I have everything else along with a pretty huge bill. I lost most of the tooth. Now I have to get a bridge. It's costly. Can you help please?

As at least one other consumer has noted on this website I, too, experienced a long-lasting bitter aftertaste after consuming a serving of Trader Joe's dry roasted pignolias. Having eaten the pine nuts on the Friday before Thanksgiving, the metallic taste was noticeable at every meal, every day, right through Thanksgiving. Nine days later, the metallic taste is now subsiding. I note, too, that NPR also reported on this phenomena with pine nuts though TJ's brand was not mentioned.

I went to the store on 11/23/2010 to buy a kosher turkey. It was the third store I went to since two other stores were out of the product. Seattle just had a severe snow storm, so I just rush in just for the turkey. When I went to the cash register I wrote a check but for the first time the check was declined in the machine that was processing it. The cashier went to a supervisor to figure out the problem and the supervisor tried again, but no luck. I then said I had just enough cash but insisted on getting a phone number to call to clear up the problem.

The supervisor told me to contact my bank. I said I was just at my bank earlier and they could even call the bank. He just replied that it must be my bank and I replied that I really need a phone number to clear this up and that it was not my bank that was the problem. He just repeated it must be my bank and would not give me a phone number. I was so frustrated I threw down the money on the counter and told him where he should put the money (up his **). He said he will not tolerate such language and would not accept my money, so I had to leave with no turkey. I tried to call the store later at home but the person just hung up on me.

All I tried to say on the phone was how bad the customer service was and what can be done to resolve it. I then googled the headquarters and left a message about the problem. No one called me back the next day. When I called the office in the afternoon a woman said she called the store to find out their story and to have them resolve the problem. She then told me that they were upset because I used bad language. I told her it was expected under the circumstances but she continued to defend the store. I continued to try to explain the problem but each time I was raising my voice more since I was getting very frustrated (without shouting).

She then said I was raising my voice and she would not tolerate that. I told her I was raising it because she was not trying to listen. Then I was hung up again. I don't know if I will be able to get a turkey now since today the weather was undrivable and only one other store had a kosher turkey. Hopefully, I can get to that store on Thanksgiving but more snow is expected tonight. No turkey yet. I will not shop at stores again. I lost reason to be thankful on Thanksgiving.

What happened to Mayan Mix? It was my favorite. I purchase many variations of Trader Joe's Trek Mix and have recently started paying how shabby the almonds and macadamias always look in the 'Macadamias mix Gingerly with Cranberries & Almonds' and 'Omega Trek Mix' bags. It is especially noticeable in the almonds because of the dark exterior that they have been chewed by mice in some cases and completely bored through in others. Some almonds have had most of the dark skin nibbled off by tiny teeth and the teeth marks are tiny but plainly visible and identifiable as teeth marks. Other almonds appear to have been drilled through by a 2 and 3 mm meandering drill bit. In one side and out the other.

To give you an idea of how many or how common this is, I poured a generous handful and inspected each almond. Nine out of 25 almonds have been chewed by either mice or some kind of boring insect. Then again 9 out of 22, that gives you an idea of how common in a bag. I bought these about a month ago. I went back for another bag yesterday and found very similar results. I've saved the suspect almonds and macadamias along with the rest of the mix in their bags to show to an exterminator friend and to take back to Trader Joe's in Arrowhead. No other mix I've ever purchased has had almonds or other ingredients in this condition. The bag reads 'Best by May 27, 2011'. I do not want replacement product. I'm very disappointed and grossed out.

I purchased 5 packages of frozen Trader Joe's "Beef Steak" Burritos with seasoned beans with the intent of using them for meals throughout the month. So far we have eaten 4 of the packages. We have found each burrito (2 per package) to contain two or less pieces of mystery meat. The meat is cut into small strips, about 1/4 x 3/8 of an inch each and about 1/16 of an inch thick.

The package 'Banner' label says "beefsteak burritos with seasoned beans" and the product content label lists in numerical order: #1, water; #2, seasoned beef steak strips; and #21, pinto beans. Shame on me for believing the consumer information concerning the contents and shame on Trader Joe's for cheating the consumer. If I had wanted a bean burrito I would have bought one. I was going to call Trader Joe's consumer affairs this a.m. but discovered the company web site has no telephone number to complain to and no publicly listed consumer affairs department at Monrovia, CA. False pretense or false advertising always hurts the consumer.

Until 2 weeks ago, I like the store so much. Now, it looks the same as Safeway. I do know what is going now, but it is so bad. Some changes that the store made don't work, especially with the examples of food. It is nice of the store to do that, but for this action, it is the people spending money there. Think about that. Thanks!

This is not a complaint per se, but I am having a difficult time figuring out who to contact. I have noticed lately that many products (mostly produce) are packaged in "compostable" plastic. These containers must be composted at a very high temperature and there are very few facilities nationwide to take care of this, regular composting will not break down the container, in fact it will take just as long as any other plastic container. As a result, these containers end up in landfills. I would hope a company that wants to be user and environment friendly would refrain from this misleading labeling. Obfuscating the issue is worse than not dealing with it at all!

Earlier this year I made chocolate milk using Trader Joe's Moo Milk syrup and Trader Joe's lowfat milk. As I was chugging it, I felt as if I had swallowed a foreign object (possibly plastic and it tasted soapy). I was taken to the hospital and spent six hours in the emergency room and paid almost five hundred dollars total in medical expenses that my insurance did not cover. The doctor did not find anything in my throat (thank goodness) and said that whatever I swallowed had scratched my throat. I contacted Trader Joe's to lodge a formal complaint and mailed the chocolate syrup container to them, per their request to do so. About a month or so later, I received a letter stating that they were not responsible and that their manufacturing plant did not produce plastic (which is strange because the chocolate syrup bottle is made of plastic).

Prior to this incident, I had found odd things in some of their frozen food products. I also had a repeat problem where the jalapeno tartar sauce would be completely rotten. (They were purchased months apart, not at the same time.) Trader Joe's has lost a very loyal and longtime customer.

I recently bought $75 worth of groceries at Trader Joes. I found hair in two products and my package of fruit was rotten. I found the first hair in a container of marinated mozzarella balls. I found the second biting into my former favorite cookie, the chocolate lacy cookie. I threw the rest of the package away.

I decided to try some fruit because there is no way hair can get inside fruit. To my dismay after opening my package of white nectarines, I found two out of the four were soft all over and one had mold and one was edible. No more for me. I'm going back to my regular grocery store. Doesn't anyone inspect the products in this place! I threw away the rest of my groceries from here. I'm 32 weeks pregnant and I don't want to take my chances with food that clearly comes from such a dirty source.

I purchased a "TJS Natural Breast Tenders" for retail price $6.14 and later to find right in the front of the packaging a long, piece of human hair. On the afternoon of Sunday, August 22nd I brought back this item and showed the manager on duty. He did not seem at all shocked, although he did apologize and offered to reimburse a full refund, which I accepted. I had to ask, because I have been a long time TJ customer, how did this happen and I was surprised to hear him say, "Well, someone didn't wear a hair net."

As of today, Trader Joe's lost a long time customer (10 years or so) forever, because how can I believe that this lack of quality control within their internal "natural foods" department and management is not happening all too frequently, because "someone didn't wear a hair net. " (I do have digital photos of said purchased item with the hair in prominent appearance).

Trader Joe's to use his card. He called to say the card was invalid and to check my bank statement as I paid with my debit card. It was debited and I also had the receipt with the clerks name on it. I called the store and was told 20 other people had the same complaint, they would reissue another card.

This is not acceptable. I live over a 1/2 hr away from this store. Now I have to drive down there, my son also was inconvenienced and embarrassed at the register. If they knew the clerk had incorrectly validated gift cards why weren't people notified? If my son had not called me about this, and the 20 other people also are unaware their cards were not validated, the store collects over $1,000 and the customer got nothing. The management should have tested and trained the clerk before putting him on a register and inconveniencing people. My son lost his job because of the economy. This clerk has a job he can't do correctly and should be fired in my opinion or the manager who didn't train him properly. I am livid over this.

Sometimes a little mistake by a clerk may not seem like much, but in this case, and perhaps others, it causes a big problem. What if my son didn't have the money or a credit card to pay for the purchases he patiently shopped for? I am a senior citizen currently suffering from an injured hip and I have to go out in the rain today and drive a distance to get this "error" corrected. Maybe the management should be retrained. Trader Joe's is a good store, but I will not shop there if I don't get my "cash" back. Another gift card if unacceptable. Stop the carelessness, it is not a "small error".

I think Trader Joe's are shorting their own brand canned itemsfor instance, Trader Joe's brand Organic Beans. The label shows: "net wt., 15 oz.; dry wt., 10 oz." Since both are expressed in "weight," doesn't this imply that there are 10 oz. of actual beans plus 5 ounces of water?

But here is the actual breakdown. A can contains one cup of water (less one tablespoon) and one cup of beans (plus one tablespoon). I think we could call it 1:1 ratio. A cup of water weighs 8.3 oz. That leaves the beans weighing about 6.7 oz. and not 10 oz. Even if we take the lacking or extra tablespoons into consideration, shouldn't a can of beans have much more beans than water?

About 3 days ago, I noticed that everything I ate tasted like the proverbial bitter pill'. I thought it would go away but became very concerned today when, if anything, it had gotten worse. I was planning to go into my clinic for test, but decided to check the Internet first. Immediately, I found the answer, pine nuts. I had eaten about 4 oz of Trader Joe's Dry Roasted Pignolias which are products of Russia or Korea the night before I noticed this taste. I guess it has been dubbed Pine Mouth' and nobody yet completely understands what is going on, only that it can last several weeks.

I've eaten pine nuts since I was a kid. I'm 59 now and I've never had any problems. Apparently, Trader Joe's and other vendors' have known about this issue for awhile. Although everyone knows the source, nobody knows the exact cause. Why hasn't this product been pulled from the shelves? At best, I will have an unpleasant few weeks of not being able to enjoy anything I eat. My concern is that several months will go by and the other shoe will drop, i.e. it will be discovered that this is not a benign symptom but rather an indication of exposure to a toxin with potential long-term health consequences.

In the matter of Manthey, et al v. CVS, et al. addressing potential violation of Prop 65, where fish oil supplements are concerned. I contacted Trader Joe's regarding the testing of it's brand name, 'Sea Gummies', effectively marketed for children 2 years old and up. I was told the products are molecular-distilled for purity. However, they are not USP-certified and the company representative stated that, because the company is privately held, it will not disclose the name of its third party lab or any recent testing results.

While I do not wish to take legal action at this time, I am wondering whether the position taken regarding its disclosure of its lab and/or test results is itself legal, or if the company may be contacted to release the information. There are no known damages at this time. Though, I am exploring the option of testing my 3 1/2-year-old for lead and/or other heavy metals at the time of her next health and wellness exam.

5/19/2010 evening, ate the following 4 Trader Joe's items; severe diarrhea & vomiting started in about an hour with mild fever all night. Very weak all day 5/20. None other in household ate these; none other sick. I still have all items, aside from bread packaging. 1. Sunflower Seed Butter, 16 oz, 1003091 MAR2011 2. Belgian PoundPlus 72% Dark Chocolate, 500g, LG005021 E19-AUG.2011 3. European Stule Organic Plain Whole Milk Yogurt, 32 oz, Vat #9, 22 JUN 10 4. Whole Rye bread, 1 lb.

I'd suspect the sunflower seed butter: About five months ago, I bought several jars of this, and found that none of the inner seals was intact; it looked like inadequate glue was applied, so only an edge on each jar was ever secured. I phoned in to the local store, to urge that the jars all be pulled and inspected: The night clerk said "You're not the only one; the whole shipment is defective." The next day I went in and found that the same batch was still on the shelf.

The day manager said he'd never heard of the customer complaints; he went and pulled all the jars and confirmed they were all defective. I notified the Monrovia HQ of this problem, indicating that it was apparently a manufacturing error, not one in tranportation or handling. Unable to eat, drink, go to work, or even call in sick until late morning 5/21. No signs of continuing problems as of 5/22... but my father had a 'bug' resembling this at age 64 (five years older than I am), and died within four months. I reported this problem also to Marler C. at foodpoisonjournal.

I found a large insect in my Trader Joe's Indian Fare Punjab Choley. It's at least an inch long with long legs. I won't be eating this again. I have no more food for this evening, it's very distressing.

I recently called Trader Joes to ask if I could send in a Marketing Inquiry. They told me that they don't do anything except the Fearless Flyer and radio. I get it but asked, "Look, what if I just mail something in?" I was told, "We will throw it in the trash." Really? This is customer service? What has happened to this country? How about, "You know, we get a lot of requests. We are happy to receive inquiries but because of the bulk of mail we receive, it is unlikely you would get a response, but we thank you for your interest." Here is the address, which is available (obviously) online. The woman was so rude, so arrogant. I told her I was just going to boycott Trader Joes and she said, "Good," and hung up on me. I am sorry for a company of that size to behave that way and not properly train their staff. Also, for all their arrogance, the last few times I have purchased greens, they have been completely rotten and decayed on the bottom. It wasn't worth it to go and exchange, but I am just going to go to Whole Foods instead.

I purchased a product that had been missing from their shelves for months. Finally, I couldn't wait for my favorite jam. The cherry preserve made with "fresh" cherries is a little too fresh for me. It had so many stems, I wondered if I was going to have any teeth left. Makes me wonder how much of the 17.5 oz. is actually jam and how much is pits and stems. I noted the side label did have a warning that it may contain some pits, but not more in weight than the jam.

I won't buy this brand again. It's very disappointing, too, that they are always out of the Greek "nonfat" yogurt. I can't recall a time that the Fresno area stores weren't being remodeled. Has anyone ever won food from depositing tickets into the treasure chest? I think it's a lie to sell those bags. I have no clue what the consequences are for them or for myself. Are cherry pits and stems poisonous? Jeez, I hope not. I could use $4000 to fix my teeth and a $2.99 refund.

Pretty faithful Trader Joe's customer, at least three times a week (about $100) for nine years. But I've had it with being accosted by political activists and paid petition gatherers on my way into and out of the store. The store manager says they can do nothing about it, but somebody at Coporate could easily enforce the terms of their lease in the minimall. There's a perfectly pleasant Jimbo's and Hebrys, both quite nearby.

Although I have been a avid Trader Joe's customer for years, I'm beginning to look elsewhere for many products. The reason? They keep discontinuing items that I had come to rely on. The most recent item to turn up missing on their shelves is Unsalted Blister Peanuts. For years these peanuts have been my favorite snack--an item I have never found elsewhere. Very disappointing!

I think it very sad that Trader Joe's does not sell fresh bread. Most stores do not sell fresh bread but it seems to me that with their reputation they could go the extra mile and do so. Occasionally I get a loaf of fresh bread but usually it is several days old.

On a personal note, while the representative that I spoke with was knowledgeable about Struvite, she was not overly friendly or sympathetic of my fear of finding what I believed to be glass/hard plastic in my food. However, in my experience, most Trader Joe's employees have been friendly toward me. Unfortunately, this is not the first issue I've had with a meat product purchased from Trader Joe's. Lastly, at one time I did almost all of my shopping at Trader Joe's but now, due to my experiences and because Trader Joe's often discontinues items, I frequent Hannaford's, a market I highly recommend. I will continue to shop at Trader Joe's, but only for a few speciality items.

This evening, 6/4/2009, I found shards of broken glass or hard plastic in a 5 oz. (142g) can of Trader Joe's Albacore solid white tuna in water, no salt added. While my family and I did not consume the contents of that particular can, I did buy twenty cans of tuna from Trader Joe's, which included the can containing the glass/hard plastic, on 5/20/2009. Of the original twenty, my family has consumed seven cans in total. The can containing the shards is now being stored in my freezer, as suggested by the Trader Joe's employee whom I spoke with this evening.

They have begun to carry a product called Trader Joe's Plain Non Fat Frozen Yogurt. It is NOT plain - it has added sugar and corn syrup. There is no indication on the label or in their advertising that it is sweetened. The sugar and corn syrup do appear in the ingredients but unless you look there you won't know. This should be re-labeled to add the words "Sugar added" or "Sweetened" where people can actually and readily see them.

They are selling waffles under the Trader Joe's label as "whole wheat" where the first ingredient is enriched wheat flour, and the third ingredient is "whole wheat" (i.e, even more deceptive than your Sarah Lee lawsuit -- they just say "whole wheat," not even "made with whole wheat"). Here's the email that I received from Trader Joe's when I asked them about it:

Hi Karin,

ingredient listed under the ingredients panel.

She must have been in a bad mood before I got there because she said nothing to me and then started rudely throwing my groceries into the bag...she was almost pounding them into the bag. I was getting annoyed but did now want a confrontation so I started texting someone but made sure I ran the credit card first so the transaction would not be delayed. She then started snapping something at me and I could just tell this woman wanted to provoke a confrontation.

I am writing to share my extreme disappoint with the level of customer regard and service at this location. Today, April 24, 2009 at approx 6:30 pm my sister had a very disturbing experience in the Rancho Cucamonga store on Haven.

When my nephew was injured, he screamed bloody murder. Not just crying.. SCREAMING! Not ONE employee came over to see what happened and/or assist my sister. She was left to her own devices.. she ended RUNNING to the frozen food section, placing a frozen item on his head to prevent the large lump that was growing. All the while, mind you, my nephew was screaming.

I find it unforgivable that while a CHILD was injured in YOUR store, not ONE employee came over to offer assistance. This could have been a very different situation had he busted his head open and required medical attention. I would not be writing an angry email, my attorney would be contacting you.

After trying to use the frozen food and STILL not receiving any attenion, my sister immediately brought my nephew home. Like I said before, you are VERY LUCKY we are not in a hospital right now!

I have spoken with the store manager at this location. I called around 7 pm. I shared my feelings, my disappoint, anger and concern. I believe at THE VERY LEAST, my sister deserves a formal apology.

We shop at that store a lot.. and other Trader Joe's in the area, but mostly the one on Haven. NEVER have I EVER experienced such a total lack of attention to a customer... especially where an injured child is concerned!!

I used to like this store a lot but my recent visit was not what I expected. I purchased many things I always did and noticed at home that at least 5 products are spoiled and not edible. This was a total shock to me and I had to trow away fish, beef, milk and other products. My friend had a similar story with organic salmon which was not very inexpensive. What a waste

I ate Trader Joe's Dry Toasted Pignolias (Pinenuts). Two days later, I developed an episode of taste disturbances (bitter, metallic taste) when I eat or drink. The disturbances lasted a few days. The product was imported from Russia or Korea and has a UPC code of 00521680.

I developed an episode of taste disturbances (bitter, metallic taste) when I eat or drink.

i PURCHAED A 1 lb bag of pepitos.

My girlfriend ate some,and when she did she bit into a hard piece of white plastic,about the size of a pencil eraser. It hurt her tooth. And now she has pain in said tooth.The pain comes and go's.

We have no dental insurance and can't afford to go to a dentist at this time

I turned around and took a few steps away from my shopping cart to grab some cheese. In a matter of seconds, the shopping cart came crashing down on my 3-year-old, with my 11-mo.-old strapped in his seat. The children where screaming horribly and a young woman helped me pull the cart up off my little girl. I tried to determine their injuries as they were screaming, asking Did they hit their heads? to anyone that would offer any help.

A store employee approached me with suckers and asked if they would want a balloon. No one ever approached me to offer medical assistance or help stabilize the situation. I struggled horribly to exit w. my screaming children and daughter out of control. Certainly every person in that store heard, yet still no assistance.

My daughter suffered immediate swelling of the ankle and was seen by her physician immediately, who ordered X-rays to rule out fracture. She is suffering w. severely sore ankle and is still apologizing for hurting her baby brother. I try to comfort her by telling her it wasn't her fault.

To Whom It May Concern: I feel I am being mistreated at my local Trader Joe's. Basically, people are giving me odd, disrespectful, and demeaning looks. They have also been singing songs in front of me. I don't feel welcome nor comfortable when I shop at this store. I believe this inappropriate behavior has to do with prejudice and/or discrimination.

Yesterday, between 7:30 and 9PM, one of the cashiers was singing Help! in front of me while a song was playing on the stereo. In response to her singing, the other cashier/clerk next to her looked at me, and then laughed as well. Although I believe they will deny it, I believe the employees at this location somehow know me and for one reason or another, are not treating me with the respect any normal customer should get. This is the second time an employee has serenaded me at this location.

In addition to this, I have also caught the manager giving me these odd looks as well. I believe each customer should be treated with the respect they deserve and feel comfortable while they are shopping. Due to what I believe is inappropriate behavior, I believe something needs to be done to stop it.

I did not lose any money due to this incident. I just want this inappropriate behavior put to an end. There seems to be prejudice and/or discrimination occuring at this Trader Joe's location.

This may seem petty but I have gotten no remedy from the store so thought I would give this a try. Trader Joe's sells a product called Soy and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips that states on the Nutrition Facts label that it contains 50 mg of sodium per serving - about 7 chips with approximately 12 servings per container yeilding approximately 600 mg per bag.

When I first started buying the product I was pleased at the low sodium content as I am very sensitive to sodium and am careful how much I take in. But as time went on the chips got saltier and saltier to the point where one or two chips will actually burn my lips. I have written to the company twice and spoken directly to the store manager.

I quit buying the product a couple of months ago but decided just today to try another bag on the off chance that they had remedied the situation. Unfortunately this proved to be the saltiest bag yet - actually inedible. If I knew where to send the product for testing I would because I am certain that the amount of salt contained in the product is probably ten times that stated. I buy other chips from other manufacturers with similar sodium contents stated on the label and they do not burn my mouth.

I am sick of dealing with Trader's directly so thought I would give this a shot and see if there is any way to get them to either correct their misleading nutrition labels (truth in advertising) or reduce the sodium content to match that stated.

The ecomonic damage is minimal - I've had to throw away several bags of chips. The physical damage is also minimal. I can feel the effects of too much salt (higher blood pressure, swollen eyelids, etc.) but there is no real specific damage. It just ticks me off that the label indicates a very low sodium content and my mouth and body tell me different. And I want them to know that I have taken this matter up with Consumer Affairs.

This past Sat afternoon, 8/25/07, I was shopping at this Trader Joe's grocery store at the above address. I was gathering my grocery selections off a shelf. There we're others around me with their carriages, as it is a small store.

There was a rude woman bumping in to me continuously with her carriage. I tried to ignore her, but she continued being obnoxious and then demands me to move out her way. I just looked at her and saw that she was a senior citizen, as I am my self.

I'm 64 yrs old and I did move, even though I wasn't finished with my selection and thought I'd return later. As I moved on to go to another counter, I glanced over at her and she raised her arms and made a gesture of a grimaced face at me and it was then I snapped back at her saying that I was there first and she could have waited her turn that she didn't have to be so nasty. Then I proceeded to do my grocery shopping. She then purposely walks by me and is now quietly verbally harassing me with her comments and I turned to her and said are you talking to me. At that point a store representative (whom I don't know by name) approached me personally and very arrogantly told me to let it go.

I understand that and requested that he also speak to the rude lady who initiated this situation. He very impolitely replied to me was that he only saw me and not her.

I thought this was unfair and just because he didn't hear or see her actions, he reprimands only me. I tried to explain what happened and he didn't want to hear of it and just told me to let it go. I was so humiliated and upset, I replied that I'll let my grocery shopping go too and I walked out.

I just think you should suggest to this Trader Joe's Store, that they should send this particular store representative for a Dale Carnegie course in sesativity training.

Disgusted! Would like to know where this beef came from!

Recent tainted Spinach from Trader Joe's - I spent five days in the hospital (8/27 - 9/1/06) due to food poisoning. Sweats, fever, severe pain, muscle spasms. Today I read that e. coli can cause a type of kidney failure and permanent damage. I need more testing to determine long term damage.

I'm not looking for damages, the bars w/the strange taste make me very nauseous & I believe someone needs to ck this product. I have dumped 3 boxes due to this.

I had just finished having dinner with my sister and her boyfriend at a sushi bar and we decided to grab some more Saki from Trader Joes, which we frequently go to. The store was packed and very busy for a Friday night. The lines were long and we waited patiently until it was my turn to pay for my item.

When I approached the cashier, a young lady maybe in her late teens to early 20's, asked who was paying for the item. I gladly accepted and handed her my ID. She had a very loud voice, slightly obnoxious.

She asked me what my weight was, while she looked at my ID. She said this very loud, and since the store was crowded, there were about 20 other people staring at me, while she was waiting for me to answer the question. I then answered quietly, and she then said, What hill do you live on? My address on my ID shows my residential city as, Agoura Hills.

If I live in that city, it doesn't mean I live on a Hill. She stumped me with that question and just stood there and waited for me to reply, while the bag boy shouted out, Hey, ask her what the Capital of Arkansas is?, while he laughed and giggled about the situation.

My sister's boyfriend at this point was very upset, as I was too, and said something along the lines of this is F'ing ridiculous. The cashier then said, You don't have to be rude, sir, I am just doing my job. From the way it stood, she was completly rude and out of line, the way she handled checking my age to buy alchohol. She asked ridiculous questions, and I have NEVER been treated like that anywhere, EVER.

When people ID me, which is fine, they usually ask what my Date of Birth is, or WHAT STREET I LIVE ON......NOT, What HILL I live on. And when the bag boy added in his little comment, I was then officially embarrassed and humiliated, and will not go through that again. I will not step foot in that store ever as long as they decide to continue to ID people like that.

On Friday March 18th a red runaway Trader Joes shopping cart rolled down a small slope and hit my E-Class Mercedes Benz causing a dent outside the store.

An employee that could have seen the accident, prevented it or caused it wrote a report, and sent it to the headquarters.

Trader Joe forwarded the claim to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. who manages claims for Trader Joes.

Trader Joes and Arthur Gallagher & Co have denied the caused by Trader Joes negligence and Arthur Gallagher & Co fraudulent or negligent investigation.

The fact that Trader Joes has to hire one of the worlds most aggressive risk management control companies to deal with a small claim proves that they

are trying to railroad average customers.

They deny any liability. They claim that carts hit cars all the time. Thats a lie. I have never before been hit by a cart at that or any other store.

when turning the sharp corner to the narrow return area.

I have obtained 2 estimates from authorized Mercedes repair centers:

Auto West Collision Repairs: $1297.06

Pan American Collision Center: $940.87

Additional expenses include:

Premium or luxury rental for 3 days: $250.00

Cabs to/from repair center and/or to/from rental agency: $50.00

Not a complaint but I wish to cite tacky behavior. I drove over 100 miles today to my nearest Trader Joe's. (That tells you what I think of you.) At check out the clerk had on his name badge, Sayno2Kerry. I said, tongue-in-cheek, That's enough to make me walk out. Then we talked about it. At the same time someone from the management booth shouted, That's how Kerry would spell to. I assume the inference was that Kerry is dumb, which is hardly the case by any objective standard. I merely cite this as sloppy behavior, which I have not encountered in Trader Joe's before. Otherwise, keep up the good work.

This woman was very rude to me. I have always had good experiences at Trader Joe's until 1/15/04 at about 8:45pm. I was standing in a line that I hadn't realized was 12 items or less, because I usually go to a different TJ's. She started checking me out, but then very rudely informed me that I was in the wrong line, and proceeded to treat me with a lot of condescension and attitude.

I was also almost run over by another young woman re-stocking bread from a giant cart which she was moving through the aisles very quickly; when she almost hit one woman she and the man working with her laughed and said did you see the expression on her face?

I will not return to this TJ's. The attitude of some of the emloyees is rude enough to make shopping there an unpleasant experience.

I will shop at the Glendale, CA, Eagle Rock CA and Daly City, CA Trader Joe's, where I have only ever experienced wonderful service.

This is the best reason to live in Los Angeles even though I think they've also got locations in other states too. Their selection of gourmet, healthy, tasty foods is great and their prices are awesome. Who knew one could eat so well for so little? In the three years I have been shopping with them I have never had a bad experience with any of their employees either. Everyone has always been friendly, helpful & informative. I wish other retailers were like this. Sure, they may not have aluminum foil or refined sugar or some of the other standard staples of daily kitchen life but that is not at all a complaint. I just dislike having to go elsewhere for those items where I usually have to deal with surly employees and long lines.

My husband and I are vegetarians. We have found it can be more expensive to eat this way. Trader Joe's gives us great vegetarian choices at the best prices. We find great Whole Wheat products, good quality frozen foods, and fresh items like hummus, and lots of unusual yummy items. I appreciate that they always take products back without question. Even the quality of their canned items is outstanding.

Everything in this market is fresh and wholesome.The prices are very low and the quality is very high.The help is caring and sharp. Their return policy is strictly no hassle and I believe they truly are concerned about our planet and its inhabitants.

You can get a good variety of foods at a good price. But the best thing is that it is small enough that you can go in and grab a few things and get out quickly (unlike the regular grocery stores where the milk is WAY in the back so you have to hike a mile to get a gallon). And if more than a couple of people are in line they open another register (unlike the big chains in Las Vegas, where they just give you dumb stares as your ice cream melts in line.) And if you can't find something, the employees actually help you look for it, even going into the store rooms to see if the item has come in.

I've been shopping at Trader Joes for years, in Santa Monica, Culver City, Glendale, Pasadena, L.A., etc. Absolutely the best grocery stores in Southern California -- delightful employees, great and unusual food, totally fair prices. Even when things are costly they've been fairly priced. Two complaints: not all their wine is excellent, and they've definitely bought into health "supplements" big-time, not all of which have convincing research behind them.

They have the best prices on gourmet items. You can eat like a gourmand at prices that other supermarkets charge for "normal" foods !! They have greatest selection of breads , wines and cheeses at wholesale club prices (and in smaller, manageable size unlike at Costco or Sam's Club).

They have great service too !! Their employees are passionate about the products the store carries.

Absolutely the best prices I have found for imported wines - generally less than $5 per bottle. Great service, wide selection of gourmet "treats" you won't find in many stores.