Food Recall Refunds: Will Someone Pay Me For All The Food I Threw Out?

By Kate Arcieri

Peanuts, peanut paste, potatoes ... oh my!

While we're horrified how many people are getting sick from the salmonella, and most recently listeria, outbreaks thanks to tainted peanut butter products and potatoes, we're also starting to notice a serious lack of food at our house. And so we wonder: is someone going to pay us back for all this food we're throwing out?

The short answer is yes. Anyone who has bought food that has now been deemed unsafe is due a refund or replacement. You just need to verify that your product is in fact part of the recall, then determine who will be giving you a refund, and what they need from you. Recall notices generally come from whomever was selling the suspect product. But the FDA's Web site is a clearinghouse for all such announcements, whether they are being made as a result of an FDA finding, or on a voluntary basis by the company. That means you can check their list of food safety recalls and market alerts for the latest updates.

What Kind of Refund Will I Get? Different recalls have different rules, some of which depends on whether it's a retailer or a manufacturer who is on the hook to refund your money. And generally there's also a little wiggle room for you to negotiate just what your refund will look like. Here are some the ways a product recall refund can go down:

1) A Straightforward Refund: You're asked to return the item to the place you purchased it for a full refund. Good: Because you get your money back. The choice is then up to you to decide if you ever want to trust the company who made it again. If you can still enjoy your Yummy Tummy Taffee knowing that a finger was once found in a batch, you buy it again. If you're horrified by the product for good, you can spend your $3 on something else. Not so Great: Because you have to remember where you bought it, and get there again. If you routinely shop at multiple stores, this can be tricky.

2) Return it Anywhere for a Refund: When a retailer makes a recall, like a major grocery chain needed to with its line of potato meal starters this week, they usually ask consumers to return the item to any store in their chain. Good: Because no matter where you are you can probably get to a location of the store. Not so Great: Because you still have to hang onto the tainted product, and drive back to the store. If the store's on your way home from work that may mean toting a package of refrigerated shredded potatoes with you to the office.

3) Bring Your Receipt in for a Refund: This is one of the easier refunds to get, because all you've got to do is find your receipt. Good: Because you don't have to worry about saving, or carrying around, the product. Not So Great: Because you've still got to find that receipt for something you may have bought months ago, and you've still got to get to the store.

4) Call the Manufacturer or Mail in Your Receipt for a Refund/Replacement: And here's our favorite. When manufacturers really want to make your life easier they'll simply ask you to call a special recall help line, verify that you've got a product that's covered by the recall, and then take your address to send out a coupon for a replacement product. Good: Because you don't have to leave the house! Plus you don't need to hang onto the product once you've verified it's part of the recall. Not so Great: Because you're still stuck with a coupon for a product you may not want to use. But you aren't guaranteed a refund, merely a replacement. And if you're asked to mail in the receipt that means finding a stamp, finding that receipt, and actually making time to mail it. Translation: It may be a few weeks...

Tips for Dealing With Any Kind of Refund:

1) Don't Take No For an Answer. With larger companies, they really do want to make this right, so if you want to receive your replacement or cash back in a form that you're not currently being offered, feel free to ask. If you're a loyal customer of XYZ Cereal and you're really upset about this recall, tell them, and give them a chance to make it right.

2) Resist the Urge to Just Trash It When we hear a recall (especially one that people are dying from!) our first instinct is to hunt that stuff down and get it the heck out of our pantry. Straight to the trash. But as outlined above, you'll need the package to determine if yours is part of the tainted batch, and may need it to get your refund. So before you run to the trash, run to the computer and get all the info.

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