Just caught my shrimp supplier watering down the boxes

Last Thursday I was weighing out a delivery from my usual seafood guy in Portland. I noticed the ice packs felt heavier than normal, so I checked one and found it was actually a ziplock bag full of water hidden under the shrimp. This guy has been selling me 20 pound boxes that only have 17 pounds of actual seafood for at least 6 months. I did the math and that's probably an extra $40 a box I paid for nothing. Now I'm checking every single order before I pay, but who knows how long this was going on before I caught it. Has anyone else noticed suppliers pulling shady weight tricks like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_webb17d ago

That "ice pack" trick is a classic move. You gotta start checking boxes the second they come off the truck, before you even sign for them. Weigh every single box on your own scale, right there in front of the driver. I had a guy once try to tell me the ice was "part of the product weight" - yeah right. Take photos of the hidden water bags too, because if you call them out they'll just deny it. If you've got the receipts from the last 6 months, go back to that supplier and demand a credit for every single box. Most will fold if you show them the evidence because they know they're busted.

julia5493d ago

Has anyone else ever tried explaining the ice pack trick to their boss and gotten that look like you've just revealed you moonlight as a seafood fraud detective? Blair_webb is absolutely right about weighing boxes on your own scale though, I learned that one the hard way after a particularly slippery shrimp shipment.

dixon.iris3d ago

And you've never once had a supplier short you on a legitimate claim because you pissed them off with your aggressive checking?