Customer says convenience store delivered roasted sweet potatoes in a cigarette box
In short
A customer who ordered roasted sweet potatoes through a convenience store delivery service says they arrived in a cigarette box and smelled so strongly of tobacco that they were thrown away, according to a social media post reported by Maeil Business, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo. The poster, whose family are all nonsmokers, also claims a promised refund was never paid.
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A customer who ordered roasted sweet potatoes through a convenience store delivery service said they arrived packed in a cigarette box and smelled strongly of tobacco, according to reports by Maeil Business, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo. The customer, identified only as A, posted a video and a written account on social media on October 8, saying the whole family are nonsmokers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Maeil Business, citing News1, reported that the video showed an e-cigarette box of the kind sold at the convenience store, with the sweet potatoes inside in a disposable store bag and no separate packaging. A expressed displeasure, writing that the smell of tobacco was strong. [ 1 ]
According to Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo, A said the sweet potatoes were ordered because the children and A both like them. A wrote that having never smoked, the smell felt especially strong, and that "I couldn't possibly eat them, so in the end I threw them all away." Maeil Business also reported that A threw the sweet potatoes away, and that A posted the follow-up after seeing comments asking how anyone could eat them. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
In a later post, A said they were dumbfounded at first, grew angrier the more they thought about it, and called the store. The store, as A had expected, apologised and said it would issue a refund, and A gave a bank account number and hung up. A claimed that there was no further contact from the business after the call and that the refund had not been processed, Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
Internet users criticised the delivery as unhygienic regardless of whether they smoked, the two outlets reported. One user who said they were a smoker wrote that even they would never have eaten food delivered in a cigarette box and would have complained straight away. Others asked how anyone could think of delivering food in a cigarette box, said it should simply have been wrapped in plastic, and told A to report it to the food and drug authorities first. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The case drew criticism from internet users over how food is packed for convenience store deliveries, according to Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo. Some commenters urged the customer to report it to the food and drug authorities.
Key facts
- Roasted sweet potatoes ordered through a convenience store delivery service arrived packed in a cigarette box, the customer said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The customer posted a video and a post about it on social media on October 8. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The customer said the whole family are nonsmokers and that the packaging smelled strongly of tobacco. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The customer said the sweet potatoes were not eaten and were thrown away. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Maeil Business, citing News1, reported that the box was an e-cigarette box sold at the store and the sweet potatoes were in a disposable store bag with no other packaging. [ 1 ]
- The customer said the store apologised and promised a refund by phone, but claimed there was no further contact and the refund was not processed. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The roasted sweet potatoes were delivered in a cigarette box, according to the customer's post. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The customer shared a video of the delivery on social media on October 8. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The customer's family are all nonsmokers, according to the post. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The customer threw the sweet potatoes away without eating them. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the refund the store promised has been paid. Only the customer's claim is reported; no response from the store appears in the reports.
- Which convenience store or chain made the delivery, and where. None of the reports name the store, the chain or the location.
- The type of box used. Maeil Business describes it as an e-cigarette box sold at the store; Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo say only a cigarette box.