Hudson Valley Supermarket Wants to Pay You For Spoiled Veggies

Taking advantage of a little-known store policy could keep you from wasting money on uneaten groceries.

Have you ever purchased an onion only to discover later that it's rotten inside? With prices the way they are, buying inedible fruits and vegetables isn't just an inconvenience, it's a major blow to your budget.

Usually, you have the choice of either throwing out the rotten food or heading back to the store and asking for a refund. Savvy shoppers, however, know that there's a third option that could earn you double your money back.

Store Policy Pays You Double Your Money For Spoiled Food

You may have seen commercials about Stop & Shop's freshness guarantee and wondered if it was actually legit. According to the company, they guarantee that if you're food's not fresh you're entitled to get back twice what you paid for it.

Should your purchase not meet your expected standard, we stand by our fresh products and will provide double your money back.

The policy covers meat, seafood, produce, dairy, bakery, floral and deli items purchased within 30 days.

Stop & Shop isn't the only store that has a generous return policy. Aldi also offers what they call the "Twice as Nice Guarantee." The company says it will not only replace but also give you your money back on items that are spoiled.

If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with the quality of any product, we will gladly replace the product AND refund your money. To receive the Twice as Nice Guarantee, the product packaging and any unused product must be returned to your local ALDI store manager.

Unlike Stop & Shop, Aldi's policy only applies to its own signature food items, not national brands.

Other Grocery Store Return Policies Aren't As Generous

If you're shopping at other stores, it's likely that you can get a refund for spoiled food, but don't expect much else. ShopRite's terms of service says the company will only offer refunds on spoiled fresh items after seven days of purchase. Non-perishable items are accepted for up to 30 days.

Price Chopper and Market 32 do offer a "200% Guarantee", but it's only on their KC Pride Beef selections. Customers can receive a refund and a free replacement for any purchase that is unsatisfactory. for other purchases, the company says it will "cheerfully refund" your payment for any reason.

Hannaford is owned by the same parent company as Stop & Shop but does not share its freshness guarantee. The store says it does maintain a "double your money back" guarantee, but that's only good on store-branded items.

Tops Friendly Markets has a basic refund policy which states the store will happily exchange any item that is unsatisfactory.