Mince pie left me with £1,651 bill

I was eating one of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference mince pies before Christmas and bit on something I am assuming (and hoping) was a pip or fruit stone. Whatever it was, it was not meant to be there.

After finishing the mince pie I felt something amiss with one of my upper teeth. On consultation with my dentist she said I had fractured it.

A week later a piece came away from one of my lower teeth, this having been fractured too. I am now having to have two crowns fitted at a cost of £1,651, and I am having to take time off work to do so.

I contacted Sainsbury’s and was told I should have spat the object out at once. I am not in the habit of spitting out my food in front of people.

I never for a moment thought that a manufactured product from a reputable source would do such serious damage. The best Sainsbury’s could offer me was a £20 voucher, even though it had seen my dental bill.

I have been a long-term customer of Sainsbury’s and this standard of care for the manufacture of food and subsequent customer service is not what I expected.

I do hope you can help me. NE, DEVON

A work associate brought the mince pies into the office and you all ate them together.

You took from the telephone conversation you had with Sainsbury’s afterwards that the fact that you did not have the stone meant it would not compensate you.

During that conversation you thought they said you would need both the packaging and the stone.

However, after checking the recording of the conversation, the customer service representative more than once said one or the other could be provided. Clearly you were so upset you did not take this on board.

You say that had you realised just the packaging might suffice, you would have driven the 40 minutes to retrieve it from the office bin at once. After reflection, between Christmas and New Year you did go back to check if the box was in the bins but they had already been emptied.

You are 26 and find the prospect of already having crowns distressing. The cost of the dental work is going to take a sizeable chunk of your savings.

I managed to get Sainsbury’s to pay £500 towards the dental bill for goodwill. This has been given in view of the very exceptional circumstances.

The lack of packaging with batch number meant, despite my determined efforts, it would not go any further.

I am not clear, even now, that just having the packaging would have clinched it for you as I understand there were no other similar incidents reported.