Coles Supermarkets Australia
Reviews and Complaints

Store - Mermaid Waters
When-today
Name Heather and Mal Cansdell
86 Monaco Street Broadbeach Waters qld4218
We have shopped at this particular store for several years (since the renovation) and noticed the produce has been not perfect but rather good quality.

However, in the last few month, the quality has not been good enough.
We purchased Mangos, Kiwi fruit and plums and within 2 hours had to return them to the store for a refund. Whilst making a fruit salad, when the fruit was cut open, all items appeared to be going rotten.

A nice lady called Sharon refunded my money (around 13.00) and I went next door to buy the same fruit as a replacement.
It's not our job to spend time in your fruit department working out what is and isn't half rotten. If a customer picks up a piece of fruit, it should be good enough to eat!
We are not going to buy our fruit from yo9ur store anymore.
We spend around 50.00 per week or 2500 per annum on F and V.
No amount of special offers can replace good old fashioned quality.

By the way, it's not the only time we have thrown away produce purchased at Coles, today was simply the last straw!

The staff at Coles are wonderful but the fruit and veg department needs a serious look at. Why does someone not check the items on sale and from time to time open up some of the products to ensure the goods are fit for sale?

We are still planning to shop at Coles but it's the last you will see of the fruit and veg purchase. Let's hope the rest of the store keeps good standards or we will all be looking for another store to shop at.

Very unhappy customer!
Yes, we are both freq flyers... so check how much we spend and then compare it over the next few month and you can see the reduction in purchases... we are going to speak with action.

Heather and Mal Cansdell

I always happy shopping at Coles before! Until this time!
This is not your fault but I'm a bit disappointed!
First time I bought Fresh Salmon at Coles Deli, I found the scales still on it!
The second one I bought again and I make sure no scale on it, I asked a young lady at the Deli, "is it scales on it?" And she said "no" so I bought it! But at home I found the scales still on it! I didn't do anything! My kids just live to eat Salmon!
And the third one, I tried to buy it in packaged! Guess what, it's the same problem! Make me really want to yell! Why don't u put a note on it that the scales still on it!
SO I DONT HAVE TO BUY IT!

I have shopped with coles for a very long time but the last couple of months it has come to my attention that my meat I am buying it is not the amount shown on the packet. Main example would be the coles beef mince. Yesterday I bought my 4th packet over this last month that is weighing at 950g with the packet that weighs 15g so each packet I am buying I am loosing out on 65g of mince meat. The first time it didn't bother me but being the 4th now I am getting annoyed and as a proud coles shopper I am not wanting to buy the 1kg meat anymore. Please may something be done about this as it is false advertising that I am paying for less than 1kg.

A few weeks ago, I decided to buy the Coles brand frozen fish instead of the normal one that I buy (I have been buying from coles for 20 plus years). That night I began to have fevers and had diahorrea, nausious. I thought it would pass in 24 hours however 7 days later I had to call a doctor to the house, I was doubled up in pain, could not walk or leave the house. On the 8th day I went to my doctor with a stool sample and urine sample who advised me I had food poisoning but my body was also toxic. My body has not been the same and even now I have feel sick after eating food. I buy other Coles brand items and thought that this fish would be ok - I only ate one piece and my husband had a piece and threw the packet out. He also had signs of food poisoning but I was the worse. I know I will never eat fish again because of this experience.

I was offered as free gift from Coles. All I had to pay was the postage. I have not asked for any product to be sent to me. I now find that I have been charged for more product - which I don't want. I have tried to find a phone number for Oriante Youth Serum to get in touch with them re this matter with out success. I am so very annoyed as I am a pensioner and can not afford this money. Can anyone get me a contact number. I will be pursuing this matter further.

I bought a bunch of celery from Coles Indooroopilly yesterday (7/1/18) and when I went to use it today it was inedible - stalks were dry and hollow, and those that weren't hollow were brown inside. When I bought the celery, the tops looked leafy and green, and I stored it in the fridge within 30 minutes of buying it, so I was surprised to find it was such poor quality. I put the whole bunch in the compost. Have been disappointed with Coles (Toowong) fresh food lately, strawberries only last a day, zucchini with mouldy patches, and cut pumpkins slimy with black mould under the plastic wrap.

I can't believe the way I was treated on the checkout today. I was nice to the service attendant and tried to meantion how warm the day is today and the checkout lady named Robyn tore my head off and was very nasty. I've never been treated like that from anyone in retail like this before and it took me back a bit and I didn't say much back as I was shocked. I was trying to be nice to her and she treated me like that. It makes me want to never shop in that store ever again I feel so cranky about it. My daughter was with me and she couldn't belive the way she spoke to me. Such a rude lady.

We are regular shoppers at Coles, Nowra, NSW and very much appreciate the great service and product range, in particular the gluten free items, which my family needs as coeliacs. Latterly the delicious gluten free orange cake has disappeared from the shelves and isn't listed anymore. What must we do to have this great product returned? This is one of the 'nice' things a coeliac can enjoy!

Can't believe how we got treated today 5th January 2018 by one of the MAREEBA COLES employee ANGELA at the self service area like we were thieves at MAREEBA COLES. Went and done groceries today took me 2 hrs down every isle to do my shopping nearly $500 worth and went through self service and got to nearly the end of our shop only to have ANGELA ask if the dog food had been scanned (meanwhile it's sitting on the scales scanned already. where you put the grocery in the plastic bag already scanned) while scanning the grocery so she checks it as I said yes and bam it's on There. That's fine then she pipes up and says what about the steggles box I said I'm that's from the butchers shes like yep whatever I'm excuse me but I can get fresh steggles chicken from MAREEBA steggles I wouldn't be buying it from Coles. I swore at my hubby to hurry up and scan the last of the grocery cause by this time I was very angry then she said what did you say I turned to her and said I was talking to my husband then I told the kids to bring the fkn box back so she can look at it. And I said see its meat you happy now she then proceeded to tell me that if I don't stop she will be calling the police I said what for call them I didn't do anything. She told my hubby to stop scanning or he'll be banned for what doing our groceries. She said we have cameras and I will be checking them go ahead lady we didn't do anything i walked in with my steggles box I don't buy COLES meat it's disgusting. We live 45km out of town hence why we shop big.
Customer service is disgusting.Now I'm going to Smithfield COLES tomorrow to do my shopping which is 1hr/20mins depending.

I had placed an order via coles online on Tuesday 2 January.
Order number #[protected]. The total for the order was $300.26.
I received the email to say I can modify this order until 12:00PM Thursday 4 January 2018.
I went in on Wednesday 3 January to add steelo.
I clicked the "Modify this order" and it took me back to the order.
To my disbelief my order had jumped to over $400
I rang the customer support team and they said to me there is nothing they can do.
The website is poorly designed. There should be a pop up to advise the customer that if I continue with modifying the order that they may lose all the specials. There is nothing that says "Once you click modify this order" you will lose your original prices."
This results in poor customer service and quality of delivery.

Terrible customer service from one of the young deli workers, Emily.
Very rude and blunt when talking to customers, and very sexually inappropriate with male co worker.

When approaching the deli counter, her greeting is in a very rude tone, "what do you want?". She is always using a rude tone toward me and other people that I know. She is like this even when the deli manager is working beside her.

Went to Coles Moe Victoria Australia at 9 o'clock on Friday 29th December. I had a large shop and there was only one checkout available. The 8 item express lane. I went to the self checkout and said to the attendant that it would be nice if there was another checkout available. She said I could go and complain to the manager and purely was no help at all to me. So I proceeded to scan my goods and every know and then a product would not register in the bagging section so the attendant had to come and help. I found her to be rude and sarcastic blaming me for the problem. I did speak to the manager who expected me to go over to him and not make a move towards me. He came over as I stood my ground. I told him the problem and he came up with a flimsy excuse that staff member was being used somewhere else.. He said it wouldn't happen again... And it certainly won't to me as I will be shopping at Woolworths. I hope you are listening Coles and improve your staffs attitude..

On Thursday 21st December I did my Christmas food shopping at Five Dock. By Sunday 24th it was clear that the packaged celery and the bunch of asparagus had both been part- or fully frozen at some time just before being offered for sale. (Like many vegetables that have been exposed to excessive cold, they were watery and mushy.) I then recalled that this had been the case when I purchased celery a couple of weeks previously. So close to Christmas I had no time to return these items to the store, and just had to make do without them for our Christmas celebrations.

It galls me that Coles make such a big deal of the "freshness" of their produce, while clearly much of that produce has been stored for some time! Strawberries and blueberries have also been unusable just days after purchase as they have gone mouldy very quickly. I expect better of Coles.

I must also, at this time, protest the culling of brand choices from the shelves, in favour of Coles brand. I refuse to buy Coles brand under any circumstances as I believe this puts producers under intolerable pressure and is likely to put many out of business altogether. I want the option to make my own choices as to brand! The only non-Coles brand tinned peaches available in Five Dock and Birkenhead are terrible. The meats are of indifferent quality, apart from those available from the deli section, which are very expensive.

This is so disappointing as the Superbarn which previously occupied the Five Dock site provided excellent choice and quality, plus home delivery which Coles do not. I think it's time for me to drive further in order to find an independent alternative to Coles and Woolworths, or to do what I really should have been doing all along -- visiting individual butchers and greengrocers.

I have been using these nappies for 6 months now, specifically infant for 4 months and the last packet I bought the purple animals look like they have been bleached. Having only used 4 nappies from the packet, my daughter has chemical burns on her bottom. Same thing happened to my sisters baby with a bad batch of comfy bots, also infant about 3 weeks ago

We just bought baby spinach and rocket washed and ready to eat 120 gm pack today evening from Coles Byford 6122.
There is live Moth in the pack moving around.
This is completely unexpected and losing trust from other products too.
Really disappointed. I have attached pictures as well. I always been a loyal Coles customer. But things like this - changing my mind.

I often take up offers made by emails to get money off shopping buy buying a certain amount of goods at Coles Supermarkets.

I responded to an offer recently ie $50 off when I spend $50 or more each week for 4 weeks starting on 17 November and finishing on 17 December.

My buys list of transactions confirm that I spent the required amounts and the following purchases are recorded on this list as follows

20 November $67.41
28 November $74.27
4 December $87.59
11 December $84.13

Usually Coles send me confirmation when I have spent the required amounts and advise me that an amount will be deducted at my next shopping transaction.

This has not happened on this occasion.

I choose to shop at Coles particularly when you offer these types of deals. On this occasion I am extremely disappointed when every dollar is important to me as and aged pensioner leading up to Christmas.

Can you please let me know what you can do to fix this problem for me.

Pamela Case
email [protected]@optusnet.com.au

This produce department is easily the worst that I have seen in any coles supermarket. The range is never consistent, and I do understand that produce is seasonal and cannot be helped, but I expect to be able to buy products consistently without the hassle of having to travelling to another store. The quality of the produce is never good either. On the odd occasion that the fruits do look good, you pick them up to find that they are completely bruised on the other side. The produce department is not only handling the produce with care, but they are also trying to hide the lack of quality from their customers. Last week I wanted to buy bananas and managed to find only one single banana that would last longer than a day. The shelf was full of split skin bananas. My house mate bought nectarines just 4 days ago and had to throw them out due to mold growing on them. This just seems bizarre to me.

I no longer shop in this store and have opted to go with 'the fresh food people because at least I know that my produce is going to last longer than 2 days.

Anyway, I do hope things can change and I can come back to team Coles very soon.

On Wed 13th December at approximately 12.20pm I was doing my weekly shopping at the Broken Hill Store. I was standing at the Fish Deli waiting to be served. There was one Lady ahead of me also waiting. On the arrival of the Customer Service Staff Member, who approached me I directed her to the Lady who was first in line.

I was still waiting to be served when another Employee came to the counter and proceeded to serve a Customer who had just arrived. On finishing serving that Customer she left the area. A third Staff member arrived, I was still waiting patiently when another customer arrived and asked a question to which that staff member left the counter and went with the Customer to show her where an item was.

On her return to the counter she greeted a Friend of hers who was walking past and proceeded to serve her!. It was another 10 minutes when I lost my patience and said "excuse me" as I was still waiting to be served. I was told "Sorry, it wasn't personal".

I am normally a very patient and courteous person although my patience was sorely tested. I don't mind waiting my turn but take offence when I am completely ignored and others who come later are served before me. It took a half an hour to be served, three staff members in all and 3 customers who arrived after me.

I am a retired Human Resources Manager, I trained Staff on the importance of Customer Service. After all, if not for your Customers you would not have a business. It is about time that your Staff were trained in Customer Service techniques. Even asking "who is next?" would have helped. To be blatantly left standing there whilst three other customers who arrived after me are served is maddening. If this happens again, I will be taking my business elsewhere. Your store will not be receiving my weekly $350 grocery payment.

I was finally served by the Staff member who originally approached me after she had finished serving the Lady to whom I directed her. Judging by the body language I gathered that she wasn't impressed by her co-workers lack of Customer Service either.

Either Train your Staff accordingly or else put in a working ticketing process like Woolworths does.

Dissatisfied Customer!

I went to purchase some I cream for my kids in Coles supermarket in cragieburn on the check out counter lady named Sonya (not sure about the name) when I kept the cream box on the check out belt she is staring at me I picked it up an handed it to her (thinking maybe the belt is not working) then she put through the product n I try to put my flybuys card through at the sensor (it's not working I came to know later) she doesn't say a word n just takes my card n puts it through at her end I pay by credit card (pay pass) it was a wrong tap and her comment (you did a wrong tap, do it again) this lady needs training in customer service properly. If you r having a bad day it is not the customer who should be bearing your tantrums. The magic words sorry, please etc should be thought to this lady or else Coles cragieburn will be annoying many customers

I am offered a gift card by SMS weekly from Coles claiming I have won a gift card, however when I enter and am told I, v won I am not offered a gift card I can have cosmetics or face creams and the like.
This seems like false advertising to me as a gift card would be wonderful and I would spend it at Coles. I have shopped at Coles for almost 50 years and I, m very disappointed whenever I think I, v won a gift card. Maybe change the advertising of gift card to gift.
I hope someone takes this seriously my family and friends all shop at Coles and all feel the same.
I do hope I, m taken seriously I work for a lot of people as a carer and do all their shopping at Coles. I am so upset with this I feel like swapping to another supermarket.
Regards Karen Mules