I Totally Hate Generic/Store Brand!!!
By Rozie37
@Rozie37 (15499)
Turkmenistan
January 25, 2009 11:32am CST
I have had so many bad experiences with cheap products that I have decided, if I can not afford the name brand, I will do without the product altogether. I went shopping at Rite Aid the other day. I had not planned to spend as much as I did, so when I got to the trash bags, I thought, what could it hurt to purchase their brand of tall kitchen bags. Well, I used one of them the other day and as far as I know, everything went fine.
The reason that I say that, is because, this morning I was emptying my trash containers into the bag, not realizing that it had a hole in the seam at the bottom. I emptied the bag in my room, which had sunflower seed shells in it. Right after that, I went to my restroom to empty that container. When I rounded the corner again, I saw little spaced out piles of sunflower seed shells on my bedroom floor. I was so furious. Although vacuuming is one of my favorite chores, I was not in the mood to do it that early.
I quickly took out another one of their bags and check for holes. Then I sat the original bag inside of it and got it out of here as soon as possible. Then I came back and vacuumed the shells up. I know that I did not cause the seam to tear. I did not over stuff the bag, nor was there any need to push the trash down to make room for more. It wasn't that much in the first place. It also could not have torn like that from a sharp object being placed in there. The tear was too perfect.
I have had many bad experiences like this. I don't remember what situation is was when I had contacted the company. I believe it was Rite Aid again. I had purchased their brand of hand sanitizer. The residue would stay on my hand for too long after. If I would eat something shortly afterward that required me to use my hands, the taste of the sanitizer would be on my food. When I contacted them, they had the attitude of if to say, Well you get what you pay for. So I said I would never purchase their brand again and I have just realized that I have done that very same thing again.
So have you had any experiences with generic/store brand products that really upset you?
9 people like this
29 responses
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I'm supposed to be getting ready for an appointment, but had to respond to your discussion!
I have bought "brand" items that have been absolutely awful. Right now I am finishing up a package of "brand" toilet paper that is the worst I have ever used. I thought for a change I would get two ply paper...It's a nightmare. To start with I kept finding little white things in the toilet-I thought I had gotten worms!! 
Finally logic prevailed and I realized it was TP crumbs (yes the wonderful things that make you itch in places that you can't scratch in public.)
Yet I have gone to Wal Mart and bought their house brand of zipper bags (gallon and quart) for not only my food but also my bear making stuff and they are great!!! I also use their brand of tylenol, cat litter, and their cheaper brand of paper towels. Oasis is equal or even better than Bounty select a size! I won't use the cheap brands of trash bags any more as they do have the horrible tendency to let go at the worst possible time. It's a case of test and toss. Oh, I use the Wal Mart brand of sanitizer and liquid hand soap-and body wash. They're great and the body wash doesn't make me feel like my body is burning up.
I think the worst thing is trying the store brands of foods. Some of it is great and other tastes like dog or cat food. Some of it the dogs and cats in my house won't touch.
I would save the receipts and take the faulty stuff back. They should stand behind their products! I have done that time after time with many store brands. If you don't return it or let them know that it's faulty or non usable, they won't ever work at improving it. I am well known for complaining and returning stuff. It's something that I picked up from my 84 year old neighbor lady that would give Granny Clampet (Beverly Hillbillies) a run for her money!!! People surrender in this woman's wake!!!!!!!
Finally logic prevailed and I realized it was TP crumbs (yes the wonderful things that make you itch in places that you can't scratch in public.)
Yet I have gone to Wal Mart and bought their house brand of zipper bags (gallon and quart) for not only my food but also my bear making stuff and they are great!!! I also use their brand of tylenol, cat litter, and their cheaper brand of paper towels. Oasis is equal or even better than Bounty select a size! I won't use the cheap brands of trash bags any more as they do have the horrible tendency to let go at the worst possible time. It's a case of test and toss. Oh, I use the Wal Mart brand of sanitizer and liquid hand soap-and body wash. They're great and the body wash doesn't make me feel like my body is burning up.
I think the worst thing is trying the store brands of foods. Some of it is great and other tastes like dog or cat food. Some of it the dogs and cats in my house won't touch.
I would save the receipts and take the faulty stuff back. They should stand behind their products! I have done that time after time with many store brands. If you don't return it or let them know that it's faulty or non usable, they won't ever work at improving it. I am well known for complaining and returning stuff. It's something that I picked up from my 84 year old neighbor lady that would give Granny Clampet (Beverly Hillbillies) a run for her money!!! People surrender in this woman's wake!!!!!!! 1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
27 Jan 09
My kind of luck is when I contact the head office they give me coupons for the same faulty product. The only time I didn't have that happen was with Bigelow tea. I got a batch that had cinnamon in it...I sent the box upc codes in and got coupons for free boxes of their tea. It was great. That's why I usually take it back even if it cost a quarter.
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
25 Jan 09
I never buy the store brand in trash bags because they aren't as strong as the Hefty bags.
I do buy other things that are generic and they are just as good as the nameand items.
The hand sanitizer sounds gross! I use hand sanitizer all the time and have bought the generic and it has been the same. I guess maybe it depends on where you get it from.
It is true, you get what you pay for.
1 person likes this
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I would stick with Purell then. I was looking at the hand sanitizers I have and the 'generic' ones were given to my by the doctors office. That is probably why they are good. They don't have a name on them at all~ they are probably Purell too.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I see nothing wrong with store brands in many cases. Everyone knows that most store brands such as garbage bags you get what you pay for, I assume you bought the store brand because you wanted to save money. So we can not expect to get the same product as we get for brand name products. My daughter for awhile would not go shop at Aldi's because they carried store brands, well does not matter to me if I am opening a $2.00 can of corn or a 39 cent one, I am going to add butter and seasoning, why should I pay the added money. She has since learned the samething.
We expect to much for the price we pay, I believe. I have had cheap garbage bags that was way better than store brands and I have had expesive ones that was worst than the store brand. I do not do much business with Rite Aid, I find that they are way to high on anything that they sell. Maybe you should change stores instead of being upset about buying store brands.
A garbage bag is easly tore no matter what we put in it, and god yes I hate for it to break and leave the mess on the floor. WE have several small trash cans like in the bedroom and bathroom, know what we use for bags in them, the grocery store bags they sack your groceries in, now can't get any cheaper than that, as far as I am concerned a garbage bag unless used in the kitchen is usually used for paper and small items so the cheaper I can get it the better it is. And then there is just the fact that some mornings it wouldn't matter if you had a $5.00 garbag bag it would tear without hardly anything in it, just part of life.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
26 Jan 09
I really haven't settled at Rid Aid. Because I do not drive, I shop where ever it is convenient for me at the time. I needed to go to the bank and go shopping, so I went to an area where my bank was located and Rite Aid and Vons were across the street. I had planned to go to Vons at first, but then, I thought about the fact that I didn't need a lot of the things that only the grocery store sells, so I thought things would go faster in Rite Aid.
When I finally found the trash bags, they did not have a big selection in the name brand, so I picked the size that I wanted in the store brand. Sure I wanted to save a little money also, but not at the expense of quality.
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
26 Jan 09
Hi Rozie dear! I still buy generic products once in awhile but most of the time, I do buy the ones that I can be sure of that have excellent quality. I do believe that some generic products are of poor quality because the manufacturers for sure are trying to cut cost by using poor quality materials for their products. However, I am glad that there are some generic products that is being sold in my local supermarket that sell some items that are of good quality but not so much cheaper, yet still low and affordable though.
Take care and have a great day!
lovelots..faith
lovelots..faith210
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
25 Jan 09
I hate cheap trash bags! We have a large barrel trash can in the kitchen. I've found the Hefty Contractor bags fit it great. For the smaller trash cans I just use the plastic store bags.
I hate the generic dish liquids. Takes the whole bottle to get a bubble.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
26 Jan 09
I know what you mean about the dish soap. That stuff can really be watered down. But then, some of the name brands are too slippery. Like Joy, it makes the plates slip from my hands. I guess you have to be willing to deal with biting a few bad apples to get to a good one.
@nannyinholiday (105)
• United States
25 Jan 09
Sometimes I don't like to shop a lot from save-a-lot for the same reasons they don't taste wel, or something.
1 person likes this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
26 Jan 09
I live on generic products. There are some things one just cannot do without. I have had bad and good experiences with both brand names and generic products. Sometimes a machine is faulty which might have been the case with your garbage bags. In many cases generic products are the same as brand names, packed in the same plant only with different labels stuck on. For those labels we pay more which I simply cannot afford.
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I havent had problems with anything but the trashbags and I had an experince like you did. I think on those its just best to get the good ones when you can. I have good experinces with most generic brands. I think when it comes to the toothpaste and certain things, its just best to go with a trusted brand.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I buy generic brands for most stuff but for some reason I buy named brands for rubbish bags. Not sure why but I just do. Since they work well I have stayed with using them.
I really haven't had any issues with store brands or generic brands.
Matt has switched to a generic brand for his high cholesterol tablets as they were costing us $90 for 3 months supply. Now we are only paying $24 for 3 months. Hopefully they're as good as the Lipitor.
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
26 Jan 09
I hope that they are just as good too, that is a much better deal. I don't know why I took a chance on Rite Aid brand again. I think I was just exhausted after shopping for all the things that I DID NOT need, that by the time I realized that I had forgotten one of the things that I came there for, I didn't want to spend a lot of time on it.
@vera5d (4005)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I am starting to learn some things you can get away with a generic, but others are worth paying more for. Trash bags are really hard to find good ones - and yet I hate to pay so much for them, since after all you are just throwing them away!
But sometimes the store brand is no worse than the name brand, things like snacks my kids eat. Some things though I have to buy the name brand for - like Jello. It just doesn't taste the same as the real thing!
I've never been a fan of Rite-Aid. I used to like Eckerd a lot, but since Rite-Aid bought them I don't shop there anymore. Now I usually get my prescriptions at Walgreens.
@forslahiri (1042)
• India
26 Jan 09
Hi,
Yes, in Medicines when Generic/OTC-store brands are taken, it didnot work.I 've many of these experiences, happening with those who became Penny wise-Pound Foolish.
=Lahiri,Kolkata,India.
@Tatsinda (60)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I always used to buy Walmart's brand of boxed macaroni and cheese, until I found small worms in the pasta, like it was old (this was on the same day it was purchased). Ever since then, I stray away from generic brands, especially if pasta is involved. Some generic/store-brand products just taste awful and I refuse to buy it at any price- for instance, Walmart peanut butter. What on earth are they putting in that stuff? It's awful... I'll pay the extra .33 cents for Jif, thanks!
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
26 Jan 09
You would not believe how far I jumped back when you said worms. Oh, that is just sooooo gross. I can't shake this face I am making. They probably left it on the shelf too long. They need for someone to remove items that no one has purchased in a reasonable amount of time.
.
.
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I'm sorry that you have had bad experiences with store brands. I am also always looking for a bargian, but I hate to sacrifice too much quality. I usually only buy store brand foods, not household products. I have also had bad experiences with those types of products. I have found though, that the best pantyhose out there are the Giant and Safeway brands, although I can't find either of them any longer :-(
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
26 Jan 09
I never have but I have with other products that were name brand. Like my nephew he broke out from a name brand pamper. The only brand he can wear is Huggies he gets rashes real easy. I haven't ever been into our Rite Aid yet. I usally go to Walgreens since that is where I get my prescrptions from.
@frygirl (382)
• United States
26 Jan 09
sometimes but if you already had a bad experience with their products whygo back there and purchase nore. try a different store and their products walmarts great value items are just as good as the name brand and somtimes better the price is relly diferent. but yeah you get what you pay for and sometimes the higher priced isnt always the better quality. my dad used to work in a cannery and they had 2 lines running and it was green beans they were running well the beans came in from the same grower and the same field but when they went through the plant they went down different lines now i ask whats the difference in that they came from the same place it didnt make sense to me.
@TnWoman (1895)
• United States
26 Jan 09
hello rozie
i am so sorry to hear about your generic brand products that you purchased and got burned on them. i hate it when i buy something like that and it is garbage. but i do like certain grocery store brand stuff like taco shells, veggies, cheese, spaghetti sauce, lunch meat, bread, ice cream, dog food, stuff like that that i know is going to be half way good. but i do not like the grocery store brand of any kind of pasta. i find that it does not seem to get done correctly like the name brands of pasta do.
take care and have a beautiful evening.
@tracie1758 (507)
• United States
26 Jan 09
I almost always buy the store brand of everything. There are very few things that I won't buy an off brand for. I have never had man negative experiences. Sometimes with food I will buy a middle brand. I have had some funky tasting ketchup and hot dogs. What could you really expect when a pack of hot dogs was only $0.45?
