03-06-2025
Woolworths customer films excruciating meltdown after she is stopped from leaving the supermarket with 'free fruit' - as staff try to explain why it's not allowed
A Woolworths shopper filmed the moment she had a meltdown after she was stopped from leaving a supermarket with free fruit because it was meant for children.
A staff member stopped the customer as she was leaving the store in Dandenong, south-east Melbourne, after noticing she had not paid for some bananas and apples.
In a video shared to TikTok on Monday, the customer told the female worker she took a banana and apple because she was struggling and did not have food at home.
'All I wanted is this free f***ing banana that you give out to kids,' the woman yelled.
'Why would you take the free food away from me when you know it's hard? It's a f***ing free banana, what are you on about. I don't have food at home.'
The Woolworths worker calmly explained the free fruit was an initiative reserved for children and as she was an adult she would have to pay for the items.
The interaction escalated and the customer, who is a refugee from Russia, accused the worker of telling her to 'go back to your home country'.
'It's embarrassing that you told me to go back to my home country,' the customer said.
'She told me to go back to my country and work harder. You can't treat people like that. It's not okay.'
The worker denied the accusation and claimed she was also a refugee and she worked hard too.
The customer continued yelling at the worker and demanded she apologise for what she said.
'I never said that love,' the worker said.
'If I have done wrong, then I would apologise to you. You know what you're trying to do, you're trying to be a victim and you're not a victim.'
The worker added she would have to call the police if the woman did not leave the store.
'I have been trying to help you but when you're crying like this and yelling and you have been abusing my team for a long time, it's been an hour,' the worker said.
'I am not leaving. Call the cops,' the customer replied.
'It's easier to call the cops than apologise for what you said. I did not steal things, it was free. I am not leaving until I get my apology.'
Security intervened and asked the customer what had happened an whether she had asked the staff if she could take a free banana and apple.
The customer claimed staff packaging the fruit and vegetables said it was okay for her to take a piece of fruit as long as she told service staff she was struggling.
However, the Woolworths staff member claimed the customer had more than one piece of fruit in her cart and that is why she was stopped on her way out.
The customer said 'so you never said what you said?' to which the staff member gave in and replied: 'Okay, sorry love about that.'
'I'm so glad to have gotten an apology from her because saying that to someone just because they wanted a free fruit from kids section is not ok,' the customer captioned the video.
Social media users did not agree with the customer, with many pointing out the free fruit was clearly marked for children.
'No kid, no banana. Period!' one person commented.
A second wrote: 'It's only for children to eat in store'.
'The free fruit in Coles and Woolies are for children to eat while in store. They are not for adults to help themselves for free,' another added.
