Self-confessed “moaning-faced git” Douglas McKinlay has been barred from his local Greenock branch of Safeway, after the supermarket giant tired of his price-related complaints.
The Scottish father of two from Port Glasgow first got the complaining bug after he was being signed off from his job on long-term sick leave. “I bought doughnuts from [now-defunct grocery chain] William Low’s for a party,” he explained to the Sunday Mail: “I was overcharged by 2p but the manager gave me £20 worth of cakes as an apology.”
He has since made 29 complaints about various stores to Trading Standards. His last complaint concerned a promotion on the price of petrol, which he claimed was unsatisfactory. Most moans involve confusing pricing on displays and many have been upheld by Trading Standards.
McKinlay insists that his actions are those of a consumer champion, standing up against the notion of a “rip-off Britain”. “People are being ripped off and all I’m doing is making a stand for myself,” he said: “Supermarkets make big promises all the time. They tell you ‘money back guaranteed’ or ‘find this product cheaper anywhere else and we’ll refund the difference.”
“I only shop [in Safeway] for special offers”, he added: “The Tesco Value range is best for regular products and they have a better refunds policy, too.”
