Is snacking before buying allowed in supermarkets ?

Tasting before you buy can be very tempting, but it's a divisive practice. What does the rule really say?

In a supermarket, you are sometimes tempted to buy something. to nibble on the products sold, to satisfy a little hunger or even the desire to taste before buying. Pricking a grape or opening a bag of chips while shopping is a tempting practice. But is this really allowed?

It mostly depends on what happens next. Until the item is settled, the' Also, it still belongs to the store. Using it without permission is therefore linked to this issue. à theft, an offense punishable by three years' imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros. Supermarkets therefore have the right to refer this matter to the authorities.

But there is, in reality, no clear legislation regarding this. this subject: brands are thus free to set their own rules. a person nibbles a cookie from a package in their cart which they then go to pay for. What's more annoying is when it's a messy or odorous commodity. or if a customer nibbles à l'excès.

The other major problem concerns products where the price depends on the weight, like fruits and vegetables in bulk. How do you know what proportion has already been used? été consumed by the customer ? It then becomes difficult to set a price once at the checkout. This mania may be due to a poor interpretation of article 1587 of the civil code: "With regard to wine, oil and other things that we are accustomed to tasting before purchasing, it is not There is no point of sale until the buyer has tasted and approved them. However, this article is very old and applies more to tasting places like wineries, salons and fairs than to supermarkets ;s.

For peace of mind, if you are really feeling peckish, you can take a first trip to the supermarket, buy your snack, pay for it with the receipt or by asking à impose the words "paid", you will be able to snack on the product during your shopping without being worried. Even if the simplest thing is to hold back.

There are other rights and prohibitions in supermarkets. which are quite unknown. For example, you have the right to open the cap of a bottle of shampoo to smell its scent as long as you do not damage it. ;nbsp;not the bottle. You can also take a bottle outside its pack. You are, once again, simply required not to damage the packaging . Article L121-11 of the Consumer Code prohibits, in fact, making the sale of a product subject to prior approval. the purchase of a quantity imposed.