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What Would You Do Or Say If This Happened To You?

VioletBlue

By VioletBlue
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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VioletBlue Contributor
VioletBlue
Posted

I realize my whole "No gluten" lifestyle is alien to the majority of people. I get that. But I thought I'd been through every possible culture shock since I went gluten-free in 2006. I've weathered them all; the ones I anticipated and even the ones I could never have expected.

My house is gluten-free, 100% no ifs ands or buts. In addition I have maybe a dozen other food allergies I have to watch out for.

And I shop on ebay quite a lot for my business that I run out of my home. I mostly buy from individuals.

I bought a vintage collection from a very nice woman, or so she seemed last week. It arrived today at my PO Box. The box was wrapped in wrapping paper which I thought was odd and it felt kind of soft, like it wasn't a "normal" box. But I never gave it a thought. I cut the wrapping paper off the box when I got home and found my self face to face with the box for "Raisin Bran Granola with Wheat Flakes". I literally froze. Then I panicked. Then I screamed. Then I screamed some more. I left the box on the counter. I haven't opened the box yet. I'm still too stunned.

The thing is, I go to all the trouble and grief to live this life and I don't expect anyone to understand or agree or even participate in it, then some ding bat ebayer sends me a box that once contained poison. I'm beside myself here and I'm lost. I guess I can open the box but the box is surely been CC'd as have most like the contents, one of which is a small book which you can't really scrub clean now can you?

If it were you, what would you do?

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lucia Enthusiast
lucia
Posted

Do you have DH?

Could you have a friend open the box, remove its contents, and do whatever needs to be done with them?

Aphreal Contributor
Aphreal
Posted

What was it you bought? Like an item they used the cereal box to pack and did the seller know about your allergy?

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Make sure you ding that idiots stars and leave a neutral for the poor packing, no need to mention your allergy in the feedback. I can't believe that someone would ship items in a cereal box. I don't know what you bought other than the book but if you can do without the items if the seller allows refunds you could contact them before you leave feedback and ask if you can send them back. The idea to have someone else open the box would work, as would putting on some rubber gloves and opening it on the porch. Just take your vacuum to the book or any other unwashable stuff in there. I buy second hand books all the time and as sensitive as I am I haven't had any issues. I just wash my hands after reading them and before eating.

Ahorsesoul Enthusiast
Ahorsesoul
Posted

Relax. Remember the cereal never touched the box, it was in a plastic bag. You should be fine unless she used the cereal as packing matter. Wait, she may have. One in ten trillion that she'd used the cereal but since it went to someone gluten free.......Have someone else open it outside, just in case. But relax, it's fine.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

Relax. Remember the cereal never touched the box, it was in a plastic bag. You should be fine unless she used the cereal as packing matter. Wait, she may have. One in ten trillion that she'd used the cereal but since it went to someone gluten free.......Have someone else open it outside, just in case. But relax, it's fine.

My thoughts exactly. It's probably fine. Ask a friend to open it outside if you are concerned. The book may be wrapped in something else like plastic or paper inside the box, in which case it didn't even touch the box. The box probably never came into contact with much of the cereal anyway.

VioletBlue Contributor
VioletBlue
Posted
  • Author

Perhaps I'm strange then. With every box of cereal I've ever had invariably no matter how hard I try some of the cereal gets out of the bag and slides back into the box when you tip the box back up after pouring.

I read the ingredient list on the box. It mentions wheat five different times, and soy twice. Do these people have a clue what they're eating?

From now on I will apparently have to specify to every seller "Do not ship your product in old food boxes of any kind." What an odd thing to have to say to anyone.

My thoughts exactly. It's probably fine. Ask a friend to open it outside if you are concerned. The book may be wrapped in something else like plastic or paper inside the box, in which case it didn't even touch the box. The box probably never came into contact with much of the cereal anyway.

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vbecton Explorer
vbecton
Posted

Okay, I'm an ebayer and would NEVER ship my goods in old food boxes. GROSS! However, this made me think of my very cheap and frugal husband who would most certainly "recycle" any type of box for shipping and would NEVER even think twice about it....and he TOTALLY gets the Celiac thing. So, go easy on the poor dingbats ratings, but you should definitely mention the poor packaging and possible contamination that was shipped to your poison-free safe zone!!! Some people have zero brain cells :blink:

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