Most supermarkets in the US now have some sort of frequent shopper card, where you swipe the card to get special deals. If you don’t have your card, you can enter your phone number. So, I always enter 310-555-1212. I get the discount and don’t have to give up my info. I wonder when they will catch on.

Here is an interesting story about how a database glitch intruded on a couple’s relationship. Someone modified a woman’s frequent shopper account to display a purchase of a pack of condoms. This purchase had never been made. She logged in, saw the condom purchase, and thought boyfriend was cheating on her. The couple have now made up and the supermarket company sent the couple a gift certificate to say sorry. Paradoxically, the company received a lot of of free publicity. The fact that she is 40 and he is 29, and the photo of them shows the stark difference in age, have also contribued to the story’s popularity.

What I want to know is:

What type of QA is this company doing on their processes?

What other mistakes have slipped under the radar? It is one thing for condoms to be added, but maybe they added a meat purchase to a vegan’s account?

The USA is a very litiguous society, I don’t know about the UK. Could she have sued Tesco for damages for “pain & suffering”?

In the midst of all the salacious and sensational details, there is a real story begging to be told.