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600 tubs of dip delivered to Philly mac-and-cheese stand
Mac Mart, a Philadelphia mac-and-cheese stand unexpectedly received 600 tubs of French onion dip it never ordered, leading to confusion and an ongoing investigation.
PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia mac-and-cheese stand is dealing with an unusual delivery after receiving hundreds of tubs of French onion dip it never ordered or agreed to accept.
A surprise shipment overwhelms a small business
What we know:
Mac Mart, a small kiosk in Center City, was sent 600 tubs of Heluva Good! French Onion Dip after owner Marti Lieberman received a random email from what appeared to be a promotions company overseas offering free product.
Lieberman said she never accepted the offer and was surprised when boxes of dip started arriving.
"600 units is quite scary for a small business," said Lieberman. She explained the stand is only about 6 feet by 11 feet, making the delivery even more overwhelming.
Lieberman initially considered giving the dip away to customers, but after speaking with the dip company, she decided against it. "We had to get rid of it because we weren’t sure if any of the units were tainted or if we could make our customers sick," said Lieberman.
Lieberman said all 600 tubs were ultimately thrown out.
How the dip ended up at Mac Mart
The backstory:
Lieberman said when she contacted Heluva Good!, representatives told her they do not run overseas promotions involving that product, which raised concerns about the shipment’s origin.
"When I spoke to someone at Heluva Good!, they said we don’t do business overseas like that and we don’t have that product overseas," said Lieberman. "Right away everything started to get weird. I actually got very nervous because we had tried it."
According to Lieberman, Heluva Good! believes the dip may have been leftover from a promotional deal with a business in Australia, which may have then redistributed it.
How it ended up at the Philadelphia kiosk remains unclear.
Lieberman described the experience as "a really weird two days" and said she might think twice before responding to another unexpected promotional offer.
The story has left Mac Mart with unanswered questions about the shipment’s journey and the mystery of the unwanted dip.
What we don't know:
It is still unclear exactly how the French onion dip shipment was redirected to Mac Mart or who was responsible for sending it to the Philadelphia stand.
The Source: Interview with owner Marti Lieberman and information from Heluva Good! representatives.