Humiliating and Discriminatory Service – SPAR Budapest (Store 166)
visited SPAR Store 166 (Budapest, Károly krt. 9) on 17 Sept 2025 as a tourist from the UK.
At the self-checkout in the bakery section, an older female staff member repeatedly shouted “ticket” at me, pointing and shaking her head, without offering any explanation. Another customer eventually helped me understand the ticket system. Even after I followed the instructions, many items were missing from the machine list, and the staff member processed them herself while continuing to shake her head and speak rudely in Hungarian.
My family and I were the only Black customers in the store at the time, and the way we were singled out and humiliated made it feel racially motivated, not just a language issue.
When I raised a formal complaint with SPAR, their official response was dismissive: they claimed “no harm was done” and denied any discrimination. This trivialised the humiliation and distress I experienced.
Looking at other TripAdvisor reviews, I now see I am not alone. For example:
“Very bad / Hostile service on SPAR Budapest” (March 2024) describes similarly rude behaviour.
“Rude and racist staff” (August 2015, Mammut SPAR) calls out discriminatory treatment at another Budapest location.
“Horrible SPAR” (March 2024) mentions staff at the self-checkout “going mental” at customers.
Sadly, my experience fits this pattern.
This was a humiliating experience that ruined what should have been a simple shopping trip. I cannot recommend this store to tourists or anyone expecting respectful, inclusive service.
