Inappropriate Tesco substitute! WIBU to complain?

Subs are dealt with by computer and they need to know about this to change the settings.

I'd frame this as feedback and an opportunity to shape their behaviour. You could debate till the cows come home whether they have a moral responsibility to keep alcohol from customers who don't choose it. They will be swayed by what produces more / less income for them. I'd say you were concerned that this happened and you are thinking of advising friends in recovery/ AA organisation not to use Tescos deliveries, but you just wanted to check their practices first and whether this was a mistake.

One hundred per cent complain, this could have been disastrous. They need to do some awareness training. I'm so glad you were able to reject it, others at a different stage in their sobriety journey might not have x

One hundred per cent complain, this could have been disastrous. They need to do some awareness training. I'm so glad you were able to reject it, others at a different stage in their sobriety journey might not have x

When I saw this feed I honestly expected it to be someone whining about receiving Tesco value marg instead of premium butter. I was gearing up to roll my eyes.

However, in your case, I think you are absolutely right to flag it. It's not OK and they absolutely need to take action to ensure it doesn't happen in future.

Well done for taking control of the situation so swiftly and effectively, OP

Surprisingly bananas are something that we run completely out of on a regular basis.

We are allowed to not substitute for most things.

Things we are never allowed to "offsale" loo roll, baby milk, bread, milk,

I get that other things may be allergy issues but this particular sub could have set a recovering alcoholic back badly. At least with the wrong tin, there is unlikely to be mental pressure on the shopper to open the tin anyway.

It’s really not a reasonable sub at all. That’s like saying sending real chicken pieces is an acceptable sub for quorn “chicken” pieces when it’s a veggie or vegan shopping. Or regular bread if the gluten free version is out of stock when you are coeliac.

I definitely feel it’s worthwhile raising this. Had a very similar order & substation. Luckily I had only ordered the alcohol free version as part of a best friends birthday treat as she was pregnant. I raised it with Tesco who weren’t interested at all, ! Struggle to understand why it was considered an appropriate switch given I had intentionally selected an item with no alcohol.
Congrats on your sobriety though, you’re obviously doing an incredible job

i complained years ago to asda and got £550 gift card out of it

i ordered a pregnancy test, they sent flavoured condoms
at the time i was 4 years in to fertility treatment that wasn't working so didn't see the funny side

went to the store to complain to customer services via a taxi as we didn't drive as i was so mad and offended

and got a apology and a £50 gift card so i left it there

got a test at the same time and i was pregnant(2 and half weeks)

weeks later i got through the post a lovely letter on beautiful paper from asdas top bosses a full a4 apology and a £500 gift card
it all went on baby stuff as in 09 500 went far

in your circumstances i would defiantly complain as that little slip up could have tempted you to go back(im teetotal and always have been so cant say i fully understand)

I don't think providing alcohol when none has been ordered is worse than a vegetable soup (tomato) being replaced by another vegetable soup (mushroom). I don't get your reasoning at all. Alcohol should not be offered as a substitute when no alcohol is ordered. Especially breaking the law and providing it before 10am. Tesco need to rectify their systems to not further break the law.

I don't think you are silly and I'd be complaining too. many congratualtions on your achievement.

Well done for resisting the temptation. I would def contact them.
I got annoyed when they subbed my GF food with non GF. I called them and explained the health implications that could have ensued.

That's both shocking, and farcical in equal measures. Who lacks in common sense and pure intellect THAT much, that they think that yellow serviettes will replace bananas? What next, a housebrick replacing a fecking chocolate bar? A round piece of cardboard replacing a pizza?! This is actually taking the piss. No-one is that dumb surely? And as you say - it's actually dangerous to peoples health (some of the things they sticking in, in place of something else.) I also don't believe they couldn't get hold of one single banana.

But yeah, sending drinks with alcohol in when someone has requested 0% alcohol is actually fecking disgraceful.

It's a totally inappropriate substitution and they should be doing more to make sure substitutions are like for like.
For example
If I order a gluten free product it wouldn't be appropriate to send one containing gluten or to substitute veggie burgers with beefburgers!

I agree I think you should complain or at least make them aware that it was inappropriate.

It would be like substituting decaffeinated coffee for regular coffee or vegetarian sausages for meat ones. If they don’t have an appropriate sub they should just remove it from the order.

Complain as the substitutes I get are absolutely ridiculous. I'm a full time carer for disabled dh and most of the time cannot get to the shops. I've received some pretty awful substitutes, even the drivers have been shocked at times, and tesco really need pulling up on this. Sometimes common sense is lacking and it can cause real problems if you can't get to the shops. My dh has low potassium and eats a daily banana, I recently had bananas substituted with yellow coloured serviettes. I just don't believe that there weren't any banana of any sort, bunch, individual etc in the whole of tesco and what kind of brain thinks a serviette is a suitable substitute for a banana?The alcohol for non alcoholic is ridiculous and if they are breaking licensing laws then it's even worse. Swapping gluten free for gluten is also wholly unacceptable and could be dangerous. Congratulations on your sobriety!

congrats on your milestone
I am a ceoliac and if there is no gluten free bread they substitute with normal bread with gluten in it ... go figure ... but I agree this is a different scenario.

YABU.
I think people in recovery should stay away from these non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic drinks in general. They are a bad idea. They leave the door open so to speak. I have two close relatives in different stages of recovery. One of them encourages the other to drink non alcoholic beer etc. and I am very against it.
For one thing it allows you to keep up the habits you had around drinking (going to the pub, having a “drink” in the evening or at parties or in your case, celebrating by buying a bottle) and the similar taste is enough to get your brain working and cravings likely to start. This makes you much more likely to relapse than if you break the habits completely and avoid temptation.
There is a reasonable chance you will pick up/ be served a drink with alcohol mistakenly at some point if you are drinking a substitute that looks/ tastes similar but the bigger concern is that you will leave yourself open to deliberately relapsing at a weak moment.
I think that was a serious mistake for Tesco to make and you should complain however in these circumstances you need to be real about your behaviours if you want to stay sober. It’s not on Tesco (or bar staff, or someone who hands you a drink at a garden party) to keep you sober. Take the responsibility.
I was at a party with the relatives I mentioned recently. The one who gets encouraged to drink the non alcoholic beer (who was perfectly content with tea or soda etc before they were introduced to these non alcoholic beers/ ciders) had two or three non alcoholic cans then a relative spotted him with an alcoholic beer down the back of the garden. They confronted him about it and he said it was a mistake, he thought it was non alcoholic. I don’t know if it was a genuine mistake at first, I highly doubt it but regardless I knew this would eventually happen. This is why I’m against them. Most of the time they are a slippery slope. Don’t lay traps for yourself if you want to stay sober.

Complain - no. It will be an oversight. Human error.

Make them aware - yes. They need to put mechanisms in place to stop this happening.

A lot of non-alcohol products do actually have alcohol in, albeit in tiny amounts. Without knowing what you ordered, it may have been that they thought if you were ordering pretend alcohol, it may not necessarily have been for your reason.

Within your time constraints? Not all workers can.

They’re not allowed to not substitute. The computer algorithm needs changing. Some of the listed substitutes are ridiculous.

Hi OP, please raise this with Tesco. I’ve worked with a very similar company and I know they will want to know about it and will take it very seriously.

Congratulation on 2.5 years of sobriety 😀

Alcohol-free products are age restricted as they still contain traces of alcohol.