Inappropriate Tesco substitute! WIBU to complain?

For background I am a recovering alcoholic and looking forwards to celebrating 2.5 years of sobriety this week. For a treat I decided to add a pretty expensive “premium” alcohol-free beverage to my weekly Tesco order. I drink alcohol-free drinks quite often but this one was a particularly special one to mark the significant occasion for me (this is why I think I may be BU as I might be particularly sensitive due to the nature of the purchase.)

I mean this kindly but alcoholics don't drink for the taste so you are feeding the alcoholic obsession by substituting typically alcoholic drinks with 0% versions, particularly when you call it a treat to celebrate a recovery milestone. This is not a helpful way for you to think about anything which imitates alcohol.

I think it's worth bringing it to the supermarkets attention but it seems to have upset you most because you feel you are vulnerable given your history with alcohol. Tesco does not know about that, you can protect yourself from the potential consequences of errors like this by not ordering 0% drinks.

I am speaking from a place of experience rather than judgement. Congratulations on your sobriety.

probably an improvement, some of the wine i used to drink😂

I disagree , take slimline tonic water as an eg. It's the tonic I want so would have the non slimline version rather than the slimline ginger ale say.
Tesco deliver to adults who are capable of saying no, and that has to be the assumption.

People no longer able to think for themselves and use common sense.

But I wouldn't want alcohol free whisky as a substitute for alcohol free gin, I don't like whisky. And it really depends if you are getting it as an alternative, I had a 'real' gin, but now I'll have an alcohol free one to keep my units down or are totally anti-alcohol. Better just say no substitution.

A vegetarian friend was offered a beef and mushroom pie when her mushroom pie wasn’t available. I absolutely get the inappropriateness of your substitution, but imagine this wouldn’t be an isolated incident of your being offered alcohol.

Also, there is something weird going on with the way "alcohol-free" products are categorised on " the system".
I got nosecco in m&s recently. I'm pregnant. Had to clarify with the guy that it was definitely alcohol free because despite saying it all over the packaging, it still flagged up with the "challenge 25" and had a label on the shelf saying similar.
He said " yes it is alcohol free but the computer doesn't know that"
I said why not and he shrugged 😅

I suppose everyone has different requirements; that's what makes substitutions so tricky to get right. To me the alcohol-free version of a drink is a substitution in itself, so subbing it back for the alcoholic one is a nonsense. Similarly, if I order
vegan chocolate for my DD and they send a block of dairy chocolate by the same company rather than an alternative vegan product, it goes back, because it's a silly alternative. On the other hand, the soup sub at least looks as if someone thought about it.

Yes we go to the aisle, and find the product so if the duck was missing I'd ( me personally ) check exactly what had been asked for and try and get as close as possible.if the machine offered me toilet duck I'd simply over ride it.

Also just to add in many tesco stores including mine, the alcohol free section is completely separate from the alcohol section.

I think YANBU to provide feedback, they really need to know as that could have been very bad!

Substitution procedures all over online shopping need work tbh there are many stories like this and supermarkets need to hear feedback from customers.

Replacing a 0% alcohol drink with an alcoholic one is dreadful. Big fuckup from them! I can't believe some posters are minimising it!

@tigerlady14 This need a proper complaint to Head Office, not just to the store. I am fuming on your behalf, and I like a drink! (Of alcohol) though not that often. DH is teetotal and would be left with nothing, if we sent for a 0% alcohol drink and they sent something with alcohol in. He'd be drinking water with our meal with our friends and family.

Do they seriously think someone WANTING 0% alcohol is going to want a drink with alcohol in it?! Do they send beefburgers to someone who wanted vegan burgers? Or when someone ask for gluten free or nut free do they just sent any old shit that's laden with nuts and crammed with gluten?! Are they THAT useless and irresponsible??!

FFS

Really make sure you kick off about this.

I think what their saying some supermarkets it would never come up fresh duck for them to see it would just say toilet duck so that is what they would scan as the computer has already changed it before the worker has even picked up the scanner

Substitutions are pretty hit and miss, what is important to one person isn't to another. I have had some really bizarre ones to my mind from Tesco, but they often make some sort of sense depending on what you wanted it for. You refused delivery and no doubt got a refund, I would forget it.

Turn off substitutions if an inappropriate substitution is a particular problem, like for people with allergies, religious restrictions, etc. You can't expect the person or AI that decides on the substitution to know which is the more important element of a product to a particular individual.

I would let them know, as it wasn't a responsible substitutions in this case (Although most of the supermarkets can send ridiculous substitutions from time to time - I got 6 lemons instead of 6 bananas once).

But also a big problem is the fact that you received it before 10am when it is against the Scottish Licencing Laws. Not sure how they managed that, to be honest, as I know Sainsbury and Asda Tills won't allow you to put alcohol through them until it's legal. I assumed they were all the same. I've been disallowed delivery of alcohol even after 10am, as the shop is done and put through the till before 10 am

I’m sorry this has been upsetting for you OP but I do think YABU.

1. Most people who drink zero alcohol, aren’t people coping with addiction issues. It wouldn’t be triggering for most people that it was alcohol sent instead, but they would probably think it was a bit stupid. However, most substitutes are perplexing at the best of times, so I always tick the box saying no substitutes.

2. The purchase was made when payment was accepted online. Not when the order was packaged in store. So there’s no issue with regard to the licensing times in Scotland.

I think you’re feeing very sensitive at a time which is of great importance and self reflection for you. Well done for what you’ve achieved but don’t let this derail you. It’s really not a big deal.

They should transfer to my local tesco, when I shop you can't get through the traffic jams of the pickers chatting as they work.

The time there must be very relaxed

Pickers quite often simply scan what the device tells them without even reading what it is

So don't you actually go and get the item off the shelves? Surely a picker's job isn't just scanning items that somebody else/a robot has put in front of them?

If somebody has ordered a fresh duck and the computer suggests a bottle of Toilet Duck instead, you would actually leave the meat section and go to the cleaning aisle yourself and then mark the item as supplied (albeit with a 'substitute') with full knowledge?

I think that's fair to complain about. I was in my local tesco recently and there were alcoholic ciders mixed in with the non-alcoholic ciders. I don't drink so usually opt for the non alcoholic but I didn't realise initially until I clocked it was wrong when it was in my trolley. If someone drank it without realising and then drove etc that could cause a real problem. So I flagged it with the staff who tbh I don't think really understood why I was making it an issue.

Definitely report it. You're absolutely amazing for being so strong. Congratulations on your sobriety - you've changed your life.

This, and it's why they are still age restricted as they do contain a small amount of alcohol

Congrats on your recovery! You certainly need to alert them to their error of subbing non-alcohol with alcohol, as this is negligent.

However, it's worth noting that 0% versions are not completely alcohol-free, so are probably best avoided altogether. Drinkaware.co.uk actually states:
'Alcohol-free drinks can contain a small amount of alcohol (up to 0.5% ABV). They aren't suitable if you’re alcohol dependent or in recovery, or need or want to avoid alcohol for any other reason.'

This isn't accurate. We can over ride the suggestions and use our common sense .

You can make a note on your substitutions. Maybe, 'only substitute with non alcoholic drinks please' I agree, they should have thought it through a bit more though.

I think this is a completely ridiculous substitution and you did really well to refuse it. I would be telling my local Tescos because it sounds like some training is needed on the implications of this kind of substitution. There is normally a very good reason someone doesn’t want it to contain alcohol and it could be frustrating for many reasons.