Asda have fucked up my Christmas food shopping: a rant.

[EwItsAHooman]

Need to rent here so that I don't end up losing my temper with some undeserving person on the customer services helpline.

Booked my online food shop several weeks ago to be delivered tonight. Have gotten an email from Asda now detailing everything that has either been substituted or is not available. Out of 100 items, 28 have been substituted and 5 are unavailable.

Fucks sake.

And the substitutions.... What in the actual fuck!?

40 cocktail sausages, for making pigs in blankets, have been substituted for 12 cocktail sausages. How far do they think 12 will go!?

Frozen party food. A box of mini pizzas has been substituted for one pizza. Selection of Indian snacks has been substituted for spring rolls. Duck rolls have been substituted for spring rolls too. We'll be drowning in spring bloody rolls.

Sausage rolls have been substituted for a pack of Richmond sausages.

A pack of mixed "festive" cheeses has been substituted for a single block of Wensleydale.

Pickled gherkins are now pickled cucumbers.

Extra special fancy flavoured stuffing is now normal Paxo.

Turkey gravy has become chicken gravy granules.

Pretzel stars are now tortilla rolls.

Mint vienetta has become lemon ice cream.

These are just the ones I can remember without going back over the email.

And the kicker, the Birds Eye dippers have been substituted for Asda chicken nuggets. The dippers are for DS because he only eats fucking dippers (ASD) and only Birds Eye fucking dippers.

Unavailable items include cranberry sauce, goose fat, chicken skewers, and a few other things.

So 33% of the shopping is wrong and/or missing.

Customer services have been next to useless and I'm waiting on a manager calling me back (which is why I need to unload so that I can get all my fucks out now and then discuss it calmly when he/she does). Said to give any unwanted items to the driver and they'll refund them, which is all well and good but why have they fucked it up so badly in the first place? When it was ordered weeks ago, why wasn't the stock available? I expected one or two missing or substituted bits but thirty-fucking-three!?

So now I need to get the DC sorted, including one with ASD who hates the supermarket and is going to screech at top volume all the way there and all the way around (enjoy that, fellow shoppers!), will probably the violent somewhere between the checkout and the carpark so I can have a few festive thumps, and might even run off depending on exactly how busy it is. Which is why I shopped online in the first place.

And I can't even pour myself a gin and calm down because I've got to go to the fucking supermarket.

Sorry.

I had my Tesco's delivery today and fortunately only a couple of non essential items were not available.

I pick up my pre ordered turkey from Morrison's first thing tomorrow. A little nervous as this is the first time I have preordered a turkey rather than grab a frozen one a week before.

I love home delivery but it's bloody frustrating when you have to then go shopping for missing items.

@PollyFlinderz i know but why, with children across the whole spectrum (I have two) is it the Birdseye chicken dipper? My oldest son is 14 and it’s been a recurring theme amongst all the people we have met with Asd. It’s universal

If it was the first chicken dipper the children ever tasted it will more than likely be the only chicken dipper they want. So it’s not the children really. It’s us and our shopping habits. We probably think oh it’s Birds Eye so it must be good.

This is why I choose to shop in person.

Nothing to do with a Christmas order, but I asked for fresh mint on one order ... got mint shampoo .....

I sympathise. Disaster with Sainsbury’s online this year (having shopped happily with them weekly online for years). I did the order (for £200 worth of food) on the app on my phone on 7 Dec for delivery on 21st. Went to add a few items on 19th but the delivery had disappeared from the app. Rang to complain but there was nothing they could do as no slots left. Apparently it’s a ghost order and ‘these things happen.’ Was forced to go the actual shop despite recent section, newborn, and two other kids. Feel Sainers have really let me down and are now difficult to trust. I have received a little compensation after complaining, but nothing compared to the inconvenience!

The birds eye dippers have a really soft texture and non of the fibrous chewiness of some others. They're very consistent.

I honestly don't get this.

If your end of the world item is a frozen product, why on earth you risk it in the final shop before Christmas is utterly beyond me. Why? Why would you do that to yourself?

Fine fair enough if its the main turkey and the supermarket deliver a tin of baked beans to feed 20, but beyond that people just loose the plot.

I'm just about the most disorganised person going but when it comes to Christmas shopping full stop I go strategic.
Mainly to spread the cost and to minimise the stress of having to do a late big shop.

Has the manager rung back yet?

Asda took my whole order total despite, subs and non available. So they owe me money but apparently everything was available at midnight so took full amount.

I had my delivery on Friday. No turkey (just one of those small joints) but got that sorted.

I have a bagged delivery at Christmas and as I was unpacking said to the driver that I did this to make things a bit quicker. Cue the next box being all loose items. We laughed about it, but he then said that they have temps in at Christmas and they don't really care as they know they will be laid off again. It may explain why the subs are rubbish.

I'll still need to go out tomorrow for some of the other missing and substituted items but fingers crossed it won't be too busy as most people will have gone yesterday or today.

Last year I was surprised by how quiet it was on the evening of the 23rd (doesn't work this year cos its Sunday) and later on the 24th.

If you have the day off work, chances are you aren't going to spend it shopping. If you have a half day, the last thing you want is a mad dash to the shops when you finish.

Im not expected it to be anywhere near as horrendous as the last couple of days have been.

Had ours delivered this morning with only a couple of substitutes, I ordered cheap fizzy water and they've sent a posh one - at the cheap price! 
Was expecting loads to be changed but it was fine!
All you have to do is give the stuff back to the driver that you don't want.
@EwItsAHooman just check the quantities next to the substitute- it will tell you how many packs they are sending in it place so you might have enough sausages!

I'm glad you got your dippers OP, o was lucky with Tesco this year, the only thing I will sorely miss is my annual box of lucky charms but only because it's a silly, sentimental thing from my mum and she's no longer with us, they went out of stock the day before the delivery was due. I'll survive.

Also, not to sound patronising but Iceland and also Farmfoods sometimes so special offers on BE chicken dippers, if you look out for it you could stock up on several bags for emergencies.

Last year I was surprised by how quiet it was on the evening of the 23rd (doesn't work this year cos its Sunday) and later on the 24th.

What's wrong with Sunday? I'm going after work at 11pm to get mine :/

Ocado have royally fucked up my order today. It's a specific vegetarian item that isn't stocked elsewhere and it's our main item instead of turkey this year. I'm massively panicking now.

Where are you going at 11pm on a Sunday Italian? Surely everything is closed.

Where are you going at 11pm on a Sunday Italian? Surely everything is closed.

Tesco, not closed.

Has the manager rung back yet?

She said that the department who would deal with a complaint about missing items, substitutions, and being charged for the missing items is closed now until after the holidays but she's forwarded my details on to them.

The birds eye dippers have a really soft texture and non of the fibrous chewiness of some others. They're very consistent.

Interesting. I can't stand chicken dippers for that exact reason, I prefer the ones that are proper chunks of chicken breast, but DS doesn't like unprocessed meat because he says it's too chewy.

Scotland doesn't have the same Sunday trading restrictions as England, so it may be that (I assume Wales matches England).

Late to the thread, sorry you've had this OP. I've been a prolific online shopper since they first started doing grocery delivery in the UK. I'm disabled. In the beginning, it was shit. Utter shit. I'd get red wine and pay full price because the white wine on offer from the same brand was sold out. That level of shit.

Over the years I've had them all, and can now thoroughly recommend Morrison's. Although by big Xmas shop is due at 10.30 this evening, so hope I haven't spoken too soon. I've had the message confirming one item is not available, a chocolate Santa. No biggie. I struggled to get a decent Xmas delivery slot, but persisted and got what I needed.

I've used M's now for several years and the reliability is key for me. It's frustrating that my favourite own label product is out of stock and has been for several weeks, but better than allowing me to put it in the basket and play substitution roulette. They then also have to cover the cost of substitution to a named brand, so it's good business on both fronts.

I don't work for them, but wanted to share as I really trust them. And I can't just nip out for 30% of my Xmas shop to buy what doesn't turn up.

This is the exact reason why I brave the shops on Christmas Eve.

I have been badly let down with my Christmas delivery in the past, withe strange substitutions that we're not fit for purpose.

I hope you get it sorted, that's so annoying.

PollyFlinderz

You sound like an absolute sweetheart

I hope you manage to have a good Christmas

Scotland doesn't have the same Sunday trading restrictions as England, so it may be that (I assume Wales matches England).

Yes I'm in Scotland, didn't realise the English (and welsh?) stores would be closed. I go every Sunday when I finish work at 11pm.

Morrisons have only recently started doing home delivery to my area, good to hear that they're decent so I'll be looking into switching.

And everyone else obviously!!

Not just polly