Appalling customer service from Sainsburys

[Frankie2008]

New poster and I need to vent...

Placed an online order with Sainsburys due for delivery this morning between 9-10am. Received usual email confirmation re missing items at 7am. Then received at text at 08.12am to say delivery had been cancelled and to all them.

Called them immediately and after usual long hold, I was advised the following:

• My account had been blocked by them.

• No, they WOULD NOT give me the reason why.

• I could appeal the blocking decision.

• They would review my appeal and respond within 72 hours.

• Yes, they had taken my money and would process a refund within 3-5 working days.

I tried getting a response via Facebook, but after providing all details they requested, I was told they could no longer respond to me via social media and to call a different number.

I called and was told exactly the same thing.

So, I have no shopping, they have over £300 of my money and I can't afford to replace the shopping.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I feel so angry that they can do this and I will now have to borrow money to buy shopping.

[ABCDay]

OP, if you don't get anywhere with Sainsbury's it might be worth contacting You & Yours on Radio 4 or a similar programme. Quite often people who have got nowhere with a problem soon have an answer and a refund. It's the fact you've had to borrow money to get your shopping now, bloody ridiculous.

[Smellbellina]

I hate Sainsbury’s, their customers service (not instore but phone/email) is absolutely crap! I never order from them now.

[Lurkingforawhile]

That's awful, especially when the driver made it to your house. It's a lot of money and I wouldn't have that to spare after the middle of the month. The only thing I could think of is money laundering (I have no idea how though) as the offence of tipping off means no-one can tell you what's happening. Seems likely you are victim of an algorithm. I shop with Tescos and have never had any issues - if you're looking for a new supermarket would 100% recommend them.

[CaffeineInfusion]

I was going to say the van broke down and order was cancelled.... Happened to me a while back.

But now I suspect the driver got to yours, unloaded some, saw the heavy water, and thought sod that. Drove off and told them you were out.

So you've been black balled for being out during your delivery time.🤷

[ODFOx]

OP, having read your update re the driver deciding not to deliver after arriving at your home, and the reasons I outlined above for no longer using Sainsbury: you aren't in east northants/ west Cambs are you?
It was a different version of this driver only decision backed by store management in the face of no evidence that made me drop Sainsbury.

[Frankie2008]

ODFOx - no, I'm in Midlands. The delivery was cancelled by text at 08.12, long before the driver arrived around 9.30am, so it's not a case of him deciding not to deliver for whatever reason.

I'm assuming the driver checked whatever terminal he uses to take out the correct groceries and then saw that the order was cancelled. So, the decision was taken between the confirmation email I received at 7am and 08.12am.

Absolutely no response from Sainsburys. My shopping will be done with Tesco from now on.

[Alwaysinpain]

@BashfulClam

It’s the cigarettes. If they think you are buying something with the intention to re-sell the system triggers a block. My DH worked for them temporarily.

So what if she resells them?!?! She's paid FULL duty on them! Why would they put a carton of 200 cigarettes on their website available to purchase if they're going to cancel every order?!

[Frankie2008]

I somehow missed the comment by BashfulClam.

I don't think there is any difference in the price of cigarettes between supermarkets and newsagents etc? So, not sure why they would block.

As Alwaysinpain said, cigarettes are available to purchase online. If, for whatever reason, they want to restrict the amount you purchase, they should have a block at the point of ordering.

The decision to cancel the order was taken at the last minute. I had received the confirmation of delivery email with details of what items were missing - chicken kievs, and that the mango was near its sell-by date. So, the van was already loaded!

Anyway, I'm banging my head against a brick wall expecting Sainsburys to provide any form of customer service. Once I receive my refund, I will close the chapter on this.

[eaglejulesk]

Just another example of the modern world, where businesses think they can hide behind emails and text messages! I would wait to see if you hear back from the CEO, and if you are not satisfied I would be writing a very stern email voicing your complaints (how can they block your account without giving a reason -madness!). I would also point out that you will not be using their services again and will be telling everyone you know (which you already have done by posting here - well done) how slack their customer service is.

[Vivana]

Op there loss I'd look for another supermarket now as what they have done to you is appalling as your a regular shoppee

[BikeRunSki]

@StarCat2020

Much quicker to go yourself
Assuming of course you have a car??

And you don’t work long hours.
Where we live (a bit rural, but certainly not out in the sticks), slots are not available before 9 am o, often, after about 9pm..

[BumbleFlump]

It’s probably because you were badmouthing them on social media

[LadyMinerva]

OP, do you have an Ombudsman over there? Here in Aus just the threat of taking something like this to the Ombudsman spurs companies in to action.

[MahMahMahMahCorona]

Exactly this happened to my DSis over lockdown - however she ordered a click and collect, they confirmed, emailed about subs, took her money, she drove to the store and they wouldn't release her order.

Family of 5, average two weekly shop £400, going back months and months.

No explanation, just a £50 voucher offered when she kicked up a fuss.

I won't shop there again anyway - when I called to say both DC10 and DC8 were shielding, could I (single mum) please have a priority slot (we had been receiving boxes by this stage from the govmt), the response was "they aren't the account holders, you are, and you're not shielding." 🤦🏼‍♂️

[Frankie2008]

@BumbleFlump

It’s probably because you were badmouthing them on social media

Not sure I understand. Are you saying my order was cancelled and my account blocked because I was 'badmouthing' Sainsburys on social media?

Obviously that was not the case as there is no reason why I would badmouth Sainsburys BEFORE I experienced bad customer service.

I started this thread to find out if other customers had their orders cancelled and account blocked with no reason provided by Sainsburys.

[Frankie2008]

MahMahMahMahCorona

That is dreadful about not giving you a priority slot. My neighbour is in a similar position and Sainsbury's gave her priority slots.

It is impossible to get in touch with Sainsbury's to make a complaint. They no longer accept email, only telephone. I contacted them through their Facebook page and got no response either.

I've voted with my feet, as they say. I called last night and cancelled my account.

[KatherineJaneway]

Could be someone else was trying to get into your account so they blocked it.

I woke up one morning to find someone had hacked my Netflix account and changed the email address.

[throwaway201809]

Sainsbury's are not holding your money, 3-5 days is how long it takes your card's payment processor and receiving bank to process the refund. If you're with one of the less traditional banks, such as Monzo for example, this usually only takes 1 day. The more traditional banks take 3-5. Very frustrating but Sainsbury's can't speed this up unfortunately.

If they say they can't tell you the reason, then your account behaviour has probably triggered (either rightly or wrongly) some internal fraud/compliance rule. They're simply not allowed to tell you the reason.

I'd just forget about Sainsbury's now and take your money elsewhere

[Luddite26]

Hi Frankie2008
I would have been furious in your position too. I am trying to use Sainsburys as little as possible because of their poor service this year so i'm sending you sympathy. We have a lot of similar stories and we have been shopping as a family and buying cigarettes and even alcohol. But they refused shops for my shielding mum (blood cancer), no slots available for my daughter regular customer (2 slots a week) previously. They have been delivering to DS with a few glitches. But my employer - online customer from the beginning - has had similar problems to you and she had a shielder in her home.
Yes there is a pandemic and unprecedented demand but we should be able to say that we have experienced very poor service and no explanations.
And to add insult to injury when in store they ram it down your throat how they're feeding the nation. Yes at a very high cost.
Hope you get sorted and i would be sure you haven't done anything wrong.

[Shinyletsbebadguys]

OP ignore the posters who like to claim false thread s they think they are being edgy and "seeing" through everyone because it makes them look intelligent (which it really doesn't).
I've got friends who work long hours , in care sometimes 6 or 7 days a week , a lot of them pool deliveries for this reason .

That is horrendous , it really irritates me how fast companies can take money but of course it always takes 5 days to get it back to you

I suspect you are right about just viting with your feet , it doesn't sound like they ar going to tell you much but unbelievably frustrating.

[FAQs]

You can see her post on the Sainsbury’s Facebook page (clearly I have too much time on my hands)

[Soubriquet]

It’s very strange they would block it if it was the cigarettes

I’m a picker for Sainsbury’s and I regularly pick vast amounts of tobacco and tobacco products for one person and it’s never stopped

[Afibtomyboy]

Sainsbury’s replied to your FB complaint in seconds. Apologised and Asking for your details to look on to this. Have you responded?

[madcatladyforever]

Sainsburys are rubbish. I had an awful experience in their café and put in a formal complaint, I got a short email saying they would respond in due course. They did not and failed to reply to a further two letters.
They are now on my shit list and I won't go there.

[Originalyellowbelly]

Soubriquet I wonder if you pick my shopping! lol