Sneaky, Sainsbury's, very sneaky...

[mineofuselessinformation]

It dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that rather than refunding a substitution (there are certain foods I can't eat), they now issue a coupon.
Has anyone else noticed?

I stopped doing online with them years ago when they delivered an on date loaf at 10pm...
This would also make me stop shopping with them.

They have been doing that for over a year.

I got really annoyed once when they swapped 4 tins of tomato soup for 4x4 packs of minestrone then would only give me a voucher

Did you know that the brake on the trolley automatically goes on if you try and do a trolley dash. Story from a friend...

They’ve been doing this for ages.

They’ve also changed their policy on refunds if items are damaged. Used to be so easy and now it directs you to SM which directs you to phone the store, where no one answers obviously. So you give up.

They don’t need our custom. Business is booming!

My delivery driver takes back any damaged items (broken eggs, loaf of bread with a split in the wrapper, squashed tomatoes etc) & scans it so the amount comes off the bill & the refund goes back to your bank a/c.

Sainsbury's is the only supermarket that I can get deliveries with fairly easily. (I try to avoid supermarkets until me and my family are fully vaccinated - all close members are CEV.)
Perhaps it's cynical of me, but I do object to them effectively holding on to my money if they can't supply what I ordered.

Obviously that's if notice any damaged items whilst I'm taking my shopping in.

Their refund policy for short life items is terrible. You have to call for a refund and they only refund items that expire on that day or the day after. It used to be 48 hours.

It means if I have a short life item delivered in the evening, I’ve already lost a day compared to someone who had it delivered in the morning.

I always get it as a monetary refund.

The subs if more expensive comes as a voucher for the difference.

When I did click and collect at Sainsbury’s a few days ago, I handed back a substituted item I didn’t want to take home with me. The money was refunded to my credit card within a couple of days. I get vouchers when a substituted item I accept is is more expensive than the one I asked for and I just use them on my next online shop.

We just hand unwanted substitutions back to the delivery driver and get a money refund on the card. Anything we keep with a greater price, the difference is credited as a coupon.

I did use them once years and years ago.
I used to buy store brands mainly due to being single parent at the time they had some substitutes for more branded items and charged the branded price so my bill was more than expected. At the time I just accept it as like I say I was a single parent abs didn't drive so less hassle.
Changed back to tesco after that never ever had a tesco issue

@BashfulClam

They have been doing that for over a year.

I think it might depend on the store. For substitutions I refuse and the driver takes back, I get a refund onto my credit card (this happened last week). I only get a voucher if I keep the substitution, but it was of higher value than what I had wanted to pay.

Yes, Cordelia is right. This is how it works at our store. And if something is in a bad state/short date etc, I just message them on Twitter and they sort it.

I definitely still get refunds for anything I send back. Anything that's damaged or a substitute.

If I keep a sub and it costs more than what I ordered they send me a voucher for the difference - maybe that's what you are getting confused with op?

If you give it back you get a pretty much immediate refund. If you keep it, then they give you a voucher for the difference if it's more expensive.

They email you on the morning of the delivery with a) short shelf life things b) substitutions so you can decide if you don't want them before the delivery arrives.

It seems like a pretty good service to me. (I don't work for Sainsbury's but I do get food deliveries weekly)

But if you only shop with Sainsburys then surely you just use the voucher for your next shop?

I agree in principle that it's shit for them to issue vouchers but you say yourself you only shop with them / online so the vouchers can always be used?

If you drive you could do a click and collect somewhere else. I do that because there is usually availability for the next day.

I don't mind it tbh. I do one big shop a month and often forget about the substition cash. It's a nice little surprise voucher for me on the next shop.

I'm definitely not confusing it with a refund.
I'll have to look into it.

You don’t need to call them about items you can contact them on social media. I messaged them last week about my bread and they got back to me within 10 minutes and I was refunded very quickly to my card. They use to say on my receipt when items had a short shelf life but they haven’t been doing it recently.

Also if you reject the substitution they refund your payment card they don’t give you a substitution voucher. So make sure you reject things you don’t want.

It is very annoying getting a voucher for the difference though. I don’t know why it irks me as I shop with them every week and always use my voucher so I’m just being petty.

But on the whole I like them and I get what I want with good shelf life.

I do online shopping at a Publix in the US. We get the opportunity to choose a substitute item before shopping begins. During shopping, if an item is not available the item is refunded. If an item is substituted for a first choice, then we get a text message identifying the substitution and asking for approval. So there are only surprises in the shopping if we have not checked our texts.

I don’t like the voucher things, I shop with various supermarkets online and they are the only one who do it. My last shop with them had a missing item which we realised once unpacked, instead of the money back I got a voucher(and I had to contact them via social media instead of just being able to use the app or website like other reshoots).

It’s terrible doing that as a refund would be more preferable so you can go and get the intended product from elsewhere. If they don’t have the product you should not be lumbered with a coupon. How annoying.