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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bloody Tesco home delivery

50 replies

SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 27/09/2011 13:51

Apparently if they don't have the item you have ordered in stock they will give you a substitution of equal or higher value. I have noticed that if you order something from their value range that isn't in stock they claim to not have a substitution (presumably because the alternative would be quite a lot more expensive for them).
I would much rather be offered the chance to pay for a higher priced item than have to go out to the shop to get something essential like bread which kind of defeats the purpose of having your shopping delivered to your door.
And no Tesco - I don't believe you that you had no pasta in the entire shop to substitute for the value pasta I ordered today or no baby wipes of any description the other week.
I'm seriously considering ordering from a different supermarket as it's an absolute waste of time getting home delivery and then having to go out to get the bits they 'haven't got'. Are any of the other supermarkets any better?

OP posts:
InTheNightK1tchen · 27/09/2011 13:52

TABU

emsyj · 27/09/2011 13:52

Ocado....

Can't remember ever having a substitution. Notified of missing items (v. rare) in advance by text. Polite and lovely drivers. Always on time - sometimes early, but call in advance to check it's ok and if it's not, will come on time. Perfick.

Original poster
SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 27/09/2011 13:55

I used to order from Ocado and they were good if a bit pricey - but I guess you have to pay for good service.

I love TABU! I might send them an email with just that written on it!

OP posts:
Fisharefriendsnotfood · 27/09/2011 13:57

Think if the op is ordering tesco value then ocado is prob not in her budget.

OP why don't you phone customer services and complain? I bet they redeliver the other items free if you pay the difference

FlightRisk · 27/09/2011 13:59

once again pap tesco service.

I love asda they always send me a substitute unless I untick the box (my ds has allergies so sometimes have to stick to certain items)

The only time they haven't substituted was when I ordered puppy milk and they didn't have anything else fair enough :)

emsyj · 27/09/2011 13:59

Why's that Fisharefriendsnotfood? I regularly buy Value products if I think they're comparable quality and I shop very often in Home Bargains, but I'm not on a limited budget particularly - just a bit tight! I pay what I need to pay to get what I want, which means Value tinned tomatoes but naice ham!

MogandMe · 27/09/2011 13:59

I have had more expensive substitutions and had them for the cheaper thing I had bought.

FlightRisk · 27/09/2011 14:00

the one time I did have to complain was when they'd brought me an out of date bagged salad. They refunded me the out of date one and brought me another bag all for free :)

Hassled · 27/09/2011 14:01

I often order Sainsburys Basics - especially fruit and veg (the Basics range is fine) and they do substitute the "Normal" stuff if they don't have the Basics version.

Original poster
SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 27/09/2011 14:01

I could do fish but it seems such a hassle to have to that every week and then wait for it to be delivered. They obviously have a policy of not substituting over a certain price difference. I'm just peed off that they would rather inconvenience me than either have their shops properly stocked or lose a few bob on one item (I'm sure they'd make it up and more on the rest of my shop).

OP posts:
Original poster
SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 27/09/2011 14:03

I am the same emsy - just a bit tight! I buy quality meat but certain things I get the value range (often for dh as he says he can't tell the difference Blush )

OP posts:
Fisharefriendsnotfood · 27/09/2011 14:04

I really would phone. Once they delivered a weeks worth of meat to me that was all out of date in 3 days and when I rang they gave me all the meat free .. But I hear you for future things. Could you make a note where you have the option to tell the picker you will pay for dearer item if value not available? Might work. But yes it's a PITA

Fisharefriendsnotfood · 27/09/2011 14:06

It wasn't meant as an insult Emsy and I did say probably. Sorry.

Original poster
SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 27/09/2011 14:07

Don't worry fish. Ocado is a bit above my budget these days - no offence taken.

OP posts:
PopcornMouse · 27/09/2011 14:07

It sounds like it differs store to store, probably at management's judgement. The pasta thing sounds totally U of them, like you say, unlikely they have no pasta whatsoever. Phone customer services and complain.

emsyj · 27/09/2011 14:10

I was just saying that lots of people (me included) buy Value out of choice, not out of necessity. DH thinks it's hilarious that I know the prices of everything and shop around a little bit obsessively. He says that's why he married me Blush Grin.

catsmother · 27/09/2011 14:11

I'd call them and give them hell. I have NEVER been in a Tesco and seen the pasta aisle stripped bare .... not even when we had the snow last year and people were panic buying. I'd also try to pin them down on their (unofficial) policy about substitutions - once or twice for more unusual items is believable, several times over in relation to Value branded stuff smacks of them insulting your intelligence, let alone inconveniencing you.

emsyj · 27/09/2011 14:11

If you do go for Ocado, make a big order and then don't do another one for 2 weeks - you'll get a 20% voucher. This works for about a year, then they give up on you.

Blush

Perhaps I should just bugger off to that awful moneysavingforum...

Beachedbabe · 27/09/2011 14:12

I agree with OP wholeheartedly, I would much rather pay for a higher price item than have nothing. My local Tesco superstore apparently had no suitable substitution for 120 PG tips this week- really? No tea bags in the store at all!?

Kveta · 27/09/2011 14:18

Sainsburys don't do the price matching on substitutions, so will sub with anything, no matter how much more expensive or unrelated the item! I've asked them not to sub anymore, as I was sick of being brought a humungous (and more expensive) tub of margarine when I'd asked for butter. But you can leave comments for the picker when you set your sub preferences, for example 'if not this loaf of bread, then I'd prefer a wholemeal sliced one to a white sliced one'.

I use Sains/Tesco/Ocado interchangably (mainly when I get a voucher for tesco or ocado, will use them; sains the rest of the time!) and the main difference is the price of Ocado compared to the others. But otherwise, it's much of a muchness. And so so much easier than taking a 2 year old round the shops of an afternoon...

Uglymush · 27/09/2011 14:22

In my opinion YABU using Tesco in the first place! That company totally rips off customers. If I could I would never use them again!

I have never used the home delivery service so can't help, but just wanted to 'slag off' Tesco

Mumleigh · 27/09/2011 14:23

I had a problem with this a while back and discovered that Tesco had changed the default setting on all my favourite items to - do not substitute. I had to so through and change everything back and now don't have any problems.

bonkers20 · 27/09/2011 14:34

Are you sure you haven't ticked the global no substitutions button by accident?

Where do you go Ugly?

Original poster
SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 27/09/2011 14:41

I can't have cos they do sub some things - just never value stuff. Like they won't bring Lynx or whatever instead of Dh's 30p shower gel. I'd rather be given the chance to pay for the higher priced item cos you can always send it back if it's more than you want to pay. They advertise that they substitute for an equal or higher value item at no extra cost like it's a good thing but it's not if basic bits of your shop regularly don't get delivered. If they're going to have a policy of not subbing over a certain amount then they need to make sure they're better stocked imo.

OP posts:
sausagesandmarmelade · 27/09/2011 16:57

I don't think Sainsbury's is any better....

First delivery was fine, no problems.

Second delivery - they obviously gave us the wrong bag of freezer items. Instead of giving us what we ordered we ended up with a bag of the following - frozen mixed veg, pack of 4 premium burgers, pack of aunt bessies yorkshires and prozen peas (I think). Not exactly to our taste!!
Also gave us the wrong ginger beer...and they didn't have the juice we'd ordered (unbelievable).

So...got DH to ring up. We got a refund for the wrong ginger beer....and the frozen items refunded. We kept schtum about the wrong items (unsolicited goods) and just kept those (gave them to MIL).

Am reluctant to order online again after that experience....even though we did make a slight gain!