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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Asda online shopping

51 replies

CharlieN79 · 11/04/2012 21:26

Unsure if this is the right place to post....
Decided to try asda for the first time, I usually use sainsburys but their website is a mare.
Delivery and products were all great but when I checked online banking today they had charged me twice! Talked to the bank and they confirmed this and gave me an authorisation no for asda to low them to refund cash, big shop so £160. I talked to asda online and was informed that they ore authorise cards for the amount the night before but because my grocery bill differed slightly they charged me a different amount. Apparently this is their policy and it can tak up to 10 days to refund the money!! Asda customer service were awful and told me I should have read the t & c. They can app speed up the process if I provide a fax no, department details etc for my bank, who won't provide these details.
AIBU to be blumming furious at asda!

OP posts:
manicbmc · 11/04/2012 21:30

Tesco do the same apparently. I think Sainsbury take a holding fee of about a fiver or something, but I've never had any problems with them. In fact I scored for £6 last week as they forgot my frozen stuff, gave an evoucher and then delivered it. (I did call and tell them but they said to keep the voucher as a gesture of goodwill)

If you go to the 'my usuals' section when you log in it is much quicker. Takes me less than 30 minutes.

Original poster
CharlieN79 · 11/04/2012 21:40

I love sainsburys but the website crashes on macs. I've had lots of issues with yes is but their customer service is always excellent and they apologise etc; asda were just rude and clearly reading off a page, grrrr

OP posts:
manicbmc · 11/04/2012 21:42

I've had Tesco not deliver half an order once and no apology. Had Asda cancel on me and not tell me (had to find out for myself) - again no apology. I ended up traipsing to Morrisons in the snow as had no food in.

Ineedacleaneriamalazyslattern · 11/04/2012 21:42

The ghost payment for the whole amount is why I don't use asda anymore. It's a pita if anything goes wrong.
I use tesco they take a ghost payment of £2 when you book.

LadySybilDeChocolate · 11/04/2012 21:43

Asda do this all the time, there's threads on here about this. They left one family with no food and no money last year. Try Ocado, they don't debit your account until the food is delivered.

RosieBooBoo · 11/04/2012 21:57

i didn't know this about Asda, i've used them loads for on-line food shopping (best invention ever!) and never had a problem.

ToryLovell · 11/04/2012 22:05

This ghost payment system is shit.

So many MNers have been left ouf of pocket by it, when the shop have failed to deliver and then they have been unable to go out and buy shopping / been put OD because of it.

Ocado and Waitrose don't do this AFAIK

gitinora · 11/04/2012 22:10

I have shopped on line with asda for years never had any problems

ErikNorseman · 11/04/2012 22:10

This is a recurring problem with asda. They can in fact fax your bank to tell them to release funds immediately but they don't generally know this and will tell you they can't. If you need the money urgently then you will need to be prepared for a phone argument but it can be done. If you put out a call for the asda threads someone may be able to link it, there is a load of stuff on there about how to do it.

Tesco take a £2 ghost payment rather than the whole amount. What happens is the ghost payment should be automatically released as the actual payment goes through but often isn't. Imagine (as happened to me and many others) if the ghost payment means you don't have funds left for the actual payment and asda therefore refuse to deliver any food...or refund your money...

BareBums · 11/04/2012 22:13

Asda were even on watchdog about it a year ago. I'm surprised they haven't changed their system by now.
I use Asda because they are so cheap by the ghost payment is scary. It's never happened to me though but their customer service is dire. Absolute crap.
Sainsbury's on the other hand, whilst pricey, delivery and CS are fab. But I can't afford nice friendly people so have to go with grumpy cba Asda people instead!

MissKeithLemon · 11/04/2012 22:15

If you search money saving expert forums there are loads and loads of people this has happened to with asda. I'd just avoid them in future as apparently they do it all the time. (Think its if they have substituted items etc, not sure though). Anyway, probs someone on mse can advise if you are stuck.

hermionestranger · 11/04/2012 22:15

Oh crap! Just done an online order with them for Friday! Fingers crossed its all ok! I usually use Tesco!

TotemPole · 11/04/2012 22:20

Tesco take £2 when you go through the checkout. Then they take the full amount of the shopping after they've packed. The £2 goes of the available balance but not the real balance and is returned within a few days.

This works well for me especially if the bank account is running on fumes and I'm expecting money in the next working day.

I've found them pretty good. They've refunded the delivery charge for late orders & missing items without any fuss.

FrillyMilly · 11/04/2012 22:22

They never used to do this. I always did a big shop for delivery on pay day and when I first started using asda I would order the shop a few days before pay day. Wasn't a problem as they only took the money on the day of delivery. Once the ghost payment system started I could only order the shop on pay day as I didn't have £250 spare in my account a couple of days before pay day. I go to aldi now do it doesn't really matter but it really annoyed me.

MissMogwi · 11/04/2012 22:45

This is why I stopped using ASDA. They did this to me a while back, except they just didnt deliver my shopping. Had me waiting until 11pm, and then told me 'it will come when the next days orders have been delivered' bastards
I came on here and ranted and raged about it of course.

It took ten days to get the money back. They were so unhelpful it was unbelievable. I have never had a response to my complaint either. I'll never use their delivery service again.

xStarGirl · 11/04/2012 22:56

I've had problems with ASDA before, but generally their deliveries are okay. I do a weekly shop there and have never encountered this "ghost payment" thing Confused
Whenever I make an order, the money goes out on the day it's delivered, never before!

Is it different depending on where you live, maybe?

Original poster
CharlieN79 · 11/04/2012 22:57

Had never heard of this ghost payment before. They have said they will fax my bank but Natwest won't give out details... I created hell today and will do the same tomorrow.
Would love to try ocado but we don't have them in Scotland. Will be back to tesco,at least when they mess up they apologise and usually give you a voucher.

OP posts:
BabyDubsEverywhere · 11/04/2012 23:06

I use asda every week, (and have done for years) and they have never taken the cash before delivery. Is this a new thing?

Original poster
CharlieN79 · 11/04/2012 23:29

Not sure if it's new, it was the first time I had used asda, v annoying as the delivery and price was great but I won't be risking being out of pocket again!

OP posts:
MissMogwi · 11/04/2012 23:37

It's not a new thing. They kind of hold the payment without it leaving your account and then once it's delivered they can take it.
Your account balance wouldn't show the ghost payment prior to delivery but that amount would be accounted for IYSWIM.
That's my experience with ASDA and HSBC anyway.

pumpkinsweetie · 11/04/2012 23:52

I use tesco-not had any problems so far-apart from the odd smashed/damaged item/s of which i was refunded, have been using them for about a year.
They take the payment the day of you recieving the items and if there is no suitable substitute for anything you have ordered they dont take the money for said ungot item.
One or two times they have been a tad late but i have always had a phonecall to apologise and so far not had a missed delivery as of yet even when it snowed so pretty good really Grin

NoMoreMarbles · 12/04/2012 00:05

I stopped online shopping because the asda are so dire... In fact my first online shop for 2 years was delivered yesterday by tescosSmile I had £42 in my bank the last time so I did a shop of £36, £5 delivery charge and enough left for the £1 ghost payment they stated they would take... The ghost payment turned out to be £14ConfusedAngry and when I rang to see where TF my shopping was they said I couldn't have it and had to wait 10-14 days to get my £14 backAngryAngryAngry I was so angry, had no shopping and now ALOT less money to buy shopping, a child to feed etc I ended up crying on the phoneBlush the woman just kept saying "well you should have read the Ts&Cs mrs Marbles" whenever I tried to discuss the problemAngryAngry HATE asda... Now Tescos... They were FABULOUS yesterdayGrin

marathonrunner · 12/04/2012 07:58

Hate Asda . Find their site hard to navigate and their own brand food not up to the same standard of Sainsbury's.

PleaseChooseAnotherNN · 12/04/2012 08:07

This happened to me on Friday, I have been online shopping with them for years with no problems but they weren't helpful at all. I also bank with natwest and apparently we have to wait the longest for refund as natwest won't accept a fax. I am gutted and won't be using Asda again. The woman I spoke to at my bank said it is very common and I was the 5th person she had spoken to about it that day. I rang at 9.30am!!

SofaKing · 12/04/2012 08:10

I'm really surprised, I've used asda online shop for three years with never a problem or ghost payment.

Wouldn't touch tescos with a bargepole as dh worked there years ago and their food hygiene and keeping of frozen food is a disgrace, I'm always scared my DC will get ill if they eat frozen tesco produce at someone else's house.

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