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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

About early delivery

24 replies

coffeeandwine · 14/08/2012 18:30

Disclaimer: this is my first AIBU and it is trivial and I probably ABU, but please be gentle with me.

I regularly have my shopping delivered by Sainsbury's and on the whole I am very happy with them. However, they routinely try to deliver early. They will ring me and if it's ok, I'll let them come early, if it's not I make them wait until the delivery slot time.
Today, I was at work. I had a delivery booked for between 6pm and 7pm. I got home at 5.40 and passed a delivery van, with the driver sitting there reading the paper. I got home and he had already been and delivered! He got there at 5.30 - half an hour early! We have a Nanny who was there and he told her he had phoned me!
I told her if it happens again to tell him to go away and come back at the correct time. I was annoyed because, firstly, it is not her job to take the delivery and put our shopping away, and secondly, I like to be there in case there are any odd substitutions.
Anyway, although annoyed, I wasn't going to do anything about it.
I then left the house again at 6.05pm to take DS1 to football training and passed him again in his van, still reading his paper! I wanted to stop and tell him off talk to him, but DS wouldn't let me.
So, would IBU to e- mail and complain, when he could have sat there prior to delivering when he obviously didn't have to be at the next delivery for a while, rather than delivering half an hour early?

OP posts:

Original poster

coffeeandwine · 14/08/2012 18:32

After reading that back, I realise I am turning into a grumpy old woman!

OP posts:

ThreeWheelsGood · 14/08/2012 18:34

Are you sure it was the same delivery van? Maybe it's another one waiting to deliver to someone else in your street?

RibenaHasLeftTheBuilding · 14/08/2012 18:36

If he told her he had phoned you and you had agreed then no, YANBU. He should not lie. That bit is iffy.

Other than that, well, generally if I am in I quite like it if they deliver early. Much better than twiddling your thumbs until 5 minutes before the end of the slot. And if he had simply knocked and your nanny had taken the delivery well, it was up to her wasn't it really - unless she had specific instructions to say no beforehand she probably just decided she didn't mind for once.

Original poster

coffeeandwine · 14/08/2012 18:46

Thanks for the replies.
No, I can't be sure it was the same van, but it's a bit of a coincidence if not.
I agree that if I'm in, I would usually prefer it early, although I've turned them away previously when I've been in my own and they have come at bath time.
I agree the lying is not on and my Nanny is lovely and would do anything to help, which is why I try not to put on her anymore than I already do

OP posts:

MyndAndMist · 14/08/2012 19:03

I once got a phone call from the driver an hour and a half before my slot, asking if he could deliver early. I said no as I was on my way to pick up DS and wouldn't be home for at least 30 mins - he said "oh well I'm outside your house, I'll just wait for you to get back"!
As soon as I walked up the drive he started unloading, giving me zero time to get two hungry/tired children settled before i had to start lugging shopping through he door.

Ktay · 14/08/2012 19:12

I actually emailed Ocado last night to complain about unannounced early deliveries as since I signed up for their delivery pass none of my three orders have turned up during the allocated slot (2 early and one 30 mins late). Was particularly peeved last night as I was midway through the bedtime breastfeed and both dd2 and I were a bit frazzled! Anyway, I got a £10 voucher for my inconvenience so I am feeling slightly less aggrieved now.

YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 14/08/2012 19:17

How annoying Ktay. I have had quite a few early deliveries with Ocado recently too, but it's always been convenient and I've always had a polite call first. I would be if they tired up early unannounced.

PS You aren't London are you? I got told by a driver recently that they had doubled all the times allocated for deliveries over the Olympics. Not had a delivery whilst it has been on, but since the traffic has been super quiet I imagine there have been a lot of early vans!

Ktay · 14/08/2012 19:24

Ah, I am in London (outskirts) so that could explain it!

I have some sympathy with Ocado drivers as my uncle used to be one briefly and found it nigh-on impossible to fulfil all his deliveries on time unless he rejigged his schedule a bit and did some early ones (with customers' agreement) if he was in the area anyway, although this was technically against the rules. But just rocking up unannounced is a bit of a pain in the bum!

YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 14/08/2012 19:27

It's against the rules to deliver early? Even if we agree? That's a bit odd. The driver I was chatting to said (as he was unloading, not to put pressure on me to agree) "I was in the next round along and it seemed a bit silly to drive past your house with your groceries still in the back". I tended to agree - especially since I'd have gone for the earlier slot if it hadn't been £3 more expensive .

iggi777 · 14/08/2012 19:28

Unlike a lot of things that you might want to be early, you've picked a delivery slot at the time that suits you - if you'd wanted it to be early, that's when you'd have booked it for!
My only Sainsburys online experience, the guy arrived early, I had newborn and had just lain down for a rare attempt at "sleeping when baby sleeps" - got my delivery, but I was then wide awake as was baby who was woken by the doorbell!

Ktay · 14/08/2012 19:34

Apparently so, although I have had so many early deliveries (often at more favourable times, for same reasons as you!) that I wonder whether their policy has changed. My uncle was supposed to zigzag up and down Essex and Suffolk rather than tweaking his schedule for mutual benefit, or risk a bollocking. Nb I have this info second hand from DM so something may have got lost in translation, but I know he didn't stick at it for long.

Original poster

coffeeandwine · 14/08/2012 20:02

Hadn't thought about getting a voucher! Definitely must e-mail now. Although, I'm not sure Sainsbury's will match up to Ocada.

OP posts:

ceeveebee · 14/08/2012 20:25

Iggy, I had exactly same problem with Ocado, had just managed to get DTs back to sleep for a morning nap and went back to bed myself as had hardly slept all night when the driver arrives 1 hr early, banging loudly on the door and woke all 3 of us up. I complained but all I got was an apology and they tell their drivers not to knock loudly now!

Twinkleinmyeye · 14/08/2012 20:36

I do find it annoying, so YANBU, but have to ask... What would you have done if he'd turned up at 6pm when you had to take DS out to training at 6:05?

ladytyndale · 14/08/2012 20:45

I had this with a delivery from tesco the other week, turned up before 10.40am when I'd booked it for 11am - 1pm. I wasn't in at that time, luckily my lovely neighbour took it in for me and put my frozen goods in her freezer til I got home. I phoned to complain and got the delivery charge refunded. I don't see it as being a grumpy old woman (although I am sometimes!) - I picked a timeslot that was convenient for me, and made sure I was home for that time, that the point of internet shopping isn't it, the convenince.

MAYBELATERNOWIMBUSY · 16/08/2012 00:18

bloody hell , can smell the" HUNTER WELLIES " , " BODEN CAT. " A MILE A WAY HERE !i mean how fucking sad ! "its not the daily"s job" "i like to be there..... " ok , give up your job(sorry career !) and check the bloody food yourself why dont you ? AND you can then sack the char lady ! its win win , bloody van driver ! reading the paper , the nerve ! assume it was "THE SUN" and was prob. only looking at pics , you know "those pics" !....... VAN DRIVER READS PAPER ? extremely unlikely , oh , now i remember , they have to comply with european driving law , i.e.tacho,& other work mode ,and and and ............!

MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 16/08/2012 00:21

Maybelater - are you terribly pissed just now? Or just a grumpy curmudgeon?

Original poster

coffeeandwine · 16/08/2012 13:30

MAYBELATERNOWIMBUSY
No hunter wellies and I don't even know what a Boden cat is.
I have no problem with him reading the paper - my point was he could have done that BEFORE delivering, rather than after.

BTW, sorry that you don't have a career, but I love mine and don't fancy giving it up to do the shoppong.

OP posts:

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 16/08/2012 13:32

i am worried MAYBELATER is going to have a heart attack. Maybe its all the pies he eats while sat at the wheel of his van reading the Sun

Original poster

coffeeandwine · 16/08/2012 13:35

Fanjo

OP posts:

iggi777 · 16/08/2012 14:10

I think MAYBELATER has all his/her shopping substituted for vodka.

squeakytoy · 16/08/2012 15:46

"I complained but all I got was an apology and they tell their drivers not to knock loudly now!"

cue the next lot of complaints about how the poor driver hadnt knocked loudly enough so someone missed him..

seriously, some of you want to try doing a multi-drop delivery job and see how bloody hard it is to be exactly on time...

ceeveebee · 16/08/2012 17:57

Just to be clear I did not ask them to knock quietly and I do not care how loud they knock as long as they turn up in the booked 1 hour slot. If they are early they need to phone ahead not just turn up.

TandB · 16/08/2012 18:20

I tend to get Sainsbury deliveries quite late - 9pm onwards. I got into the habit as I used to work in London a couple of days a week, so it was handy to have a delivery after I got home in the evening.

They nearly always ring at least half an hour before to see if they can come a bit early and I always say yes if I am there. On one occasion I wasn't going to be back and just got a "no problem, see you later" from the driver.

It makes it easier for them and it doesn't make any difference to me.

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