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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Online grocery shopping substitutions

142 replies

TheObserverOne · 17/08/2016 20:08

So I've just had my weekly shop delivered. I don't usually order online, but I'm working long shifts this week so did it for ease and there were a couple of substitutions.
A lasagne ready meal was substituted for Shepherds pie (I can just about live with that), but my women's disposable razors were replaced with MENS SHAVING FOAM Hmm
It's made me wonder; what's the most outrageous substitution you've received from your Russian roulette of groceries??

OP posts:
LittlePandaBear · 17/08/2016 21:33

Sainsbury's today - I'd ordered Garlic Bread, they subbed with a pack of 6 pork pies!!!!!

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 17/08/2016 21:34

I had the radio times substituted for the radio times once.

Still haven't worked out the difference between those two completely exactly identical things.

everdene · 17/08/2016 21:35

My BIL ordered apples but instead received an apple pie. Healthy choices, there, Tesco Grin

Someone on here ordered Sainsburys eggs (Wood End Farm or whatever it's called) and instead received a small wooden owl. My fave substitution!

Scuttle22 · 17/08/2016 21:40

A leg of lamb substituted for a side of salmon. Confused I had all the ingredients appropriate for slow roasted lamb recipes and then make it last for the week so the salmon completely fucked up my whole weeks dinners!Grin They also left me 14 loaves of bread!

ThatGingerOne · 17/08/2016 21:42

I ordered 4 hour rapid effect spot cream and instead got black head cleanser! They did a refund but when I called to ask why it had happened they just say all they could do was offer me a refund and go to the shop to buy the one I wanted in person. Whole reason of ordering in was because I couldn't get to the shop!

Twodogsandahooch · 17/08/2016 21:43

Similar to the toilet roll scenario I ordered a loaf of white sliced bread - no substitution available!

SawdustInMyHair · 17/08/2016 21:52

I'm with Ocado too, and like the poster above, their subs are always sensible. The only inappropriate one we've had was pork dumplings instead of vegetable ones, and we don't eat pork. Not very dramatic!

Snowwhiteandrosered · 17/08/2016 21:55

I heard on Watchdog once that a lady ordered nappies for her baby and got it substituted for...a pack of cocktail sausages Confused Shock, i once got a family sized loaf of bread with the use by date dated on the day of delivery, I live alone and a packet of cashew nuts instead of the peanuts I ordered to put them in a curry. Tbf, I now shop online with Tesco and they always send sensible substitutions.

mummymummums · 17/08/2016 21:55

My best one was I ordered black hair dye, as I'd always used it regularly due to grey hairs. They substituted it for a blonde shade Shock

MrsJoeyMaynard · 17/08/2016 22:05

I had the radio times substituted for the radio times once.

There's different versions of the Radio Times for different regions. I was in a newsagents near the Scottish Borders before, and they had a Radio Times Scotland stack and a Radio Times N West / Yorks / N East stack. Took me a few minutes to figure out why the two separate piles, as the region was in quite small letters.

Could it have been that kind of thing? A Scottish Radio Times substituted for a N West Radio Times or similar?

talksensetome · 17/08/2016 22:10

I ordered CIF bath cleaning moose once and got bubble bath and ordered carpet spray and got wood floor cleaner.

I have also ordered two boxes if hair dye in the same colour and been delivered two different colours. At least they could have subbed both if they wanted me to change my style.

I am always confused when they sub something for the same thing. How does that happen?

lilwelshyrs · 17/08/2016 22:11

Wish it was me, but I think Asda are the worst for substitutions and one being that someone ordered nappies and instead got some sausages...

greathat · 17/08/2016 22:16

Ordered a 70cl bottle of Jack Daniels recently. Was subbed with 2 50cl ones. Price matched and the 70cl one was on offer at the time. I was pleased

April229 · 18/08/2016 00:07

My sister had light bulbs substituted with plastic cups.

I had capari substituted with tequila.

SquedgieBeckenheim · 18/08/2016 06:49

I had cod fish cakes substituted with cod fish cakes before, couldn't work out what the problem was there!
As da are the worst for this in my experience. I had ordered 3 bottles of nonbio liquid, as that's the only washing liquid I use. They sent me 1 bottle of non bio, 1 bottle of bio and 1 bottle of colours. I was not impressed! What makes them think they know better than me what I want?

Heru · 18/08/2016 06:59

I think the ones where the sub is the same is because the computer system thinks the item is out of stock. But when the picker gets to the shelf it isn't, or has just been restocked or something

LemonRedwood · 18/08/2016 07:16

I'm sorry, but cif bath cleaning moose just made me laugh so hard! The mental image I have...

MouseholeCat · 18/08/2016 07:59

It's not a ridiculous sub per se, but I'm still reeling from one that Sainsbury's sent. My favourite (and very reasonably priced) chopped tomatoes were on offer for 5 for £1, so added them to my basket. Instead they sent 5 of the really fancy tins of tomatoes (retailing at about £1.25 each).

DH accepted the delivery and just thought it was the same thing so I won't query it. He'd found it hard to tell from the slip that there are a price increase (I think they actually itemise this on the receipt instead).

Sainsbury's charge for substitutions if they are more expensive than your original item, so it massively increased the shopping price at a time where we were really bloody skint.

Complained to Sainsbury's who refunded the difference "as a one off on this occasion"... they didn't think it an unreasonable sub at all as if I was in store and a product was out of stock I'd just have to choose another option Hmm.

Snowwhiteandrosered · 18/08/2016 08:38

I'm sure I've also heard on here about people ordering pregnancy tests and getting condoms instead. Another one I heard on Watchdog was someone ordered a Manchester United cake for their DS' birthday and they got given a Liverpool one instead.

bombayflambe · 18/08/2016 08:44

Ordered avocados to make guacamole. Received butternut squash.

idontlikealdi · 18/08/2016 08:45

Nappies instead of bed mats. I can kind of see where the we're going with it - I called customer services and apparently the picket thought I'd be able to stick the nappies to the bed...

Verylongwayfromhome · 18/08/2016 08:48

At Christmas I had ordered a box of 12 bottles of lager. They were substituted by 12 bottles of non-alcoholic lager. So near and yet so far!

TENDTOprocrastinate · 18/08/2016 08:50

I Ordered some fresh mint (the herb) and received some Colgate toothpaste.
Not sure that would work in my mojhito!

Assquatch · 18/08/2016 09:09

I remember the poster on here at Halloween whose minion haribos were substituted for comdoms HmmGrin

I have had fresh beef gravy instead of a leg of lamb (tesco)

ThePinkOcelot · 18/08/2016 09:11

I ordered a cantaloupe melon and was subbed with a tin of pineapple chunks. At least they were both fruit I suppose!