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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About online grocery delivery?

39 replies

AnneEtAramis · 04/06/2017 09:13

Absolutely willing to be told I am.

I live in a flat with no lift, 16 stairs in two sections to the first floor. Yesterday my grocery delivery arrived and the driver shouted out that if no lift I would need to come down and help him. His tone was shit so that got my back up, but putting that aside I sort of expect them to deliver to my door because I feel that's why I order so I don't have to do the stairs. Any other delivery is brought to the door. If you live in a flat do you go and collect/help? Maybe I have been doing it wrong all this time. Maybe I wrong though.

OP posts:
TidyDancer · 04/06/2017 09:22

I used to live in a house with stepped access to the main floor and they always delivered to my front door without question. Did you make them aware you live in a flat when you placed the order?

BeepBeepMOVE · 04/06/2017 09:23

You will get loads of people saying of course YABU, what if everyone lived upstairs, their DH is a driver. But personally YANBU, their job is to deliver to your door so they should. I would offer to help but would expect them to do the heavy/majority of it.

Original poster
AnneEtAramis · 04/06/2017 09:24

I always put it in the notes and mention no lift.

OP posts:
Orroco · 04/06/2017 09:25

I think it can depend on the company. Ocado say they will deliver to your kitchen table - even if that's up 16 flights of stairs. And I live on the 3rd floor with no lift so I use them and never once have I been asked to help or come down to collect

Teddy6767 · 04/06/2017 09:25

I used to live in a block of flats with no lift and I was on the top floor (5 flights up) and they would always deliver my shopping to my door (although would look very sweaty and exhausted haha). I used to offer to collect it from them half way on the stairs but they said their job was to always deliver to the customer's front door unless there was a dangerous hazard to get there. Plus the fact it can cost up to £5 for them to deliver it seems fair that they at least try and bring it to your door.

dotandstripe · 04/06/2017 09:26

When I lived in a 2nd floor flat (converted old house), Ocado always offered to come all the way up with my shopping. Sometimes I accepted, sometimes if it was just a few things I said I was happy to carry them myself.

I did once have a Tesco delivery guy who huffed and puffed about it being a flat so I think it depends on which company you ordered from and their level of customer service. But YANBU.

OhtoblazeswithElvira · 04/06/2017 09:28

I used to live on a 3rd floor, no lift - it was actually more like a 5th floor due to the odd stair access. That was the reason I ordered groceries on-line, with Tesco. They always delivered to our kitchen, drivers never moaned and I never had a problem.

caffeinestream · 04/06/2017 09:28

I think some won't carry up stairs - you should really specify in the notes just in case you get a driver who can't physically carry stuff like that.

Saying that, we've had Tesco, Sainsbury's and Ocado deliver to our flat (before we moved) and they all carried up two flights of stairs no bother.

Lunagirl · 04/06/2017 09:30

Pretty sure sainsburys have a maximum limit of how many flights they'll go up, but can't remember how many.

MargaretCavendish · 04/06/2017 09:31

Tesco also have a 'to your kitchen' policy, and I never had any problem getting them to deliver when I lived in a second floor flat with no lift. I always felt a bit sorry for them doing it, especially when we'd ordered a lot of drinks or other heavy items, but as you say not wanting to lug it all upstairs myself was half the reason I was paying for delivery!

FavouriteWasteofSlime · 04/06/2017 09:32

Tesco always delivered to my door, 4th floor no loft.

FavouriteWasteofSlime · 04/06/2017 09:33

Or a lift!

Fiona1984 · 04/06/2017 09:33

My friend lives not in a flat but in a house up a long flight of stairs. She tends to have shopping delivered because it's easier than trying to lug in up the steps with a baby and toddler. It's worth the couple of extra pounds. She's never had an issue with delivery drivers refusing to climb the stairs.
I would complain, and maybe switch retailers. What if you had a disability or could not leave small children alone to collect the bags?

MargaretCavendish · 04/06/2017 09:33

Just looked it up and pp was right about Sainsburys:

Our drivers will always deliver your shopping to the first floor of a communal living area, however if there is a fully functional lift then our driver will deliver to any floor within the building as long as it is safe to do so.

PaperdollCartoon · 04/06/2017 09:34

They should deliver to your door at the least. I used to live in a first floor maisonnette and always had deliveries bought to my kitchen, up stairs.

MargaretCavendish · 04/06/2017 09:35

Just found this for Tesco, so I guess I was lucky they always delivered to exactly where I wanted:

We will deliver your order to the main entrance of the delivery address. At your request, our driver may carry your order into the delivery address, for example, to a particular floor in an apartment block or into your kitchen but only if: a. the driver has your permission and b. our driver believes that it is safe and practical to do as you request. We always reserve the right to deliver only to the main entrance of the delivery address.

PaperdollCartoon · 04/06/2017 09:35

What world is it when delivery drivers can't carry things upstairs? Hmm

Urubu · 04/06/2017 09:36

YANBU, complain to the supermarket.

carjacker1985 · 04/06/2017 09:36

Different supermarkets have different limits on how many flights they'll go up, I always check before I order.

Original poster
AnneEtAramis · 04/06/2017 09:36

The kitchen table thing is interesting. I always unpack at the door into the hallway (next to the kitchen). Do you actually let them in? I am clearly clueless.

OP posts:
TSSDNCOP · 04/06/2017 09:40

The actual point of a home delivery is to deliver the stuff to my door, otherwise I'd drag it to the car and down the steps to my front door myself. It's the trade off for wacky subs.

MissDuke · 04/06/2017 09:42

Bit different but I received a delivery on Friday from Oak furniture land and the driver told me they must leave it at your door - he apparently wasn't allowed to bring it the extra few steps into the lounge Confused I would have expected it to be left in a room of my choice given I spent over £800 but there you go. And this didn't even involve any steps Hmm I had to gentle flip it over a couple of times to get it into the lounge Blush

OhtoblazeswithElvira · 04/06/2017 09:45

What world is it when delivery drivers can't carry things upstairs?

Exactly. Isn't that the whole point of delivering? We once had a bed (single , folding spare bed) delivered by a guy in his 60s - he wasn't in very good shape and couldn't move it at all. DH had to take it out of the van, into the house and upstairs. Had I been on my own I think I would have refused the delivery. Ridiculous.

HemanOrSheRa · 04/06/2017 09:49

I do this Anne. Yesterday the lovely Ocado delivery guy was very concerned about it, bless him Smile. I do sometimes ask them to bring the bags right into the hallway.

We live in a flat. Strictly speaking it's on the first floor. As the building is cut into a slope our front door is at ground level. I always put a note on any order telling them they can either buzz in on the intercom or ring me when they are outside and I will open the side gate, allowing them ground level access and avoiding stairs. If they choose to ignore this that is their problem!

cookiefiend · 04/06/2017 09:52

If you are up the stairs Sainsbury's insist (in their small print somewhere) that you order with carrier bags or they won't carry it to your door. Could it have been that? I didn't discover this until a driver moaned at me.