Waitrose online delivery

[KnackeredOldWoman01]

I had my online Waitrose food order delivered yesterday and as I was in a rush, I didn't look at the dates on any of the food as I placed it in the fridge

I've gone to pick something out for dinner this evening and have noticed that my whole chicken, two packets of mince & 3 quiches all run out of date tomorrow. I also ordered two pies that run out in two days time.

I telephoned the store where my food comes from and was told that it is acceptable for them to deliver products with only two days remaining before it's past its use by date. When the guy told me this, I didn't think it sounded correct, so I rang the customer service number. The lady I spoke to didn't think this sounded right either and contacted the store who said they would call me.

I have just had a call from the store and have been told that I was given the best dates they had and that online customers get the best dates as the pickers are choosing the food before the store opens to the walk in customers. Whilst very polite ( except the first guy, who couldn't be arsed to talk to me) all the people I spoke to at Waitrose have missed the point I was trying to make, which is that I'm now inconvenienced. I meal plan for the week, hence I do a weekly shop. I shop online to make my life easier, this is just a headache for me now. My DC has ASD so entering a supermarket is incredibly stressful. Waitrose don't even tell you in advance that they are sending you short dates in order for you to have the opportunity not to accept the products at the time of delivery.

It just feels like I'm getting sent the food with crap dates because obviously people who shop in store can make a decision and pick a product with a longer shelf life. It's so irritating and poor form. AIBU?

Tesco are not much better, they are supposed to tell you if something has a short date so that you can send it back, sometimes they tell you sometimes they don't.
I do get a refund if I call customer services but it is a pain.
I was thinking about trying Waitrose but not sure now.

i'm surprised - every time I've complained I've had a voucher. And usually if it's within 1 day I get it for free. Is there a typical life for your product on the online ordering? I'd check it, if you've got less than the typical life then point this out, it should've been called out on the order and discounted/free.

If you had the 'typical life' for the product, it's tough cheese.

I would request a refund online and put short date as the reason.

Can you put any of it in the freezer?

I don't think you would get fresh food for a whole week even if you went in to the store yourself, chicken and mince don't last a week usually.

Use the freezer? When delivered they all had two days on them. It is far from ideal but there is a way around it.

I would just freeze it today then defrost it overnight the day before you want to use it. Is that not an option?

Can't you freeze stuff? I do an online shop weekly too but just freeze the meat for later on in the week

It is annoying but they can only pick from what is available so presumably these were the best available dates.

I've been refunded for the products but that's it. I'm not sure about typical life of the products, they didn't mention that to me! They just kept saying they had provided the best dates they had in store, which is really rubbish. Two days to eat a chicken, 2 packs of mince and 3 quiches!

I think I'll switch. I thought their customer service was really poor.

I used to use Tesco and they at least, would tell you at the door if a product had a short life, that way you could decide if you wanted it or not.

Think it's time to take my custom elsewhere. Reassure me tho, that I'm not the only person who meal plans for the week? I kind of expect to have a least 4 days before use by for fresh produce! My dinners are now all messed up for the week!

I just don't understand how you can expect to eat fresh food a week after buying it.

I know Ocado is different but they lost products on the site and app with how many days life they will have. So for example chicken might be 3 days+, sonof you got some dates two days out you'd have a right to complain.

Agree the food you're talking about wouldn't be expected to be more than a day or two longer though.

I like my fresh produce, if I didn't I'd just buy frozen. I think I've been reasonable but Waitrose are the unreasonable ones. I don't really have much space in my freezer it's full of other things, as I had a lot of frozen stuff delivered as well. So annoying

Ocado deliveries have ages on their use by dates, and have most Waitrose lines too. It's picked in a huge warehouse, whereas Waitrose is picked in the store by the staff, so they will naturally just take what's at the front of the shelf, rather than rummage at the back like the rest of us.

I don't expect it to last a week but I do expect 3 or 4 days, good job I checked the dates today.

Maybe I'll try Ocado

Try Ocado - their own brand is Waitrose but as they don't have any walk in stores you always get the freshest products. They give a minimum guaranteed product life on the website for fresh products as well.

Sainsburys always have the 'typical life in days' on their online ordering.
I wish M&S would do online food shopping..

Freeze it now and cook it from frozen. Ocado have the items sorted by expiry date on the receipt so you can quickly check.

If you've been refunded the items I don't see what else they could do?

Just checked my freezer and I've hardly got any room. Was naively hoping to store my fresh produce in the fridge. Thanks for nothing Waitrose.

Hula- They should not send a load of fresh produce to a customer with really short dates, at the very least, inform the customer and allow me to make a decision!

I've been refunded for the products but that's it.
But if they've refunded you what else would you expect?
If they refunded you for everything you listed (chicken, mince and quiches) then I think YABVVU to still be complaining - surely you expected to eat some of them within a couple of days of getting them?

Can you do ocado instead? They sell Waitrose food but as you shop they show an updated date estimate for each item which in my experience is always spot on

New mum- They should not be sending out fresh produce with such short dates, that's the point.

Yes do Ocado - I switched to them from Waitrose for that reason. Much better shelf life and service.

I do still say I'm surprised - usually anything short life shows on my order. I'm sure it varies a bit store to store. I quite like the short life free gifts I get. I once got 1 litre of olive oil for the price of 500 ml as a sub as subs are always at the lower of the 2 prices.