To think this charge is unfair?

[OhSoggyBiscuit]

Just did a Tesco online shop (yes, at 3 in the morning!!) and noticed that after delivery charge (not unfair, it would cost me £3 to get there by bus so I guess I pay the extra £1 for convenience) and £4 for having a basket under £40 (Unfair as I can't afford £40 in groceries right now) it cost me an extra £8 on top of my shop.

AIBU to think the under £40 bag charge is kind of unfair to people on low incomes?

I have a way around it in my local Tesco. They sell local products online (in my case it's fish), for a certain price per kilo (varies from £10 to £17). But they send you a pack which ranges from £3odd to £6. My most recent order the kilo price was £16.80, the pack was £3.80. So my shopping was significantly less than the £40 minimum.

Might there be something like that you could try?

Asda is £25 if you click and collect. Iceland I think is the only one with a the lower minimum for delivery.

I think a lower minimum delivery would help many people out, the elderly for example.

AIBU to think the under £40 bag charge is kind of unfair to people on low incomes?

Life is unfair.

Do a shop ever 2 weeks rather than every week to hit the £40.

"Do a shop ever 2 weeks rather than every week to hit the £40."

Well you can if you are eating frozen food etc, but if you want to eat fresh veg/fruit, like the Government want us to, you can't.

If Iceland can offer delivery for £25, so could Tesco, they don't pay their workers any more or offer better contracts/staff benefits.

The gov is very clear that frozen fruit and veg are as health if not health than fresh fruit and veg.

If Iceland can offer delivery for £25, so could Tesco, they don't pay their workers any more or offer better contracts/staff benefits*

Doesn’t matter, really. They have different overheads anyway - but the fact is that Tesco don’t want shoppers who spend less than £40: so put them off with a surcharge. Iceland are happy to only charge people below £25.

They have different markets; and different aims.

But it's not costing you £8 on top of your shop because you're low income, it's charging you £8 on top of your shopping for the inconvenience and because you haven't met the minimum terms.

It's a balancing act of priority and the store has to draw the line somewhere. If you're 'cash rich' but 'time poor' then the £8 charge outweighs the inconvenience of doing it yourself. If you're 'cash poor' but 'time rich' then the £8 charge isn't worth it and you'd be better saving the money by going to the store yourself.

It's just like "Free Delivery over £40" ... if you're spending £43 then you're getting the perk of free delivery but if you're spending £39 and delivery is £4 then you're still spending £43 but you're getting £4 less products for the sake of a £1 "saving".

If I get a delivery from Tescos I always go for the £1 slot so you could save that way. But I would never order too little, I'd just wait till I needed enough or ask a neighbour if they wanted anything delivering and add it to yours.

You have to be rich to be poor.

I understand why Tesco do it, but it's still crap. Must also be crap if you live alone as you just don't need so much stuff.

NoUsernameforme Iceland is only a free home delivery for £25 if you go in store ans do your shop.

Online the minimum spend is £35.

They need a cut off as people might start ordering delivery for 2 pints of lager and a packet of crisps. Which would be so not worth the staff and petrol. £40 happens to be that cut off.

I used to do a Tesco shop for DS2 at uni. I didn't have to pay the delivery because I've got a delivery saver but if it came to less than £40 I'd make up the difference with something that would keep like a bag of pasta, or some cereal. If it was slightly less than the £40 I'd chuck a treat in for him.

I figured that I had to spend the extra anyway so I might as well spend it on him than Tesco.

To be honest the only option you have is either spending that extra on £8 for essentials you will need for the week after like cupboard stuff or cleaning/ bath products and stock up on things that you could save money on the week after. Or just go to the shops yourself and save the money in delivery fees and other fees. I suppose Tesco do have to draw a line like others have said

Try Asda their minimum is £25

Ocado have a minimum spend, and there's a particular product i want (actually need, for medical reasons relating to my diet) that I can only get from there so I just make the basket up with something expensive like an electric toothbrush and send it back free . Works for me!