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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To always request a refund on my substitutions (online shopping)

80 replies

HostOffice · 04/05/2019 22:21

I always do click and collect. On the app it tells me what substitute items I have and it's really easy to request a refund if I don't like the substitution. I'm now beginning to find more and more reasons to request the refund, sometimes genuine and sometimes less so.

Given that I get to keep the items it's a bit of a moral dilemma!

Fair game or immoral?

OP posts:
MyNewBearTotoro · 04/05/2019 23:33

True, whether others do it or not doesn’t make a difference to the semantics of the behaviour. But not all theft is equal (in my opinion) and I don’t think many people would categorise downloading TV shows or getting shopping refunded for minor reasons as a big deal. Personally I don’t see any moral objections in using loopholes to cheat big businesses as it’s clear they are happy to exploit loopholes to get out of paying taxes or paying fair wages to staff etc (Eg: using offshore tax havens, giving workers 0 hour contracts to avoid having to pay holiday/ sick pay). If OP was doing this to a local corner shop I’d have a different opinion, but presumably it’s a major supermarket chain in which case I genuinely don’t think it’s possible to exploit their own policies in a morally wrong way as their own practise is so reprehensible they deserve any [legal] ways to exploit them back customers can find.

Gingerkittykat · 04/05/2019 23:43

Fair game. I wonder if the supermarket has some kind of check built in. They see X has requested refunds on 10 substitutions in the past month and put a stop to it.

Redglitter · 04/05/2019 23:47

I'm surprised they refund for substitutions
When I get my Tesco delivery the driver tells me about any subs before i sign for my order. I take that as I'm happy with it. Cant see why they'd then refund.

Its totally dishonest to accept them then ask for a refund

GabsAlot · 04/05/2019 23:48

if your doing it just to get money then your4e wrong u know you are and it will drive prices up

Chloemol · 05/05/2019 00:42

So basically you are a thief.

RidgedPerfection · 05/05/2019 09:03

If you refused the substitution at delivery I imagine those products don’t go back from being on the van all day to the shelves and just end up in the bin anyway so I don’t think your complaints are likely to be affecting profits. They go back on the shelves if they are undamaged and the cold chain hasn't been broken (if chilled). There'd be no sense at all in throwing away, for example, a can of tomatoes that has been substituted for a different brand of canned tomatoes.

SunshineCake · 05/05/2019 09:26

It's ridiculous to say you don't have time to check substitutes. They are listed separately on the receipt and often in their own bag Hmm.

It's stealing.

M4J4 · 05/05/2019 09:52

I'm now beginning to find more and more reasons to request the refund, sometimes genuine and sometimes less so.

So basically I have to pay more for my shopping because you're a thief? And you've come here expecting validation?

You're obviously going to keep doing it so you have no dilemma. Hope they realise what you're doing and ban you.

AnnieMay100 · 05/05/2019 10:12

I’m amazed you know you’ll like the substitute.. I’ve been given cakes instead of bread and floor cleaner instead of shampoo in the past.
Rather than doing this to get freebies I’d personally make a complaint about having so many substitutes and never having things they have advertised, then stop accepting subs. They usually take them off you at the door if it isn’t what you ordered so not sure how you’re able to keep them and get refunded.

Ihatehashtags · 05/05/2019 10:17

You’re a cheapskate and are ripping off the supermarket.

Original poster
HostOffice · 05/05/2019 11:17

For clarification, the supermarket is a very small store so I collect shopping at customer services and take to car.

App tells me prior what substitutes there will be but store says to request refund on the app. They basically hand shopping over and don't have a list of subs etc. in the same way drivers do. I dont request a refund on EVERYTHING but i have got more nit picky because i know i can, ie i ordered vanilla coke but they sent cherry. I like cherry but I fancied vanilla and will have to buy it myself from another shop. I was sent 8 upgraded croissants instead of 10 cheaper ones but I wanted ten.

I can always justify if asked IYSWIM but if I had to hand the item back and be completely without, for most things I'd probably just accept the sub!

So yes I accept I am a CF their by some people's standards!!

OP posts:
Original poster
HostOffice · 05/05/2019 11:25

If I ordered 4 budget chicken breasts and was given 4 organic ones I wouldn't request a refund. Hopefully that always some people's concerns that I refund everything without cause...

OP posts:
onceandneveragain · 05/05/2019 12:18

The fact that you are asking suggests you know it's not great really.

I think shops are getting wise to this so you might want to calm down a bit on it in case you end up getting blacklisted and can't online shop at this supermarket at all - you've probably heard of ASOS putting in a similar ban recently with no prior warning on people who they identified as abusing their free refunds.

From their perspective they're not going to keep giving you free stuff forever, are they? And as it's all digitised it's very easy for them to see which customers are in the top % for requesting refunds.

ItsWitchingTime · 05/05/2019 13:07

So you get your pants in a twist because you wanted vanilla and they gave you cherry, you take the cherry and request your money back and now you're checking for validation for it?

DanielRicciardosSmile · 05/05/2019 13:13

I've never heard of being able to keep a substitution and get a refund for it. I either keep the subs or, which has only happened I think 2 or 3 times, hand them back and get a refund.

Getting both seems like stealing tbh.

BrokenWing · 05/05/2019 13:45

i ordered vanilla coke but they sent cherry. I like cherry but I fancied vanilla and will have to buy it myself from another shop. I was sent 8 upgraded croissants instead of 10 cheaper ones but I wanted ten.

That is a pathetic justification for stealing, you are a premeditated thief. Maybe look at why to you value your integrity lower than a bottle of coke? Do you admit stealing to your children?

If you don't want pretty damn close substitutions then just tick the box saying you don't want any.

TheQueef · 05/05/2019 13:55

Not a CF but a thief.
The refund option is for unsuitable items not perfectly adequate and wanted substitutions.
If they wanted you to have it free they wouldn't charge you.
But you knew that already and continue to do it because it's faceless and easy.

Merrymumoftwo · 05/05/2019 14:12

My local Tesco gives declines suitable substitutions to the local food bank. If it is same day use/chilled it goes to local shelters to cook meals. Do most supermarkets not support their local food banks or homeless shelters?

Andoffwegoagain · 05/05/2019 14:15

Huh? I decline unsuitable substitutions (sometimes they are bizarre..) but they get taken back by the delivery driver. I only do it if I don't want the product, usually because it is in no way comparable to the original.

I don't understand how or why you are keeping the returns?

BeansandRice · 05/05/2019 14:39

Given that I get to keep the items it's a bit of a moral dilemma!

Fair game or immoral?

You have to ask?????

Immoral, and just plain silly - just tick the "No substitutions" box on your online order.

chippingalong · 05/05/2019 15:01

I'm sure lots of people would do the same. But not on MN - all saints here Wink (and sanctimonious ones at that...)

FriarTuck · 05/05/2019 15:08

It's ridiculous to say you don't have time to check substitutes. They are listed separately on the receipt and often in their own bag
They're not with Ocado - you have to hunt through every bag to find them Hmm But then Ocado only does reasonable substitutes like a different brand of an item or different size of the same so most of the time they're fine anyway.

BrokenWing · 05/05/2019 15:55

I'm sure lots of people would do the same. But not on MN

Agree there are lots of thieves, shoplifters etc in the world and they are unlikely to boast about it, but thankfully most people I come across personally are proudly honest.

dadshere · 05/05/2019 15:58

Who are you shopping with? I shop online with Tesco,Waitrose and Sainsburys and have done c&c with Tesco and Sainsburys- When there is a sub, they ask if I am happy with it, if not they take it back on the spot.

MyNewBearTotoro · 05/05/2019 23:20

Surely it’s not stealing if you’re honest about the refund and the supermarket are willingly giving you a refund? If they’re happy to give a refund to a customer who says ‘I didn’t like the cherry coke, I wanted vanilla’ and the customer hadn’t lied then where is the theft? There’s no dishonesty here. Stealing would be saying an item never arrived so you got a refund or lying and saying an item arrived broken/ out of date, but being honest and asking for a refund because the substitution wasn’t good enough (even if the reason you didn’t find it good enough is minor) isn’t theft if the supermarket are accepting that reason and agreeing the refund. Their policy is obviously very lax in terms of what they will agree to refund but that doesn’t mean people making the most of their relaxed refund policy are stealing. As far as I can infer the OP isn’t actually lying or being dishonest in a way which would equate to theft?