Discount offer online shopping not applied

[Gran22]

I'm considered vulnerable so I get a shopping order delivered every week. I've been happy with the delivery service up to now. However, the supermarket is running an offer I've used before, buy 6 bottles of wine and get 25% off. I ordered 4 (same) reds and 2 (same) whites. Got the four reds, but only one white, so I ended up paying more for five bottles than I would have done for 6. If I'd been shopping instore, I'd have just added another of the reds, as they are the only two wines I buy. The customer service team told me that they can't help. I think its poor customer service. Interested in other opinions.

Am I being unreasonable?

That's annoying. Can you return it?

Did you disallow substitutions?

If not then you are not BU. The picker should really have noticed you were going for the 6 bottle offer and picked something similar-ish.

If you said no subs then yes YABU

Is this Sainsburys?
I gather that their wine discount is on their website but isn’t being applied to their sales, even in store.

Oh that’s disappointing.

I hope it’s not Tesco as they’ve always been excellent when I’ve needed help from customer services and always keen to ensure I’m not left feeling out of pocket.

Perhaps try them again? Explain it’s not your fault the stock wasn’t available.
Why wasn’t a substitute offered? you could at least have passed on a wine you’re not keen on to a relative and still got the saving, kind of.

I think this depends on if you had opted to allow substitutions or not if you had said yes to subs, then the shopper could have subbed another bottle of red or chose a similar white. But if you don't allow substitutions then they are not allowed to do that.

YANBU

I have sometimes sent stuff back if I’ve bought it on 3 for 2 but only received 2 of them. I have subs selected on everything, I just don’t think they bothered trying. I wouldn’t be surprised if pickers are told not to try too hard in these cases. Most people won’t decline the items so will have paid full price for items they wouldn’t have bought at full price normally.

My fault as I don't allow subs. They did send one bottle of the white and I'd asked for two of the same. Must have been the last one! As someone who has customer service imprinted in my DNA I just thought they'd honour the intention. And yes, it's Sainsbury's.

That does seem really unfair, and certainly poor customer service. Id call them again and discuss whether you could refund the 5 bottles, and then purchase the 6. Could they help you do this whilst not being able to visit in store?

Just contact them. The pickers can't override what the computer tells them.

Sainsbury's have always been brilliant for refunds and queries for me.

That's really annoying and one of the reasons I always allow subs. You can't blame the 'picker' obviously, but I'm surprised that customer services didn't value your custom enough to offer some recompense. I would start shopping elsewhere if I were you.

I had this exact issue with tesco last year and they let me just return all the bottles and get a refund!

What Ocado would have done is work out how much each bottle would have been if they’d sent six and then charged you that for the five bottles.

So in a 25% off scenario they would have just taken 25% off the bottles they did provide.

In a 3 for 2 scenario it would be, for basic example, yogurts £1 each usually but three for two would be £2 for three so 66p each, if they could only send two they would charge 66p each for them.

If the yogurts you wanted were t available at all and they substitute with a different brand, then you don’t get any of the deal but can refuse them.

I can understand why it happened but it is poor customer service not to offer a partial refund. In future couldn't you allow subs but put a note that the only sub you'd want is the other wine you'll drink?

Thanks for all the responses. I eventually got through to the customer service team by phone and a really helpful man has put a voucher on my account. Result.

Yes, as pp have said, no overriding of customer’s ‘no subs‘ preference. Your shopping may be done by two or three different pickers so they won’t co-ordinate. Always allow subs, you can always refuse.