Tesco delivery - advice please.

[LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood]

We are staying away from home in a rental for a week’s holiday. Arrived yesterday with enough food for the evening and breakfast today. Booked a food delivery weeks ago. Had a text at 11am when the delivery was due to say it would be 20 minutes late. Then a call at 11.30am to say it wasn’t coming at all (staff shortages cited). We can collect it. It is a one and a half hour round trip. And we have not been shopping in person since the pandemic on account of a vulnerable family member. Obviously we will have to collect it as we have no food otherwise.

We have been offered a £20 voucher and not much by way of apology (“sorry nothing I can do”) The order is £270 - to give an idea of proportionality of the compensation.

Whilst I was complaining about the situation (perfectly politely, I never would never, ever raise my voice or swear or abuse anyone in such, or indeed any, circumstances) the call was disconnected. No reception problems here. Mobile never cuts out. I suspect I was hung up on.

To add insult to injury the order is now showing as “delivered” . DH is driving to collect it.

I hate the fact that I was lied to initially and was treated with such disdain on the phone. I also resent the huge inconvenience and loss of most of the first day of our holiday.

I’m not on SM at all (no Facebook or Twitter). But I know others have had a decent response in broadcasting their complaint when posting on here in similar circumstances.

I know Tesco don’t actually care. At all. And I know there is nothing I can say or do to make them care. But I’m feeling a bit fragile (combination of not having been very well and overwork) and I feel a powerless sense of rage about the way I’ve been treated that I don’t usually succumb to. It is the “don’t give a shit” attitude that, ultimately, is the worst bit.

I do intend to cancel our deliveries when we get back and swap to Sainsbury’s. That makes me feel slightly better!

Any advice on anything I can do to get my complaint taken seriously. Or is it better just to “move on”. I’m usually quite good at letting things go. But something about this incident has really given me the rage.

And I do accept we are lucky to be having a holiday and to be buying in nice food and drink. But this really is beyond shit service, isn’t it?

I don't think you're unreasonable op.

In that situation I'd have been very annoyed too and expected a better level of customer service and more compensation - that amount won't even cover the petrol op will need to collect the shopping! Therefore it's COSTING her and her party more than originally planned due to Tesco cocking up.

However, all that said, I've found them very good throughout lockdown.

If you do decide to go to another supermarket in future though I would definitely NOT recommend Sainsburys - they've been supremely shite throughout lockdown from the very beginning and not just with me! There have been a number of threads on here and many comments on sm regarding just how badly they have been treating customers.

My very first shop after lockdown was missing almost half my order, there were several problems with deliveries inc 2 cancelled altogether last minute (within an hour of delivery being due!) I am housebound due to ill health anyway and at higher risk of covid and honestly they really didn't give a shit! Also following that first delivery which was booked before lockdown it became almost impossible to get a slot, they weren't answering phones (but had set it up that customers were held on hold for HOURS) and refused to read emails.

I will NEVER give them my custom again and I was a loyal customer for several years before all this - and I've read here and elsewhere online of many other customers feeling and acting the same which shows they don't even care about the loss of business! Shocking.

ASDA were good too but not quite as good as Tesco and I prefer Tesco products, Morrisons I didn't like as their fruit,veg and milk went off VERY Quickly, I contacted them about this and they basically blamed me! Well I was storing and using the items the same as I always have, I have a fridge thermometer which showed fridge cold enough and not had the same problems with same products from other supermarkets.

Just my tuppence worth.

It does also tend to be regional, I have friends and family all over Uk and some do find ASDA are a bit better than Tesco.

Surely they have a nearer store?

I would cancel it and try to shop locally.

There's always at least one post on threads like this which proves some people don't have a clue about how rural some places are.

Im in West Cornwall, we have local shops & Tesco 30 mins away, I didn't read the bit where OP said it was rural.

If they didn’t have the staff to deliver & were very sorry they could of arranged to send it to you in a taxi.

Still genuinely wondering why the OP feels she was lied to.

@AssamorEarlGrey

Surely they have a nearer store?

I would cancel it and try to shop locally.

There's always at least one post on threads like this which proves some people don't have a clue about how rural some places are.

Would you like to share where in the U.K. a Tesco 45 minute away will be the only option for food?

It is selfish tourism to shop at Tesco and not support the local economy

this thread is classic MN

✅ bitter jealousy about a holiday
(a rental in the same country clearly, hardly a luxury oversea resort but there you go)
✅ bitter jealousy about a supermarket delivery
✅ bitter jealousy about spending more than £3.50 a week on gruel to feed 20 people
✅ dig about not supporting the "local economy" despite having a staycation...

it's brilliant 😂

Absolutely Santa. Half of MN are hugely supportive and lovely. And the other half are bitter, jealous feckers, who love to kick a poster when they’re down if it appears the poster may be a teeny bit more fortunate than they are. Grim.

You still won't be going in to the supermarket, the food will have been handled by the same amount of people as if it was delivered so no extra rusk.
I always laugh when people say it's not good enough. What do you want them to d do? Get a driver who is sick (possibly with Covid symptoms) to deliver the shopping? Make another driver work on top.if the ridiculous hours they are already doing? Magic a driver from thing air?
I know it's annoying but it's no one's fault and you got a voucher and apology. Can I ask what you wanted them to offer?

Just seen a food delivery van on the back of a break down truck, perhaps that was your delivery vehicle ?

You are entitled to moan and you are entitled to spend what you want on food. But you are lucky you got a delivery (sort of) - just go and get it and enjoy the rest of your holiday. Tesco have been great through the pandemic with our deliveries so I wouldn't swop because of this one incident with a different store in a different town.

Polnm

On the north coast of Scotland, for example, where I sometimes spend a holiday. Yes, there's a village shop closer, for basics like milk and tins of beans, but the nearest place with food shops including a Tesco is easily 45 minutes away.

The population density of that part of the world, Caithness and Sutherland, is 5 people per sq km. as you can imagine, there isn't a food shop on every street corner, as there are hardly any streets.

At least you got a voucher! Our very first online delivery from Sainsbury was canceled. We got no message. Nothing. Not until the next day, when they said they'd had to cancel some deliveries.

Unfortunately, we had to stick with them because they were the ONLY supermarket prepared to deliver (we're shielding). I sweat every time now. It hasn't been repeated.

I'd count your blessings. It's probably a local store issue.

Sounds a bit extreme of you. Sometimes mistakes happen. I'm a very regular Tesco shopper and generally have a very good service. There has been times they've been late due to technical issues and on one occasion they forgot my frozen items and offered to re-deliver the next day. Tesco always seem to solve the problem and compensate. 9 times out of 10 they offer a very good service.

I did once have a similar problem with them. Was told it was going to be late, was marked as delivered but didn't turn up hours later. After calling Tesco head office who contacted the local store who said that a staff member went sick. The order didn't even make it out the store but was still shown as delivered.

But I've been a delivery customer for years and mistakes are bound to happen occasionally.

Where I live the local Tesco store has been extremely busy with covid now its holiday season (Cornwall) and they are even busier. The delivery drivers aren't given enough credit. They say they deliver to more tourists than locals during the summer. Often in awkward difficult to get to places.

I have tried Sainsburys and Asda and they don't compare. With sainsburys I had an order that didn't turn up at all until 6 hours later and they compensated me with 24 bananas, yes 24 bananas.. I hadn't even ordered bananas so a £20 voucher would have been great. 🤣 With Asda I've had deliveries 4 hours late and Morrison's with about 25 subs.

You say you've not been shopping due to the pandemic? Fair enough but you're on holiday? So it's not like you are no longer shielding at home anymore. Going on holiday is a risk. And I assume picking up will only mean from their click and collect point.

I get your annoyed but your Husband is going to collect your food and you won't starve. Not everyone can afford 270 quid worth of food right now! 😀

starlet14

It’s not OP’s fault everyone can’t afford a £270 food shop.

Op I would be so annoyed in your shoes and would definitely push for more than a paltry £20 voucher

They don't have to offer you anything as compensation. £20 is pretty standard. Still waiting to hear what you expected them to do?

Id be annoyed too OP. I once got home from work 15 minutes before my tesco shop was due, to a tesco driver saying they had been waiting 20 minutes. They had unloaded the food and left it by my front door in the pouring rain for 20 minutes. Apparently they assumed I was home as my light was on but thats because my 12 year old was there and i told him to never answer the door. Everything was wet but I had no food so accepted it but was pissed off and the driver didn't even apologise. Atleast i got my food i suppose!