Asda ridiculous substitutions and they also don't log returns

[ikeptgoing]

I'm am so fed up with Asda. I'm shielding abs have relied on Asda home deliveries but they are getting more and more ridiculous

I'm disabled so bagged up is important for me or I can't move it- rarely do they bag it up despite me paying for it

This week 15 substitutions and 5 unavailable. Want to know what the substitutions were???
Toilet gel instead of quaver crisps
Caraway seeds instead of spaghetti pasta
They never put them in nags despite multiple phone calls to hq that I'm disabled and need the bags and PAY for the bags , so you have to ring customer services telephone to get those refunded.
I ended up ordering Tesco delivery as so much was missing and what a polite abs reliable difference 🥰

Sorry about autocorrects . On mobile which has anime of its own and changes it after I typed

I would give Tesco a go and see what you think

If I was going myself I'd always go to Asda as it's good value but their online shopping just isn't any good

Not picking basic items just isn't good enough

I will never use ASDA again. Used them in lockdown one where everybody was panic buying. They failed to deliver and charged me. They then were unreachable for a week. Tried every way you can think of calling, e-mail, messenger, tweets. I could not get through! I did not have enough money to do a shop elsewhere, so had to borrow. They are appalling!

Pickers don't choose the substitute, it's done automatically by the computer and you can't always override it.
I always check subs to make sure they're okay but the truth is Asda has a ridiculously high pick rate (as in over 200 items an hour) and you don't really have time to check anything.
They should be bagging the items though. Back before first lockdown we were constantly running out of bags (and we. can't take them from checkout) but this has been better in our store lately so it could be a problem with supply.
However you're with Tesco now so no need to come on here complaining and hopefully everything will be better with them.

Thanks MNers. So many lovely PPs have posted. I think that's what's sad for me as Asda is excellent value and we love the range, living very close to an Asda hyper market.

But it feels like they've employed pickers who make weird decisions, and often 'run out' even though store hasn't run out.

To be fair , I had to send child in with cash to local one stop to buy pasta and am chuckling about toile

... toilet gel instead of crisps and seeds instead of pasta.

Items you order for home delivery don't come from a store but from a warehouse.

@ikeptgoing

Thanks MNers. So many lovely PPs have posted. I think that's what's sad for me as Asda is excellent value and we love the range, living very close to an Asda hyper market.

But it feels like they've employed pickers who make weird decisions, and often 'run out' even though store hasn't run out.

To be fair , I had to send child in with cash to local one stop to buy pasta and am chuckling about toile

I'm sorry you're having a bad time. I'm a picker (as stated upthread and similar to another poster) we are expected to pick 195 items an hour and stock flies off the shelves so fast - plus people are bulk ordering and we're seeing shortages because of brexit.

The system suggests subs though so not sure why you're getting such odd ones.

All the pickers I work with are really conscientious regarding subs and always try to give a reasonable replacement

@GameofPhones

Items you order for home delivery don't come from a store but from a warehouse.

Not always

CandyLeBonBon
All the pickers I work with are really conscientious regarding subs and always try to give a reasonable replacement

Thank-you Candy for another perspective & that was usually what I've experienced over so many years from Asda online. Occasional hiccup but mostly all well thought out. But not so much now

I guess I was hoping it was aberrations , and that we just have a local store new inexperienced/ ' not bothered' pickers issue
To be fair you could have 2- 3 pickers out of 40 doing it poorly, with weird replacements, to make everybody look bad even if majority do a fabulous job. My dad always said "a rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel "

I won't ask if you are Asda
Are you able to comment at all on items not being bagged up in a "hypothetical way" ? ( Don't if it puts your anonymity at risk)

Also re the bags. It says in tiny numbers on the label if the person wants bags or not (eg 2 if the customer wants 2 bags). We had a few new pickers and no one had told them about the bags.
It could be that you were unlucky and something like that happened.

@Annabell80

Also re the bags. It says in tiny numbers on the label if the person wants bags or not (eg 2 if the customer wants 2 bags). We had a few new pickers and no one had told them about the bags. It could be that you were unlucky and something like that happened.

It's not unlucky, even delivery men are moaning that pickers are refusing to bag them when paid for It's clearly a deliberate policy by this store and some others

I swear by Tesco, have used them weekly for 4 years. Love their subs policy and the drivers have always been so friendly.

The drivers have recently started offering to carry the crates through for me as I'm pregnant. I've said no because of covid and I can manage but it's so lovely they offer.

If you sign up to the delivery saver monthly delivery you can book up to a month in advance and I can usually get a slot any day I want with 2 weeks notice.

The driver won't know which person picked the shopping so it could be new people (if it was store policy the driver wouldn't complain) and sometimes we do run out.
Hopefully Tesco will be better.

Tesco don’t put the shopping in bags either. You can pay for tray liners but they are pretty flimsy and depending what is in the tray picking one up full isn’t easy

I’ve just moved to Asda from Tesco as so impressed with their prices and also have found it easier getting slots. They seem particularly reasonable for things like gluten free flour which normally cost me much more.

We had one item about to pass its sell by date but it was easy to refund online

Jesus fucking Christ those are bad subs. The worst I ever had from Tesco was lime scented boot polish instead of actual limes and the delivery driver had already noticed and got the refund ready as he correctly assumed the boot polish wouldn't work in my curry! Usually I get very few subs and all sensible (e.g. non salted butter instead of salted, different brand of the same thing etc).

I won't ask if you are Asda
Are you able to comment at all on items not being bagged up in a "hypothetical way" ? ( Don't if it puts your anonymity at risk)

@ikeptgoing I don't mind saying - yes I am Asda - and yes, as a pp stated, there are numbers of bags required, printed on the tote labels (and our hand guns tell us to 'bag it' when we're picking, if the customer has requested bags, which we all do.

Apart from some early mistakes when you're first learning the ropes, the system should be idiot proof - and subs are suggested (although sometimes I override them if I don't think they make sense - eg the system suggests subbing beef burgers for veggie burgers etc - if that's the case I try to give as close to the original as possible - same for gluten free etc).

It's drummed into us that a high quality service is imperative! Sorry your having a bad time with them.

Maybe try Morrison's - they always come with bags and come from a warehouse not a store so subs less frequent.

Anyone having a bad experience at Asda from the Midlands?

@CandyLeBonBon

*I won't ask if you are Asda Are you able to comment at all on items not being bagged up in a "hypothetical way" ? ( Don't if it puts your anonymity at risk)*

@ikeptgoing I don't mind saying - yes I am Asda - and yes, as a pp stated, there are numbers of bags required, printed on the tote labels (and our hand guns tell us to 'bag it' when we're picking, if the customer has requested bags, which we all do.

Apart from some early mistakes when you're first learning the ropes, the system should be idiot proof - and subs are suggested (although sometimes I override them if I don't think they make sense - eg the system suggests subbing beef burgers for veggie burgers etc - if that's the case I try to give as close to the original as possible - same for gluten free etc).

It's drummed into us that a high quality service is imperative! Sorry your having a bad time with them.

Thankyou, so helpful. Sounds like individual pickers that have been employed probably in this high demand period That's helpful so not a nationwide policy probably a local problem that a few other MNera have experienced also in individual stores I've stayed with them but had to do extra runs as so much missing and thinking of changing to Tesco's but does cost and range.

By extra runs, I mean I have had to take out cash and send my child in with cash to local one stops! As I'm shielding and it gets expensive that way...

Latest shop no silly subs and most arrived but it is all so unpredictable. Hoping that by doing mid week daytime booking it won't get the "new pickers/weekend /evening cover" if that is what problem is

I live remotely and my nearest supermarket (Morrison’s) is 40 minutes away - so I do online shopping but with the pandemic we’ve had no slot available. So I decided to do it online for a click and collect and go out there and get my shopping.

The day came and there were so many substitutions my 100-something item basket left me with about 15 items and even they were substituted for absolute shite. I rang and complained that I was in no way driving 40 minutes to pick up some bread, foil and herbs.

I hate online shopping now 😂

I had my Asda delivery yesterday,5 substitutes. 3 were reasonable but who in the right mind would substitute grapes with blueberries and beetroot with pickled eggs?

I handed them back but annoyed at the fact that substitutes are supposed to be like for like.

If I were you I'd write a letter to the Chief Operating Officer - details and Hq address will be on the website. Explain to him about the disability/bags issue and point out the Equality Act implications. Send him a copy of the latest substitution cock up and outline the previous problems you have had. Also tell him that you have made multiple calls to Customer Services and got nowhere.

I suspect that the result will be a bollocking email to store manager to keep a better eye on his pickers and a decent voucher. I've not done this with Asda but we had a lot problems with our local M&S not honouring deals at the till and I got a £20 voucher and a meeting with the store manager.