Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sainsbury’s shopping fury

147 replies

Quit4me · 09/02/2021 13:02

I usually shop at Tesco’s and get a delivery, but obviously at the moment it’s tricky to get a slot so a couple of times I have ordered with Sainsbury’s.
We are a family of 5 (3 kids all older than 7) and get through a fair amount of food esp in lockdown- around £130 a week.
Last night we had a delivery booked at 8-9pm. We live in an area that yesterday, only had a dusting of snow.
Waited until 10pm with no delivery and no email or text to say where the delivery was.
Spoke to customer services via online chat- our delivery had been cancelled due to bad weather. No text or email.
My money should be refunded in 3-5 working days! They advised rebooking a slot of click and collect.
Great. So no fresh food for the kids today. Not enough milk or bread. Too late in the evening to drive and get something.
Am I just supposed to fork out another £130 before the money has come back (possibly not until next Monday?)
I asked why I wasn’t informed earlier and had to find out myself, got no response back.
AIBU to think this is shocking service?
I know we are in a pandemic and there has been some snow- but it’s really not snowed heavily here.
The other think that has annoyed me is previous deliveries I have had from them, things just haven’t been in the shopping at all. When questioned, they give me a credit note against a future order?
Why? If I pay for something that doesn’t turn up, I expect the money back in my bank, not a voucher?
Tesco always refunds. I hadn’t realised Sainsbury’s were so crap?

OP posts:
TinyCake · 09/02/2021 13:06

They could do with some sort of automated email they can send when it's cancelled.

73kittycat73 · 09/02/2021 13:09

Me and my mum have a running joke that one flake of snow, and Sainsbury's can't deliver. It's been like that for years here (South Coast) and we hardly get any snow!

dudsville · 09/02/2021 13:16

I'm in a similar place re snow. I got my delivery by the driver was busy trying to deliver niw quickly as he could see cancellations on the horizon. I thought it was odd!

Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin · 09/02/2021 13:21

My friend has her Tesco delivery cancelled at the 11th hour yesterday but they had the good grace to call her at least.

notanatural2018 · 09/02/2021 13:22

Sainsbury's are awful, this happened to my mum. Took nearly a week to get hold of the store manager when the money hadn't been returned in the 3-5 days too. But they did turn up personally with a bunch of flowers to apologise so my mum is happy Grin

DappledThings · 09/02/2021 13:22

YANBU to be annoyed. There should have been better notification, quite probably a better attempt at delivery and they should refund you quicker.

Fury is a bit extreme though.

MadameButterface · 09/02/2021 13:24

yang, I don't order from Sainsbury's any more. what did it for me is, when they have to sub something more expensive for what you've ordered, they charge you the extra, whereas Tesco's don't. it felt like I was being upsold things constantly. some people have to work their shopping out down to the last pound and it felt like they have zero awareness of that.

Sheepies · 09/02/2021 13:25

If you drive, book click and collects then? They won't be cancelled unless there is major disruption to deliveries to the store itself, in which case it wouldn't arrive on a home delivery either!

Bluntness100 · 09/02/2021 13:26

Op. It might not be bad weather where you are, but bad weather where the driver was, causing some of them to be unable to get to work. In addition you’d be surprised at how wide these routes are, I had an Ocado delivery and the next slot was an hours drive away from me. That’s how far the driver was going.

So bad weather along the route can also mean it’s cancelled, along with some drivers not able to get to work.

However the refund and lack of communication is not ok.

Sheepies · 09/02/2021 13:26

@MadameButterface you can choose not to have subs, or you can reject them though. I do find it is great when supermarkets don't charge the extra, but I don't think it's hugely unreasonable that those who don't, don't.

chestnutSquash · 09/02/2021 13:27

Years ago I ordered all my Christmas food shopping from Sainsburys. The day the delivery was due they texted me to say my delivery was cancelled. I was working a long shift.
I have never shopped with them since.

RevolutionRadio · 09/02/2021 13:28

Our delivery hasn't turned up today, they are going to try to fit us in tomorrow. We're waiting for a phonecall to see if they are able to.

We booked another slot on Thursday incase they can't get here tomorrow either.

MadameButterface · 09/02/2021 13:32

[quote Sheepies]@MadameButterface you can choose not to have subs, or you can reject them though. I do find it is great when supermarkets don't charge the extra, but I don't think it's hugely unreasonable that those who don't, don't.[/quote]
yeah, I know, I just don't like either of the two options of 'have loads of stuff missing' or 'give Sainsbury's carte blanche to help themselves to an unspecified extra amount of money out of my bank account'. it's the principle. of course companies would prefer consumers to choose the spendy pasta or tomatoes or branded beans and get more money, I don't think they should be able to decide that for me though.

Bagamoyo1 · 09/02/2021 13:33

I used Sainsbury’s a few times but gave up as there was always some sort of cock up.

Clymene · 09/02/2021 13:35

@MadameButterface

yang, I don't order from Sainsbury's any more. what did it for me is, when they have to sub something more expensive for what you've ordered, they charge you the extra, whereas Tesco's don't. it felt like I was being upsold things constantly. some people have to work their shopping out down to the last pound and it felt like they have zero awareness of that.
No they don't. Confused

"a. If we offer a substitute costing more than the grocery item you ordered and you keep it then we’ll give you a voucher (up to a maximum voucher value of £99.99 per order) for the difference to be used against a future Sainsbury’s online grocery order."

Original poster
Quit4me · 09/02/2021 13:36

@Sheepies

If you drive, book click and collects then? They won't be cancelled unless there is major disruption to deliveries to the store itself, in which case it wouldn't arrive on a home delivery either!
I do drive, but I have 3 kids home schooling and a job to fit around it so I just don’t have time to get out to pick it up!
OP posts:
tumbleit · 09/02/2021 13:40

@MadameButterface

yang, I don't order from Sainsbury's any more. what did it for me is, when they have to sub something more expensive for what you've ordered, they charge you the extra, whereas Tesco's don't. it felt like I was being upsold things constantly. some people have to work their shopping out down to the last pound and it felt like they have zero awareness of that.
No they don't charge you extra... they refund the difference.

Op that's unacceptable customer service. I'd complain. They should have phoned or emailed at least.

AdobeWanKenobi · 09/02/2021 13:40

I do drive, but I have 3 kids home schooling and a job to fit around it so I just don’t have time to get out to pick it up!

And nor should you have too. The whole point of home delivery is avoiding getting in the car to go and fetch it!

Rainbowx · 09/02/2021 13:44

My sainsbury's got cancelled last night 30mins before delivery due driver got stuck in snow said I'm vulnerable dont drive etc he said sainsbury's would contact me with what they can do .they called today to deliver this afternoon I'm so grateful. Call the store they will help u

CB1128 · 09/02/2021 13:44

I usually get mine delivered with Tesco too who are usually great. I’ve used Sainsburys a few times and they aren’t as good. I had similar last year. It was before lockdown 1 so covid couldn’t be blamed but my slot was around 1-2pm I believe. Didn’t turn up gone 3 so I rang up (I give them a a little bit to time to turn up). No one knew where my shopping or driver was. Turned out there was a complete mix up and my shopping was cancelled after money was taken out and j wasn’t told. They were meant to cancel another persons order and mine was cancelled by mistake. I was very lucky that a member of staff had a spare hour or two and was willing to drive up my shopping (the store online shops come from us 40 minutes away) and compensated me with 24 bananas and some popcorn (yes 24 bananas, I shared some with neighbours). I’ve had a couple other problem with Sainsburys too. I know mistakes happen but Tesco are far superior. Not much he’ll regarding your op! But I hope you get it sorted!

Beeeees · 09/02/2021 13:47

Sainsbury's vans are the worst in snow apparently, they were all stuck the other day. Ocado vans are supposed to be the best for snow. Agree they should at least ring and refund straight away.

Sweetpotatoaddict · 09/02/2021 13:47

When I left work last night there was a dusting of snow, by the time I drove 20mins home there wasn’t a clear lane on the motorway. Sometimes snow can be really localised. Although they should have contacted you to make you properly aware.
Must be difficult call to make, I was pleasantly surprised when we received our delivery last night.

raspberrymuffin · 09/02/2021 13:48

It's snowed a lot here and still going (rural Scotland) and a Sainsburys van pootled past on its way to one of my neighbours about an hour ago. I think your local distribution place for home deliveries must just be rubbish - that's so bad that they didn't even let you know. Round here we get a phone call from the drivers if they think they might be late, and usually they're still bang on time.

Fuhfeuucdr · 09/02/2021 13:50

Sainsbury’s are crap IMO. I had PIL visiting so ordered a huge online delivery scheduled between 1-2pm, took half day off work to be there.

Driver called my phone at 12:45 to say he’d arrived. Then left.

I got back at 12:50; called Sainsbury’s. They couldn’t have cared less. Apparently they couldn’t contact driver and there was nothing they could do.

JackieWeaver4PM · 09/02/2021 13:50

The voucher thing is annoying I agree. It's not a refund, it's just charging you in advance for later shopping and yes it makes it very difficult to budget. Tesco is the best at delivery ime, very few problems with them. And of course Sainsbury's should have told you that your delivery was cancelled.