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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:
Snowwaiting · 09/02/2021 13:50

I think all supermarkets make a mess of it every now and then ... I had Asda not turn up a few years ago - no notification . Sainsburies always been relatively ok though for the last year or two I’ve been shopping in store ... there was no availability at all though for my elderly parents throughout the first lockdown despite Sainsburies telling all their elderly customers they would prioritise them ! My parents got one slot and then Sainsburies linked up with the shielding list

BoyTree · 09/02/2021 13:51

"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."

But they do charge you extra. The fact that they give you a voucher for the difference is not the same as reducing the price of the substitution. It doesn't help if there are a few subs and the extra takes you over budget. Or if you weren't planning to shop with Sainsburys again any time soon.

Snugglepumpkin · 09/02/2021 13:51

They do charge you the extra the day your shopping is delivered & then refund it to you as a coupon you can only use to shop again in Sainsburys on a later order.

It means your shopping could be easily ten pounds more than you budgeted for on the day & that can be the difference between paying for your shopping & having the payment rejected if you don't have the spare money in your account, or it can mean that a direct debit due to come out the next day no longer has the funds to meet it.

Not everyone has spare money & for a growing number of people they can be budgeting down to less than £1 so not everyone is okay with Sainsburys odd way of doing things.

Just because you get the difference back eventually (as long as you shop with them again) doesn't make it okay for everyone.

isadorapolly · 09/02/2021 13:52

They add the extra to coupons which you can use for money off your next shop. I only found this out about a month ago!

HeronLanyon · 09/02/2021 13:53

I’m surprised how different supermarket deliveries are.
Order for various shielded relatives and myself.
Sainsbury much more reliable time wise and stock wise.
Waitrose seem to have problem with stock But you can write a note about substitutions you’ll accept item by item. They’ve sometime been 2 hours early with delivery ! Sometime call before to check that’s ok sometimes not.

wendyleen · 09/02/2021 13:53

We had lots of snow yesterday and live up a ruddy great big hill. No problem for Waitrose.

Globe22 · 09/02/2021 13:55

Thanks for the reminder for me to do my Morrison's order! I almost forgot!!

nancy75 · 09/02/2021 13:56

I gave up on Sainsbury’s because whenever I got a delivery from them everything went off on the delivery day - who wants a weeks worth of shopping that they have to eat on the day of delivery or freeze it all?

RavingAnnie · 09/02/2021 13:56

I usually order from Tesco too and have not been impressed the few times I've ordered from Sainsbury's I have to say. Their website is absolutely terrible. And their policy of a credit on substituted items rather than just getting the cheapest price on the current shop is convoluted and enough to our me off in itself.

Brefugee · 09/02/2021 13:57

Send them an invoice with interest charges, and something like 30 quid for having to faff about and something for your overdraft charges.

Ask them what to do until your next UC payment?
Social media?

it is very poor customer service.

Happycat1212 · 09/02/2021 13:58

This can happen with any supermarket. I shop with Tesco’s and we get priority slots, they are very long slots so it was 10am -6pm at 6pm my shopping still didn’t turn up, no call, no email, no text, I call them to be told it is definitely still coming, they would never cancel A priority slot, it will be with me today 100% it’s been put on another van and is definitely still coming but give it another 3 hours, at 9pm still no shopping call them again to be told it’s still coming just keep waiting, at 10.30 still no shopping, call AGAIN only to be told it isn’t coming and it’s been cancelled and they have no idea why i was told twice it was still coming. I had no nappies for my youngest as I had ran out and if they had told me at 6 I could have got something sorted. So yes Tesco’s do it too

Watchingbehindmyhands · 09/02/2021 13:59

The refund taking 3 - 5 days is a banking thing rather than Sainsbury's. I have had the same issue with Asda although to be fair, it is usually in my account much quicker. Very frustrating, particularly if you don't have the spare cash to run to the shop with. I have shopped online now (with Asda, mainly) for 3 years - I have had only one cancellation in that time and none during the pandemic. There is a bigger picture that we're not aware of from sudden illness, the length and breadth of the route a driver has to take, staff shortages (particularly at the moment) etc. As a one off, I wouldn't bother but if it were regular then yes, there's a problem.

Moo678 · 09/02/2021 14:00

Sounds like very poor service. I use Asda as although they have been very late a couple of times they are very quick to refund. Substitutes I don’t want are usually refunded by the time I’ve put the shopping away!

winesolveseverything · 09/02/2021 14:00

Tesco did this to me 2 weeks ago after a sprinkling of snow... I am still waiting for them to let me know and apologise.
The money was refunded about 5 days later.

I did call on the day and spoke to the main call centre who are based about 300 miles away- they knew nothing about the weather and had to call my store to find out what was happening.
Waitrose had managed to get to next door though.
I offered to go and collect my shopping seeing as they had picked it but they wouldn't let me.
I wasn't best impressed... first time they've ever let me down though..

luanmapo · 09/02/2021 14:00

Here in South Norfolk. I have not once had any issues with Sainsbury’s whatsoever.
Absolutely fantastic service from them.
I have had a delivery every single week since the beginning of lockdown with them too.
I don’t mind a credit voucher to use as will use it the following week:
I can’t get a Waitrose or Tesco slot for love or money.
So they aren’t all bad.

unlikelytobe · 09/02/2021 14:00

It obviously varies a lot. We had a delivery yesterday and there was some serious snow so I thought they wouldn't turn up. You should complain about not being notified.

TinyTear · 09/02/2021 14:04

Sainsbury's is great in store but crap for deliveries, I went back to Ocado.

HeronLanyon · 09/02/2021 14:06

I had to call a delivery customer service last week about my own slot cock up. Awful recorded message asking everyone to treat them with respect and consideration. Made me imagine the awful nature of the job when fuming customers (right to be unhappy op) ring up if still fuming.

EleanorRigbyWasReal · 09/02/2021 14:12

Sainsburys have totally lost whatever customer care values they had.

I only go there when absolutely necessary.

Summerdayshaze · 09/02/2021 14:13

Or you could leave delivery slots for the elderly and CEV.

loulouljh · 09/02/2021 14:14

I have found Sainsburys to be alot worse than Tescos..some very random subs, no replies to emails etc.

slashlover · 09/02/2021 14:16

I had the same from an ASDA delivery a couple of months ago. Afternoon delivery never arrived, called the helpline who said there was a problem with the van but it would definitely be delivered, although it might be quite late. It never arrived and the helpline closes at 8pm.

Called the next day (the website was still saying it was out for delivery) and was told it had been cancelled, although they gave me a £10 evoucher to use on my next one. I managed to get one for 4 days later, although I couldn't get booze as all of those slots were full. (10am-10pm Scotland rules)

They're all as bad as each other.

PickleSarnie · 09/02/2021 14:17

Ocado doesn't take money until after the order has been delivered. Their delivery network isn't quite as wide though so not sure if that's an option for you in future?

WinstonmissesXmas · 09/02/2021 14:17

Had this the other day. Barely any snow as well. Tried to call CS but couldn’t get through.

Bert2020 · 09/02/2021 14:18

I’ve realised it’s down to luck. My mum had her Sainsbury’s shop cancelled yesterday after incidents with their vans. Absolutely fair dos, they need to look after their staff and I wouldn’t drive the route from my mums to their store in snow. Yes she is cev but won’t starve until the next available slot. As pop’s have said snow can be really localised also.