Milk delivered earlier - is this unacceptable?

[rathertakenaback]

We get milk delivered once a week (only two of us, apart from DD who is here about 2 days a week right now). We don't use a huge amount of milk, so have 4 pints delivered on a Monday morning. In reality this is usually delivered at about midnight on the Sunday, sometimes later.

Yesterday morning (Thursday) I opened the door to find a milk delivery - delivered 4 days early. I rang the company up to query this (it's a medium sized dairy, not a one man set-up), only to be told that they are delivering Monday's milk early so that staff can watch the football!

I'm not a huge football fan myself, but even I've been watching the England matches, so to some extent I get this, but 4 days early?! The milk had also stood outside in quite a warm place until nearly midday as I've booked this week off work, and I actually didn't have a reason to go out until later in the morning. In fact, it's lucky we were here at all as we had planned to go away.

AIBU to think that this is not on? Yes, I know it's only 4 pints of milk, but delivering early to me implies a few hours or one day earlier. They should at least have informed us of the change in delivery day! (But if they had emailed an excuse like that I'd have been on the phone telling them that it's not on!)
They've been a bit flakey before (not leaving milk in the specific place requested with the result that it's been stolen), and after making changes to the delivery because of the football I'm wondering whether to kick them into touch!

That’s flaky as hell. If they want to give their milkman the evening off then send you a message saying “we’ll be delivering on Saturday (not Thursday FFS) instead if that doesn’t suit you please cancel by your usual method”

I’d change supplier for that. That’s ridiculously early.

Absolutely not acceptable. The milk will not last for as long as you need it to.

I used to have milk on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the company contacted me to say they are no longer delivering on Wednesdays so will deliver double on Monday. I cancelled as that is no good to me.

Yeah I'd be pissed off at that - what if you were away?

Would have been better for them to ring round and ask people what day they would like as Mondays delivery needs to be moved. Then you could have arranged Sunday or Tuesday

It's not on really but at least they value their staff. I don't think you'll change things by complaining, so yes it's just about whether you want their milk or not. It might be worth staying with just because the model is more environmentally sound, especially since you know the dairy is local.

First world problems eh

If it’s a one off I couldn’t be arsed being more than minority irritated. You do you though if it’s a big enough deal. 🤷‍♀️

YANBU. That would have pissed me off too and after the previous issues I'd have cancelled delivery for good. I've had a local milk company at my door a couple of times trying to drum up business, but I've seen a fair few complaints about them on the local Facebook group so I think I'll continue to get my milk at the supermarket.

Yeah that's too early. Likely some of that milk will be wasted if you don't use much given it doesn't last long.

I'd be annoyed at not being told and ask for a refund on that milk which is virtually unusable. Whether or not you cancel depends on how inconvenient it would be for you to not have it delivered.
I cancelled our 3 x a week delivery because they started coming at 10am instead of 8.00am - so milk left out all day. They also twice left milk after I'd cancelled the order because we were away. I can but milk at the supermarket when I do the weekly shop and am lucky enough to have 2 village shops which are open long hours (one supplied by the same milkman) where I can top up if needed.

If this is McQueens dairy OP, they did the same thing to me. Except they also sent me several emails about the fact they were delivering early.

Did you not read your emails from them?

I’d be very pissed off but if the service was otherwise good I’d give them one more chance. I think all the stuff about days off, late starts and bank holidays for Monday is pathetic. Alcohol isn’t essential to watch football and if people can’t moderate their intake and/or cope with one late-ish night it’s a bit pathetic.

@HomerSimpsonsDonut

First world problems eh

Personally, I don't think food waste is a 1st world problem.... ask people who live in Developing countries

@Moggymoggymogmogs Same here! I had at least 2 emails from McQueens, and the option to reject the early delivery.

I had this too from McQueens but the first email I got from them was in the early hours of Wednesday morning saying if I didn’t cancel it by 9am I’d get the whole week’s worth on Thursday. So I cancelled it. All turned up anyway yesterday and I’ve still been charged. The level of notice (that screenshot above is also about the delivery the next day?) was awful given this went out before the match against Denmark and so may as well have been sent on Sunday.

Not acceptable. Can’t you just get milk when you get food ?

@Moggymoggymogmogs yes it is McQueens. Unfortunately the emails go to my husband's account, and he hadn't seen this. Also, we haven't got a double delivery of milk, just 4 pints. And "early" for perishable goods should be one day maximum, not four days!

@DinosaurDiana yes we can, and I think that's what I'll be doing from now on.

I think that's unacceptable. At the moment there's a fair chance of people being away so it could possibly sit there are week advertising that the house is empty.

In a similar vein there's a milkman who delivers in this road about midnight and on a hot night I hear him and think that the milk will be well on the way to being sour by morning.

Not sure I could work up the energy to be annoyed for a one-off! Not really their fault you didn't read the email. Seems like a very minor inconvenience and if you're otherwise happy 🤷‍♀️

There had also been an earlier email- this is just the first one I found.

I thought that YANBU, but given that they sent an email in advance to advise you of it, I think actually YABU. It's an annoying situation but not their fault your DH doesn't check his emails.

Oh if they did let you know and Thursday is their nearest previous delivery day then YABU. Annoying that you didn’t see the note and that Thursday to Monday is such a long gap though.

@Moggymoggymogmogs as I said, emails from them go to my husband, and he'd not read them. Probably thought it was just a promotional rather than cancelling the milk for the football!

It's a couple of quid's worth of milk
England are in the final
They've given their staff some time off
It's a one off
Milk is readily available (probably cheaper) elsewhere

Just let it go