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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that online food shopping has really gone downhill?

75 replies

OhHeyItsSaturday · 18/07/2021 16:58

I've recently had loads of problems with online food shopping, from a range of different supermarkets.

Main problems seem to be things like fruit being mouldy and/or on its use by date, meat all being on its use by date when delivered with no mention of this by the store, frozen items being defrosted, and meat not being packed separately to other foods and then being leaky and getting 'meat juice' all over fruit, bread and other fresh items.

I have just had to reject almost an entire food shop this afternoon from a major supermarket as the whole pallet of cold food looked as though it had been sitting in a trolley in the store for hours before being put in the cold truck storage, as it was all full of condensation. Two packs of chicken had been put in a container with all other fresh food and one of the packs had a crack in it so there was juice and blood all over everything else. There was also about an inch of water in the bottom of the container which had made everything else sodden. Broccoli sent was mouldy. And the frozen items were all totally defrosted.

Has anyone else found loads of problems with online food shopping these days? And before anyone says 'go and shop yourself then', I will be doing this in future!

OP posts:
MsFogi · 18/07/2021 18:09

I gave up on buying fruit and veg online from Sainsburys months ago - it was always soft/mouldy/damaged etc etc

TotorosCatBus · 18/07/2021 18:09

Totally agree about the very short expiry dates. It didn't used to be like this even in 2020.
Not had the mouldy fruit and veg or leaking meat issues luckily. Subs have been sensible too.

TotorosCatBus · 18/07/2021 18:10

I've noticed loads of items out of stock too. I think it's the shortage of drivers caused by Brexit Angry

CremeEggThief · 18/07/2021 18:10

I agree and in my experience there are a lot more short use-by dates (have even had the odd thing past its use by date) and substitutions in my Sainsbury's delivery.

CremeEggThief · 18/07/2021 18:11

I have given up on salad and some fruit like previous posters too.

TotorosCatBus · 18/07/2021 18:13

I swear Tesco used to flag stuff that goes out of date within 3 days. My recent recipes haven't flagged these.

It's got to the point that my meal plans aren't final until I get my delivery and can see dates

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 18/07/2021 18:14

I'm not an online shopper but if you went to the shops you'd know that for the past few weeks the shelves have been noicably emptier and the dates on foo considerably shorter. This can't just be the supermarkets local to me, if it's not there they can't pick it

I'm sure there's a perfect storm of reasons, I just hope it's a temporary issue.

SpindleWhorl · 18/07/2021 18:15

Unless you spot a problem in time to reject the item in question you're pretty much stuck with it, I've found.

That's been a problem for us, too. The drivers are on such ridiculously tight schedules they have to 'leave and run'. They don't have time to stand and wait for me to check Best Before and Use By dates, check fruit for mould, etc.

'Just hand it back to the driver!' is a fantasy of some marketing executive in a cushy office.

I agree that we need to be looking hard at better wages and conditions for workers such as drivers, pickers, shop floor staff.

warmfluffytowels · 18/07/2021 18:16

We order our shop with Morrison's and haven't had any problems at all.

IsobelEd · 18/07/2021 18:18

I recently had a Sainsbury's delivery arrive several hours early (without any warning). I was at work and they left it in crates on my doorstep. It had been sitting there for four hours by the time I got home. I was livid, such a waste of meat, dairy and frozen food, not to mention a massive advert that no-one was home. Won't be going back to Sainsbury's, that's for sure.

OddBoots · 18/07/2021 18:19

I agree but with Covid and Brexit happening at once it's hard to know where the problem is. I have moved from Tesco to Morrisons because of them picking from a warehouse not a store and it is better but still not perfect and there are fewer options than you would get in store.

UnicornMadeOfPinkGlitter · 18/07/2021 18:20

We’ve been isolating so had to get deliveries. The first was Asda. This was fine as I got hardly anything fresh was mainly longer life stuff like yogurts. The few bits of fruit and veg I did get had short dates on but I don’t stick to dates with fruit and veg we eat it unless it’s gone rotten.

The second delivery was Iceland and that was terrible. All the fruit I ordered was out of stock and no alternatives offered and the frozen bits were not test when cooked but then it’s not my usual shop so I didn’t know what’s good and what to avoid.

Tesco arrived Friday and I had planned a much better shop but a lot was out of stock and short dates. Hummus and coleslaw to be eaten that day, when it arrived at 8.30pn. Lots of meat substitute’s and vegan burgers replaced with beef burgers!

I will be so excited to get to a supermarket next week and pick my own fruit and veggies and meat.

My second job is a picker in a supermarket and I choose really carefully for my customers but I know a lot of people don’t they just grab the first thing on the shelf.

Youdiditanyway · 18/07/2021 18:22

I’ve always struggled with online shops and find it easier to just go into store. The substitutions are usually absolutely ridiculous, once a supermarket tried to give me real chicken instead of Quorn for example. Always had the problem with fruit and veg being close to its expiry date as well and sometimes already mouldy.

swampytiggaa · 18/07/2021 18:26

@OddBoots

I agree but with Covid and Brexit happening at once it's hard to know where the problem is. I have moved from Tesco to Morrisons because of them picking from a warehouse not a store and it is better but still not perfect and there are fewer options than you would get in store.
I’m an in store picker for Morrisons. Shops that added home delivery and click and collect in response to Covid pick from store.
mummy3uk · 18/07/2021 18:27

i work for a supermarket stocking the chilled department and recently, deliveries have been coming in with fruit/veg/meat with 1 or 2 days date on. Recently dates have been getting shorter and shorted and quality on fresh fruit and veg not so good even when plenty of date left on the packaging.

I order from tesco and have had 2 shops recently with same date items that were not marked on my order sheet so I was able to get refunds for the items affected. Online is easier for me as I dont drive and having 5 people to buy for means we need alot of stuff.

mummy3uk · 18/07/2021 18:30

@UnicornMadeOfPinkGlitter

We’ve been isolating so had to get deliveries. The first was Asda. This was fine as I got hardly anything fresh was mainly longer life stuff like yogurts. The few bits of fruit and veg I did get had short dates on but I don’t stick to dates with fruit and veg we eat it unless it’s gone rotten.

The second delivery was Iceland and that was terrible. All the fruit I ordered was out of stock and no alternatives offered and the frozen bits were not test when cooked but then it’s not my usual shop so I didn’t know what’s good and what to avoid.

Tesco arrived Friday and I had planned a much better shop but a lot was out of stock and short dates. Hummus and coleslaw to be eaten that day, when it arrived at 8.30pn. Lots of meat substitute’s and vegan burgers replaced with beef burgers!

I will be so excited to get to a supermarket next week and pick my own fruit and veggies and meat.

My second job is a picker in a supermarket and I choose really carefully for my customers but I know a lot of people don’t they just grab the first thing on the shelf.

for future with tesco items with the same days date; message tesco on facebook and they will refund the items and give feedback to your local store that picked the shop. I had a refund for things going out of date the day after my order, theyre customer service is quite good (at least iv found that)
Abraxan · 18/07/2021 18:32

We've not had any issues with Ocado since starting using them years ago. Managed to get orders throughout the pandemic apart from the first weeks whilst they were adjusting. Certainly no recent issues - and we are quite liking the M&S options now available to us.

I know they have issues right now due to a fire 2 or 3 days ago, but genuinely not had issues otherwise.

OddBoots · 18/07/2021 18:36

"I’m an in store picker for Morrisons. Shops that added home delivery and click and collect in response to Covid pick from store."

That's interesting, how do they decide who gets what kind of delivery? I had a delivery today and chatting to the driver and he mentioned he had come from the warehouse in Hatfield.

Foolsrule · 18/07/2021 18:40

Literally just had a Sainsbury’s delivery. 4 subs, 2 of which we kept. Only didn’t keep the other two as in place of Mini Milks and some Magnums, we got 30 bubble gum flavoured ice lollies 🤣 Pretty good service and we usually spend £150-200/week.

TracyBeakerSoYeah · 18/07/2021 18:41

Maybe it depends where you are in the UK but touch wood, fingers crossed etc I have had no problem with Sainsburys deliveries.

They email me to tell the subs & short date items & I can refuse them at the door. I get the money back to my bank a/c if I hand anything back but e vouchers for the price difference if I keep a substitute.

Fruit & veg fine only trouble I'm having is occasionally it's been hard to get hold of Felix or Sheba cat food (but that seems to be the case everywhere) & bizarrely high juice squash which we drink very diluted (the normal squash not the yukky, headache inducing no added sugar crap). So I just buy that from Morrison's, M&S or Waitrose as it's cheaper anyway (they've altered their high juice squash recipes so they have just under the amount of sugar that the sugar tax levy kicks in.

I have noticed that at our local big Tesco the shelves are either only half full or nearly empty.

Also the price of food has risen sharply but then I suppose that's to be expected if people are now being paid a fairer wage to pick/pack/make produce.
Well I hope the people who do these jobs are getting better wages!

EssentialHummus · 18/07/2021 18:41

I switched from Ocado to Sainsbury’s when covid kicked off and generally find them good. Let’s see what this week brings .

swampytiggaa · 18/07/2021 19:01

@OddBoots

"I’m an in store picker for Morrisons. Shops that added home delivery and click and collect in response to Covid pick from store."

That's interesting, how do they decide who gets what kind of delivery? I had a delivery today and chatting to the driver and he mentioned he had come from the warehouse in Hatfield.

We are in the south west. Very few stores down here and certainly no warehouse locally. I’m in Devon our deliveries go into Cornwall. Cover a massive area which urban stores don’t.
NoWordForFluffy · 18/07/2021 19:08

@MsFogi

I gave up on buying fruit and veg online from Sainsburys months ago - it was always soft/mouldy/damaged etc etc
Whereas I rarely have any issues with Sainsbury's fruit and veg. If I do, I get an online voucher for my next shop. I much prefer theirs to other supermarkets' fruit and veg, particularly Asda and Morrison's.
user1745 · 18/07/2021 19:23

That sounds awful. We've had issues but never leaking chicken on fresh food! Mainly short shelf life on fresh things and bad packing (heavy items placed on top of bread and crisps).

bruffin · 18/07/2021 19:25

@Abraxan
Really, there is very little choice anymore,

Ive started getting veg from Oddbox, not necessary what i always want, but very fresh and full of flavour