To think my friend is wrong and this can't be classed as stealing?

[Keyansier]

Whenever I order a home delivery from Tesco I always get a refund on stuff that they have substituted in exchange for what I originally ordered to get money back and to keep the food, sometimes when I genuinely dislike their substitute choice or sometimes when I just want some money back.

My friend said "that is what is known as stealing". I replied "HOW can it be stealing when I call up and ask for a refund and it's at their discretion if they give one or not?" Also, I used to work in a few call centres and so probably speak to people who work at call centres politer than most other people, so that might factor their decision to give me refunds.

Unless someone tells me that they work for Tesco on the call centres and they are obliged to give everyone a refund that asks for one but they will later be punished or sacked for it if they say yes, then I can't see what the issue is if they say yes? I don't shout, or threaten or rant. I ask nicely and they say yes. If they were to ever say no, I'd simply say "okay then" and that would be that. So how is it stealing?

I just can't believe in this day and age someone would begrudge someone free food. Their tagline is "Every Little Helps". This is helping me. If they didn't want to help, they can easily say no. Or AIBU and out of touch?

If you say so! I don't have experience of this exact industry but supermarkets have ridiculous amounts of data and people looking at it day in day out, and are extremely good at using it. So if my industry does it, supermarkets can do it 1000x as well. It just seems incredible that they wouldn't.
But if you address my actual points maybe you can educate me.
Anyway I'm off to play a game with my son

OP.
Tesco will increase prices to cover losses so other shoppers will ultimately pay for your free food.

@johnd2 bore off! Tesco lose money from theft, OP is a thief....

It's not rocket science is it?

But your points aren’t relevant as you simply don’t understand what you’re talking about.

Well no, I didn't confirm nor deny if staff get penalised for giving out refunds. They actually can. Although it would have to be an unreasonably high amount. Your stats are collated weekly and they can see everything; cumulative total of refunds given, how many 'goodwill' vouchers are issued, length of time spent on each call. Everything. I was pulled up now and again for various stats ie too many vouchers issued, refunding willy nilly when I probably shouldn't have. I didn't really care tbh, I was a student at the time and hated the job, I didn't really care if they put me on performance management/sacked me. But yes, staff can be pulled up if they are too blasé with the refunds.

I did some across people like you whereby the store manager from where the groceries were coming from used to personally check the shop of certain known customers before it was delivered. Or refuse to provide substitutions. Or whatever fitting action based on what the customer was guilty of. Make sure you don't become one of these 'blacklisted' customers, that would be very embarrassing indeed.

But whatever, it's not my money, I don't really care. If your conscience is OK with your behaviour though then crack on.

If you're asking each driver at the door to refund your unwanted substitutions AND let you keep the food...those drivers are costing their Tesco store a lot of money altogether.

And they need retraining.

If you're calling up the Tesco line, whoever is refunding you for food you're keeping IS costing Tesco a lot of money altogether.

That Tesco call employee needs retraining! Additionally, driver at the door IS meant to ask you if you're happy with your substitutions.

If you're lying to the driver by saying you're happy with them and then calling Tesco up to get them for free.....I'm afraid your friend is correct and you're stealing as you weren't honest with Tesco's driver at door OR employee on the telephone.

Effectively, you're manipulating them. A customer at my store did the same thing as you. Result? They were eventually blocked from getting substitutions for free AND had to speak to the Dotcom Manager who knew exactly what that customer was doing.

This is NOT Tesco's policy and they've been cracking down on this for the last few years. Before the pandemic.

The Tesco policy is if your fresh item goes out of date the day after delivery, you can keep it AND get a refund. Driver does this at the door.

Nothing else.

Completely different to using vouchers as OP is manipulating driver at the door AND telephone employee whilst calling.

Driver is ALWAYS first port of call for rejection of substituted items you don't like which you certainly DON'T keep for free.

That's not how Tesco works.

See my other post for what Tesco eventually does.

@DownNative
If you're calling up the Tesco line, whoever is refunding you for food you're keeping IS costing Tesco a lot of money altogether.

Yes, that is what I'm doing

Additionally, driver at the door IS meant to ask you if you're happy with your substitutions.

A few people on this thread have said this, but it makes no difference to the fact I've never been asked or had a discussion about it, ever.

If you're lying to the driver by saying you're happy with them and then calling Tesco up to get them for free.....I'm afraid your friend is correct and you're stealing as you weren't honest with Tesco's driver at door OR employee on the telephone.

They don't ask me, I don't get time to tell them, and I get a receipt including all substitutions only after delivery, like I've said repeatedly throughout this thread, so couldn't tell them in advance or upon arrival anyway.

Tesco DOES send customers digital details on all substitutions, unavailable items and so on WELL in advance of delivery.

All drivers are trained to ask at door if they've seen their online receipt, are they happy with substitutions, etc.

OP will have to lie to driver at door and employee on the phone in order to do this. It is definitely regarded as stealing too.

OP will eventually find themselves frozen out of refunds and will have to deal with a manager each time. I have a customer who did the same thing. 3 years later they no longer take the piss as they know they'll not get anywhere. They are now honest about not wanting substitutions and get refunds sorted at the door ONLY. Not on the phone.

And he returns. Yet again.

More comebacks than Madonna. 😂

@Keyansier you're back again!

👋

@Keyansier "Yes, that is what I'm doing"

Yes, after lying to the driver at your door.

@Keyansier "A few people on this thread have said this, but it makes no difference to the fact I've never been asked or had a discussion about it, ever."

I'm supposed to believe EVERY single driver at your local store doesn't follow their training?

Rubbish. The data will point them in the direction of shrink loss AND drivers will be put through training again.

Until its done right.

Like I said, I think you're blatantly lying there.

@Keyansier "They don't ask me, I don't get time to tell them, and I get a receipt including all substitutions only after delivery, like I've said repeatedly throughout this thread, so couldn't tell them in advance or upon arrival anyway."

Drivers have details on their SDS devices of all your substitutions, so you've no leg to stand on there.

Highly unlikely every single driver isn't following training and not asking you. The odd driver? Sure.

But not all of them.

No time? Again, drivers are trained not to hand over shopping until they've gone over substitutions, etc.

Sorry, but your story does not add up. I'm a delivery driver for Tesco, so I know what happens.

Carry on....you eventually find yourself unable to do refunds over the phone like one of mine did. No driver will subsequently not follow training to the letter after that.

I think you need to use Ocado. You’ll get fewer substitutions and at least 9/10 they’ll ask you if you’re happy with any substitutions.

Also, it will be much harder to get refunds from them just because you fancy a discount. You did say this, so it can’t just be about substitutions.

I get a receipt including all substitutions only after delivery, like I've said repeatedly throughout this thread

But you don't. Unless your email provider is exceptionally shit.

The email is sent as soon as the items have been picked. They are expected to be picked by an hour prior to your delivery slot, at the latest. The email is usually sent at least an hour before the earliest the van could be expected to be at your door.

Keeping repeating it, doesn't make it true.

Signed:

A Tesco dot-com picker

Correct! 100%.

I don't know what to say except repeat what I've said throughout the thread:

I have never had a Tesco delivery driver ask me if I'm okay with my delivery, hand me a paper copy receipt sheet, or discuss any substitutions or even discuss the delivery except for asking confirmation of my name when opening the door. NEVER. I don't (and can't) lie to the driver at the door about refunds because I don't get my receipt until my delivery has been dropped off. So I don't know what Tesco had substituted until after delivery.

No time? Again, drivers are trained not to hand over shopping until they've gone over substitutions, etc.

Never once been asked, never experienced this once. I barely get time to unload my shopping and hand back the crates and as said, last time I had to call the guy back to take the crate because he had already made his way to leave.

Maybe you in a smaller city with not so large a customer base, perhaps?

You’re meant to hand the substitutes back and get a refund. You don’t keep the substitute for free. You know it’s wrong.

You don’t actually have to say anything, though. Which is what you’ve threatens multiple times when you’ve flounced.

Yet the intoxicating lure of women who don’t like you at all continues to prove irresistible! 😂

When do the UK schools go back?

I didn't ask if people thought it was wrong, I asked if it was considered stealing seeing as they were the ones agreeing to refund. They never ask for any items back. I either eat/use myself or donate to food bank.

@Keyansier you're back again!!

Again, it's highly unlikely you've NEVER had a Tesco driver follow training and ask you if they're happy with substitutions!

We've just gone through post-covid training these last few weeks, so all of what I've explained they do at door has been refreshed.

I can accept the odd driver not asking you. But not all of them. No store manager will accept their Dotcom department losing money as that is one of the most lucrative departments next to dairy.

Most stores no longer do paper receipts. You get it in email. And driver has a copy to hand on SDS devices.

Drivers miscounting trays and going can happen. But not telling a customer substitutions EVERY SINGLE TIME does not happen.

Drivers in big cities and smaller ones have the same maximum number of customers. 17 customers in the morning, 17 in afternoon and 17 at night are the limits. Vehicle payload is the same everywhere and cannot be exceeded for insurance purposes.

So, you don't have a leg to stand on there.

Nooneis buying your story because it doesn't ring true. You're lying to Tesco, here and to yourself. Your friend is correct it's stealing.

@Keyansier

So, now that and several others have told you that you are in fact stealing, by deception, and this is counted under the Fraud Act now, what are you going to do with this information?

What did you want to gain from this thread?

Will you now admit to your friend that you are in fact a thief?

OP, you mum is calling you downstairs for dinner.

@Keyansier did you have any alcohol on your delivery? Did they ID you to ensure you're old enough to accept booze?