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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

331 replies

Keyansier · 14/08/2022 11:06

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?

OP posts:
Oblomov22 · 14/08/2022 11:43

As whatkind says, Tesco employees can't be bothered to argue with you re refund. but we all know it's wrong. it's not right and you know that.

Silverfinch · 14/08/2022 11:43

Whatkindoflifeisthis · 14/08/2022 11:39

I actually used to work in the call centre on the grocery home shopping line for tesco. You'd click on one page and all the customers refunds come back in a list. So no doubt you'd have a huge long list of refunds. The person you're talking to knows you're a scammer/CF and I just used to shake my head at these people and refund.

Tesco didn't treat us well enough for us to actually care. There were the odd few times I'd get a little indignant about it though and argue the point. But yeah, the person on the phone probably just can't be bothered getting into it and just refunds. Less hassle. It doesn't mean what you're doing is right.

Guarantee the OP will ignore this post.

TheCutter · 14/08/2022 11:43

Your friend is right

FiveShelties · 14/08/2022 11:43

OK I 'll call 'wind up'.

Well done OP - clever, you got me.

Rebecca34 · 14/08/2022 11:44

The paper recipt that the driver hands you has the subsitutions clearly listed at the top. I check it each time to see if I am happy with what they have offered. Once I got white sauce instead of lasagna noodles so there are clearly some clueless packers!

While not nec wrong of you. if you do it too much I guess you do possibly run the risk of being blacklisted by them.

GinJeanie · 14/08/2022 11:44

@johnd2 - jeez, that's bizarre! And mean too. I knew someone who was a manager at Waitrose. Apparently, the company stopped putting a taped label around organic bananas and put them back onto plastic bags because people were taking the labels off in order to pass organic as (cheaper) non-organic fruit??? 😳

SummerLobelia · 14/08/2022 11:44

I agree.

Loics · 14/08/2022 11:44

ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2022 11:40

But this whole post is about you lying, why would anyone believe a word you say when you have proven you are a liar? 🤣

Show quote history

Yes, you actually go to the effort of calling them to get a refund under false pretences, it's quite a lot of effort, on a regular basis, to lie as well. 😂

rwalker · 14/08/2022 11:45

Morally grim just tell the driver straight away you will be handing back substitutions and give them to him

as for those who say it’s Tesco they can afford it anything line this is classes as shrinkage and they factor this into there pricing structure so we. All end up paying

HangOnToYourself · 14/08/2022 11:46

Based on this thread you are the only tesco customer to have the receipt sent after delivery and have busy drivers who dont tell you about the substitutions. How unlucky.

ChsmpagneWannaBe · 14/08/2022 11:46

It's wrong. And weird

SummerLobelia · 14/08/2022 11:46

Hoppinggreen · 14/08/2022 11:27

You are basically like one of these people who pretend something is wrong with their food/holiday etc or inflate a very minor issue to try abd get money back.
I don’t know if it’s stealing but it’s a grubby way to live your life and people like that arent people I would respect or want to spend time with

and i agree with this. I like the phrase 'a grubby way to live your life'.

TempName01 · 14/08/2022 11:47

I don’t believe you don’t get the substitutions list before the delivery unless you’ve not given them the correct email address or something. The drivers we get also always check we are happy with the subs. Ok not technically stealing but you are being a CF.

Aus84 · 14/08/2022 11:47

You’re stealing from the pockets of other shoppers. Big companies like this just raise their prices to cover for things like this. They don’t lose out, the rest of us do.

burnoutbabe · 14/08/2022 11:48

i'd say legally it is not theft at all.

they are choosing to give you a goodwill refund. they can see your account and know you ring about all substiuted products so could, if they wanted, refuse the refund or insist your account is NO SUBS.

Original poster
Keyansier · 14/08/2022 11:48

Whatkindoflifeisthis · 14/08/2022 11:39

I actually used to work in the call centre on the grocery home shopping line for tesco. You'd click on one page and all the customers refunds come back in a list. So no doubt you'd have a huge long list of refunds. The person you're talking to knows you're a scammer/CF and I just used to shake my head at these people and refund.

Tesco didn't treat us well enough for us to actually care. There were the odd few times I'd get a little indignant about it though and argue the point. But yeah, the person on the phone probably just can't be bothered getting into it and just refunds. Less hassle. It doesn't mean what you're doing is right.

I didn't ask if people thought what I was doing was "right" I asked if people agreed with my friend and classed it as stealing. I also asked if anyone that worked for Tesco get penalised by issuing refunds and you've just confirmed they don't so if it means someone in a callcentre somewhere shakes their head and refunds £20 quid or so from the 2.6 billion pound profits Tesco acquired last year, then all I could say is: "Oh".

OP posts:
User135792468 · 14/08/2022 11:49

You get an email with the substitutions beforehand. If I’m not happy with something, I tell the driver on arrival and he says to just pop it back in one of the crates for a refund. Prices are going up anyway and they have to reflect their losses (as in the money you claim back by being a CF) in the prices also. I think your friend phrased it as stealing as you were so blasé about it even though it’s so obviously wrong. I bet she doesn’t view you in the same light now.

Shade17 · 14/08/2022 11:49

junglejane66 · 14/08/2022 11:35

3,816 litres of milk??? Are going to make the worlds biggest rice pudding?

Show quote history

Did it arrive in a tanker?

Original poster
Keyansier · 14/08/2022 11:51

Christmasiscominghohoho · 14/08/2022 11:40

The kind of person that does this is also the kind of person that would kick off at the poor staff on the phone if they refused to give you a refund.

You must have missed the part when I said I have worked in a few callcentres myself and it's one of the reasons why I think my requests are successful because I don't kick off, or be angry, or rude or impolite, because I know what it's like to have it done to you.

OP posts:
SummerLobelia · 14/08/2022 11:51

SummerLobelia · 14/08/2022 11:44

I agree.

Oh the quote I was replying to did not come up. I agree it is morally bankrupt I meant.

Fimofriend · 14/08/2022 11:52

Nice to hear that Tesco has upped their game @alwaysfactor50.
I got those substitutes even though I had marked that I didn't want them to substitute anything and I don't really think that it is ok that I should have to check the +50 items on an email sent as the driver is leaving to see if they have done it anyway. When at home I do not always have my phone on me and I do not check my emails several times a day.

NoSquirrels · 14/08/2022 11:52

Next time you call up for a refund, OP, tell them that you

never get the substitution email/receipt pre delivery

never get a printed list on delivery

never get told of the substitutions by the drivers

JemimaPuddleducksWaddle · 14/08/2022 11:52

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?

Why don't you just walk into a shop and take what you want then. I mean going by your logic no one should begrudge you some free food.

moksorineouimoksori · 14/08/2022 11:52

do you get refunds only for subs you didn't use/like? or also for subs you used or ate?
also, in the future, i think if you notice a substitute in the crate you dont want, you could just be proactive and hand it to the driver saying, "this is a substitute i dont want". then they will refund you there and then and you wont have to ring up.

user9764577436 · 14/08/2022 11:53

Not stealing but most definitely fraud - also illiegal.

Ringing for a refund because of items you didn’t want isn’t fraud but acting as though you didn’t like a substitute in the hope that you will get a refund is fraud.

If you knew you wouldn’t be receiving a refund with a quick phonecall then you wouldn’t do it at all would you?