Unwanted substitution

[Getting2me]

I am unreasonably annoyed that I ordered 15 cheese slices and got 10 of another brand. And 6 yogurts instead of 12! I could go on. If they had bought two packs I wouldve been ok with it. I'm not going to complain and I never do about things like this because I know how unreasonable I'm being and it doesnt make much of a difference but these small things really get to me

YABU if you are not prepared to complain. How do you think anything will change if you won't raise it?

You can accept them and still let them know you are not happy but had to accept what was given... I had to as well because I did need particular thing on the day but still emailed after with comments.

Pp hit nail on head.

I just send unsuitable substitutions straight back with the driver, and get a refund on them, so it doesn't bother me. Usually, I check my invoice before the delivery arrives, so I can find them and hand any unwanted ones back immediately, but usually the driver still asks me if have seen them and am happy with them.

In reality, I very rarely send anything back because I'm perfectly happy with about 99% of the substitutions they make (which are often branded, unlike what I had ordered), so the system works well for me.

I send 75% of my substitutions back. As well as anything that doesn't have a long enough date and anything that I wouldn't have bought if I'd been in the shop myself (squashed bread for example).

Today I'll be sending back a 4 pint of milk (subbed from 2x 2 pints - not an unreasonable substitution, just won't work for me); and probably a short date deli item (I'll check the actual date on it when it arrives).

When you place the order there's a box to untick if you don't want substitutions. Just do that.

Send them back. It’s not complaining, it’s part of the service. Just grumbling about it on MN without doing anything is pointless.

I would definitely mention the missing 6 yogurts. If I wouldn’t eat the subbed item I would send it back, if I would I would keep it. It’s not unreasonable to say you don’t want the substitution.

It's really frustrating when they sub e.g. 12 yoghurts with 6 more expensive ones and then call it a price match!

Unless you complain and/or reject the substitution and make them take it back they'll never change anything. If we all do it, they lose money and will change their ways.

Was Ocado by any chance op? I order a big pack of chicken wings from them most weeks, and if it’s substituted I only get 1 pack that’s half the size. I’m guessing it’s because it’s robots picking and packing, so no lateral thinking. It’s happened with other things, but can’t remember what off hand.

Waitrose on the other hand will always send 2 items if necessary to match the size of the original item ordered.

Depending on what company you can usually also let them know they were unsuitable substitutions even if you accepted them at the door without realising. I did this with sausages once. I'd ordered 2 x packs of 8, because they were for a kids party and I needed at least 14 sausages. They sent me one pack of 10, more expensive sausages. But 10 won't feed 14 children! .
I hadn't realised until I'd accepted the shopping there was only 10. I just went online, viewed order, selected the item and said it was an unsuitable substitution. they replied saying refund accepted within a couple of minutes. And I still got to keep the sausages. Annoying I had to go out and buy some specifically though as needed them that day.

I would probably have twisted each sausage in the middle then cut in half to make 20 mini sausages instead 😀

But like you, I would still have been annoyed.

This annoys me too, especially if it's something like an offer on Jaffa Cakes meaning a double pack costs the same as a single pack and they sub the double pack for one single pack at the same price. I usually hand them back though and have a little grumble doing so. Yep first world problems I know, I shop with Sainsbury's though as most of their subs are decent. Asda ones were WILD when we used them.

It annoys me when they send a smaller quantity than I have ordered because they have gone up a step in the brand.
I don’t give it back to the driver though, I accept it, then phone up and complain that’s it’s less than I’ve ordered for the same price. 9/10 they let me keep the item and refund the full price of it. It pays to complain!

I have started the no substitutions alot more on the things where it matters, I only occasionally have to go out for a replacement though - its taken about 2 yrs to get the balance right lol. It always seems to depend on who is doing the picking though. I wish you could write a note on items like "no green bananas" or "no wholemeal instead of white" tortillas. But I am pretty weaned off branded items these days. Our current picker is very lenient and we had some nice swops. We average 2 or 3 per shop at the moment but I am finding that myself in the actual shops as they are still struggling with stocking.

@RB68 for the last few months I've been getting green bananas labelled ripe

@Oldnproud I did think of that, but they were going into hotdog rolls so would of looked a bit measly. They were good sausages though, far too good for kids 😂

I have actually since bought the same ones, so maybe that's their ploy! Get 'em to try the good stuff, then they'll be hooked 😂

YABU for not rejecting the unreasonable substitutions. Moaning about it on here doesn't do any good. I regularly reject substitutions that don't work for us, and even if something isn't a substitution but is unsatisfactory (e.g. green bananas labelled as ripe) can also be rejected. A substitution is either OK, in which case you accept it, or not OK in which case you don't accept it. Accepting things that are not OK is stupid.

That's the same as if you go to the supermarket

@RB68

I wish you could write a note on items like "no green bananas" or "no wholemeal instead of white" tortillas.

With Waitrose you can do this in the Notes section for the product you're buying. So if ordering one large pack of something you can say to substitute with two smaller packs of the same thing if the large pack is unavailable. 🌹

You just say no and it gets refunded really quickly

The quantity thing does annoy me with subs. I have 3 teen boys and half the amount doesn't cut it

It's not a complaint it is constructive feedback! You can ring or message them to say you're not 100% happy