To think grocery substitutions should weigh the same as the original item you ordered?

[Ivylea]

I’m sure there is one supermarket who does substitute for the weight ordered, or, at least, they used to - maybe Waitrose?

But today Asda have substituted a 180g bag of own brand salad with a branded 120g bag of salad. Yes, I pay the ‘original’ cost of £1 (even though the branded salad is more expensive), but I didn’t want to spend £1 for just 120g.

And they’ve also substituted a 240g pack of roast chicken with a 160g one. Both cost £2.95.

Last week, they substituted a 250g pack of butter with a 200g one.

AIBU to think the substitutions should give you the same amount of product, and/or charge you proportionately?

They say they will never charge you more for substitutions, which is true. But you do actually end up paying a lot more per gram or per item.

Asda's subs and the fact they don't do loose veg made me go elsewhere. They used to be alright but since the pandemic it went downhill. Even if I do click and collect I still end up in the shop, picking up the things that were unavailable (when they are available) or that were substituted with something covered in plastic instead of loose.

This is why I shop with Tesco, I never have any issues with substitutions.

For example, last week I ordered 2x 100g cheap 40p bars of chocolate for baking, and they gave me 500g of Cadbury dairy milk.

@Bearcub101 I raise you…

2 x 200g bag of sprouts - in stock so fine

2 x Savoy cabbage substituted with
2 x 200g bag of sprouts

2 x Braised red cabbage substituted with
2 x prepared sprouts with chestnut butter

and my personal favourite…
Walkers chicken and thyme crisps with a bunch of fresh thyme!

I honestly asked the driver if someone was taking the piss 🙄

Substitutions are why I switched from Asda! We use Morrisons and there are hardly ever substitutions.

I stopped shopping at ASDA because of the ridiculous substitutions. Try another supermarket op.

I never said they did? In fact in the post I wrote directly above the one you quoted (hence this post beginning with “that said”) I specifically made the point that everyone is free to refuse them.

However, my point is that the customer has to be very observant to calculate quickly whether the sub is good value for money and, therefore, whether or not to accept it. This disadvantages vulnerable people and that is the sort of thing that the consumer organisations like to challenge.

If youre not happy with the sub, even after you've signed and the drivers left you can still contact the customer service and ask for them to refund it. At least with Tesco.

Once I bought a 1kg lamb shoulder and was given a 600g one but I didnt notice until after the driver had left. I didnt mind 100g or so, but 600g is such a large gap!! I contacted Tesco on Whatsapp and they refunded it. I think they would rather lose a small amount of money than a reliably regular customer.

I've found Tesco follow my instructions so I always write in the substitution box that I need X weight & they've always done so. I acknowledge this may have been luck, & for a large order it would be frustrating.

Maybe try it?

I ordered 12 basic fromage frais for my toddlers lunchboxes, and they were subbed for 6 peppa pig yoghurts. Why not send two packs? I handed them back.

The way ASDA see it tho is you don't need to agree to the substitute. You hand it back at the door. Or you can untick substitutes on your payment page

Ah it drives me mad! The only shop that subs correctly is Waitrose! The others will sub 3 loaves of bread for one fancy loaf, I have a family to feed I need more bread arrgghhhhh! I know they charge you for what you paid, but sometime the sub is cheaper and they charge you the top price, I ordered 1l extra virgin olive oil at £6, they sent normal oil and charged £6!!

I shop at asda and had to stop doing click and collect.
I ordered 3 boxes of asda own 1kg cat food priced at £1.
They send 1 box of 900g whiskers at £3.

I ordered 2 boxes of just essentials wheat biscuits 24pack. 75p.
They send one branded pack of 12 weetabix. Not sure on the price.
But I need 48 wheat biscuits, 12 doesn't help me!

And I would never buy branded weetabix, because the price isn't justifying for me.

I just go in store and scan as you shop now.

Had this with Sainsbury's this week - my normal 12 pack of own brand fromage frais at 80p substituted with a 6 pack of paw patrol ones for £1.50. Yes I'll get the difference back but I now only have 3 days' worth of yoghurt for my two children rather than 6. And they argued over who got which one 🙄. They used to do the same with milk but lately if Ive order a 6 pint bottle they have managed to use their brain and send a 4 + 2, or once I had 3 x 2 pints.

Infuriating!

Awful Asda as I call them now. They have really gone down hill and now I'm with sainsburys who are much better

abandoned sainsburys for fish dates the same day - 6pm delivery and them
refusing to refund as I’d accepted it. I did feel like making one last large order and pedantically checking every date on the doorstep. And waitrose for out of date bacon (3 days!) and bread constantly arriving with that days best before. Ocado are good as we rarely get substitutions.

And yes - annoying!