AIBU or does Asda/George need to sort themselves out?

[mumof5andfat]

Hi, I'm currently on hold to Asda George customer services (43.26 mins and seconds and still waiting). I had ordered 2 single duvets to be collected from the store yesterday and still no sign of any delivery. I never had any issues with George before now.

Another example is the stores. They currently have Truvia sweetner on sale for £1.64 which is a massive saving of over £3, so I went in yesterday early morning to get a couple (I really want to get back on keto and this should save me a few pounds from the original cost). shelves were empty. Ok, not their fault. But when i asked when the next delivery was, it was 4 days away and even then, they would only be getting 6 of them delivered. 6? is that it? for a major supermarket in a large town serving thousands, the only Asda here and they will be getting a delivery of 6 a week. What's the point of the offer? ok, so its marketing ploy to get customers through the door, but come on now, give us customers a bit more respect. I don't mind something not being in stock when you've marketed it soo much and given a massive discount, but to only order less than 1 unit per day for a store which serves thousands is seriously taking the biscuit. Am i being unreasonable to expect a bit more?

oh, and just to add, the previous delivery to the store just before the offer started was also 6

It's obviously not a high turnover product if the store is surviving with a regular delivery of 6 despite its size, it's only that you want it now that you've even tried to buy it (not a regular consumer), and if your not regular, and the store survives with a regular order of 6 it's likely that even though it's a big store, it's just not popular item and is indeed used to entoce people in...

As for the 40 minute wait, I'd hang up and cancel the order, vote with my wallet. Disgusting service

The Asda clothing website drives me mad because they have a stock checker and it says the store has an item in the size you want, often stating there's 5 in stock or whatever, and then you go in and they don't have any at all. Ask a member of staff and they have a look on the rails or stockroom and go nah sorry we don't have any.

I recently had to return some items.

So I paid £3.99 for delivery and almost £5 for return postage (I am more than happy to pay a higher delivery fee for free returns or to pay for returns if delivery is free - which seem to be the business model offered by other companies?)

Got an email to say one item has been refunded, but nothing about the other two items. All packed together and on the same return slip (which I had to print myself as there was no return slip in original package!!)

Cue 20 minutes on hold and when I finally get through they insist all 3 items are showing as refunded. Despite my account showing only one as refunded and only having an email about one item

So now the onus is on me check how much is refunded and if the emails come through for the other items.

I'll never order from them again.

I usually order low value stuff (socks / undies / school stuff / Xmas PJ's) so I've never actually done a return before now.

It's been an utter shit show.

Last summer I did an online George clothing order including a size 14 dress. I received a size 22-24 nightdress instead! I packed it up and sent it back with returns slip duly noted. I did not receive a refund. I gave up trying to call due to excessive waiting times, so I sent emails on 3 separate occasions. I received very generic replies telling me they were investigating and I would hear from them in time. I did not receive a proper reply and of course no refund. Then life got in the way, I was busy and just gave up. Terrible customer service all round!

They need to open the changing rooms again. The one near me still hasn't opened them up since COVID.

Ours shut its changing rooms long before Covid. I thought they'd deliberately phased them out.

I used to get quite a lot of clothes there, but I think that they're nowhere near as good as they used to be. Stock levels are really erratic, and even school uniform (which they used to be very good at) is no longer reflecting what you need for local schools (why have racks of royal blue jumpers in a store where there isn't a school that wears that colour in town?)

Loads more space given over to sale rail clothing, which suggests bad buying choices by Asda; notable how much of it has weird sleeves!

I'm having an ongoing saga with them at the moment. I ordered school clothes of which one set of two trousers were too big. I tried to get the QR code via the online returns but it said they were having issues with it, so I just popped into store. The lady took the trousers and put them through the computer saying we'd get an email. Several hours later there was no email and I trudged back. A different lady said she'd processed the trousers and to give them 5 working days. A week later (yesterday) I went back to store as I've had no email and no proof I've even returned the trousers. Another lady in-store rang there customer services department and we all stood around for half an hour until they answered. I've now had an email saying a return has been registered, but a couple of hours after I received another saying it'll be actioned when the trousers are returned! Argh!

I worked for Asda for over a decade in the Walmart years. The decline since the Issa brothers took over has been rapid and noticeable.

Service levels down, store standards down, breadth and depth of product range is down, etc. The only thing going up is the prices!

They are open in Liverpool, so you could email and ask why your's aren't.

Calm yerself

thank you for your very helpful comment.

I have definitely seen the decline myself too. Just the customer services today was appalling.

Heard today that asda are in trouble and might be going bust. They have shut down the Irish site for buying online in the last few days claiming site maintenance issues

I had an online grocery order a few months ago where the driver drove off without unloading my frozen stuff. I rang and was told they couldn't recall the drive and told put in a request for a refund on the missing items and it was refused without explanation! I spent hours on the phone trying to get my £40 back.

It happened again a month later so I made DH chase the driver - he caught up with him 8 miles away and got my stuff. Luckily we're pretty rural which made him easier to find than if we'd been in a big residential area.

Their phoneline is open until 10pm. I find if i call around 9.40pm, it's quieter and they answer quickly plus they seem to be in a rush to go home so will sort the issues

I’ve noticed the lack of stock. Ours consistently seems to have shortage of a whole range of common things - meat, fruit, coffee, nappies, If you get there after 6 there’s practically no bread, including things like bagels and muffins. Even the wine aisle was half empty. This is never the case at our local Sainsburys or much smaller Tesco superstore.

In these situations, I generally ask for a raincheck. Perhaps, they are not as common in the UK as in the U.S .

I had ordered 2 single duvets to be collected from the store yesterday and still no sign of any delivery

I think I see the problem! 😁

I meant, I haven't had notice that the order has been delivered to the store😂. I promise, I haven't been waiting in at home for the delivery haha (although with my pre-menopausal brain these days, I probably would do something like that!)

Shoplifting and more space for products to make ££££

I'd be surprised if Asda went bust. They're huge in the UK...i think. I know the Issa brothers took on huge debt when they purchased it from Walmart and they've sold/selling the petrol stations, but I had no idea they were in it that deep. From my small recent experience of them, I definitely feel the difference in quality of customer service and value for money from when they were a part of Walmart.

I do a Click and Collect grocery order regularly with ASDA, we have given up on home delivery as there are so many bad substitutions and things not available and if you have to go to the shop anyway it’s not worth the delivery charge. It never used to be like this.

What's a raincheck? (in relation to the OP's situation?)