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Original poster

To think a birthday cake should only be substituted with another birthday cake

155 replies

Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 12:59

And of the same type of cake?

It's my birthday later in the week and my son is home from uni this weekend, going back today. It was a bit of a last minute decision, so I decided to put a birthday cake on the Tesco home shop for us to have before he goes back.

I've just seen that they've substituted a white chocolate birthday cake (vanilla cake with raspberry jam and a white chocolate frosting) with 3 chocolate bombes instead. Not exactly sure what they are til they arrive, but they don't sound like any form of birthday cake, they don't sound like vanilla sponge (which is my favourite and why I picked that cake) and they aren't even white chocolate, which might have been more understandable had that been the sub.

Obviously I'll send them back and get a refund later in the week, but my local Tesco is a small one and doesn't stock that cake, and I haven't got time to nip out to buy one as I'm cooking a big roast dinner to try to get served up before the shopping gets delivered! There won't be time after the delivery as my son is due to leave not long after (depending on the time of the delivery of course).

Not exactly the biggest of problems in the world, but I never usually bother to do anything to celebrate my birthday, no one ever thinks to sort a cake out for me (I organise for everyone else's birthday in the house to make sure there's a cake they like) and I've not been having a great time lately so this has just really disappointed me.

Is it really too much to expect that if you order a birthday cake, if the shop is substituting it, another birthday cake should be selected? And it should be the same type/flavour of sponge that you were originally ordering, even if the decoration has to be different?

Sorry for the moan - please cheer me up with stories of your shitty home shopping substitutes or just general home shopping failures!

OP posts:
TheFluentReader · 27/10/2024 13:02

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

takealettermsjones · 27/10/2024 13:02

They definitely should, but these substitutes can be so strange. I don't usually shop online but have done a few times when kids are ill, and they once tried to substitute the Calpol I very much needed with some deep freeze spray, which wasn't even for children. The driver was nonplussed at that one too.

TooMuchRedMaybe · 27/10/2024 13:13

Get your son to go out and get you a cake. It's your birthday, shouldn't be your problem to sort the cake.

NuffSaidSam · 27/10/2024 13:16

YANBU, it's annoying when the substitution is completely different to what you initially ordered.

I agree with pp though, send your son or DH out to get one for you. Why are they so rubbish on your birthday?

HalloweenHaribo · 27/10/2024 13:19

They mustn't have had another birthday cake, but surely they could've subbed with some sort of cake??

As far as I know, a chocolate bomb is something you put in a mug and pour boiling water over to make hot chocolate?

BobbyBiscuits · 27/10/2024 13:19

They clearly didn't stock any other white chocolate vanilla sponge based birthday cakes. It could be all their birthday cakes were out of stock. I always take off subs on everything as it's not ever close to what you wanted!
Have you time to make one out of Betty crocker packet mix, and ready made frosting?

purplebeansprouts · 27/10/2024 13:21

Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 12:59

And of the same type of cake?

It's my birthday later in the week and my son is home from uni this weekend, going back today. It was a bit of a last minute decision, so I decided to put a birthday cake on the Tesco home shop for us to have before he goes back.

I've just seen that they've substituted a white chocolate birthday cake (vanilla cake with raspberry jam and a white chocolate frosting) with 3 chocolate bombes instead. Not exactly sure what they are til they arrive, but they don't sound like any form of birthday cake, they don't sound like vanilla sponge (which is my favourite and why I picked that cake) and they aren't even white chocolate, which might have been more understandable had that been the sub.

Obviously I'll send them back and get a refund later in the week, but my local Tesco is a small one and doesn't stock that cake, and I haven't got time to nip out to buy one as I'm cooking a big roast dinner to try to get served up before the shopping gets delivered! There won't be time after the delivery as my son is due to leave not long after (depending on the time of the delivery of course).

Not exactly the biggest of problems in the world, but I never usually bother to do anything to celebrate my birthday, no one ever thinks to sort a cake out for me (I organise for everyone else's birthday in the house to make sure there's a cake they like) and I've not been having a great time lately so this has just really disappointed me.

Is it really too much to expect that if you order a birthday cake, if the shop is substituting it, another birthday cake should be selected? And it should be the same type/flavour of sponge that you were originally ordering, even if the decoration has to be different?

Sorry for the moan - please cheer me up with stories of your shitty home shopping substitutes or just general home shopping failures!

Thing is that might have been the best alternative. It could have been a flippin spiderman cake for a 3 year old

JohnSt1 · 27/10/2024 13:21

Happy Birthday!

2024onwardsandup · 27/10/2024 13:23

Get someone else to nip out and get a cake f

Hankunamatata · 27/10/2024 13:26

The subs the computer throws out can be wildly inaccurate. I was chatting to a picker in tescos and she was saying some of the alternative suggested are stupid, she overrides and picks the closes possible product. She says lots pickers don't do this and go with the computer suggestion

maddening · 27/10/2024 13:30

Is there a local morrisons? They deliver via amazon and it seems you can get very quick on the day deliveries?

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:33

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

It was £17 and they subbed with 3 things that add up to £8.97...

OP posts:
WheresMyChunkz · 27/10/2024 13:33

This is why substitutions are a rubbish idea and I turn them off. Maybe they didn't have another similar cake. If they'd substituted for a chocolate sponge you might say that's not close enough...Jam sponge and it turns out you don't like strawberry jam, another cake with icing and decorations you don't like the look of etc, a tray bake which is sold as a birthday cake but you say it's not high quality enough etc. Chocolate bombes seem a weird sub but that's the risk you take. If it's important for you to have the cake in a short time frame just go / send someone to a shop to buy one and make a better choice of alternative if necessary...

Oldraver · 27/10/2024 13:34

I ordered Persil NON Bio (as it was on offer usually happy with own brand) and it was substituted with just Persil..Anyone using a brain would think any NON bio would do. Obviously the computer thought my preference was for the brand

I ordered glass cleaner recently...same thing. The same brand but general household cleaner

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:34

NuffSaidSam · 27/10/2024 13:16

YANBU, it's annoying when the substitution is completely different to what you initially ordered.

I agree with pp though, send your son or DH out to get one for you. Why are they so rubbish on your birthday?

I HATE having the attention on me and anyone making a fuss, so this on me not them. I don't want them to have the same weird hang up, so I make a fuss on their special days!

OP posts:
Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:35

HalloweenHaribo · 27/10/2024 13:19

They mustn't have had another birthday cake, but surely they could've subbed with some sort of cake??

As far as I know, a chocolate bomb is something you put in a mug and pour boiling water over to make hot chocolate?

It comes from a massive Tesco and from the choice of cakes on their website I'd be shocked if they didn't have a single cake left in store.

OP posts:
dragonfliesandbees · 27/10/2024 13:36

Too late now but you can add a note to your order against individual products. So you could have specified that, if subbed, you wanted an alternative birthday cake. As mentioned by a pp, some pickers just go with the computer suggestions which can be a bit bizarre. I’m not sure I would expect a substitution to be the same flavour as the cake they didn’t have though.

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:38

BobbyBiscuits · 27/10/2024 13:19

They clearly didn't stock any other white chocolate vanilla sponge based birthday cakes. It could be all their birthday cakes were out of stock. I always take off subs on everything as it's not ever close to what you wanted!
Have you time to make one out of Betty crocker packet mix, and ready made frosting?

If I was going to bake, I'd make my own (I'm a great baker, just crap at decorating) but the oven is in full use for the roast dinner - by the time that's done we wi have to eat, then there wouldn't be time before he leaves to bake one. Plus I'm just not in the right mood for baking lately, it's been a hectic few months at work, a friend died last month, I've been ill on and off since the start of the summer and still just not quite right, I'm supporting my middle child through bad health issues as well at the minute... it's just all so much and I thought "fuck it - I fancy cake" lol. Guess the universe doesn't want me to have cake though!

OP posts:
QueenCamilla · 27/10/2024 13:38

To all the shoppers - if there's an item that really matters to you - write an instruction for a preferred substitute. Sorted.
I always do this.

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:39

JohnSt1 · 27/10/2024 13:21

Happy Birthday!

Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:39

maddening · 27/10/2024 13:30

Is there a local morrisons? They deliver via amazon and it seems you can get very quick on the day deliveries?

Sadly not - can't get any deliveries here same day!

OP posts:
BlunderMifflin · 27/10/2024 13:40

I don't know if this is relevant in your case but one of the Bakkavor plants is on strike, (they are a big supermarket supplier) which means many supermarkets are out of stock of many products, including desserts/cakes.
I get your disappointment though and hope you have a happy birthday anyway.

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:41

Oldraver · 27/10/2024 13:34

I ordered Persil NON Bio (as it was on offer usually happy with own brand) and it was substituted with just Persil..Anyone using a brain would think any NON bio would do. Obviously the computer thought my preference was for the brand

I ordered glass cleaner recently...same thing. The same brand but general household cleaner

Right?! It's ridiculous isn't it? Sometimes the subs are brilliant and you can tell you've had a picker that's used their brain. Other times you wonder what they are smoking? 😂😂😂 I know a lot of the time they are likely inexperienced youngsters just following what the computer says, rather than someone who does the shopping themselves so knows what would make a better sub.

OP posts:
AutumnCrow · 27/10/2024 13:43

Happy Birthday, OP! 🎈🎉

Stick a candle in the roast potatoes and have a song 🎶

Original poster
Tillow4ever · 27/10/2024 13:43

dragonfliesandbees · 27/10/2024 13:36

Too late now but you can add a note to your order against individual products. So you could have specified that, if subbed, you wanted an alternative birthday cake. As mentioned by a pp, some pickers just go with the computer suggestions which can be a bit bizarre. I’m not sure I would expect a substitution to be the same flavour as the cake they didn’t have though.

Yeah I usually do that and just didn't think with a cake it would be necessary. Any vanilla sponge would have done. I'd have even taken a chocolate cake, despite not being a massive fan of it (the kids love it though). I never thought that they'd substitute with something that wasn't even a cake!

OP posts: