Inappropriate Tesco substitute! WIBU to complain?

[tigerlady14]

tw: mention of alcoholism

100% fine with being told I’m being very silly and overreacting which I think might be likely due to the emotional circumstances surrounding this, but I need some clearheaded opinions as my knee jerk reaction tells me this is really inappropriate.
For background I am a recovering alcoholic and looking forwards to celebrating 2.5 years of sobriety this week. For a treat I decided to add a pretty expensive “premium” alcohol-free beverage to my weekly Tesco order. I drink alcohol-free drinks quite often but this one was a particularly special one to mark the significant occasion for me (this is why I think I may be BU as I might be particularly sensitive due to the nature of the purchase.)
I was therefore really surprised to see that they had substituted this with the original, alcohol equivalent when my order arrived! I of course refused the substitution and they took it away with no problems so happy to be told that I should accept this as the end of it, but I can’t help but feeling a sense that this substitution is really quite inappropriate.
I am aware that when placing the order you can select if you want substitutions or not, in this case I chose to allow substitutions as I expected to receive something similarly alcohol-free if they didn’t have the item in stock. It didn’t cross my mind that they might substitute it with alcohol, particularly as I live in Scotland and there is a clear pop up on the website indicating that alcohol cannot be purchased on orders being delivered prior to 10am (the slot was 8-9am) due to licensing laws.
Therefore I am wondering WIBU to complain about this substitution, both due to the inappropriate nature of it as well as the violation of licensing laws? I can’t imagine any situation where someone would have ordered an alcohol free drink and would be happy to receive one with alcohol, it just seems wholly unsuitable. However as I say this is obviously quite emotional for me so happy to be told I am being silly.

YANBU: complain to make them aware of the issue and so that they might take it into consideration in future
YABU: you are overreacting, no harm was done as the substitution was removed and refunded

Pickers quite often simply scan what the device tells them without even reading what it is

So don't you actually go and get the item off the shelves? Surely a picker's job isn't just scanning items that somebody else/a robot has put in front of them?

If somebody has ordered a fresh duck and the computer suggests a bottle of Toilet Duck instead, you would actually leave the meat section and go to the cleaning aisle yourself and then mark the item as supplied (albeit with a 'substitute') with full knowledge?

They should transfer to my local tesco, when I shop you can't get through the traffic jams of the pickers chatting as they work.

The time there must be very relaxed

I’m sorry this has been upsetting for you OP but I do think YABU.

1. Most people who drink zero alcohol, aren’t people coping with addiction issues. It wouldn’t be triggering for most people that it was alcohol sent instead, but they would probably think it was a bit stupid. However, most substitutes are perplexing at the best of times, so I always tick the box saying no substitutes.

2. The purchase was made when payment was accepted online. Not when the order was packaged in store. So there’s no issue with regard to the licensing times in Scotland.

I think you’re feeing very sensitive at a time which is of great importance and self reflection for you. Well done for what you’ve achieved but don’t let this derail you. It’s really not a big deal.

I would let them know, as it wasn't a responsible substitutions in this case (Although most of the supermarkets can send ridiculous substitutions from time to time - I got 6 lemons instead of 6 bananas once).

But also a big problem is the fact that you received it before 10am when it is against the Scottish Licencing Laws. Not sure how they managed that, to be honest, as I know Sainsbury and Asda Tills won't allow you to put alcohol through them until it's legal. I assumed they were all the same. I've been disallowed delivery of alcohol even after 10am, as the shop is done and put through the till before 10 am

Substitutions are pretty hit and miss, what is important to one person isn't to another. I have had some really bizarre ones to my mind from Tesco, but they often make some sort of sense depending on what you wanted it for. You refused delivery and no doubt got a refund, I would forget it.

Turn off substitutions if an inappropriate substitution is a particular problem, like for people with allergies, religious restrictions, etc. You can't expect the person or AI that decides on the substitution to know which is the more important element of a product to a particular individual.

I think what their saying some supermarkets it would never come up fresh duck for them to see it would just say toilet duck so that is what they would scan as the computer has already changed it before the worker has even picked up the scanner

Replacing a 0% alcohol drink with an alcoholic one is dreadful. Big fuckup from them! I can't believe some posters are minimising it!

@tigerlady14 This need a proper complaint to Head Office, not just to the store. I am fuming on your behalf, and I like a drink! (Of alcohol) though not that often. DH is teetotal and would be left with nothing, if we sent for a 0% alcohol drink and they sent something with alcohol in. He'd be drinking water with our meal with our friends and family.

Do they seriously think someone WANTING 0% alcohol is going to want a drink with alcohol in it?! Do they send beefburgers to someone who wanted vegan burgers? Or when someone ask for gluten free or nut free do they just sent any old shit that's laden with nuts and crammed with gluten?! Are they THAT useless and irresponsible??!

FFS

Really make sure you kick off about this.

I think YANBU to provide feedback, they really need to know as that could have been very bad!

Substitution procedures all over online shopping need work tbh there are many stories like this and supermarkets need to hear feedback from customers.

Also just to add in many tesco stores including mine, the alcohol free section is completely separate from the alcohol section.

Yes we go to the aisle, and find the product so if the duck was missing I'd ( me personally ) check exactly what had been asked for and try and get as close as possible.if the machine offered me toilet duck I'd simply over ride it.

I suppose everyone has different requirements; that's what makes substitutions so tricky to get right. To me the alcohol-free version of a drink is a substitution in itself, so subbing it back for the alcoholic one is a nonsense. Similarly, if I order
vegan chocolate for my DD and they send a block of dairy chocolate by the same company rather than an alternative vegan product, it goes back, because it's a silly alternative. On the other hand, the soup sub at least looks as if someone thought about it.

Also, there is something weird going on with the way "alcohol-free" products are categorised on " the system".
I got nosecco in m&s recently. I'm pregnant. Had to clarify with the guy that it was definitely alcohol free because despite saying it all over the packaging, it still flagged up with the "challenge 25" and had a label on the shelf saying similar.
He said " yes it is alcohol free but the computer doesn't know that"
I said why not and he shrugged 😅

A vegetarian friend was offered a beef and mushroom pie when her mushroom pie wasn’t available. I absolutely get the inappropriateness of your substitution, but imagine this wouldn’t be an isolated incident of your being offered alcohol.

But I wouldn't want alcohol free whisky as a substitute for alcohol free gin, I don't like whisky. And it really depends if you are getting it as an alternative, I had a 'real' gin, but now I'll have an alcohol free one to keep my units down or are totally anti-alcohol. Better just say no substitution.

People no longer able to think for themselves and use common sense.

I disagree , take slimline tonic water as an eg. It's the tonic I want so would have the non slimline version rather than the slimline ginger ale say.
Tesco deliver to adults who are capable of saying no, and that has to be the assumption.

probably an improvement, some of the wine i used to drink😂

For background I am a recovering alcoholic and looking forwards to celebrating 2.5 years of sobriety this week. For a treat I decided to add a pretty expensive “premium” alcohol-free beverage to my weekly Tesco order. I drink alcohol-free drinks quite often but this one was a particularly special one to mark the significant occasion for me (this is why I think I may be BU as I might be particularly sensitive due to the nature of the purchase.)

I mean this kindly but alcoholics don't drink for the taste so you are feeding the alcoholic obsession by substituting typically alcoholic drinks with 0% versions, particularly when you call it a treat to celebrate a recovery milestone. This is not a helpful way for you to think about anything which imitates alcohol.

I think it's worth bringing it to the supermarkets attention but it seems to have upset you most because you feel you are vulnerable given your history with alcohol. Tesco does not know about that, you can protect yourself from the potential consequences of errors like this by not ordering 0% drinks.

I am speaking from a place of experience rather than judgement. Congratulations on your sobriety.

Alcohol-free products are age restricted as they still contain traces of alcohol.

Hi OP, please raise this with Tesco. I’ve worked with a very similar company and I know they will want to know about it and will take it very seriously.

Congratulation on 2.5 years of sobriety 😀

They’re not allowed to not substitute. The computer algorithm needs changing. Some of the listed substitutes are ridiculous.

Within your time constraints? Not all workers can.

Complain - no. It will be an oversight. Human error.

Make them aware - yes. They need to put mechanisms in place to stop this happening.

A lot of non-alcohol products do actually have alcohol in, albeit in tiny amounts. Without knowing what you ordered, it may have been that they thought if you were ordering pretend alcohol, it may not necessarily have been for your reason.

YABU.
I think people in recovery should stay away from these non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic drinks in general. They are a bad idea. They leave the door open so to speak. I have two close relatives in different stages of recovery. One of them encourages the other to drink non alcoholic beer etc. and I am very against it.
For one thing it allows you to keep up the habits you had around drinking (going to the pub, having a “drink” in the evening or at parties or in your case, celebrating by buying a bottle) and the similar taste is enough to get your brain working and cravings likely to start. This makes you much more likely to relapse than if you break the habits completely and avoid temptation.
There is a reasonable chance you will pick up/ be served a drink with alcohol mistakenly at some point if you are drinking a substitute that looks/ tastes similar but the bigger concern is that you will leave yourself open to deliberately relapsing at a weak moment.
I think that was a serious mistake for Tesco to make and you should complain however in these circumstances you need to be real about your behaviours if you want to stay sober. It’s not on Tesco (or bar staff, or someone who hands you a drink at a garden party) to keep you sober. Take the responsibility.
I was at a party with the relatives I mentioned recently. The one who gets encouraged to drink the non alcoholic beer (who was perfectly content with tea or soda etc before they were introduced to these non alcoholic beers/ ciders) had two or three non alcoholic cans then a relative spotted him with an alcoholic beer down the back of the garden. They confronted him about it and he said it was a mistake, he thought it was non alcoholic. I don’t know if it was a genuine mistake at first, I highly doubt it but regardless I knew this would eventually happen. This is why I’m against them. Most of the time they are a slippery slope. Don’t lay traps for yourself if you want to stay sober.

congrats on your milestone
I am a ceoliac and if there is no gluten free bread they substitute with normal bread with gluten in it ... go figure ... but I agree this is a different scenario.