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

Complain as the substitutes I get are absolutely ridiculous. I'm a full time carer for disabled dh and most of the time cannot get to the shops. I've received some pretty awful substitutes, even the drivers have been shocked at times, and tesco really need pulling up on this. Sometimes common sense is lacking and it can cause real problems if you can't get to the shops. My dh has low potassium and eats a daily banana, I recently had bananas substituted with yellow coloured serviettes. I just don't believe that there weren't any banana of any sort, bunch, individual etc in the whole of tesco and what kind of brain thinks a serviette is a suitable substitute for a banana?The alcohol for non alcoholic is ridiculous and if they are breaking licensing laws then it's even worse. Swapping gluten free for gluten is also wholly unacceptable and could be dangerous. Congratulations on your sobriety!

I agree I think you should complain or at least make them aware that it was inappropriate.

It would be like substituting decaffeinated coffee for regular coffee or vegetarian sausages for meat ones. If they don’t have an appropriate sub they should just remove it from the order.

It's a totally inappropriate substitution and they should be doing more to make sure substitutions are like for like.
For example
If I order a gluten free product it wouldn't be appropriate to send one containing gluten or to substitute veggie burgers with beefburgers!

That's both shocking, and farcical in equal measures. Who lacks in common sense and pure intellect THAT much, that they think that yellow serviettes will replace bananas? What next, a housebrick replacing a fecking chocolate bar? A round piece of cardboard replacing a pizza?! This is actually taking the piss. No-one is that dumb surely? And as you say - it's actually dangerous to peoples health (some of the things they sticking in, in place of something else.) I also don't believe they couldn't get hold of one single banana.

But yeah, sending drinks with alcohol in when someone has requested 0% alcohol is actually fecking disgraceful.

Well done for resisting the temptation. I would def contact them.
I got annoyed when they subbed my GF food with non GF. I called them and explained the health implications that could have ensued.

I don't think you are silly and I'd be complaining too. many congratualtions on your achievement.

I don't think providing alcohol when none has been ordered is worse than a vegetable soup (tomato) being replaced by another vegetable soup (mushroom). I don't get your reasoning at all. Alcohol should not be offered as a substitute when no alcohol is ordered. Especially breaking the law and providing it before 10am. Tesco need to rectify their systems to not further break the law.

i complained years ago to asda and got £550 gift card out of it

i ordered a pregnancy test, they sent flavoured condoms
at the time i was 4 years in to fertility treatment that wasn't working so didn't see the funny side

went to the store to complain to customer services via a taxi as we didn't drive as i was so mad and offended

and got a apology and a £50 gift card so i left it there

got a test at the same time and i was pregnant(2 and half weeks)

weeks later i got through the post a lovely letter on beautiful paper from asdas top bosses a full a4 apology and a £500 gift card
it all went on baby stuff as in 09 500 went far

in your circumstances i would defiantly complain as that little slip up could have tempted you to go back(im teetotal and always have been so cant say i fully understand)

I definitely feel it’s worthwhile raising this. Had a very similar order & substation. Luckily I had only ordered the alcohol free version as part of a best friends birthday treat as she was pregnant. I raised it with Tesco who weren’t interested at all, ! Struggle to understand why it was considered an appropriate switch given I had intentionally selected an item with no alcohol.
Congrats on your sobriety though, you’re obviously doing an incredible job

It’s really not a reasonable sub at all. That’s like saying sending real chicken pieces is an acceptable sub for quorn “chicken” pieces when it’s a veggie or vegan shopping. Or regular bread if the gluten free version is out of stock when you are coeliac.

I get that other things may be allergy issues but this particular sub could have set a recovering alcoholic back badly. At least with the wrong tin, there is unlikely to be mental pressure on the shopper to open the tin anyway.

We are allowed to not substitute for most things.

Things we are never allowed to "offsale" loo roll, baby milk, bread, milk,

Surprisingly bananas are something that we run completely out of on a regular basis.

When I saw this feed I honestly expected it to be someone whining about receiving Tesco value marg instead of premium butter. I was gearing up to roll my eyes.

However, in your case, I think you are absolutely right to flag it. It's not OK and they absolutely need to take action to ensure it doesn't happen in future.

Well done for taking control of the situation so swiftly and effectively, OP

One hundred per cent complain, this could have been disastrous. They need to do some awareness training. I'm so glad you were able to reject it, others at a different stage in their sobriety journey might not have x

One hundred per cent complain, this could have been disastrous. They need to do some awareness training. I'm so glad you were able to reject it, others at a different stage in their sobriety journey might not have x

I'd frame this as feedback and an opportunity to shape their behaviour. You could debate till the cows come home whether they have a moral responsibility to keep alcohol from customers who don't choose it. They will be swayed by what produces more / less income for them. I'd say you were concerned that this happened and you are thinking of advising friends in recovery/ AA organisation not to use Tescos deliveries, but you just wanted to check their practices first and whether this was a mistake.

Subs are dealt with by computer and they need to know about this to change the settings.

I think you're a bit sensitive - understandably so, and you acknowledge this - but I also think YANBU to complain about being given alcohol when there was no alcohol in your order.

It's one person who would have got your order as well as probably several others that they need to go round the shop and quickly fill the crates up with. Then move on to the next one. With a small window of time for each.
So at the point of picking the one you wanted saw it wasn't available and made a split second decision (maybe not the best) to pick up the alcoholic version. Then on to the next item as quick as possible.

So this person who made a decision in haste will now get in to trouble .
What happened to a bit of understanding for human error. They could have been working for hours and not clicked to the time the order will be going out and the no alcohol rule.
Have they done this in the past with your orders? As you have said you often get the non alcoholic version?

I would raise this with Tesco. They need to be aware that this is happening.

Definitely let them know
The substitute is not appropriate

They really need to think before they do this…it’s obvious they don’t
I ordered sunflower oil one year and the substitute was a bunch of sunflowers 🌻

@tigerlady14 i think I’d let them know as I don’t agree with previous poster saying you should accept alcohol as a substitute for a non alcohol product. Would we replace a bottle of wine with a can of juice ?
I think it’s been someone young /maybe a new start.
Id def let Tesco know so they can address and re train the employee on the two problems here.

The law and also substituting appropriately .
Even as a non alcoholic i wouldn’t think it was acceptable .

Re: licensing laws- pretty sure there was a major change years ago which meant shops/supermarkets in England and Wales can sell alcohol as soon as they open depending on whether they have a 24 hr license. I've ordered alcohol on my online shopping plenty of times and it's arrived at 6:30am onwards (edit to add- as part of my weekly shop!)

Anyway, flag it up for them to be aware and learn of that mistake. It could be an automatic substitute that the system tells the employee to get. Or it could be that the employee wasn't paying attention- they must pack a ridiculous blouse amount of orders!

You need to tell them because their pre 10am safeguard is not working and because sending alcohol to someone expecting a soft drink is risky
for lots of reasons.

I’m glad for you that you noticed and rejected it.