Tesco delivery couldn’t bring shopping to my door

[anonforme7]

We live in a first floor new build (no lifts) and I have terrible sciatica, I’m almost 30 weeks pregnant.

I usually do the food shop and take the meat and fridge items up split in a couple of strong bags and DH will bring the rest in when he gets home from work so I’m not carrying much up the stairs.

We have our own business and he’s usually home by 5 as he leaves early however he is on a big job this week and isn’t home until gone 8pm so thought it would be easier to get a delivery instead of waiting hours for the rest of the shopping to come up.

Tesco delivery arrived this morning, I buzzed the door to let the driver in however he shouted up from the bottom of the stairs that I needed to come and get it.

I got down and explained I’m unable to carry shopping up the stairs due to my back and he said he couldn’t do anything about it, he’s got 6 open ulcers on his legs. I managed to convince my 2 year old to sit in her cot with some books for 10 minutes and went downstairs with bags.

He’d opened up a camping chair and had sat at the bottom with the crates piled up, I felt sorry for him as he was clearly in pain and you could see fluid leaking through his dressings, it smelled really really bad.

Luckily we only share the entrance with one other and I text her to say to be careful when she got home from work as I’d left some heavy bottles, family pack of laundry conditioner etc at the bottom of the stairs (she actually bought these up to me when she got home which was lovely of her).

The whole reason I got an online shop was to avoid carrying up the stairs, I’m tempted to put a complaint in but I don’t want to get him in trouble. He is clearly unwell, I don’t know how he is driving to be honest.

Will I get him into trouble if I complain as that’s not the intention? I just think what if this was an elderly person who physically could not possibly bring any shopping up stairs.

Did you put in the notes section that you needed it bringing upstairs ?

What terms did you agree to with Tesco, as not all supermarkets will bring beyond the Main Entrance of flats?

Sounds like he shouldn't be at work.

Poor chap but he's clearly unable to work manually right now and tbh it sounds unhygienic. Don't Tesco pay sick pay?

https://www.tesco.com/help/pages/online-grocery-faqs/delivery-and-collection-basics/where-tesco-delivers-to

"For deliveries to residential apartment blocks, we aim to deliver to the front door of your apartment. However, if the delivery driver believes it’s unsafe or impractical to deliver to your apartment door, we reserve the right to deliver only to the main entrance of the property."

I found this online. Sounds like they should ideally bring it to the door but don't have to. I don't know if you'd get anywhere complaining if they haven't committed to bringing it to the door anywhere.

I thought they advertised delivery to your front door?

I had an Asda delivery driver do this a couple of years ago. I live on the second floor of a low rise block of flats (28 steps in total). I am disabled with arthritis and whereas I can manage the stairs slowly and empty handed,no way can I lug numerous bags of shopping up the stairs. He buzzed the intercom and I let him in. Then he dumped the shopping at the bottom of the stairs and shouted up that I needed to come down and get it. I said I couldn't as I was disabled and his response was 'Well I can't do it as I've got a bad back'. Honestly,they shouldn't send delivery drivers that have issues with stairs.

It's at the drivers discretion whether they take it up to your door in a block of flats, so there's no point complaining.

He can't risk his own health.

It sounds rubbish for you too,so you'll know to book it when you have help next time. Remember to write it in the delivery notes as well.

I think you’d be unreasonable to complain. What was he supposed to do? You need to plan deliveries for when your husband is around if you can’t get them up the stairs yourself.

Maybe not a complaint about him maybe feedback that you need someone able to deliver to your actual front door in future?

I did and I also put details such as one flight of stairs

I wondered this! Felt sorry for him.

Sorry this happened to you, it’s not nice is it and sounds like the delivery driver could have been a bit more sympathetic towards you.

Good idea, I will do that.

I’ve learned my lesson now and will obviously do this in future. I left a note saying that I would need them bringing to my door and it’s 1 flight of stairs. I’ve only ever had 3 shopping deliveries and the other 2 times it’s been to my door.

I did but I’ll definitely wait until DH is here in future just in case. To be honest, I’ve got 3 items that are “best before” today’s date as well so I probably won’t bother again with an online shop unless it’s some sort of dire need.

Contact customer service about the best before today items - they shouldn’t be doing that!

When you order online next to the fresh meat it normally says 3+ days etc and therefore it should have AT LEAST that amount of time on it.

But they're not obliged to bring it up the stairs. That's the thing. It might be they can't guarantee anyone will.

I had a similar issue when I lived in a flat. It was hit & miss if they'd come up or wait at the building entrance

If you take a picture of the items with the best before date as today then upload them on the app customer services will refund you.

Asda did the same to me when I was pregnant, also first floor flat. We had lots of bottles of water and I had to individually bring them up whilst my shopping was just dumped on the dirty floor in the hallway

Not sure if it’s standard practice but I had an Ocado driver offer to bring my shopping to my kitchen a couple of months ago at 37 weeks pregnant. I live in a coach house so similar set up, except my front door is on the ground level with the rest of the flat on the first floor.

Apparently they are supposed to bring it to your door unless your a business

I don’t think they’re obliged to bring it upstairs unfortunately. How will you manage with a pram and a baby and a toddler?

yeah but 3 days in a fridge, not stuck in an unrefridgerated and potentially hot hallway.
I must have been lucky that one day I did a big Tesco order and the guy could bring it up the stairs. I live in a three storey house where the kitchen and the living room is up one flight of stairs in the middle storey.

Go with Ocado next time OP they absolutely deliver to your door even if you're at the top of a block of flats with no lift (ask me how I know). They're brilliant for this.