To think this is terrible of the supermarket?

[OliviaTall]

Ill try to keep this as brief as possible.

I placed an online grocery delivery with the supermarket as I do every week. Over a week ago.

The shopping didn’t turn up by the end of the time slot so I rang customer services. Customer services couldn’t tell me anything but said if it didn’t turn up they’d refund.

By the next day I still hadn’t heard anything at all, so I rang customer services again and they said they’d arrange a refund.

Later in the week I still hadn’t heard anything about the refund being processed or a courtesy call to explain why the delivery hadn’t turned up so I escalated it by emailing the chief executive email address. This seems to be the only way to actually get a response from the supermarket as I’ve had problems before.

Still didn’t hear anything after a couple of days so I sent another email.

Finally heard back from the executive team apologising and promising a refund and a quite substantial goodwill gesture of £50. I accepted this in writing by replying to the email.

Later that day I got a call from the executive office from a different person apologising again and giving me details of arranging a faster back refund. This person said they give a £20 goodwill gesture, I didn’t say anything but I assumed that she’d made a mistake as I’d already had the offer of £50. Plus I was in the school run so was a bit flustered. I don’t even know that it was a different person I assumed it was a follow up call.

Sure enough the £50 voucher appeared in my email inbox, but then I had a further email from the original person saying that she’d duplicated the case and as I’d now accepted the £20 goodwill gesture she’d be cancelled the £50 voucher.

Aibu to think this is appalling customer service?

Exactly!

I used Sainsburys deliveries during covid. I frequently had to ring about a problem with what had been delivered like milk split open, mouldy veg, wrong item etc.
Mostly ok but a couple of the customer services assistants questioned me like a criminal probably as I had to ring so much. Actually Sainsburys its because of the shit training you give to your packers that I had so many issues with my deliveries.
Understand that it was difficult times but still.

Asda deliveries were amazing for me during Covid. Any substitutions I didn’t want they couldn’t take back (as they were now potentially infected! 🙄) so they gave a refund and let me keep them.
I used to order toddler books like Julia Donaldson ones and they would send subs, I got so many free books during that time. Always refunded automatically via the app with no quibble.

If you want a complaint dealt with these days then you look up the CEO on Companies House and he/she doesn’t personally deal with it but does find out how his company fails in dealing with customers which affects the bottom line for which he is responsible to shareholders

I had this with Sainsbury’s last week (23rd).
We use a Utility Warehouse card as we get cashback off our bills and only use it for Sainsbury’s deliveries. Card had enough money on as I top it up after I’ve checked out, plus add a bit extra incase of subs. They took £110 (leaving about £6 left on the card) and looks like they tried to do it again or their system did and it obviously declined as the money had already gone and it only registered the second attempt. After phone calls to both Sainsbury’s and UW, I sent proof that it had been approved (screenshots of card balance, transaction approval, email from UW that it had definitely been approved and also screenshot of the second declined transaction) to Sainsbury’s but by that time it was too late for my groceries to be delivered as it was still showing as declined the shop end. I sent the email at 9am and still hadn’t heard anything by 1:30pm, so rang again. Was offered £20 compensation and after some back and forth and being put on hold several times, confirmed I’d be refunded but she couldn’t do it as would need to wait for a response from the back office who I’d sent the email to and their confirmation.
Wasn’t until the next day that I got a response saying as I’d provided evidence that it had gone through my end, they accept that it was a failure their side and would refund me. This could take UP TO 5 DAYS.
So, as it was just before payday I had little money to get any groceries for the 5 of us, so had to get what I could to last over the weekend (luckily I also still had bits in to do a couple of mash up teas!).
Still no refund to the card today and I really need to shop tomorrow. Thankfully paid today but that money was allocated to getting my sons present for his bday and my husbands 50th bday present so having to rejig my budget!

This sounds about right with Sainsbury’s, their customer service is non existent. Avoid like the plague in future and shop elsewhere

I understand completely. A right pain and very bad business to mess you around with the compensation voucher. I also think anybody suggesting you intended to ‘make’ on this shouldn’t judge you by their own standards of behaviour.

You kept quiet about the £50 to see if you could get the £20 on top!! It back fired!! 😂😂

They’re maintaining their position that I accepted a lesser amount over the phone so that overrides what they’d offered.

Sod them, there are plenty of other supermarkets to try where I might get better service.

Wow @GinMummy1983 that is really shit to say the least, Sainsbury's sound like assholes, we don't have then over here in The Republic but if we did after reading lots of posts here I'd avoid them like the plague

Definitely go elsewhere @OliviaTall from now on