How reliable are supermarket Christmas deliveries?

[SicknSpan]

Have bagged a slot, but whilst I do year round grocery shopping via tesco normally, I've only had one Christmas delivery and that was a few years ago. Didn't repeat it as there were so many important Christmas items out of stock (think stuffing and sausages in bacon- shock horror) that I haven't trusted them since.

Have things improved? Can I rely on mr tesco or sainsbos to deliver what I've ordered? Or do I really have to schlepp round the local morrisons at 6 in the morning to make sure I get the fresh goods I need?

well, I did it last year with sainsburys, to be fair, I had already picked up stuffing/chipolatas etc and chucked them in the freezer. I arranged the delivery for the 23rd just in case they subtituted my Turkey for a tin of soup or something and it'd leave me enough time for an emergency dash.

However, my order was perfectly fine, got everything I'd ordered and avoided the chaos. I'm doing the same this year.

Maybe if it wasn't just us and we had guests to cater for I might do differently but although I love my Christmas dinner, if anything had gone wrong we'd have rustled up something decent from the freezer :)

Last year I had an alert to tell me they'd run out of parsnips the day before delivery, I had ordered prepacked ones so just changed to loose and it was fine :)

I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't happened to check the order the day before, I guess they would have substituted them but who knows!

I've preordered some things from Sainsburys, due to be collected on the 23rd so if anything is missing from my Tesco delivery I'll pick it up then.

I do work full time as does OH so don't really have time for running round picking up stuff from different places and can't afford 2 hours in a queue to get in or out of the carpark!

They are as reliable as what is instore on your day of picking (it's not a reservation service, as such) - so baring any natural disasters, heavy, un-drivable snow, a huge technical system breakdown or anything of that ilk, you should be alright. :)

I've never done it. Like you I wouldn't want to risk it.

I've only ever done my groceries twice online. Once with Tesco and the other time with Sainsburys.

Both times they have gave me meat products that were to go off that day or substituted a product for something completely different.

I'd only ever buy booze now..

Blimey, where was that, mumtoone1 ?

oh sorry, read the post first, it helps doesn't it?! haha.

Sainsbos are buggers for giving meat that has a use by of the next day, if you complain they say it's not classed as short dated.

I think they only thing they didn't have last year for my delivery was sausage rolls, they subbed them for some kind of turkey lattice pies or something I think, but Christmas wasn't ruined because of that. I get them to deliver on the 23rd just in case of any issues. Far easier to shop for one or two bits rather than a full Christmas shop in my opinion.

I always do it and the only problems I have encountered were my own boozing whilst ordering fault.

Like the time I got 6kgs of carrots instead of 6 carrots.

And the time I got 5 tubs of mushrooms instead of 5 mushrooms.