Shocked at hidden fees in my Asda shop

[Lucie984]

I’ve shopped through Asda online for years and with the exception of a few minor issues have generally found the service and produce to be good both online and instore. I’m also aware they have a £40 minimum basket charge ( fair enough) we have an anytime pass so as long as I do a £40 shop I should only be paying for the groceries purchased….
However the cumulative basket total shown in the corner as shopping can show £40 but this does not mean you have actually reached the minimum £40 basket total. Was very upset to look back through the full receipt of many of my recent orders I have been charged £7.50-9 in these hidden fees. Shockingly even when actually adding a few extra items would have still made the overall charge on our credit card nearly 25% cheaper!

Thanks for highlighting this issue op, it’s nice of you to make others aware. It is a poor decision on Asda’s part to make this change and not inform customers especially at a time when many are having to watch their budgets. I previously used Asda without many issues except for strange substitutions, it’s a shame many are having problems with their new update.

You don't have to accept the delivery if you think it is wrong, or they added the extra without you knowing. You just refuse the delivery and the driver has to refund it.

I did that once, because they sent something despite the note I put on, so I sent the whole lot back as a stand.

I guess now you know they add those charges in the basket along with the shopping items you can check for them in future and make sure you're over the £40 with actual food.

I’m shocked you didn’t know this and checked the total before you paid! The charges are not ’hidden’ they are very clearly there in the final total!

You should not be charged for this - go over all your receipts & phone customer services for the refund that is due to you.

They charge you £4 for not spending £40?
Why don’t you buy something for £4 instead

extra pack of mince - frozen fish - multipack of crisps - shampoo etc

seems such a waste to me

or am I miss understanding

Op, time to climb down. Simply get your food bill to 40. Better you get something rather than having a fee added to make it 40. It's actually a bonus for budgeters as other shops have a higher limit. A quick Google gives you their policy. You got it wrong, happens to the best of us.

A little yeah! Maybe re read the opening post

It has changed when the app updated. It used to show a running total of just the things in your basket, so you could shop, get it over £40 and check out. Now it shows the total as the delivery charge, a pick and pack charge and the things in your basket, so once it's over £40 you have to double check whether it's over £40 of the things in the basket, or over £40 because you haven't gone over £40 so the charges are still there asking with the things in the basket. I've been caught out once as I'm used to checking out on the old app, I'm sure lots of others have too.

Phone them up & complain

That’s exactly it, caught me out too.

They don’t give refunds for inattentiveness.

How ridiculous - just because you don’t notice them doesn’t make them ‘hidden fees’. If I go to the super market and pick up eggs and bread and I get to the till and they charge me £10 I’m going to enquire as to how that’s worked out! Same as if I did an online shop I check that the basket total is what I expect it to be, particularly if it’s only a £40 shop. Also they always email you a receipt - don’t you check that?
I don’t think you can blame them for your oversight.

I have. Several times. I don’t get it about the extras

spend £40 surely

It’s not that hard to understand really. OP knows there is a charge if you spend under £40, but she doesn’t check the full amount when checking out, she relies on the ongoing basket. She thought she’d made the minimum spend of £40 but hadn’t checked, turns out she was under and the ‘minimum spend’ charge was what made the basket look like it was over £40. She wasn’t deliberately spending less than £40… she clearly would rather have spent the money on food rather than the extra charge.

But as mentioned she doesn’t look at the cost when confirming the order and checking out and so she didn’t realise.

Thank uou for explaining

Maybe to make people more aware of this MartinLewis should broadcast it on his show.

I've noticed that Asda have recently started adding the delivery charge and minimum basket charge after I add my first item so it is confusing until you get to checkout.. they really shouldn't be doing this and I agree that other supermarkets don't do this.. it is definitely a sneaky way to get us to spend more and is not acceptable! 🙄

I’ve had this when items haven’t been available and the total spend then is adjusted to reflect that and it can drop below the the free delivery threshold. I would drop down to 1 bigger shop a week to make sure