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More Supermarket Craziness

(39 Posts)
rocketstop Thu 12-Jun-25 08:22:29

My order is due to be delivered this morning.I clicked on my receipt to see what substitutions there are with the usual message of 'We try to pick the nearest product to the one you ordered' Really ?
What do you think of this ?!!...

We’ve tried to pick the best substitute for the unavailable items below. If you’re not happy with these substitutions, you can give them back to the driver and we’ll send you a refund.
ItemsQuantityPrice
KitKat 4 Finger Hazelnut Chocolate Bar 41.5g1£1.00

Substituted with
Zoflora Concentrated Multipurpose Disinfectant Midnight Blooms 500ml1£1.00
Sainsbury's Red Pepper1£0.69

Substituted with
Sainsbury's Yellow Pepper1£0.69

Elegran Thu 12-Jun-25 08:47:03

A few days ago - Strong cheddar cheese unavailable, substituted was no cheese at all of any strength or variety. Are Tesco's completely out of cheese of any description? (and no, I had not selected "no substitutions")

ferry23 Thu 12-Jun-25 08:48:07

Hmm, I do always find the Midnight Blooms variety of disinfectant rather overpowers my cuppa - on balance I'd probably would have picked maybe a different chocolate bar?

But then there's no accounting for taste. grin

keepingquiet Thu 12-Jun-25 09:05:15

I was once substituted a toothbrush for a household cleaning item- no idea why.
I told the delivery man it was a mistake and I didn't order a toothbrush so would they take it back? It must be someone else's. Only later when I realised my cleaning item was missing did I realise the toothbrush was a substitution!

TheWeirdoAgain1 Thu 12-Jun-25 09:27:30

I regularly buy online non-groceries from non-supermarkets/shops but I've only ever ordered groceries online once and was well put off!

From Morrisons I'd ordered almost £100.00 worth of groceries, including 4, 1L cartons of Alpro Nutty Almond milk = £8.40 for all 4.

I was told they'd run out of that sort and would be replaced with something similar ... OK, no problem at all. I was thinking Alpro No Sugar Oat or something like it, Plenish Coconut etc.

When the truck arrived all the items were there but the replacement for the milk was ... a pack of
Always Ultra Normal Size 1 Sanitary Towels Wings 26 pad!

The driver was brilliant and we both had a jolly good laugh when I gave them back to him and explained the situation then I had several calls to them and loads of frustration trying to get the dopey woman on the other end of the line to get me a £8.40 refund and she couldn't understand that milk is NOT ANYWHERE NEAR LIKE a pack of period pads! Eventually and very reluctantly she proceeded the refund!

I still go to Morrisons in person as I have done for years and years but I'm never ordering online from them again!

sodapop Thu 12-Jun-25 12:36:44

My husband thinks the warehouse staff are having a competition to see who can come up with the most unlikely substitute.

Beechnut Thu 12-Jun-25 13:20:34

sodapop

My husband thinks the warehouse staff are having a competition to see who can come up with the most unlikely substitute.

😂
A bonus point if it’s kept by the customer.

NotSpaghetti Thu 12-Jun-25 13:25:50

A bonus point if it’s kept by the customer.
grin

creakingandchronic Fri 13-Jun-25 13:40:04

I take ages to find vegan food I would like, and I find it irritating when they send non-vegan food instead. It means that I have done a month's shopping, and I am short of things for myself, and my OH has extra!

NotSpaghetti Fri 13-Jun-25 14:01:15

I don't really have substitution issues with Ocado or Waitrose.

I do with Sainsbury's

Tesco and Asda were SO bad I don't bother with them anymore!

sandye Fri 13-Jun-25 14:29:00

I once had a chicken subbed with a piece of cheese, not quite the same in a casserole.

MrsMatt Fri 13-Jun-25 14:33:10

After my husband died I desperately needed a job. I started working at a Tesco home delivery centre. All the subs are dictated by their computer system.
Anyways, one order I doing doing has BBQ sauce listed (I can't remember the brand). It was out of stock. The substitute suggestion was a huge gas BBQ!. The rotten manager wouldn't let me send it out as a substitute. 🤣

TillyWhiz Fri 13-Jun-25 14:39:18

Vegan Kitkat was out of stock so they subbed a 9 pack of normal Kitkat. That was so painful to have to refuse it as I'm non dairy!

NoodleNut Fri 13-Jun-25 15:11:53

I love the random subs. I actually get quite sad if I get my full delivery!

jocork Fri 13-Jun-25 15:18:46

I've only ever ordered food online when we had covid so couldn't shop in person. The only subs we got were tins of the wrong sort of soup. I simply took them back for a refund when I was well again. My DD did the order and included some soup she liked but I didn't, so along with the subs I returned some of the ones she had ordered as I suspected they wouldn't all get used. She did eventually use one of the cans I kept, and said it didn't taste as good as it used to!
Note to self - Give remaining can to the foodbank next time I'm there doing deliveries!

Quizzer Fri 13-Jun-25 15:20:51

Once had bladder infection capsules substituted to hay fever tablets. Uh!!

62Granny Fri 13-Jun-25 15:36:12

TBH I have never had a silly substitution, but I do get annoyed when they give you something with a short date, e.g Strawberries that expire within 24 hours . Some of the drivers will just let you keep it and process the refund anyway. Others will take them back and still process the refund but I know it is just thrown into the skip when they get back to base as one of the drivers told me previously. The only time I have to phone for a refund is if something is missing and I don't notice until I go to put things away. I always online shop with Tesco.

Crossstitchfan Fri 13-Jun-25 15:41:35

rocketstop

My order is due to be delivered this morning.I clicked on my receipt to see what substitutions there are with the usual message of 'We try to pick the nearest product to the one you ordered' Really ?
What do you think of this ?!!...

We’ve tried to pick the best substitute for the unavailable items below. If you’re not happy with these substitutions, you can give them back to the driver and we’ll send you a refund.
ItemsQuantityPrice
KitKat 4 Finger Hazelnut Chocolate Bar 41.5g1£1.00

Substituted with
Zoflora Concentrated Multipurpose Disinfectant Midnight Blooms 500ml1£1.00
Sainsbury's Red Pepper1£0.69

Substituted with
Sainsbury's Yellow Pepper1£0.69

Par for the course, I’m afraid. Their packers are appalling! I am always having to send stuff back because it’s incorrect. The most stupid one (not food) was a corset, complete with bones, when I had ordered a simple winter vest!
You know the saying: if you only pay peanuts, you’ll get monkeys. But they are getting much worse. I dread deliveries now.

DollyRocker Fri 13-Jun-25 15:41:38

I'm sure the 'no substitutes' boxes can be ticked, certainly with Ocado it can. I've only ever had substitutions from Sainsbury's which weren't too silly.

theworriedwell Fri 13-Jun-25 15:42:07

I do my online shopping and I e never had a crazy substitution, sometimes I don't want the substitution but never any issues, J just give it to the driver and get a refund. Sometimes I've had short dated items as Nd said I'd send them back and the driver said just keep it and refunded me. I can't complain.

theworriedwell Fri 13-Jun-25 15:42:29

Meant to say I used Sainsbury's.

Allira Fri 13-Jun-25 16:19:41

The driver was brilliant and we both had a jolly good laugh when I gave them back to him and explained the situation then I had several calls to them and loads of frustration trying to get the dopey woman on the other end of the line to get me a £8.40 refund and she couldn't understand that milk is NOT ANYWHERE NEAR LIKE a pack of period pads! Eventually and very reluctantly she proceeded the refund!
😃

Tesco and Waitrose drivers just note that the substitution has been rejected and the substitution comes through automatically. No need to phone.

Remind me not to order online from Morrison's 😃

Whethertomorrow Fri 13-Jun-25 17:09:54

I always use Ocado as their customer service is excellent. I once got a bag of someone else’s shopping by mistake.
It contained a £25 piece of steak, some expensive mints, a box of tissues, large pack chewing gum, luxury mixed nuts and chocolate biscuits. All things I couldn’t afford.

I contacted them but the nice lady said keep them all. I did enjoy the steak.

Dearknees1 Fri 13-Jun-25 18:14:57

I use Ocado and rarely get substitutions. When I do they’re sensible, I’m told in advance and therefore am ready to reject. Customer service is excellent. Very quick refund for damaged or incorrect items. Packing is less impressive. There’s always at least one really light bag containing one item and one bag overfilled with heavy items. It doesn’t matter how much you complain nothing changes. Nevertheless other people’s experiences convince me to stick to Ocado.

LOUISA1523 Fri 13-Jun-25 18:21:58

NoodleNut

I love the random subs. I actually get quite sad if I get my full delivery!

Me too!
I always end up with something more expensive so I feel like a winner!!
And if I say I don't want an item because its almost out of date, they just tell me to keep it but refund it anyway
This is tescos ....they not disappointed me yet