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Supermarket Online Shopping Substitutions

Eurobuff

Eurobuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
358
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
My weekly shop was delivered today. I ordered No Added Sugar Crusha, but they had decided to substitute it with the sugar version (this is a dilute milkshake drink which has 20 servings in the bottle). I rang the supermarket who couldn't understand what the problem was, and thought it was a reasonable substitute. She said that the online shoppers have a handheld device which tells them what to substitute an item with. I don't think a non sugar version of something should be substituted with the sugar version. My mother who has lost her sight through diabetes could have quite easily made herself a drink with this without knowing. The delivery driver said to him, the item looked like what she'd ordered anyway. The supermarket can't see the seriousness of what they've done. Has anyone else experienced this?
I think the supermarkets need to be educated. I wonder if they would do the same thing with a gluten free product?
 
It might be worth you putting down in writing just how serious it is and mention your mum.
How can no sugar please equate to we'll give her some sugar?
 
I'm surprised this happened considering the whole range of food that has to be correct for a variety of allergies. Surely supermarkets are generally more attuned than this one. I just put "no substitute" on stuff if it's important. I'd rather have nothing than the wrong item.
This shop needs a severe rap. Wake 'em up!
 
DeejayR said:
I'm surprised this happened considering the whole range of food that has to be correct for a variety of allergies. Surely supermarkets are generally more attuned than this one. I just put "no substitute" on stuff if it's important. I'd rather have nothing than the wrong item.
This shop needs a severe rap. Wake 'em up!
Click to expand...
Allergy advice is a good point to be coming from too.
 
I usually do like @DeejayR and put "no substitute" when I selected a particular product for its low carb content and I specifically want that item. I think with Tesco's too you can also specify an alternative if a product isn't available.. But unless you indicate that this should be the case they can't necessarily know that a substitution is going to cause a problem - some people may feel the opposite and want any alternative rather than nothing, so this sort of requirement should definitely be flagged somehow. While I certainly agree that this shouldn't happen, and that the customer services person at least should have been more understanding and on the ball, I also believe it's up to us to make out requirements crystal clear. If they've actually substituted an unsuitable alternative in spite of you indicating otherwise the IMO that's a much more serious matter and then they deserve a right royal rollicking though.

Robbity
 
The Nanny state is rearing it's ugly head again. Choose no substitutes or decline it on delivery. You can't blame supermarkets for not knowing every individual shopper's circumstances. They will pick the goods in the quickest manner possible, if not, it will cost you a fortune.
 
We are told what items have been substituted before we accept the order (Tescos).

I think the best ones were when I asked for
  • Umami Paste and was given Marmite
  • Coconut water, that turned into lactofree milk
  • and the Sukrin LC bread mix that turned up as an Aunt Bessie's brownie mix.

Every time I place an order nowadays, I specify 'No Substitutions' and 'No Bags'.
Every time Mr B places an order, he switches it back to 'Substutions Please' and 'Bags Please'

We are at an impasse, he and I, due to a deep philosophical divide. There is no hope of compromise, ever.
 
It is unfortunate but to be fair, they really can't please everyone, what they should do and they normally do with me is to go through the substitutions when the food is delivered and I can accept them or not. I have had online deliveries from ocado, tescos and sainsburys and they have all done this.
 
If ever I get substitute items from Tesco they are pointed out by the delivery driver and I can return them no problem. I get my dads stuff delivered to his house and he is blind. I put it in the special instructions box and so far the drivers have been amazing with him, even offering to put the shopping away for him. I have had some funny substitutions in the past though but just returned them.

One week I got 3 massive bags of jelly babies that weren't on my order, rang them up and said just keep them, gave them to the youth club for their weekly raffle.
 
Scardoc said:
The Nanny state is rearing it's ugly head again. Choose no substitutes or decline it on delivery. You can't blame supermarkets for not knowing every individual shopper's circumstances. They will pick the goods in the quickest manner possible, if not, it will cost you a fortune.
Click to expand...

I wasn't there at the delivery time, but the driver assured my mother that it was the same thing
 
They have refunded the money and said that the Crusha can be given away or put in the bin. I don't think though that a "no sugar" version of something should be substituted with the sugar version for anyone.
 
Any delivery I get you get to choose to take the substitute or decline it and the driver can easily order the refund on your doorstep. Anyone could get something they don't want/need/like/are allergic. It is up to us to refuse it.
 
endocrinegremlin said:
Any delivery I get you get to choose to take the substitute or decline it and the driver can easily order the refund on your doorstep. Anyone could get something they don't want/need/like/are allergic. It is up to us to refuse it.
Click to expand...

The thing is "no substitutions" was requested, and the driver assured my blind mother, that it was the same as what was ordered.
 
Sounds like a mistake then, Eurobuff. I once ordered two packs of frying steaks and it was only when I was putting them away I realised one of the packs was actually casserole beef. It looked similar and I presume my shopper had grabbed it by accident, thinking it was the same as the first one.
 
I think it is reasonable to substitute one wholemeal loaf for another, a packet of biscuits for another, a carton of pure orange juice for another but not a non-sugar drink for a sugar drink or decaffeinated coffee for caffeinated coffee. With this logic a tube of toothpaste could be substituted for denture adhesive. Madness!
 
Eurobuff said:
My weekly shop was delivered today. I ordered No Added Sugar Crusha, but they had decided to substitute it with the sugar version (this is a dilute milkshake drink which has 20 servings in the bottle). I rang the supermarket who couldn't understand what the problem was, and thought it was a reasonable substitute. She said that the online shoppers have a handheld device which tells them what to substitute an item with. I don't think a non sugar version of something should be substituted with the sugar version. My mother who has lost her sight through diabetes could have quite easily made herself a drink with this without knowing. The delivery driver said to him, the item looked like what she'd ordered anyway. The supermarket can't see the seriousness of what they've done. Has anyone else experienced this?
I think the supermarkets need to be educated. I wonder if they would do the same thing with a gluten free product?
Click to expand...

It has happened with a gluten free product to me! I laughed and refused the substitution at the door giving it back to the driver.
 
Engineer88 said:
It has happened with a gluten free product to me! I laughed and refused the substitution at the door giving it back to the driver.
Click to expand...

It's a good job you had sight and could do that and not rely on wrong information from the driver.
 
azure said:
Sounds like a mistake then, Eurobuff. I once ordered two packs of frying steaks and it was only when I was putting them away I realised one of the packs was actually casserole beef. It looked similar and I presume my shopper had grabbed it by accident, thinking it was the same as the first one.
Click to expand...

When I looked at the delivery note when I came in, it said NAS Strawberry a Crusha, substituted with Strawberry Crusha. The driver didn't see the difference. I did but wasn't there at the time.
 
That's bad then. The driver should have checked the delivery note and drawn attention to the substitution. Perhaps he didn't look as closely as he should.

Good job you spotted it.
 
azure said:
That's bad then. The driver should have checked the delivery note and drawn attention to the substitution. Perhaps he didn't look as closely as he should.

Good job you spotted it.
Click to expand...

I know. My mother (diabetic as well), could've drank that unknowingly.
 
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