• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Supermarket Online Shopping Substitutions

Waitrose has an option for no substitutions but Ocado doesn't. I've been shopping with Ocado three years now and I've had two substitutions. Both times, the driver didn't bring the non-organic food from the van, just checked that we didn't want it verbally.

I think that there are so many food fads and weird diets out there, that when people have an actual big problem e.g. diabetes, celiac, then the brains of customer service agents glaze over and don't take them seriously.
 
I was looking on Tesco's website, which lists items you've previously bought. It shows the no sugar version of Crusha, and then says "why not try" the sugar version. So judging by that anyone ticking substitutes for that item would get the sugar version.
 
When the wife has got online shopping we find that any subs are made for non vegetarian products .. So say it's veggie then expect a meat product in its place. Yuk ..
Once had to refuse the complete order as fresh meat had leaked over athe rest of the order .. Went hungry that week ! But the driver was very understanding and took everything back.
I agree that their should be some way to stopping the subs being so far away from what's wanted
 
@Enclave Yuk about the meat juice!

Some supermarkets have Substitute Options where you can briefly write in what subs are acceptable - eg if you ordered a cheese and onion quiche, you could write "any other vegetarian quiche" which should avoid the meat subs.
 

I think people are expecting way too much. The customer service agents are picking your shopping from a list and any substitutions are going to be pre-programmed. Brains do not come into it. The delivery driver is following a list too and doing his job by saying "you have been offered this substitute". It's not rocket science. At then end of the day, they could turn up at your door with exactly what you ordered and a few missing items that were out of stock or you could just refuse all substitutions to avoid doubt.

They do not know your medical history and, newsflash, are only interested in milking you for your hard earned cash.
 
I've been shopping with Ocado for years and am extremely happy with them. They rarely make substitutions but on the rare occasion that something I have ordered is not available, they tell me by text if they have made a substitution. So I have the choice of accepting it or not. If I choose not to accept the substitution the driver makes the refund there and then.
In your case I would write a letter to the supermarket pointing out the problem and maybe choose the no substitution option in future. But I guess it's really down to the customer to check their delivery.
 

The no substitution option was ticked, but they brought it anyway. The delivery note said it had been substituted but the driver said it hadn't and was exactly the same as what was ordered. Put a complaint in last week when the delivery was made. A manager rung today to ask what the problem was.
 
Eurobuff said:
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.
Click to expand...
I have only used Tesco and on every item you can leave a note for the picker, just write 'do not substitute with sugar alternative' I have done this and not had a problem
 
poohtiggy said:
I have only used Tesco and on every item you can leave a note for the picker, just write 'do not substitute with sugar alternative' I have done this and not had a problem
Click to expand...

I would have thought that the fact that I put no substitutions, that would have been enough.
 
I think many supermarkets hope that you'll accept the subs, especially if they charge the actual price for them. Maybe they are getting wise to the tactic employed by many of choosing really popular items on a busy day so that they have to sub a higher value item for the value item price.
 
Sainsbury's have usually tried to charge me the higher price when they substituted an item with something more expensive, especially wine
 
Tesco don't do that- they price match and I your original choice was cheaper than the substitute you pay that price
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…