What's the strangest "substitute" item you've been offered on your home delivery?

GemV

I have just received a strange substitute, I ordered several party foods, ready for a large birthday my mum is celebrating! the coleslaw that was meant as a side dish has been substituted with a 4 cream bun selection!

GalaxyStar

I'll stand up for us pickers we're not all as bad as these subs! If you choose to have subs and there's something specific you'd accept for a sub put it in the notes, we'll send what you request. I always use common sense but some just go with what the computer tells them, we joke about it. One of my faves is a sub for plastic cups for parties; tells us to send spoons!

Also please double check your offers! It's so frustrating for us when an item is ordered that's on offer, or even not, and there's a better offer on. Like today I had 2 boxes of Oat So Simple 10 sachet boxes, £2.45 each or 2 for £4.00. Two shelves up is a box of 22 sachets - exactly the same but 2 sachets more for £1.99! £2 cheaper! But I can't sub it because it's not what was ordered. If there's a genuine reason it's fair enough I just wish we knew why! Like why do you need 20 bananas but only one random onion? Or 50 sprouts? 55 loose mixed nuts? or all of the above hah I wish we could ask you!

I see no harm in getting subs, if you don't like it then you send it back you're not losing out on anything by getting them really! Most stores do the price match now too

mandy47

I agree with GalaxyStar. I am a home shop picker. You would not believe the "special request" we get. 100g of whole leg of lamb, a whole turkey weighing no more than 500g.
I always think what would I buy if my wanted item was unavailable. I rarely get complaints. I find we do have a few problems with some of our younger pickers, shockingly they really don't know what many of the fresh products are. They must only eat ready meals!

clarryd

My DD friend is a personal shopper, she was making us laugh the other day as some of the younger staff replace honey and peanut butter, she asked them why they would send that as a replacement as you wouldn't put peanut butter in your tea and if they wanted peanut butter they would ask for it as they may have a nut allergy.

They also send toilet roll instead of kitchen roll, she told us they have no idea of shopping so they just replace items with random things.

mandy47

I have had to show some of the younger pickers what an aubergine is. Also courgettes, squash and try to explain the difference between an onion and a bulb of garlic. The more worrying is the fact they don't know what cherries, kiwis, melons, swede, or mangoes look like.

hannahsmamma

family member ordered a pork pie and got a bunch of daffodils!

faerielight

great thread! I ordered a cereal bowl and I got a gravy boat.. hard to eat cereal out of that!

Kim_13

I've never used home shopping but I was in Sainsbury's last week when I heard a home shopper person confer with a colleague about whether she could substitute an item with a Sainsbury's basics version at the same price. The colleague was in the yes camp! Worse quality for the same money? I think not!

Popppet

Received a massive tube of Savlon antiseptic cream instead of a mascara. They did say it was a picking error rather than a substitute... not sure if that's better or worse!

hayday75

Turkey was substituted with 2 packs of pork chops
Think that was the worst
I would never do an online shop at Xmas again:rotfl: