Expiration dates - Tesco

jaytin

Tesco are bad for short dates and we have often had large quantities of chicken wings/drumsticks that needed using by the next day or had to be frozen, which makes buying fresh meat rather than frozen a bit pointless!However Sainsbury are often worse and sometimes you get a LOT of items all with very short dates. I have had orders where more than half of my fresh items had short dates, one had 14 items, all needing using up within two days, despite complaining every time it is still the same a year later so I don't order from them any more. You shouldn't have to ask for long dates, the picker should choose as carefully as they would if it was their own shopping, they all advertise how much care their pickers take, but it's just not true!

foxy219

I ordered from Asda last week, it wasn't a pleasant experience and I won't be using them again - broken eggs, battered tins and bananas with a display by date the day before delivery! Tesco are usually pretty good and I read it somewhere that they are supposed to give long sell by dates. I agree with the previous poster, if you put a note that you want long dates (or green bananas!) they should take notice.
Also a note with regard to Asda CS - I emailed them straight after my delivery was taken in on Thursday night and it took them until Sunday to reply, still no refund in the bank and the e-voucher I was promised hasn't materialised. Go with Tesco and if you're not impressed try someone else - and don't forget cashback!

terra_ferma

I do most of my food shopping online, partly because it saves time, as I work long hours, but also because I don't spend as much as when I do 'live' shopping.

I now almost exclusively use Ocado.
Just to give you an example, I can even set my delivery time for the Sunday morning and order all the ingredients for a lovely roast, knowing that everything I need will be there :T. I also buy meat confidently, it always looks good and with a good expiry date.

Tesco? delicate items squashed at the bottom of the bag resulting in breakages (had stopped eating eggs in the end), but the most inconvenient is the fact that you never know what you will get: items are are often out of stock, and the give you ridiculous substitutions (ignoring the suggestions I put in, the last time it was corn instead of cauliflower).
Short sell by dates, as people have mentioned, is another big problem, so I stopped buying meat altogether.

I know Ocado is more expensive, but it's great, even better than going to a shop as you may still find empty shelves..

I must say Tesco's deliveries have been as reliable as Ocado's (except that Ocado give you a one-hour slot instead of two), and their customer service has also been good. But at the end of they day I could never rely on Tesco's as I do on Ocado's.

heynonnynonny

I'm really surprised to hear Tescos have been treating customers like this, I used to work there and the pickers were brilliant always getting the freshest stuff from the back. I guess it varies store to store and on the people picking. Not tried Ocado yet but hear very good things about it so looking forward to it!!

LizzieS_2

The pickers will generally pick the first item they see - whereas if you shop yourself, you will look for the dates and either check dates on items at the back of the pile or decide not to buy that item. The pickers have absolutely no idea if you want that item for that day or for 6 days time - they cannot mind read so stick to running around as quick as they can.

I usually find it is easier to order online for items where dates don't really come into it, then go myself for the items I want to decide whether or not to buy (fresh meat, fresh fish, fridge items & veg).

ben500

Far more cost effective to offload close coded products on home delivery than to reduce them instore the next day or so, attitude is most either won't notice or complain those that do get the usual empathetic patter and a sweetener to shut them up such as free goods or gift vouchers, excellent way of keeping down wastage.

paulwf

We use online shopping nearly exclusively for bulk ordering storecupboard essentials...tins of beans, loo roll, frozen veg, bottles of lemonade, that sort of thing where dates aren't critical. I then prefer to go shopping 3 or 4 times a week to pick up fresh stuff as and when needed. After all, even if your delivery contained everything that arrived in store that day stuff like bread and some veg only has 4-5 days shelf life anyway.

nicebiscuits

I bought 2 packs of sausages from Tesco, 1 hour before closing time. I stupidly didn't check the use by date and when I got home, I realised that my family had to eat 24 sausages the following day. Yes, it was my fault for not checking the date but I wish that sell by and use by were not the same date for meat products.