Warning about using Tesco online

harz99

fat.taff wrote: »

Hi,

Not sure if this is the best place for this, but here goes anyway. I'd appreciate it if anyone could advise on what seems to me to be a very dubious practice by Tesco online.

Last night I created an online grocery order via the tesco online site. The total value of the goods was £85, with a £6 delivery charge. There were a number of promotional discounts which brought the total down to £79. On top of this I had some clubcard vouchers which reduced the total by about another £30. The bottom line was that the amount payable was £49.66. The order proceeded through the checkout phase and I received an order confirmation. The 'guide price' was listed as £73.66 but the amount to pay was confirmed as £49.66. I had about £50 in my bank account so paying this shouldn't have been a problem.

However, when the delivery driver turned up this morning he told be that he couldn't make delivery as there had been a problem with payment. What has since transpired is that Tesco expect there to be sufficient cleared funds in my account to meet the gross total of the bill before any discounts, vouchers or promotions are discounted. In other words I have to have £92 available in order to pay a £46 bill.

This seems ludicrous to me and I can't see how it's either legal or normal business practice - you wouldn't after all go into a shop and buy a discounted item but still expect to have to have the full amount in your wallet would you?

Anyone got any comments on this? Is it as ridiculous as it seems to me?

So, no further input from Fat.taff then?

Hmmm.

zenseeker

sarah1972 wrote: »

if you ordered something for £5 on a bogof and they had none in stock so they substitued it for something that cost £8 they need to know that you can pay for it.

Tesco price match the items, meaning you would get the £8 item for £5 anyway, so that wouldn't make a bit of difference.

But all in all, it makes sense that they would need to make sure that you can cover the full guide price to account for fluctuations, price rises and ended offers. You are charged the prices on day of delivery, not day of order..so although they do price match substitutions, they will not honour an expired bogoff or multi-buy...and if you ordered a lot of these, your bill would rocket. You can refuse them at delivery, but it's too late if they have cancelled

My Tesco usually phone me and let me know though, then I can resubmit payment before they deliver (one time a CC had expired, they just took my new details and delivered fine 15 minutes later).

sarah1972

zenseeker wrote: »

Tesco price match the items, meaning you would get the £8 item for £5 anyway, so that wouldn't make a bit of difference.

But all in all, it makes sense that they would need to make sure that you can cover the full guide price to account for fluctuations, price rises and ended offers. You are charged the prices on day of delivery, not day of order..so although they do price match substitutions, they will not honour an expired bogoff or multi-buy...and if you ordered a lot of these, your bill would rocket. You can refuse them at delivery, but it's too late if they have cancelled

My Tesco usually phone me and let me know though, then I can resubmit payment before they deliver (one time a CC had expired, they just took my new details and delivered fine 15 minutes later).

They never used to price match when I used them so it was a valid comment on my behalf (although obviously out of date). Thanks for letting me know that they are now doing something that Asda have done since day 1.

Ellie2758

Always had a phone call if there is a problem with the card....makes no sense at all to send message via the driver!

harz99

Ellie2758 wrote: »

Always had a phone call if there is a problem with the card....makes no sense at all to send message via the driver!

Exactly, so a troll OP post then?

Ellie2758

Yup. They dont call you Sherlock for nothin do they? :rotfl:

harz99 wrote: »

Exactly, so a troll OP post then?

WhiteHorse

sarah1972 wrote: »

They all do this as far as I am aware and to me it makes total sense.

They 'hold' the full amount from your card just in case the promotions have stopped by the time of your delivery and also they have to make sure your codes are valid for your account.

Once your shopping has been picked and actually gone through the till and everything is validated, then it drops to the actual amount to be paid.

For example, if you ordered something for £5 on a bogof and they had none in stock so they substitued it for something that cost £8 they need to know that you can pay for it.

The price that prevails is the one in force at the time the contract is created. The price is £49.66, no more, no less.

They cannot casually substitute something at a higher price and then demand that you pay for it (unless you agreed beforehand of course).

geordie_joe

WhiteHorse wrote: »

The price that prevails is the one in force at the time the contract is created.

Yes, but the contract is created when the good are picked and the payment is taken.

WhiteHorse wrote: »

The price is £49.66, no more, no less.

No, the price is the price at the time your order is picked, not the time you order it.

WhiteHorse wrote: »

They cannot casually substitute something at a higher price and then demand that you pay for it (unless you agreed beforehand of course).

No, but have you tried ordering online without telling them that you will accept/not accept substitutes?

When you order online you are not really placing an order, you are asking the store to send somone to do your shopping for you on the day you want it delivered, using the list you have supplied. You pay the price for the goods as it is on that day, not the day you give them your list. If you are not happy with what is picked, and delivered, you are free to reject it and you don't have to give a reason.

The point is, you pay "The price that prevails" at the time your shopping is picked and payment is taken, not the price at the time you 'placed your order'.

sarah1972

geordie_joe wrote: »

Yes, but the contract is created when the good are picked and the payment is taken.




No, the price is the price at the time your order is picked, not the time you order it.



No, but have you tried ordering online without telling them that you will accept/not accept substitutes?

When you order online you are not really placing an order, you are asking the store to send somone to do your shopping for you on the day you want it delivered, using the list you have supplied. You pay the price for the goods as it is on that day, not the day you give them your list. If you are not happy with what is picked, and delivered, you are free to reject it and you don't have to give a reason.

The point is, you pay "The price that prevails" at the time your shopping is picked and payment is taken, not the price at the time you 'placed your order'.

Thanks Geordie Joe

fridayschild_2

I'm really glad I read this thread yesterday because after placing my order I realised that I hadn't swapped money into the right account (I keep one debit card just for use online so that I can keep a better track of things). I'd like to hope Tesco would have rung rather than sending the van driver but I'd still have been a bit embarrassed.