Online food shopping- best value for money?

Fuzzy_Duck

Hi all,

For ages now I have been using Asda for my online food shopping, pretty much just because they were cheap. It's got to a point where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. I've had late deliveries, bags left on the van, poor substitutions, products with a short shelf life and broken products (i.e. a shampoo bottle spilt all over everything else in the bag). Oh, and I always have to chase them for a refund when something does happen, so I spend far too much time speaking to customer services.

The last delivery I had was the last straw really. The delivery driver was half an hour late so I had to call customer services to find out where he was. The line was awful so I could barely make out the adviser. When he did turn up, I got no apology, just a grumble that he didn't know where we were located, then there's no where to park, then demanding to know if we've got a lift and sighing that he had to go up a few steps to get through the entrance (I even helped him haul it up despite the fact I'm a puny 23 year old woman, with no thank you!) When he got to my door he faffed about on his phone whilst we removed our shopping from the baskets.

The sad thing is that was one of my better experiences, as most Asda delivery drivers I've had have refused to come in, so I have to lug everything upstairs myself.

So, I've decided stuff their cheap prices, I'd rather swap to Tesco or Sainsbury's to get a better service. I used both of them ages ago and I recall both were perfectly fine (on time and polite drivers who take everything upstairs without a fuss). I just need help deciding which to choose. Who have you had better service with, Tesco or Sainsbury's? And which is cheaper generally? I tend to buy basics stuff as I don't have much spare cash, so if one has better basics then I'll probably go with that one!

Thanks!

markdavey

I had just the same problems with Tesco as I did with Asda. Missing products, crap substitutions etc. I ditched online altogether last month and now shop in Morrisons.

clairibel

I've never used sainsburys but wouldn't count on tesco being any better on service, i prefer my asda delivery people and have not had many issues with them at all, the odd thing but mistakes happen.

But then again i seem to have the same 3 men deliver from asda week by week and they are really accommodating even letting me have free items when substitutions are not what i want. But thats my experience and i understand its not the same for everyone.

Some of the tesco staff have been not as nice as my asda peeps, one even can't be bothered with a uniform But ups and downs i suppose. My tesco veg on a few occasions not upto scratch, but i have had issues with asda also, think its just home delivery in general.

Gillyx

We do our online grocery shopping with Sainsburys and I love it, the drivers are so polite and helpful, will come right in and unpack the boxes and lay the bags wherever you want, will run through your substitutions with you. It's 1 hour time slots, and if they are late you get £10 off your next shop. Sainsburys have already sent me 2 money off vouchers for my shops in August, and I've only used them a few times.

They are a bit more expensive but I find there stuff better quality, for example chicken fillets don't have any bloody bits or stringy white bits that would need taken off, and all the stuff they send will be the furthest date away that there is in the shop at the time.

They don't price match though so you have to be careful of that.

quintwins

my tesco's shopping has always been fab altho they always phone drive past my house and phone me, we don't have an asda close enough to deliver and altho it's cheaper theres usually a tesco code on the go that give you atleast free delivery, my driver always carrys stuff straight threw to my kitchen and will even help me unload my boxes if theres loads of stuff, most of my subsitutes have been fab and usually of higer value (like a few weeks back i got £2.50 of sausage rolls for £1) the only bad one i ever had was a 24 pack of penguns swapped for a 9pack, also i find tesco's customer service fab a quick email and they usually phoen you back and refund if you have an issue or will send a gift card if it's a not an online order issue

judeee

I really much prefer my local Tesco to Asda. With Asda, a lot of stuff is near it's use by date (with no prior warning like Tesco do), torn packets, haphazardly packed and not only do they not bring your shopping in for you (the driver told me they aren't insured to go in houses...) they don't even help lift them out the crates! Just leave me to get all my own bags out. I use Tesco, much more helpful and these days not even much dearer, if at all.

Fuzzy_Duck

Thanks all, mixed reviews then!

markdavey, I don't have a Morrison's near me sadly... Tesco's is my only choice! The ones right by me are the express sort though so don't have everything I want. The biggest Tesco's is a fair walk away and I don't drive so shopping myself isn't really an option.

clairibel, that's interesting, I'm guessing it all depends on your area! I get a different delivery person everytime with Asda, some nicer than others. Unfortunately even the really nice chap I had left loads of bags on his van... very apologetic about it but it's still irritating when it happens.

Gillyx, I think I'm leaning towards Sainsbury's. I ordered from them once and the delivery man was lovely- he too insisted on unloading all my bags and putting them where I wanted, and he spent a good few minutes going through everything and giving me a number to call if anything was wrong. I swapped to Tesco because it was a bit cheaper and then to Asda, but I think it would be worth paying a bit just for the one hour delivery slot and £10 off vouchers if they're late. With Asda it's two hours and they've never arrived within the first hour- it's always last minute or late.

Cheers quintwins and judeee, another couple of votes for Tesco! I shop there anyway for my meat and other basics I need through the month so at least I'll know what I'm getting (can't buy meat from Asda- made that mistake once and it was inedible)!

Righto, think I'm going to have a look at my usual products and compare prices at Sainsbury's and Tesco (as I understand it Tesco may be cheaper but Sainsbury's has better deals much of the time)- will go for the cheaper option first as this is a MSE site after all

Thanks again!

freeganneist

Tesco has generally been very good for me, and for the elderly relatives that I order for. Substitutions have always been good value, and the service has been excellent.

Today was, I hope, an exception. The driver said the freezer section in the van wasn't working well, and asked me to check the frozen food to see if it was acceptable. It felt OK to the touch so I accepted it, but now I'm a bit worried in case it's been stored in substandard conditions. I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't - would they have redelivered at a later stage, or would I have had a wasted delivery?

They'd substituted an order of 4 items for 3 of a higher value - so I ended up paying the same, but for fewer items. And a bag of rooster potatoes wasn't substituted at all - they said there was no acceptable substitute.

I've reported those two issues and been given a small amount of compensation; the customer service woman said, they must surely have had some potatoes in a store that size?? But the problem seems to be that service is variable. I'll not stop using them because of one bad delivery out of scores of good ones. But it certainly pays to complain so that they're aware of poor performance and can do something to rectify it.

judeee

freeganneist wrote: »

I've reported those two issues and been given a small amount of compensation; the customer service woman said, they must surely have had some potatoes in a store that size?? But the problem seems to be that service is variable. I'll not stop using them because of one bad delivery out of scores of good ones. But it certainly pays to complain so that they're aware of poor performance and can do something to rectify it.

Hmm...I had to complain to Asda about 3 times in a row because of various problems, the third time I was made to feel like I was trying it on or something, said they'd have to check if I can get refund for out of date item because I'd already complained about something else recently!!
Yes, well if they weren't so rubbish I wouldn't have to keep complaining :mad:

recovering_spendaholic

This is going to sound mad, but I got so fed up with Asda Tescos and Sainsburys that I tried Ocado and love it! Before you say they are way more expensive I would say that with a bit of faffing around on the site you CAN find bargains and now I compare my shopping with Tesco and Asda before I submit it (I know - I'm a bit anal about it but I've got the time....) and the last 5 or 6 times it has been cheaper - not by much but the quality of what I get is far superior.

I had an order today and got a 1kg pack of outdoor reared pork shoulder steaks for £5, a 1.5kg pack of chicken thigh fillets for £6, loads of packs of Always at £1 each (couldn't find them on offer ANYWHERE else!), Tampax compaq for £2 a pack, Cravendale milk 2 for £3, 400g pack of red leicester for £2.80 (this is so much nicer than other supermarket red leicester) and other stuff which was mostly ocado own or essential waitrose. I like it so much that I have now subscribed to their delivery service for £3.99 a month so now I don't pay for any individual deliveries any more.

EycplUK

I have always had good service from our Iceland home delivery service ! delivers up 2 flights of stairs and is always cheerful and smartly dressed at all times ! maybe a bit dearer than the big 3 but service is king in my eyes