Tesco coupons 'Valid until 8 April' – but Tesco closed that day!

ED

'Valid until 8th April' – announced numerous Tesco coupons from their Wine Club + February quarterly Clubcard statement (some for 100 Extra Points per item). My family + friends took this to be a kind of 'advert' for Tesco being open on Easter Sunday (8 April), similar to the Co-op. So we went on a long journey to a Tesco Extra, each of us planning to stock up on wine from Tesco 'Finest' and South Africa, + Tamaron wine, along with bread, eggs, fruit, etc, and the usual regular groceries + Easter eggs. Arrive to find the store closed all day. Tesco left us hungry, thirsty and wasted several pounds worth per person of coupons, + some for double-points, competitions, etc.

Tesco misled customers by printing that date on their coupons. Tesco also failed to alert customers of store closure and truncated trading next day (24-hour stores closed at 6pm Monday). Receipts dated 3 days prior to Easter failed to announce Easter closing days / times of Tesco stores. If there were any signs outside stores pre-Easter, these would not be seen by people who shop less often, were ill or on holiday in recent days. I feel Tesco should have warned customers via e-mailshot – also thereby alerting canny shoppers that bargains would be available towards closing hours of trading on the Saturday!

Extra Points coupons from Tesco are normally very useful and gratefully received. It seems a shame careless dating caused disappointment (but at least Tesco staff had a rest!)

I'm wondering who else here went to Tesco on Sunday, 8 April, before discovering the whole chain was closed all day.

What signage warning in advance of closure was observed by you canny lot?

klb_3

Had the same problem with my vouchers, but fortunately checked the dates and used them on the Saturday.

It is illegal for stores over 3000sq feet to open on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday hence most stores closed. Only small convenience stores will open on these days.

ED

klb - did you get extra bargains on the Saturday?

Coupon-mad

You're right, there was no obvious signage, but it's not just Tesco it was all large Supermarkets as posted above.

I was lucky in that I vaguely remembered from last year that Easter Sunday is always a day Supermarkets have to close, so I checked with another forum (https://www.paidtoshop.co.uk) and saw the closure and Monday opening hours mentioned, also they posted a 'heads up' to make sure people used their 8th April-expiring coupons on the Saturday. So I did and picked up some reduced food bargains on Sat eve too.

But if I hadn't thought of it I would have felt just as you do. You could try writing a slightly indignant snail-mail leter to Tesco CS at Dundee (address is on their website under 'contact us', enclosing your useless coupons, and ask if they can issue replacements (they won't, but it's just possible they may take pity on you and credit you the points anyway if you are a regular customer and get the tone of your letter right, not too stroppy, etc....). I wouldn't bother to email.

ED

Coupon-mad - thanks for the input. Sadly, I (along with 3 carloads of fellow disappointed relatives + friends) have already taken the time to email Tesco (politely) about this situation. The emails were sent immediately on Monday evening, after finding all 24-hour Tesco stores had already closed at 6pm that evening. We intended to do our weekly shopping + hoped to ask the Manager of Tesco if he would kindly accept the coupons if we bought the specified items that evening. Alas, Tesco was closed.

It is only today that Tesco have responded to any of us. No-one, so far, has been told Yes re awarding the points (or replacement coupons). Some Tesco emailer-staff have been curt. Almost worthy of BBC tv's Watchdog programme to see some of the excuses and attempts at justification.Although Law may decree stores over 3000sq feet must be closed on Christmas Day + Easter Sunday, ordinary members of the public would not necessarily know this. By printing "Valid until 8th April", Tesco were implying their stores would be open that day. I had no reason to question Tesco for accuracy - but now that I've found this section of MSE hopefully I'll be better informed in future. Anyone else caught out...?

C_Ronaldo

the date was printed on the vouchers, should of checked if the store was open,

DazzaMc

ED wrote: »

'Valid until 8th April' – announced numerous Tesco coupons from their Wine Club + February quarterly Clubcard statement (some for 100 Extra Points per item). My family + friends took this to be a kind of 'advert' for Tesco being open on Easter Sunday (8 April), similar to the Co-op. So we went on a long journey to a Tesco Extra, each of us planning to stock up on wine from Tesco 'Finest' and South Africa, + Tamaron wine, along with bread, eggs, fruit, etc, and the usual regular groceries + Easter eggs. Arrive to find the store closed all day. Tesco left us hungry, thirsty and wasted several pounds worth per person of coupons, + some for double-points, competitions, etc.

Tesco misled customers by printing that date on their coupons. Tesco also failed to alert customers of store closure and truncated trading next day (24-hour stores closed at 6pm Monday). Receipts dated 3 days prior to Easter failed to announce Easter closing days / times of Tesco stores. If there were any signs outside stores pre-Easter, these would not be seen by people who shop less often, were ill or on holiday in recent days. I feel Tesco should have warned customers via e-mailshot – also thereby alerting canny shoppers that bargains would be available towards closing hours of trading on the Saturday!

Extra Points coupons from Tesco are normally very useful and gratefully received. It seems a shame careless dating caused disappointment (but at least Tesco staff had a rest!)

I'm wondering who else here went to Tesco on Sunday, 8 April, before discovering the whole chain was closed all day.

What signage warning in advance of closure was observed by you canny lot?

People like you REALLY get my back up. Why would anyone with half a brain cell think a supermarket would be open on easter sunday? Who knows why they put 8th april as the last day for vouchers, but who cares? The closing date doesn't have to be a trading day.

There probably WERE signs up. Any customer with common sense would check the opening hours, knowing full well that they tend to change at these times of year.

As you can probably tell, I work in a supermarket.

I hate to see people moaning about the most trivial things in life. Sorry if I sound horrible - I'm not. I just think there are worse things in life than a misprinted clubcard voucher.

ED

Three car loads of people on a long journey is hardly trivial... However, as mentioned from the viewpoint of workers at Tesco (+ other supermarkets) I'm glad they were able to enjoy a restful day + the next evening without having to work at all.

DazzaMc - were staff at your supermarket treated to a free Easter egg at the end of trading on Saturday?

calleyw

ED wrote: »

It is only today that Tesco have responded to any of us. No-one, so far, has been told Yes re awarding the points (or replacement coupons). Some Tesco emailer-staff have been curt. Almost worthy of BBC tv's Watchdog programme to see some of the excuses and attempts at justification.Although Law may decree stores over 3000sq feet must be closed on Christmas Day + Easter Sunday, ordinary members of the public would not necessarily know this. By printing "Valid until 8th April", Tesco were implying their stores would be open that day. I had no reason to question Tesco for accuracy - but now that I've found this section of MSE hopefully I'll be better informed in future. Anyone else caught out...?

Why would watchdog be interested in this

It is up to the consumer to check opening times etc and not to assume that it open.

These vouchers where printed months ago and dates put on them would be plucked from the air and I suspect no checked to see if an extra day should have been added.

It was a bank holiday weekend so a lot of stores change opening hours which they are allowed to do as they see fit. And easter sunday is the only day by law which supermarkets over a certain size have to shut. Seems people have very short memories as it happens every easter sunday.

Cars turning up and then driving away because it is shut make me do something but better not tell you want as I will get told off for it.

Personally think that you are flogging a dead horse wanting compensation.

And you are telling me that out of 3 cars full of people which I assume was 12 people not one of them had a clue that easter sunday is special for many reasons including the one that most supermarkets are shut.

Yours


Calley

DazzaMc

ED wrote: »

Three car loads of people on a long journey is hardly trivial... However, as mentioned from the viewpoint of workers at Tesco (+ other supermarkets) I'm glad they were able to enjoy a restful day + the next evening without having to work at all.

DazzaMc - were staff at your supermarket treated to a free Easter egg at the end of trading on Saturday?

NO

But then again, I work for Morrisons who don't exactly splash out on their staff.

DazzaMc

calleyw wrote: »

Cars turning up and then driving away because it is shut make me do something but better not tell you want as I will get told off for it.

Please tell