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Waitrose - Beware of ‘Mix & Match Add 3 for 2’ deals, e.g. Jams and Spreads

eddddy
eddddy Posts: 17,515 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
Waitrose’s ‘Mix & Match Add 3 for 2 Cheapest Item Free’ on jams and spreads is a great deal (it includes Marmite, Nutella, Manuka Honey etc).

But unlike other big supermarkets (like Sainsbury and Tesco), their tills don’t process the deal fairly if you buy 4 or more items in the promo (including if you buy 6 or 9 items).

For example, if you bought these:

3 x 500g Marmite at £3.75
1 x Waitrose Marmalade at 60p

Waitrose tills would only deduct 60p from your bill. (Sainsbury and Tesco tills would deduct £3.75 in similar circumstances.)

A Waitrose assistant told me they were aware of the problem, and suggested doing multiple transactions at the checkout to overcome it. But they didn’t seem to be routinely warning people about it.

Comments

  • ilovemygarden
    ilovemygarden Posts: 110 Forumite
    edited 18 May 2015 at 8:55AM
    to be honest, I would have expected only 60p to be taken off total price. If they are saying that the lowest price item will be reduced, isn't that the 60p item?

    I wasn't aware that if you but 3 items the same and then another from the same category, when there's a 3-4-2 offer on, that in Sainsbury or Tesco, they take off the value of higher price goods. - I've probably never bought any extra , to discover that.
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    to be honest, I would have expected only 60p to be taken off total price. If they are saying that the lowest price item will be reduced, isn't that the 60p item?

    I wasn't aware that if you but 3 items the same and then another from the same category, when there's a 3-4-2 offer on, that in Sainsbury or Tesco, they take off the value of higher price goods. - I've probably never bought any extra , to discover that.

    I thought the same too.
  • dlusman
    dlusman Posts: 2,711 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped!
    eddddy wrote: »
    Waitrose’s ‘Mix & Match Add 3 for 2 Cheapest Item Free’ on jams and spreads is a great deal (it includes Marmite, Nutella, Manuka Honey etc).

    But unlike other big supermarkets (like Sainsbury and Tesco), their tills don’t process the deal fairly if you buy 4 or more items in the promo (including if you buy 6 or 9 items).

    For example, if you bought these:

    3 x 500g Marmite at £3.75
    1 x Waitrose Marmalade at 60p

    Waitrose tills would only deduct 60p from your bill. (Sainsbury and Tesco tills would deduct £3.75 in similar circumstances.)

    A Waitrose assistant told me they were aware of the problem, and suggested doing multiple transactions at the checkout to overcome it. But they didn’t seem to be routinely warning people about it.

    Waitrose use a "favour the supermarket" algorithm when calculating multibuy promotion discounts - Most others use a "favour the customer". Strange thing is that a "favour the customer" is very easy to implement/code.
  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 11,974 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Doubtless keeping us all in coffee has distorted their sense of fair play...
  • lynnemcf
    lynnemcf Posts: 1,233 Forumite
    I worked in a small shop where this happened and someone called in Trading Standards and we got a warning. We had to change the tills so that the third highest price item was free.
  • Nada666
    Nada666 Posts: 5,004 Forumite
    to be honest, I would have expected only 60p to be taken off total price. If they are saying that the lowest price item will be reduced, isn't that the 60p item?

    I wasn't aware that if you but 3 items the same and then another from the same category, when there's a 3-4-2 offer on, that in Sainsbury or Tesco, they take off the value of higher price goods. - I've probably never bought any extra , to discover that.
    DCFC79 wrote: »
    I thought the same too.

    If buying clothes or white goods where you buy one or so at a time you may expect that. With supermarkets and their extensive use of multi-buys and baskets and trolleys with tens or hundreds of items it is absolutely unacceptable for Waitrose to do this.
  • alanq
    alanq Posts: 4,216 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I spotted a similar problem with Ocado last year.
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4942018

    It was pointed out by others at that time that there was also an issue with Waitrose.
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