Sainsburys Valentine Day Meal problem

janetgroome

I ordered their £15 for a Valentines Day meal on line.  I ordered from the list and fortunately noted the reduced price that showed on my order.  When I got the receipt for the delivery I discovered I had been charged the full price for the items - an extra £6.70!  I rang Sainsburys Customer Service and was told that because one of the items had been subsituted for an out of stock item the offer was not valid.  So because they were out of stock of ONE item I would have to pay £6.70....   To be fair he did give me a voucher for £6.70.

I have been having Sainsburys home deliveries for over 6 years now and have always been happy with the service.  But I do wonder how many people ordered this £15 three course meal and wine but did not notice that the computer system then charged them the price without the offer.  In-store offers which appear on the on-line web site should be honoured. This is a computer software problem.

jon81uk

I havn't used online grocery shopping in years but this used to frustrate me a few times back when I did.
Ordered something on a 3 for 2 and one was out of stock so they substituted and I didn't get the offer, had to return all three.

Its not a software problem its a substitution problem. They should ensure all the substuted items are within the same offer group when picking the order.

LaDerniereSemaine

jon81uk said:

I havn't used online grocery shopping in years but this used to frustrate me a few times back when I did.
Ordered something on a 3 for 2 and one was out of stock so they substituted and I didn't get the offer, had to return all three.

Its not a software problem its a substitution problem. They should ensure all the substuted items are within the same offer group when picking the order.

And then people will complain that they're one meal down if there are no valid substitutions.

Unfortunately, however they do it there's always going to be someone who's unhappy with it.

Azari

LaDerniereSemaine said:

jon81uk said:

I havn't used online grocery shopping in years but this used to frustrate me a few times back when I did.
Ordered something on a 3 for 2 and one was out of stock so they substituted and I didn't get the offer, had to return all three.

Its not a software problem its a substitution problem. They should ensure all the substuted items are within the same offer group when picking the order.

And then people will complain that they're one meal down if there are no valid substitutions.

Unfortunately, however they do it there's always going to be someone who's unhappy with it.

Not really.

They could do the obvious and honourable thing and allow the deal.

I'm sure they're legally entitled to act like spivvy barrow boys, but that doesn't mean it's a creditable way to behave.

Mnoee

Tesco have the items in their £10 finest meal deal billed at £2.50 each when you buy all 4 - so if something is missing, you're charged £7.50 etc. They were also happy to refund me extra when I complained that my main and wine were out of stock, and £5 for a dessert and side wasn't really what I had in mind.

Some sort of system like that - but where it takes a proportial saving from each item, could be the best. That said, you'll still be unhappy if something is missing, no matter how they bill it. 

LaDerniereSemaine

Azari said:

LaDerniereSemaine said:

jon81uk said:

I havn't used online grocery shopping in years but this used to frustrate me a few times back when I did.
Ordered something on a 3 for 2 and one was out of stock so they substituted and I didn't get the offer, had to return all three.

Its not a software problem its a substitution problem. They should ensure all the substuted items are within the same offer group when picking the order.

And then people will complain that they're one meal down if there are no valid substitutions.

Unfortunately, however they do it there's always going to be someone who's unhappy with it.

Not really.

They could do the obvious and honourable thing and allow the deal.

I'm sure they're legally entitled to act like spivvy barrow boys, but that doesn't mean it's a creditable way to behave.

How could they " allow the deal" if they can't actually supply it?

MalMonroe

I've shopped with Sainsburys for many years and since covid, only online. 

All you have to do if they make a mistake is phone and they will rectify it. As they did in your case.

The morning of our weekly delivery, though they always send an email advising of out of stock items and any substitutions they've made, so we can ask the driver to either take them back, or accept them if we want to. Don't they do that for you? And if not, why not? 

They do sometimes get things wrong but also sometimes it can work in your favour. Such as the time we received a book of first class stamps that we hadn't ordered. Phoned them, they said 'oh, keep them'. Another time they sent a large pack of turkey - phoned them and they said the same thing. (I'm vegetarian but my neighbour isn't.)

We always let them know whenever we've received stuff we haven't ordered or not received things we have. We always get our money back. Sometimes with a bit of compensation too. 

I don't know why they didn't tell you beforehand what they'd done, though. ALL out of stock items and substitutions are normally advised to customers in advance.

MalMonroe

Mnoee said:

Tesco have the items in their £10 finest meal deal billed at £2.50 each when you buy all 4 - so if something is missing, you're charged £7.50 etc. They were also happy to refund me extra when I complained that my main and wine were out of stock, and £5 for a dessert and side wasn't really what I had in mind.

Some sort of system like that - but where it takes a proportial saving from each item, could be the best. That said, you'll still be unhappy if something is missing, no matter how they bill it. 

Sainos do advise we online shoppers in advance though, when items are not available or if they have been substituted or even when there's a price change of substitutions. We can tell the driver we don't want them and the driver will take them away. And a quick phone call rectifies the matter. There sometimes is disappointment but that's to be expected with online shops and mostly we get what we've ordered. If we don't we get a refund. It's not a problem.

Admiral_Barbarossa

£15 for a date nite. My lady would not get her lipstick out for triple that!

Mnoee

MalMonroe said:

Mnoee said:

Tesco have the items in their £10 finest meal deal billed at £2.50 each when you buy all 4 - so if something is missing, you're charged £7.50 etc. They were also happy to refund me extra when I complained that my main and wine were out of stock, and £5 for a dessert and side wasn't really what I had in mind.

Some sort of system like that - but where it takes a proportial saving from each item, could be the best. That said, you'll still be unhappy if something is missing, no matter how they bill it. 

Sainos do advise we online shoppers in advance though, when items are not available or if they have been substituted or even when there's a price change of substitutions. We can tell the driver we don't want them and the driver will take them away. And a quick phone call rectifies the matter. There sometimes is disappointment but that's to be expected with online shops and mostly we get what we've ordered. If we don't we get a refund. It's not a problem.

Yep, Tesco do email receipts now, and even the old paper ones had subs listed. They don't charge extra if a sub is more expensive too! Also the same for handing back items and whatnot...

But they do charge deals differently, which is why I mentioned it. 

MarvinDay

LaDerniereSemaine said:

Azari said:

LaDerniereSemaine said:

jon81uk said:

I havn't used online grocery shopping in years but this used to frustrate me a few times back when I did.
Ordered something on a 3 for 2 and one was out of stock so they substituted and I didn't get the offer, had to return all three.

Its not a software problem its a substitution problem. They should ensure all the substuted items are within the same offer group when picking the order.

And then people will complain that they're one meal down if there are no valid substitutions.

Unfortunately, however they do it there's always going to be someone who's unhappy with it.

Not really.

They could do the obvious and honourable thing and allow the deal.

I'm sure they're legally entitled to act like spivvy barrow boys, but that doesn't mean it's a creditable way to behave.

How could they " allow the deal" if they can't actually supply it?

Very easily.
The OP ordered a three course meal for £15 and when the delivery was made, they received the correct number of items but as one was a substitute, they were charged an extra £6.70
Sainsbury could have "allowed the deal" by simply doing what Tesco do which is when a more expensive item is substituted, you are charged the cost of the unavailable item and not the replacement one.

After all, with Sainsbury making an after tax profit of £371 million last year, I'm sure that could afford to lose a few pounds honouring advertised deals on special occasions.