Almost a third of online deliveries from big supermarkets such as Tesco and Aldi included a swapped item, many of which were deemed as "completely inappropriate” by the shoppers, shows a recent poll.
According to a survey by Which? 29 per cent of online grocery shoppers said they received a substitution in their most recent order, with some stating that they had received some unexpected replacements like receiving fish steaks instead of cupcakes, and sanitary towels in place of sandwich wraps.
Among the supermarkets goofing up, Asda ranks the highest with almost half of Asda shoppers receiving a replacement product in their last order, the survey suggests, and they gave the supermarket just two stars out of five for its choice of substitute items.
One customer reported receiving bananas instead of pizza, another found a roasting tin in place of roast potatoes and a third said they had been given micellar water facial cleanser instead of drinking water.
The poll found a third of Sainsbury’s customers (32 per cent) found a substitution in their latest shop, although the grocer received three stars for its selections, suggesting they were generally well-received.
Among the more bizarre examples reported to Which? were beef dog treats instead of beef steaks and leeks instead of flowers.
Among the 31 per cent of Morrisons customers sent replacement items was one who said they found sanitary towels instead of sandwich wraps and another who received fish steaks in place of lemon cupcakes.
Unlike most independent convenience stores who try to reach out to the shopper before making a swap, supermarkets tend to consider computer-generated options based on factors such as brand similarity, the price and availability.
Retailer Biren Patel, owner of Budgens Berrymoor, and Natalie Lightfoot, owner of Lodis Solo Convenience store in Scotland, are among the retailers who make sure to call the customer if he finds an item from online order out of stock.
In a recent conversation with Asian Trader, Patel explained, “We take extra care with delivery customers, like if we get an order and we don’t have one thing, we call and ask for replacements rather than removing it from list or adding something from our side.
He also added that since most of the time, such online orders are immediate need-based, he makes sure not to miss any item as it might be "a necessary ingredient of a family meal preparation".
Such personalised service is often not present at the bigger chains.
While many saw the funny side of substitutions, Which? heard from several customers who complained about receiving meat or dairy instead of vegetarian or vegan alternatives.
Some supermarkets allow customers to opt out of receiving replacement items altogether, but most will notify customers about substitutions beforehand via email or text and allow them to refuse the new item if they do not want it.
All the supermarkets in Which?’s survey allow customers to hand back unwanted substitutions to the delivery driver, or when they pick up a click and collect, and receive a refund.
