Online Grocery shopping becoming more expensive.

Kingofthedead4 · 31-10-2011, 08:24

What is happening with the on-line grocery's these days.

Having mobility issues I rely heavily on getting my weekly groceries delivered but recently I have noticed that a lot of items I normally buy are becoming unavailable. I usually do my on-line shopping at Asda because using the smartprice items to get beans at 17p, asda good for you meals at 5 for £4 with the Mrs on a diet and other general stuff means I can do a bulk buy and get them delivered to the door without worrying about carrying loads of bags as well as struggling round the shops. Recently though these items have vanished from the website so our weekly shopping has increased from £40 to about £80. Even the buy 3 for £3 on certain items have vanished and now to buy these 3 items would cost £5.25. I know that prices are rising and I understand that there will be some increases, but I am sure that if I went in the store I would find these smart price items which are no longer available.

Is this more profit gaining by the big firms seen as they are snapping up the smaller supermarkets like asda bought Netto last year so all Netto's will become Asda's?

**Maggy J** · 31-10-2011, 08:37

The SP products are still available in the Asda stores..What you can do about it I'm not sure.

Perhaps have a direct word with the managers at the local store who do the online shopping.It 's the 24/7 store locally to me that does the online business locally here.

**Chris** · 31-10-2011, 08:38

Items in Asda's online grocery website have always been prone to come and go like that. It can be very annoying because sometimes they delete an item only to re-add it with a slightly different product description, but you are then left with a 'no longer available' icon in your favourite items list.

Sometimes you can find essentially the same item if you search for it again. Sometimes you can't. Those items that vanish, I have no idea why that is. I suspect it may be something to do with a nationwide availability threshold - despite having your postcode I don't think the website actually knows what's available in your local delivering store and it may be that an item has to be available in a certain proportion of stores nationally, or perhaps regionally, before it will be offered for sale online.

Kingofthedead4 · 31-10-2011, 08:39

Its all changed in Leeds Maggy, Its is done from a warehouse or a home shopping base as they call it now instead of the stores.

Zee · 31-10-2011, 09:28

I've noticed many products at Tesco online are also going like this, at least 7 products i usually buy are "permanently unavailable" in the last 2 weeks, may have to switch back to going to the store.

shande · 08-01-2012, 02:48

I am making an official complaint regarding both the customer service and grocery teams as well as individuals within Tesco. I have been stretched to my absolute wits end.

Having formally worked in the Baird Avenue call centre I did not realise, during my Search employment, how inept or unhelpful the majority of staff could be.

My initial issue was with a grocery home shopping order due for delivery on the 27th December 2011. This did not arrive and when I called the Grocery team they could not get hold of the driver and it was unlikely that he would turn up at all. I was quite upset at this point as it was after 7pm and I was told that all the Tesco stores in *** closed at 6pm.

The reason for my upset: I went away for Christmas as my flatmate worked 12 hour nightshifts over 24th-26th December and on my return there was nothing in the flat; we had all our Christmas dinner ingredients in the 27th December delivery as we had planned to eat it that evening. As there was no food in the house I was thoroughly unimpressed when I realised no groceries were coming and I would have to pay for a take-away as no shops in the vicinity were open and I do not own a car.

However, I was assured that I could have it redelivered the following day and that the payment would take 3-5 working days to arrive in my account. The delivery turned up on schedule the following day however the payment taken for*** on 27th December still has not been refunded to my account on the 7th January 2012.

When calling on the 5th January I spoke to *** and asked for his manager. I was put onto *** *** who said the she could not confirm but it appeared to her the store had not refunded the payment. I said that I was unprepared to wait a further 3-5 working days for this payment to be returned. Apparently the only way Tesco can process a refund is though a system that takes this amount of time, however I highlighted this is not the only option available as there are many forms of same day payments. I work with them on a daily basis. I don’t understand how Tesco can operate as a business so lax and customer ignorant. Tesco needs a system to refund payments in fewer than 24 hours, like a Royline or CHAPs payment, for those that you have really, seriously screwed around.

*** assured me that she would check following day and return my call by 2.30pm at the very, very latest. I am full aware of the backshift who work 2.30-11pm so was fine with this. However to this time I have still received no word from her.

When I worked in the *** call centre there was a small number of staff that when asked for a team leader, would pass the call to the agent on the next desk so there was no real escalation. I wonder if this was what happened between *** and ***?

I officially want to complain about *** ***; if she was not a team leader she should be penalised for posing as one and if she is a team leader she would have understood my distress, as it was apparent, and would have bothered to do what she promised and follow this up and return my call.

I also believe if Tesco has positioned her as a team leader you should seriously reconsider her position or retraining. I worked under an excellent acting team leader called *** ***; *** has a lot to learn in understanding how to deal with irate clients and commit to a follow up.

As I had no returned call on the 6th I called customer services and spoke to ***. *** was not suited for the customer services line as he is clueless and cannot handle a complaint. As soon as groceries were mentioned he would not even listen to my query and told me this was nothing to do with him, he could only answer queries regarding the actual store. This is highly frustrating to someone who needs help and wants to complain about the general customer service experience. If this cannot be dealt with by customer services it seems very contradictory - the team happens to be called ‘Customer Services’. Tesco is the only business I have heard of where the customer services team does not take complaints for the business; this certainly was not made clear during my employment.

When I asked who regulates Tesco as a whole *** told me he had no idea and could look on the website; when I asked him to do this he did nothing at all and with no response at all I hung seething.

With the only option left to call groceries again I spoke to ***, who seemed helpful. He needed to check with the store so called me back (to his credit). He confirmed that the duty manager of the store said a payment for*** had been refunded on the 27th December 2011 at 5pm. On challenging this, as working in the financial industry I am aware that the latest it would arrive was the 5th January, was assured by *** the payment had been made and the bank were at fault!

Knowing the fault was not with the bank I though it best to get verbal confirmation from them. I spoke to 2 members at my bank who have both confirmed if this was the case that the payment should have arrived on the 30th December and the very latest it would arrive the 5th January. They have both guaranteed this to me.

Returning to Tesco I spoke to *** who was very abrupt and had a terrible attitude. Her tone is sweet but her manner and choice of words leave a lot to be desired. I must have spoken to before as she vented her frustration that I had called again and that she was reiterating something ‘she had told me earlier’. She again assured all information given by *** was confirmed on the system. She was not interested to listening to what I was trying to say as nothing could be checked until Saturday when the Safe system was open. I posed the theory to her that there could be a problem; your system says it was refunded at this time and this date but the system might be wrong as the bank can guarantee this. In this situation what would we do?

Her response was disappointing; call back tomorrow, call back tomorrow, call back tomorrow. She seems afraid of having to answer a direct, yet simple question and by doing anything that could be mistaken as helping a client.

As I don’t have any log of the 1st call to *** I have a speculation that she may have been the same voice as ‘*** ***’. I am aware there are serious consequences if an agent has lied about their identity. I also am aware that this is my speculation and I could be mistaken but nevertheless would appreciate clarification.

To have such a vital system as Safe only available between certain times is ludicrous. I understand the nature of live systems but in my experience these are also available to show, afterhours, the last state of business until the live system is running again.

There are clients you are messing around that need real help; this is not just a complaint about a rip in the paper that covers a tin of beans but a really distressing situation that requires prompt action. I would say the same of the ability by the phone staff to pick up a real issue.

On the 7th January I progressed with my enquiries. I did not catch the name of the agent but we were cut off anyway. On the next call I spoke to *** who checked the Safe system and confirmed that there has been a payment refunded to my card on the 6th January. *** was actually polite and helpful.

I truly wish I had the diligence to take the surnames of *** and *** as I feel they are both a waste of space and unnecessarily argumentative. I would appreciate investigation in *** ***’s failure to do her job. I appreciate that the call centre is busy as I have had personal experience but I needed her help and got absolutely nothing from her.

Also on one of these calls I requested some form of confirmation for the refund on the 27th. I did not note the name of this lady but it may have been ***. I had not received the email to confirm the refund that the call centre staff said I should have had, so requested a receipt or email confirmation. Again after being on hold I was told the duty manager of the store had put the receipt in the post for me. I eagerly await the delivery of this receipt as I am in unsure whether it exists.

I receive every other type of Tesco email from order confirmations to promotional emails so do not understand the non-receipt of the refund email.

As I have now been told the refund was processed on the 6th January I want an investigation into who requested it and did not have the confidence or courtesy to tell me what had happened. It appears to me that it may have been ***, *** or the female I did not note the name of who requested the refund on the 6th December as there were only agents who may have contacted the store on this date. If this is the case I wish to officially complain about whichever it was as I would have much rather heard the truth than had to spend more time and money constantly calling in to attempt to get a straight answer out of any of the staff.

Whoever requested the refund, I want explanation for the fact that I have been constantly lied to. If *** requested the refund, *** lied by saying he called the store and confirmed a refund on the 27th. If *** requested it he has lied on his return call to me. If neither requested it that would mean *** lied to me and didn’t call the store at all and the lady I did not note the name of has requested it and lied to me. A call centre cannot allow this type of behaviour as it creates more calls so more pressure on the business as a whole. If this is reoccurring it leads to a further 2 calls for every incorrect response. My place of work operates to a ‘right first time’ policy which would benefit the operation of Tesco call centres.

Also there should be more readiness to check the Safe system as I have called so many times I am horrified how long it took for the system to even be mentioned to me and I even had to constantly request a check was performed before it was actually done. I understand if you pay per search the must be a slight restriction in overuse but as I have mentioned this is not just a silly situation and I made it clear I wanted this sorted out.

Now, here in lies the main issue. It is January. Most people are in the same situation that money is tight over this period. I happen to be one of these people. I understand that to Tesco missing £150 for a minimum of 11 days is not a dire situation but to me that is a huge amount of money.

Having the chance that the cash would not be in my bank on the 1st working day after the New Year was terrifying as all my Direct Debits are scheduled for the 1st of the month. I was fully prepared to take the consequences if this was the case as I could see no other way of getting my shopping and having the order that was not delivered, refunded.

If this situation had been initiated by a straightforward cancellation by me I would be more understanding to the delay in payment. The fact that the initial fault was with Tesco, because the driver did not bother to turn up and no one could contact him, makes this situation all the more frustrating.

If the payment was refunded on the 6th January it will be the 11th-13th before I get my money. I hold Tesco responsible for every single financial loss this has put me to. The £10 put on top of the refund does not go a small way into what this mess-up has cost me.

I have not kept the receipt for my take away but as soon as the letters from my bank come in advising how much I am now due them in fees I will be contacting Tesco to discuss how these will be settled.

Also as a goldsmith I placed an order for materials for dispatch on the 5th November as I was assured the refund would have gone through. This item has not been dispatched as there is no money in my account. So again I hold Tesco responsible that I have had to push back the schedule of this job until there is cash in my account. My client is not impressed. I am not impressed. My business is my reputation and I am furious a SUPERMARKET is impacting it.

After finding maggots in my cat food from a Tesco store I was hoping to never have to write such a detailed letter of complaint again, but here we are. There have only ever been two letters of complaint I have written and they have both been to Tesco. Needless to say my Tesco spending will dramatically reduce after this and I will be sure to tell every single sole I know that has the misfortune to shop with you. I am fully aware these are empty threats to a business the size of Tesco but, ‘Every little helps’.

I expect an acknowledgement within 5 working days and a complaint reference number as I am fully aware there will be a lot of correspondence before this is resolved.

I would also like in your response the name of the body that regulates Tesco and/or the retail industry. In the financial industry we have both the Financial Services Authority and the Financial Ombudsman Service.

I also must add if the information given to me by ***, that the payment has been refunded on the 6th January, turns out to be incorrect I will be even more furious.

Sirius · 08-01-2012, 03:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by shande

I am making an official complaint regarding both the customer service and grocery teams as well as individuals within Tesco. I have been stretched to my absolute wits end.

This site is nothing to do with Tesco ???

djfunkdup · 08-01-2012, 04:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirius

This site is nothing to do with Tesco ???

could not agree more

re: the op customer.service@tesco.co.uk is a far better option for you

**Russ** · 08-01-2012, 08:24

Just ignore it. He/she has made the same pointless post on others forums.

Gary L · 08-01-2012, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ

Just ignore it. He/she has made the same pointless post on others forums.

Come on, it's Xmas.

papa smurf · 08-01-2012, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary L

Come on, it's Xmas.

it will be in 351 days , so with 351 shopping days till xmas perhaps shande can organise getting some grub in

djfunkdup · 08-01-2012, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

it will be in 351 days , so with 351 shopping days till xmas perhaps shande can organise getting some grub in

Erm i think it's a doctor he/she needs not food