Heads up: Tesco online shopping

donal.hunt

With everything getting more expensive, producers and supermarkets are constantly looking for ways to keep their profit margins in the black - mainly achieving this by adjusting pricing and/or product weights...

On our most recent online shop, we found 7 items where the weight ordered was more than what we actually received. In one case, we received produce weighing only 400g when the product that we ordered was meant to be 600g (yep we were missing 33% of the product we ordered). None of the products we noticed were a result of substitutions so it just seems to be a case of the product weights / quantities being reduced and the online store lagging behind.

We brought this to the attention of Tesco's customer care and they are in the process of rectifying the situation (to our satisfaction).

So check your Tesco online shopping receipt against what you actually receive. Contact customer care if you notice discrepancies...

ABajaninCork

You have to watch Tesco's like a hawk. They are notorious (although not the only offenders!) for doing this...

Scotty #

Thanks for that Donal. We only recently started shopping on Tesco online and hadn't noticed this but I'll keep an eye out in future.

I don't normally do the shopping in our house but had reason to recently, the non online type that is. I was quite shocked at some of the pricing I noticed. For example....

2x 100g of Tesco coffee is cheaper than 1x 200g jar and both are cheaper again per KG than the 500g tin. This can only be to dupe customers who would expect the larger quantity to be cheaper. Same goes for honey, the smaller jars are cheaper per ml than the larger one. I also noticed too that 2x loose 2ltr bottles of Coke are cheaper than 1x twin pack of 2ltr. I mentioned to a member of staff this and how customers where being fooled and he just replied that all products were clearly priced. Cereal is another one... the bigger the box does not mean the cheaper the KG. I had half the shopping done before I even noticed this trend so there could be many more products priced like this.

Worth keeping an eye on.

MurdyWurdy

You have to watch Tesco like a hawk with everything - things like bygof often don't go through. I check my receipt so carefully but it's such a pain standing like a pleb at customer service afterwards. I don't think it's deliberate to catch you out, I just think there systems/staff could do with improving. I've often noticed, like above that 2 of the smaller packs is cheaper than one large pack of equivalent size. It's very strange.

Thanks for the heads up, I'm about to start doing our shop online so I'll watch out.

I have had instances with online shopping where I've got extra stuff (no with Tesco though). Once I ordered vanilla essence, got charged for one but got 5 bottles. I said nothing

Scotty #

I've also noticed with Tesco online shopping that best before dates can be very short. I got bread and buns in the shopping delivered last Sunday evening that were out of date the following day.

galwayjohn89

Scotty # wrote: »

2x 100g of Tesco coffee is cheaper than 1x 200g jar and both are cheaper again per KG than the 500g tin. This can only be to dupe customers who would expect the larger quantity to be cheaper. Same goes for honey, the smaller jars are cheaper per ml than the larger one. I also noticed too that 2x loose 2ltr bottles of Coke are cheaper than 1x twin pack of 2ltr. I mentioned to a member of staff this and how customers where being fooled and he just replied that all products were clearly priced. Cereal is another one... the bigger the box does not mean the cheaper the KG. I had half the shopping done before I even noticed this trend so there could be many more products priced like this.

I don't see how Tesco are doing anything wrong here. The prices are listed and the customer can choose which one to go for.

Scotty #

Legally they are not doing anything wrong (that I know of). But I think it is fair and reasonable for a customer to expect to pay less or at least the same price for a shrink wrapped twin pack of coke rather than paying MORE than if they had bought two loose bottles. Same for coffee, cereal, etc. Customers do not expect to pay MORE (per KG) when buying larger packs. Tesco are exploiting this belief.

sandin

Scotty # wrote: »

Legally they are not doing anything wrong (that I know of). But I think it is fair and reasonable for a customer to expect to pay less or at least the same price for a shrink wrapped twin pack of coke rather than paying MORE than if they had bought two loose bottles. Same for coffee, cereal, etc. Customers do not expect to pay MORE (per KG) when buying larger packs. Tesco are exploiting this belief.

Incorrect - in manuafacturing the most popular size will be the cheapest per kilo becasue of the cost of setting up lines and packaging.

A classic example is cat food. A 12 pack of whikas will always be cheaper than a 24 pack because so few 24 pcks are sold and tehrefore the cost of packaging is higher (they buy far fewer boxes) and the cost of manufacturing/filling is higher as the mchines need to be re-set.

So, yes, bigger may not always be chaepr, but not becasue someone is trying to scam you, its because the actual costs of producing the large size is a lot higher. (I have family member in food processing)

Del2005

Scotty # wrote: »

I've also noticed with Tesco online shopping that best before dates can be very short. I got bread and buns in the shopping delivered last Sunday evening that were out of date the following day.

That's similar to how all stores operate. The oldest items are always placed to the front of the shelf, otherwise they'd be throwing out tonnes of stock. When they are picking items for delivery they'll just pick the front items, when you go to the shop you'll squeeze the bread or check the date. It's a disadvantage of online shopping, you'll always get the oldest stuff they can legally sell.

BuffyBot

Scotty # wrote: »

I've also noticed with Tesco online shopping that best before dates can be very short. I got bread and buns in the shopping delivered last Sunday evening that were out of date the following day.

I alwatys place as comment on items like these asking the picker to choose the furthest date out. 9/10 times, they do that. If they arrive and the date is too close, I'll send it back.

fenris

we stopped using Tesco online year ago because of the dates and weights thing. The last straw was 400g instead of 600g of chicken, fruit and veg that looked like it had been found in a compost heap and practically every perishable product expiring either on the day of delivery or the day after.

That was Tesco in Bray where you would also have to ring and ask where you delivery was to be told that he called and there was nobody there, then find out that he dropped in earlier - 3 hours before the start of the slot as he was delivering up the road and never came back.

Changed over to Superquinn and never had a problem, they had a policy regarding perishable dates that stated something like 3 or 4 days minimum where possible and refunded you for items that were too close to the use by dates.

Nanazolie

Scotty # wrote: »

I've also noticed with Tesco online shopping that best before dates can be very short. I got bread and buns in the shopping delivered last Sunday evening that were out of date the following day.

Superquinn is the same. It infuriates me as the short 'use by' items are usually sold at a lesser price on the reduced to clear shelves. I now add a note "please select use by date well into the future" and any item that has a use by (or even best before) date on the same day is returned

amtc

What annoyed me about Tesco was when I was ordering meals for one I'd get 'so you live on your own then'...I do, but found that a bit personal! I once ordered a special offer of wine and got 'are we planning a party'....

Scotty #

BuffyBot wrote: »

I alwatys place as comment on items like these asking the picker to choose the furthest date out. 9/10 times, they do that. If they arrive and the date is too close, I'll send it back.

Yea after complaining last week we were told a permanent comment has now been placed on our account that dates must be longer. The bread I can understand especially when being delivered on a Sunday but we got two packs of lemon slices, one out of date the next day and one out of date in 5 weeks.

sandin wrote: »

Incorrect - in manuafacturing the most popular size will be the cheapest per kilo becasue of the cost of setting up lines and packaging.

I take your point Sandin. I'm not entirely convinced it's true in this case though as it's not across the board. If I go to Spar, SuperValue, Centra, etc, etc, their coffee and cereal will be cheaper per KG in larger packs.

Actually Sandin the more I think of it the less sense it makes. Why would any manufacturer make a larger, more expensive product, their going to sell less of....??

wolfpawnat

I do a weekly shop on Tesco, where I get everything from tinned beans, water, frozen foods, cat litter etc (I don't have a car and some of these things weigh a bit) but I never get my fresh produce from them. I still go to the store every other day to get fresh bread and fruit and veg because the dates can be dodgy or they select something I don't like, even if you make specific requests. My partner likes slightly green banana's, but they always give you completely green or yellow that will be off in two days. I like selecting those things myself. I get my milk off them but with a minimum date of 5-6 days away. As a result I have had very few issues with them since.