Online shopping often feels like the dream option to avoid the weekend rush in your local supermarket as you battle the queues while doing your weekly big shop. But one of the biggest downfalls to doing to picking out your meals for the following week, and those additional treats, is that if they're not available, you can't choose what to get instead.
That's where substitutions come in and Asda, Aldi, Sainsbury's and Morrisons customers are among those sharing the 'incredibly frustrating' moments they've seen their items swapped for something that is supposed to be similar - or not in these upcoming cases.
Online shoppers have received dog chews instead of chicken breasts and strawberries in place of bin liners in some of the strangest supermarket substitutions, according to a new poll. Deltapoll surveyed 3,007 UK adults online in October, gathering information on 1,260 online supermarket shopping experiences.
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Almost half of supermarket deliveries (47 per cent) included a substitute item over the last 12 months, Which? found. More than six out of 10 Asda customers (62%) reported receiving a substitution in their most recent shop, with one receiving dog chews instead of chicken breasts. Another bewildered shopper received a pack of toilet rolls instead of bread rolls.
Some 59% of Aldi customers received unexpected items, one including a bag of onions instead of a loaf of bread. Meanwhile, half of customers who had ordered online at Sainsbury’s (52%) told Which? they had received a substitution, including shoe polish instead of fruit, and bacon rather than BBQ-flavoured crisps.
Among the 51% of Morrisons shoppers who received substitutions was one who received meat sausages instead of veggie burgers and another who received a toothbrush instead of apples. And more than four in 10 Tesco shoppers (44%) reported substitutions such as an Easter egg in place of hot dog rolls and a chocolate Santa instead of a roll of tinfoil.
And as one Iceland shopper told Which? they received strawberries instead of bin bags, it was Waitrose customers who were found to be the least likely to receive a substitution at 24%. However, one was sorry to receive an alcohol-free bottle of wine in place of a standard bottle.
Customers with special dietary requirements also fared particularly badly with substitutions at a number of supermarkets, with many complaining about receiving meat or dairy instead of vegetarian or vegan alternatives. One shopper, whose partner has coeliac disease, had their gluten-free product substituted with a product containing wheat.
Which? Retail editor Reena Sewraz said: "Product substitutions can be incredibly frustrating, especially if the key ingredient for your dinner is missing. Our research has shown that some replacements can also be downright ridiculous. You have the right to reject substitutions at the point of delivery, or you could opt out of receiving substitutions altogether. If you do end up with a substitution that you don’t want, always contact the supermarket and ask for a refund."
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