Sainsbury's grocery home delivery "Substitution Promise"

Associate
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Sainsbury's grocery home delivery service has a "Substitution Promise"

https://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/terms-and-conditions/Substitution-promise-T-Cs

If they don't have the item you ordered they will choose a substitute. If the substitute costs more they will give you a vou a voucher for the difference.

So -

If you order 1 bottles of wine at £10 and they substitute it with a bottle of wine at £20 you get a £10 voucher.

But -

If you order 10 bottles of wine at £10 each, and they substitute them with 6 bottles of wine at £15 each that's not covered i.e. no voucher

Sainsbury's see it as a £100 order vs £90 charged. This is despite less items being delivered and a greater cost per item.

I'm reminded of Fitz in Cracker at the checkout. "Three bottles of whiskey constitute one item" etc etc

Yes you can just refuse the substitution however there is a positive incentive for Sainsbury's to substitute orders with higher value items.

The "Substitution Promise" appears misleading and sharp practice in treating multiple items as a single item.

I'm planning to see what Trading Standards have to say about it.

Any thoughts?
 
Soldato
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Thoughts?

They will take it back if you are not happy..

If you don't like their terms don't used them, try tesco or one of the others
 
Associate
OP
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If the terms are unfair/illegal they should not be able to offer them. Just because you can refuse the items doesn't make it ok. Selling beef as pork isn't ok just because you can refuse it.
 
Associate
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If the terms are unfair/illegal they should not be able to offer them. Just because you can refuse the items doesn't make it ok. Selling beef as pork isn't ok just because you can refuse it.

It's hardly the same as selling beef as pork!

If it's just one bottle of wine they will 100% exchange it for something more expensive if it's available!

They definitely won't give you gin though..
 
Caporegime
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If the terms are unfair/illegal they should not be able to offer them. Just because you can refuse the items doesn't make it ok. Selling beef as pork isn't ok just because you can refuse it.

They're not selling beef as pork. That's a retarded statement.
The fact that you can refuse an item makes it entirely OK. They are not under any obligation to supply you anything at all.
 
Caporegime
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They are trading clearly, fairly and within the law. Nothing is misleading as all is made completely clear in the terms of substitution and the fact YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT.
 
Associate
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We use ASDA and Tesco. If they substitute with a more expensive item, you get it for the price of the item you originally ordered. If the substitute with a cheaper item, you get the difference taken off your bill.
 
Soldato
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If your ordering 10, and they are subbing them for 6, maybe they are trying to tell you, you have a problem?

Do ASDA and Tesco treat a quantity of the same same product as a single item? e.g treating 10 bottles of wine as a single item?

Yes all supermarkets substitute in the same manner, but mistakes are made (fairly often)
 
Soldato
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I'm planning to see what Trading Standards have to say about it.
I’ll save you the time and hassle, they won’t give a ****. There is nothing dodgy or illegal about the offer.
Here’s what they are saying in dopey speak…..We don’t have ‘X’ in stock but we’ve sent you ‘Y’ instead. If you don’t like ‘Y’ you are obviously under no obligation to accept it and we will refund you the full value of ‘X’ instead if you’d prefer.

how in gods name have you got your knickers in a twist over that?
 
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