The Delivery Pass That Became a Headache
A British family has finally received a full refund from Asda after enduring months of frustration with their grocery delivery service. Steve and Samantha, parents of two children, purchased an annual Asda delivery pass for £69.50, expecting it to simplify their weekly shopping for their family of four.
The problems began almost immediately with constant product substitutions that often proved unacceptable. "We'd have to visit the supermarket every week anyway, which completely defeated the purpose of having a delivery pass," they explained in their complaint to Sky News' Money team.
The Final Straw: Late Night Delivery Drama
The situation reached breaking point on July 11th when their scheduled 6pm-8pm delivery slot came and went without their groceries arriving. By 8:30pm, with one partner not home and the other needing to go out, they contacted Asda customer service.
They were told their shopping wouldn't arrive until 9:30pm, which was "not viable" for their family circumstances. The Asda representative offered to cancel the order entirely, forcing yet another trip to the supermarket themselves.
"We've totally had enough of the incompetence on a weekly basis," the couple expressed, revealing that Samantha had telephoned Asda customer services approximately six times to complain and request a refund - all without success.
Understanding Your Delivery Rights
Money blog editor Jimmy Rice highlighted that supermarket delivery services have become massive business since COVID, but the frustrations described are familiar to many shoppers.
According to a Which? survey this year, 29% of online grocery shoppers reported having items substituted in their last order. More concerningly, 47% of Asda shoppers reported getting replacement products - more than any rival supermarket. The retailer received just two out of five stars for its choice of substitutions.
Regarding late deliveries, consumer expert Scott Dixon (The Complaints Resolver) pointed to Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which states that services must be performed with "reasonable care and skill."
"Late delivery would be considered as a breach of contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, as you paid for a time-specific delivery as part of the contract you entered into," Dixon explained. Consumers can request a refund of the delivery charge when this happens.
Resolution Finally Achieved
After Sky News Money brought the case to Asda's attention, the supermarket acknowledged the problem and took action. An Asda spokesperson stated: "We successfully deliver millions of orders each week and hold ourselves to high standards to ensure our customers have a positive experience when shopping with us."
"We're sorry that Samantha's own experience did not reflect this, and we have since refunded her and offered a gesture of goodwill."
The couple confirmed they received a full refund and were "happy to accept this offer and draw a line under the whole saga." They've since switched their loyalty back to Morrisons for their grocery deliveries.
The case serves as an important reminder for consumers to understand their rights when supermarket deliveries go wrong and to persist with complaints when services fall short of promised standards.
