How to make the best of a bad home delivery situation (Asda.com)

Member Name: marnie_moo

Product:	Asda.com
Date:	09/02/09 (307 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ordering couldn't be simpler...

Disadvantages: ...But receiving the goods often turns into a huge hassle!

I have been using Asda home delivery every few months or so for the last 3 years since I've been at university. I previously used Tesco a few times in my first year at university but was converted to Asda after finding lots of voucher codes for free delivery unlike for Tesco.

The main reason for using home delivery is as with many people I don't have a car and transporting loads of food shopping on public transport can be a nightmare.

The plus side to Asda home delivery is definitely the ease of ordering, the website is very clear and simple to use and the set delivery times are easy to work around your schedule.

From the outset the idea of Asda home delivery seemed quite good, but as I used the service more and more I kept finding more and more problems after ordering, here is a list of the ones I've encountered:

- Short date coded products - This happened in every single shop I did, it seems Asda specifically pawn off the products just about to go off on to internet shoppers
- Impossible to buy fresh food - again as Asda sends the lesser quality food that goes off the next day
- Products missing - this ranged from the odd product to missing off all my freezer goods, the individual items are usually a lot harder to claim back
- Arranging a redelivery for missing items is nearly impossible - Asda would turn up at my house without checking if I'd be in then complain they had tried to redeliver, it would be sheer luck if I ever got my products, more effort than it was worth complaining
- Not all substitutes are listed in delivery sheet - Especially in large shops over £100 substitutes are just thrown in without being noted
- Deliveries being early or late - most of the time the driver calls ahead which is handy so you can anticipate these but on the times they don't it can be very annoying and mess up your schedule having to wait around/rush back for your delivery
- Vouchers & promotions sometimes stop before delivery - I always use delivery vouchers and shop by promotions but if these don't apply on your delivery date you will not save any money at all and you won't find this out until the delivery
- Van driving off halfway through bringing your shopping inside - this is usually parking related but again very annoying if you want to return your substitutes and they've gone or worse still they haven't given you half your stuff!

However as with most people who use the service, the lack of transport or availability of nearby supermarkets make home delivery a necessity necessity, therefore for those who insist on using the service I advise:

- If you need to contact Asda if they have made a mistake with your order ring the landline or freephone equivalent of the expensive 0870 number, Landline: 020 71337970, Freephone: 0500 100055
- If they do mess up your order I'd recommend making a huge fuss and complaint about it, as they will sometimes give you free stuff such as vouchers as compensation
- Check all your products are there, all fresh food looks okay, and if there is any food that is too short date coded for your use return it there and then to the driver
- If the driver phones you en route, keep a note of this number until you receive your food and have checked it is all okay
- Don't let the driver drive off until you have checked your food! Even if this means not signing for your delivery till you've checked
- Look for free delivery voucher codes on Google, most of these are for £50+/£75+ spends but will be worth it rather than paying extortionate delivery rates

Nowadays I only use Asda home delivery as a last option and am very particular about what I buy so as not to order food which will already be going off by the time it arrives.

Summary: Use at your own peril!