Things you always buy too much of at Xmas?

[rebbonk]

Could you verify your card by using it in a different place? Maybe Tesco or Amazon, see if it's accepted then cancel the order?

I must admit, I rather like trifle; trouble is, my waist doesn't!

[dutchman]

Could you verify your card by using it in a different place? Maybe Tesco or Amazon, see if it's accepted then cancel the order?

Good idea, I'll try that!

I must admit, I rather like trifle; trouble is, my waist doesn't!

It's a once-a-year thing, so not too many worries on that front.

I would have preferred a sherry trifle but the last one I bought had little trace of sherry in it despite costing a lot more.

[dutchman]

Could you verify your card by using it in a different place? Maybe Tesco or Amazon, see if it's accepted then cancel the order?

Right, I did that, twice. It was accepted online but not in a shop so I am guessing the card is faulty and am requesting a replacement.

[dutchman]

It turns out I needed to reactivate the card by using it in a cash machine but nobody told me that!

The replacement card is here now but that too needs to be activated by using it in a cash machine before it can be used in a shop.

[dutchman]

I do it all online and have it delivered these days; saves me both time and money. I can't see me ever going back to traipsing around supermarkets again.

I've read of nothing but problems with doing that including, but no limited to:

• Extra charges for home delivery.
• Orders not turning up but still being charged.
• Items not in stock substituted with less-desirable brands.
• Lowest-priced lines not being available for home delivery.

For a lot of elderly and disabled people a visit to the supermarket is often the only human interaction they get all week plus there are the health benefits of regularly visiting a physical store.

[rebbonk]

I've read of nothing but problems with doing that including, but no limited to:

• Extra charges for home delivery.
• Orders not turning up but still being charged.
• Items not in stock substituted with less-desirable brands.
• Lowest-priced lines not being available for home delivery.

I think Tesco charge me £3.00 for picking and delivery. I find that far cheaper than running a car or getting a taxi there and back. If your order is under £40 they add a £4 surcharge, which is why I only order fortnightly.

I've had some 'interesting' substitutions, but nothing unuseable. The challenge of using these substitutions can be fun.

I've noticed that there are shortages, but not restricted to the lowest priced lines.

All in all, I'm very happy. My daughter, on the other hand, has just dropped a major supermarket after the problems you have listed and many more. They even blocked her email in an effort to stop her complaints!

[dutchman]

Worst supermarkets for substitutions ranked including Aldi, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons

Consumer champion Which? has revealed the oddest supermarket substitutions - and some of them really are bizarre.

Some of the most memorable replacements customers have received include duck paste instead of duct tape, and sausage rolls in place of toilet roll.

Another said they had received beef stock instead of brandy butter.

A supermarket will substitute an item in your online order if it is out of stock, but the idea is that it should be replaced with a similar product.

If you’re not happy with the replacement item, you should be able to reject it at the point of delivery for a full refund. You can also opt out of substitutions altogether when ordering.

Which? has also called out the supermarkets most likely to put a substitution in an order.

Aldi, which has a click and collect online shopping service - but no home delivery, was the most likely of the nine online supermarkets to put a replacement in customer orders.

Just under half (49%) of all Aldi shoppers said they’d received a replacement item - with someone getting Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream instead of breaded fish fillets.

Another Aldi shopper said they received cooking oil in place of milk.

Sainsbury’s was the next worst offender for substitutes, with 48% of customers getting at least one replacement item in their most recent online shop.

One shopper said they ordered Sainsbury's sponge scourers but instead received a Victoria sponge cake.

Nearly half (45%) of Asda shoppers received replacement items in their most recent online order, including one one customer who received sausage rolls instead of toilet rolls.

Next up was Morrisons, where 43% had a substitute in their last shop, followed by Ocado with 41% complaining of a replacement item.

Two in five (39%) Tesco shoppers said they had received replacement items in their most recent shop - including someone who found duck paste in their shopping in lieu of the duct tape they had ordered.

Which? found that a third of Waitrose customers (36%) had received replacements, while Amazon Fresh customers were amongst the least likely to receive a dodgy substitution, with only a quarter (26%) of shoppers affected.

One shopper received dark chocolate brunch bars instead of the Dolmio sauce they had ordered.

Those who shopped online at Iceland were the least likely to get a replacement, with only one in five (18%) customers affected on their most recent shop.