Tesco shopper left confused at apple crumble offered as substitute item

A Tesco customer was left scratching their head after an odd substitution in their online grocery order. The perplexed shopper reached out to the supermarket on social media, stating: "Just so you know for the substitution algorithm in the future these are not close to being the same thing."

They highlighted the mismatch by posting a picture of the strange alternative to their original choice, which was the Tesco Finest Dine In Green Vegetable Medley 200g. Instead of the vegetables, the customer was offered an apple crumble, also from the Tesco Finest Range and priced at £3.

Tesco responded to the customer's message with an apology and asked them to send a direct message with their full name, account email address, and order number to sort out the issue. In light of this incident, Tesco explained that most of its online orders are fulfilled accurately without the need for substitutions.

However, customers have the option to accept or decline to be offered substitutions, and the company aims to replace items with something of equal or greater value. Customers are informed about any changes to their order through an emailed receipt before delivery, which details any substitutions made, the price of each item, and the total cost.

There are no additional charges for substitutions, and customers will only be charged the price of the original item, even if the substituted item is more expensive. If an incorrect or unsuitable substitution is delivered, customers can refuse to accept the item.

In a separate incident recently, a Tesco online shopper had an unpleasant surprise when they received a packet of Ibuprofen that appeared to have been tampered with. They shared an image of the tablet box and two eight-tablet strips of Ibuprofen tablets, one with four tablets missing and the other with two tablets missing.

The picture also showed two six-tablet strips of Paracetamol, one unused and the other with five tablets missing. A Tesco spokesperson said: "We were sorry to hear about this and issued a refund to the customer. We have also asked the store to look into what happened."