Tesco and Sainsbury’s have come under fire for leaving customers waiting for refunds after their online delivery orders were cancelled.
Consumer champion Which? says one shopper was left waiting six weeks for money back from her cancelled Sainsbury’s shop worth £90.
Elisabeth Pearson from Glanamman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, called Sainsbury’s four times to ask for an update on her refund and said she had to borrow money to cover bills.
In another case, one customer had to borrow cash for food after Sainsbury’s took two weeks to issue her £150 refund.
But instead of a cash refund, the shopper was given three £50 vouchers to use - which she then couldn’t use at first because of a glitch online.
Have you been left waiting a long time for a supermarket refund? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
On its website, Sainsbury’s says customers should expect a refund within five working days.
Sainsbury’s issued these shoppers a £20 voucher to apologise but the customers say they feel “let down” by the service.
The supermarket told Which?: “We fulfil tens of millions of groceries online orders every year and are committed to offering the best possible service.
“The case studies Which? has shared do not represent what the vast majority of our customers experience.”
Which? also heard from Tesco shoppers who were left disappointed by a long wait to get their money back.
Neo Dark from Kent waited six working days to get his money back from Tesco for his £144.44 order after his delivery was cancelled.
Neo, who suffers with several health conditions and relies on deliveries, told Which? he only “considers Tesco as a last resort” to do his food shopping now.
Another Tesco shopper, a single parent who is “on a tight budget”, struggled to feed his family after he was charged twice for his £100.34-worth of shopping.
Tesco says it aims to issue refunds within three to five working days, according to its website.
The supermarket told Which? that duplicate authorisations are very rare and said it will only cancel online orders in exceptional circumstances.
Your rights explained
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations are the two pieces of legislation that set refund rights for consumers.
Consumer law states you should receive a refund within 14 days of the business agreeing that you’re due money back.
So if you’re left waiting longer than this, it could mean the retailer has broken consumer law.
If you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received, your first step should be to write a letter or email to complain to the company.
You should clearly explain your situation, why you’re unhappy, and include any supporting evidence to back up your claim.
If you don’t hear back, or your situation still hasn’t been resolved, you can contact the Consumer Ombudsman for free.
Consumer complaints website Resolver will also be able to help you escalate your claim further.
