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colleenoz

Ordering failures :-D

colleenoz
5 months ago

A comment plllog made about ordering avocadoes made me think abut this question- have you had any disastrous or funny grocery ordering failures?

I’m currently ordering our groceries online for DH to pick up as chemo leaves me too tired to shop in person. While the fruit and vegetables aren’t always quite what I would choose, they’ve generally been pretty good as I politely describe what I would like in the notes.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I had included 500g (about a pound) of fresh mushrooms in my order. DH called me when he was picking it up. ”We seem to have the world’s supply of mushrooms here.” Now, when it comes to food, DH isn’t always aware of how much of an ingredient we use- he got very exercised about the 3 litres of milk, which I pointed out were all gone by the next shopping day. So I thought he was exaggerating a little for clarity.

”Well, I wasn’t sure how much the amount I wanted would weigh, so I had to guesstimate,” I replied.

When he got home with the groceries and we were unpacking them, I pulled a large paper bag overflowing with mushrooms out, thinking ”Well, it’s more than I wanted but this is probably why DH was surprised.” But then, in the next bag, I pulled out a large plastic produce bag full of mushrooms.

”Holy cow!” I thought. Surely this is more than 500g?” So I got out my scales and weighed the two bags. Then, in another bag was another similarly huge plastic bag of mushrooms. The total weight was over 3kg. I checked the online order, which claimed I had ordered (and received) 3.15kg of mushrooms.

Now, I can’t help but feel that 3.15kg or 3150g is rather an odd typo for 500g, but there wasn’t much point in disputing it. So as a side for that night’s dinner, we had sauteed mushrooms. For lunch the next day, we had cream of mushroom soup, much of which is now in the freezer. We had diced mushrooms in the meatloaf, and mushrooms on the pizza (which is what I had ordere them for) the day after that. And mushrooms in the following week’s San Choy Bao, and we still have a few left.

Have you had a similar experience, or received something really awful or completely different from what you ordered?


Comments (16)

  • Islay Corbel
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    No but you did make me laugh.

    I'm sorry you're going through chemo. Ghastly. Keep your chin up. :)


    colleenoz thanked Islay Corbel
  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    5 months ago

    I would never order groceries--especially produce and especially from Kroger. My "local" Kroger--a good 45 minute drive--has hugely declined in quality in the last 6 years or so. The produce is especially bad--all summer the onions (onions!) were so bad that I made a 40 minute trip in the opposite direction from my home to buy basic produce at a small market that gets fresh produce all summer from farms in VA. Mushroom have been bad for a long time. They're fresher at the little grocery (used to be IGA, now something called "Morning Fresh") in my nearest town.

    I could go on and on about the Kroger--but I'd be here until tomorrow morning.

    colleenoz thanked laceyvail 6A, WV
  • colleenoz
    Original Author
    5 months ago

    I was never a fan of ordering groceries (though I will say that so far the produce from the local supermarkets has not been as grim as yours sounds), but at the moment I am physically incapable of getting them myself and don’t have anyone to do it for me.

  • party_music50
    5 months ago

    That amount of mistake makes absolutely no sense, but I wouldn't hate having all those mushrooms! My most recent on-line order error involved me NEEDING coffee (both reg & decaff), and I added a few other odd items to the order. When my order arrived it contained all the other odd things, no coffee at all, and two cases of some kid-style breakfast drink. ugh. At least I was able to give the drinks to a neighbor with a toddler. lol!


    colleenoz, So sorry to learn about the chemo.... best wishes!


    colleenoz thanked party_music50
  • carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Wow - that IS a lot of mushrooms!

    I actually love the convenience and saved time of ordering and picking up. Whenever I receive something wrong in an order, I can usually start a return through the app. I only do orders at Walmart now, but I used to do them at other stores too, and - as long as it was perishable food - they were always refunded immediately, rather than making me bring it back.

    Most of the mess-ups were things spoiled or damaged, tho I've had issues lately with ordering sharp cheddar and receiving mild instead - about 4X so far. Hope springs eternal 😄

    My best wishes too, here's hoping all goes well for you healthwise.

    P.S. I did just recall way back at the beginning of the pandemic, I ordered regular sized lightbulbs from Walmart and received outdoor floodlights as a substitute - that was weird, and I learned the hard way to make sure and specify NO SUBSTITUTES 😄 I also once received somebody else's order of a huge jug of flavored coffee creamer, which they told me to keep. Luckily stepdaughter was happy to take it off my hands - it turned out to be her favorite flavor.

    colleenoz thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
  • angelaid_gw
    5 months ago

    Love our Fred Meyer pickup service! No major complaints in over five years. Produce and meat have always been more than acceptable. We did get a huge bone in pork loin roast one time, that we didn't order. I called immediately. They told us to keep it.

    colleenoz thanked angelaid_gw
  • plllog
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    My guess is that you got someone else's mushrooms in addition to your own. The way it works here is that the shoppers put bags in shopping carts and put together several orders at once. I generally use a shopping service, and I've complained often enough when the shoppers get it wrong that I almost always get assigned the highly experienced shoppers who do great job. And I tip well.

    Re the avocadoes, even when I choose them myself, I may get one that isn't just right. For Thanksgiving I minimized the chances by buying from the snooty market where the workers only display the very best. There wasn't even a bruise on 'em. You really can just grab whatever produce of the top and it'll be lovely. Whereas, especially for organics, other stores just shelve all the odd shapes, bruises, etc., that make them look more "real". Except one small chain which chooses only the biggest, most uniform and perfect pieces, whether or not they're not the most likely to be the best tasting and textured.

    The shopping service shoppers do their best. For avocadoes for guacamole, I have a standing description of the firm but yielding, heavy, etc., but the trick is to order several days ahead. If they're soft, they go right in the fridge. If they're hard, like this time, it's just long enough to be just right on day of use. In between, they go in the fridge once they're achieved just right.

    A few years ago, I ordered some from Amazon Fresh, which has decent produce and there was something only they carried I wanted in the same order. Big mistake. They were all of them unusable. I called Mr. Picky, who was picking me up, in tears. No minions in the house, and no time with all I had to do. He is clueless about produce. I told him the parameters for good avocadoes. He stopped at a downmarket major chain near me and did his best. Not the perfect produce of the high end, one off store, miles away, but they were fine--and choosing ready to use avocadoes is a lot harder. I did get a refund on the bad ones.

    Most of my produce comes from the farm collective, however, nowadays. All organic, but no choice on size or anything and I had a gigantic bunch of broccoli rabe (giant stems and leaves in normal number of stems) go bad last week because I was dithering so much how to use it, since it wasn't right for the intended use. That's a shameful waste but all on me. It's almost always excellent quality from the farm, and if it isn't, one has two weeks to report it for a refund.

    Colleen, you have all my hopes and wishes for an easy and speedy recovery.

    colleenoz thanked plllog
  • colleenoz
    Original Author
    5 months ago

    Thank you all for your good wishes! What I have is usually responsive to treatment, but the treatment is kind of brutal. Oh well, when professionals hear I have Hodgkins’ instead of non Hodgkins’, they say, ”Oh, usually only young people get that.” I reply, ”Yep, thats me! Never grew up.” But I digress.

    Plllog, I don’t think that was the case. I was charged for the mushrooms so I don’t think someone else’s sneaked in. Oh well, I will never know. 🤷‍♀️

  • plllog
    5 months ago

    Totally possible. But what I meant was, if the picker was shopping more than one order at a time, the extra mushrooms might have ended up in one of your bags instead of the correct one, before checkout. Seems odd, but it's also possible.

    colleenoz thanked plllog
  • Rho Dodendron
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Is anyone willing to make dried mushrooms in the oven? They are great to snack on.

    No me but a friend ordered a six pack of orange soda. She received six boxes of baking soda.

    I request no subs ever since.

    Best wishes for recovery to you.

    colleenoz thanked Rho Dodendron
  • plllog
    5 months ago

    It's often the computer that suggests things like parsley instead of celery. It could even have suggested soda in an orange box for a box of orange sodapop. And then there are the deliverers who go by the GPS without looking at the street number, and proudly take their proof of delivery picture of a front door one isn't familar with. My shopping service allows one to choose alternatives if the item wanted is out of stock, or no substitutions, and has a chat element where one can discuss replacements with the picker who can also send pictures of products. Years ago, I had an issue with over-eager replacements but the company put a note on my account which says no means no, so if I don't answer the chat (there's no notification and I don't live with a device in my hand--I'm usually cooking while they're shopping), if I don't respond, they don't replace. Even so, the really good, experienced shoppers they give me make good suggestions even if I don't want them, usually.

    When the service first started, the shopper would call both about out of stock things and to make sure there's nothing last minute before they checked out. That was pre-pandemic. It was cool. And I could explain where to find an unusual item. They went through growing pains a couple of years ago and were a bit of a nightmare, which is why I was trying Amazon, but they've gotten their act, and computers, together again, and have been doing pretty well. It helps a lot, I think, if there isn't a big turnover of workers, or if they don't work for a huge company that treats them like widgets instead of people.

    colleenoz thanked plllog
  • neely
    5 months ago

    Sorry to hear about the chemo collenoz, hopefully all is going well


    I started getting deliveries during our two lockdowns and still get a delivery perhaps once a fortnight when I can’t face the treck around the supermarket. I get bulky items delivered as find lifting bags into the car boot hurts my shoulders.

    I order through our Woolworths chain and really I cant complain. Once in 4 years they have messed up an order. I state no to substitutes.

    colleenoz thanked neely
  • Fun2BHere
    5 months ago

    Chemo isn’t fun. I hope it works well for you, @colleenoz. The only mistakes I’ve experienced with online ordering were mine, like the time I received three containers of luncheon meat. I don’t even like it, but needed one container to make some some sandwiches for others. I don’t know how I ordered three instead of one, but I checked my order and clearly I did.

    I also learned to always specify no substitutions.

    colleenoz thanked Fun2BHere
  • amylou321
    5 months ago

    I have only ordered groceries once, for pickup. It was for my moms christmas party and I just did NOT have to the time to go shopping beforehand. I likely will never do that again. I was given 3 rotting onions, dried cilantro instead of fresh, which is USELESS and a half gallon of milk that leaked all over my trunk. I didn't order milk I ordered heavy cream.

    I do not mind grocery shopping and generally prefer to pick out my own things, especially meat and produce. But I understand the appeal for busy people or those that cannot or would have a had time going out themselves. I see more employees filling online orders than actual shoppers at stores like Walmart.

    colleenoz thanked amylou321
  • Olychick
    5 months ago

    I'm sorry to hear you're having to go through chemo, Colleen. I haven't, but have many friends who have, all with successful outcomes. Hoping your course is the same and you feel well quickly.

    colleenoz thanked Olychick
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