Strangest supermarket substitutions include dog treats instead of steak, poll shows | Online shopping

Sanitary towels substituted for sandwich wraps, fish steaks in the place of lemon cupcakes and beef dog treats instead of steak.

These are just some of the “completely inappropriate” supermarket substitutions reported by online shoppers in a poll.

Almost a third of online grocery shoppers (29%) reported having received a substitution in their most recent food order, the survey for consumer group Which? found.

Almost half of Asda shoppers reported receiving a replacement product in their most recent online order, making it the worst culprit for swaps, with one customer handed micellar water – a facial cleanser – in the place of drinking water.

Another bemused online Asda shopper was sent a roasting tin instead of roast potatoes, while one was offered bananas instead of pizza.

At Sainsbury’s, 32% of customers said they had received a swap in their latest shop, including beef dog treats instead of beef steaks. One bewildered shopper was sent leeks instead of flowers.

Of Morrisons customers, 31% had items in their most recent order replaced, with one sent sanitary towels instead of tortilla sandwich wraps and fish steaks substituted for lemon cupcakes.

A quarter of online Tesco shoppers received a substitution. Among the examples of unexpected items, one said they had received orange-flavour vitamins instead of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, with another sent cat food when they expected ham.

Meanwhile, 27% of Amazon Fresh shoppers – including Morrisons, Co-op and Iceland deliveries ordered through Amazon online – said they were sent replacement items, including six bags of jelly sweets instead of free-range eggs and a 12-pack of children’s milk instead of a four-pint bottle.

One in four Iceland shoppers received a replacement product in their most recent online shop. One customer had ordered a 24-pack of Pepsi Mango and received pasta instead, another was sent oranges in place of ham.

Waitrose and Ocado shoppers were the least likely to receive a substitution, at 21% and 19%.

While some customers thought it was comical to open up some unexpected items, others with special dietary requirements were less impressed. Many complained about being sent meat or dairy instead of vegetarian or vegan alternatives.

Some other diet-specific items were not suitable: one shopper received cheese instead of lactose-free cheese, and another said they were sent an item that contained gluten when a gluten-free item had been requested.

The consumer group said all supermarkets in the survey allowed customers to hand back unwanted substitutions at the point of delivery, or when they picked up a click and collect, and receive a refund.

Some supermarkets allow customers to opt out of receiving replacement items altogether.

Reena Sewraz, the Which? money and retail editor, said: “While some product substitutions in your online food delivery can be welcome, our research has shown that they can also be well wide of the mark – ranging from strange to completely inappropriate.

“If you receive a replacement that you don’t want, you can reject it on arrival, or you sometimes can opt out of receiving substitutions altogether, although your dinner plans could be disrupted if key ingredients don’t show up. If you do end up with something you won’t use, always contact the supermarket and ask for a refund.”