Supermarkets' Policies on Late Deliveries and Consumer Rights
If a delivery is late and you have paid extra for a special delivery service, you can claim back the additional cost as the service was not delivered as agreed. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, late delivery is considered a breach of contract because the service should be performed with reasonable care and skill, allowing customers to request a refund of the delivery charge.
Specific supermarket policies vary: Tesco refunded a £7 delivery charge in a late delivery case, with issues handled on a case-by-case basis by customer relations. Asda aims to deliver within the agreed time slot and customers can request a refund if deliveries arrive outside this slot. Ocado offers a one-hour delivery window and if the delivery is late, the customer is contacted; refunds are issued case-by-case by customer hub advisors. Morrisons handles late delivery issues individually on a case-by-case basis. Waitrose attempts to contact customers in advance to notify of any delays, may reschedule deliveries if needed, and decisions including goodwill gestures are made on a case-by-case basis.
General advice to customers is to remain polite when contacting customer services, as there is legal backing to claim a refund when a delivery is late.
