Nearly half of all online grocery shoppers receive substitute items, a new survey by consumer group Which? has revealed.
In its latest online supermarkets survey, Which? quizzed more than 2,000 consumers who shop online at Asda, Ocado, Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose .
The group found that some 45 per cent of respondents had at least one item of their last order substituted for another product.
Examples of substitutions included one shopper being sent broad beans instead of chocolate flakes and another receiving vanilla air freshener instead of vanilla ice cream .
The Which? also found that 15 per cent of online shoppers had an item go astray in their last order, while 8 per cent had received at least one damaged item.
Respondents were asked to rate the five online supermarkets out of 100 for accuracy, punctuality, missing or damaged items, and value for money.
Ocado came out top with a customer satisfaction score of 82 per cent. The online grocery retailer was praised for its efficient and easy to navigate website, as well as the good quality of fruit and vegetables .
It also fared the best on substitutions, with just 26 per cent of shoppers saying they had received something they had not ordered, compared to Sainsbury’s and Asda with 57per cent and 56per cent respectively.
Tesco and Asda received the lowest customer satisfaction ratings, with just 58 per cent and 59 per cent of shoppers saying they were pleased with their deliveries.
However, Asda was voted best for value for money, followed by arch rival Tesco .
Commenting on the findings, Jess Ross, editor of Which.co.uk, said: “Going online for your grocery shop is a great way to save time, cut the hassle of supermarket shopping and help you stick to a budget.”
“If you do have any hiccups with your order, such as vanilla air freshener instead of your vanilla ice-cream, don’t be afraid to get in contact with the store and complain.”
