ASDA home delivery

Here's why I'm never using Asda home delivery again:

My girlfriend and I had a delivery booked for Tuesday evening (3rd Nov), between 7 and 9pm, which we were looking forward to because the cupboard was bare. It got to 9pm and as we had heard nothing at all from Asda, I called the helpline, and spoke to a very helpful person in South Africa who said he would call the store in Colindale to find out what was going on and get back to me within 10 mins. About half an hour later, after hearing nothing, I called again. I spoke to a different person who said the same thing as the first. This time, he did call back to say that the driver was "nearly there". After another 20 mins or so, I called the helpline again, but as it was now after 10pm, it had closed. We had no delivery, and overcome by hunger, had a late supper of plain boiled rice and soy sauce. It wasn't bad, but wasn't the prawn stir fry we anticipated.

The next morning, I called and spoke to someone in South Africa again. He asked me if I'd be in that evening and I said, yes, between 6:30pm and 7:30pm only. I got a call back to say that all was well, and that the Colindale store would make the delivery between 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Apparently, the driver had tried to call the previous night because he was "lost", but didn't get an answer so went back to the store. I find this hard to believe as I was sat next to my phone all evening. He certainly didn't leave a message with a number to call back on, which would've been the blindingly obvious thing to do if someone doesn't answer their phone on the first try. But, like I say - there was no call, no missed call and no message.

Anyway, by 7:30pm that evening, I was on the phone again to someone else in South Africa asking where my delivery was and complaining again about yet again being let down. She called back about 10 mins later to tell me that she couldn't find out what the problem was because they "keep hanging up the phone on me at the Colindale store". I told her I had to leave. She asked if she could re-arrange for the next evening. I reluctantly agreed. I then told her that I would really appreciate a call from either the Colindale store or the driver to explain what had been going on and why they had failed yet again to make the delivery. I then got a phone call from a different person in the call centre about 20 mins later. She told me that she was calling to re-book my delivery, but that the next available delivery slot would be on Saturday. I told her to forget about it. She asked me in a disapproving tone if I was really going to cancel the order. "Yes", I said.

I've complained on the phone and via email to Asda and - needless to say - have heard nothing back. The only apologies I've got are from the poor people in the help centre in South Africa who seem as mucked around as we do. I don't consider it acceptable that me and my girlfriend have had two consecutive evenings ruined by waiting for a delivery that never comes and numerous calls back and forth to South Africa. We will obviously never use Asda again, and let our friends and family know about our experience, but I still feel owed an apology for massive time wasting involved. The arrogance of the Colindale store is quite breathtaking - they couldn't even be bothered to let us know the delivery would be late, let alone that it was never going to show up, for two days running.

I'm going to give Ocado or Sainsbury's a go next time!