I have had numerous issues with supermarket deliveries with drivers not helping with unpacking crates which I am unable to unpack due to disabilities which breaks the equality act.
For people like myself who are can’t bend down and can’t stand more than a few minutes, means I am unable to unpack crates at all. My relatives are all dead and I have no friends anywhere near.
I am faced with crates left on the path that I can’t unpack and the drivers won’t unpack either.
I offer them bags to put it in and they sometimes say no they can’t do that. I ask if they can unpack and they say no.
I use ASDA myself right now and have even been told by a few ASDA delivery drivers that they don’t have to help unpack or put things into bags as they have 16/19 minutes per delivery (It was one of the two). They said they will take it all away if I can’t unpack it.
This has also been confirmed by the ASDA CEO’s office. They say drivers don’t have to help as it is up to them if they want to help! This breaks the equality act right there.
They have to make adjustments for you at no cost to yourself. This is stated in the equality act.
“The Equality Act makes it clear that a person who is under a duty to make adjustments is not entitled to pass the cost of compliance to the disabled person.”
The equality act regarding reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
If you can’t unpack these crates, they have to help. If they driver won’t unpack which they won’t for me either in or outside of the pandemic, and they won’t provide bags, them I am left with a crate on the floor that I am unable to unpack.
Drivers all tell me that they don’t have to help and right now they aren’t allowed to due to COVID. The executives to the CEO of ASDA said the same to me “we ask them to leave the crates on your doorstep.”
I even had drivers say they would take the shopping away if I couldn’t unpack it!
I asked the big supermarkets what they do to help and here are their official responses from contacting their press department.
ASDA
ASDA (and all the way to the CEO office) do not comply with the equality act.
They barely even read emails and reply with random things rather than reading and answering the questions They took a long time to reply between emails also. I am not sure if the CEO knows how poor these staff members are with their customer service.
They say drivers can help outside the pandemic, but during the pandemic and right now they will leave the crate outside.
I emailed back and forth many times and I kept saying I can’t unpack the crates and have no one to help and you have to help as per the equality act.
They kept ignoring the question and some executives said different things to other executives, but then they said this which breaks the equality act:
“I have spoken to the Home Shopping Manager, although our drivers will do their best to support a customer whilst delivering the order, we are still wanting our drivers to remain a safe distance from customers, therefore we ask them to leave the crates on your doorstep.”
They eventually stopped replying to me when I said they have to help by law.
I then contacted the press email from my blog email and the same person replied:
“Please be assured our drivers will assist customers were possible, however it is down to their discretion, at this time the safety of our customers and colleagues is paramount therefore the drivers may not pack the items due to them ensuring that they remain a safe distance, this is for the drivers safety and yours.
We will of course make our drivers aware to assist you were possible, however as advised it is down to their discretion, the best way would be for you to opt into bags so the items are pre-packed for you.”
They say that drivers don’t have to help and it is down to the driver. So basically this DOES break the equality act.
Bags cost money and they are asking me to pay for equality as they are saying the drivers don’t have to help.
I said again that they have to help people as per the equality act and they replied:
“I apologise for any inconvenience caused, however we are confident with the information we have provided you with, the best option would be to opt into bags to ensure the items are packed at store level.”
They have a duty to help at no cost to you, the disabled person. They are saying drivers don’t have to help and if you want to make sure you get help then you have to pay. This does break the equality act as they have to make reasonable adjustments at no cost to you.
They are not complying with the equality act.
Other information showing how badly ASDA is incredibly misinformed and says incorrect information all the way up to the top, is that they are keeping the priority pass until March (yay), but adding the delivery fees plus the minimum basket charge below £40.
That is pretty poor but not the main issue, the issue is that the executive office to the CEO said that they are NOT adding the delivery fee and just adding the minimum basket charge below £40.
This completely contradicts the email they send around to all priority pass people!
The executives to the CEO said “however we have made the decision that the deliveries will remain free” even though the email they sent out to all said “However, from 1st November some changes will apply, including slot pricing and a small fee for orders under £40”. Website says the same.
So the very top department of ASDA doesn’t even know?! Guessing the ASDA website is right and the email sent to all, which means the staff working for the CEO don’t even know the answer.
This is about the 3rd time I have been told wrong information from them as well
Images for proof.
Sainsbury’s & Tesco
Sainsbury’s press office said that drivers will pack into bags if they are provided.
Tesco’s press office said that the drivers will help if you put a note on your order.
Morrisons failed to reply to my multiple attempts to contact them.
That’s really rough and mean. I rely on home grocery deliveries myself. The pandemic has complicated a lot of things. Some drivers hand me the bags of shopping in bags, while others leave it by the door. By the time I’ve bent down several times, my back is achey and sore. Sometimes I sit down for a break inbetween. I go with Iceland now. Tesco let me down.