'Why didn't Sainsbury's honour its £20-off voucher?'

The reader made an order on Sainsbury's because it was offering a discount

We received a voucher from Sainsbury’s saying: “We’ve missed you. Save up to £30 off your next two online grocery shops”.

The terms being £20 off the first online shop before the given date and £10 off the next one before the same date.

I was just out of hospital and it seemed an attractive idea. I therefore placed an order online totalling £138.50. The attached order details confirmed the same, deducting £20 with a net balance of £118.50 to pay.

However, the receipt which came with the shopping showed our MasterCard debited with £134.38, after a few substitutions etc, but no £20 credit.

AH, Cornwall

You asked Sainsbury’s to credit your Mastercard with the missing £20 but it didn’t. Finally you were told the £20 would be credited to your online account voucher wallet.

You reiterated you wanted it put on your credit card but the credit went ahead. To redeem it you now needed to do another online shop. 

After my involvement Sainsbury’s said it had made a mistake and it now refunded the £20. You recall that the same kind of mishap happened to you before and I had managed to sort it out.

After that episode the supermarket had lost your custom for several years. It was only the fact you were recently out of hospital and could not go out that had brought you back.

I suggested Sainsbury’s give a gesture of goodwill, perhaps an extra voucher for £5 or £10 in respect of the latest episode. It is still considering this.