// Waitrose accused of “poor customer service” after halting home delivery of newspapers before 3pm
// Customers have taken to social media and internet forums to complain about the change
// Waitrose’s page on Trustpilot has also taken a hit, attracting one-star ratings & complaints about the cancellation
Waitrose has been accused of “dishonesty and poor customer service” after halting home delivery of newspapers before 3pm.
The grocer said it could not guarantee earlier newspaper deliveries, which often arrived in stores too late to send with goods ordered for the morning or early afternoon.
However, customers have taken to social media and internet forums to complain about the change.
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“Over the last five or six years I can only remember a single occasion where the newspapers hadn’t arrived in time to be delivered,” said one Twitter user.
“A regressive step. Please reconsider.”
Another tweeted: “For a year I have had no problem with your newspaper delivery.”
“My elderly relative relies on these papers. I would prefer a no guarantee of delivery rather than no chance of delivery at all.”
Former Sunday Times associate business editor Andrew Lynch said newspapers arrived in his local Waitrose by 5am and were always delivered to him by 10am.
Waitrose’s page on consumer review website Trustpilot has also taken a hit, attracting one-star ratings and complaints about the cancellation.
Some dissatisfied shoppers have speculated that the supermarket was trying to save money on home deliveries.
One customer on the Money Saving Expert forum called Waitrose’s move “a very neat (but sneaky) way of increasing their profits”, noting that newspapers are free on orders above £10.
“Online orders are picked very early in the day for morning and early afternoon orders,” a Waitrose spokesperson said.
“This has usually happened before the newspapers are in the shop, so to avoid disappointing customers there is only an option to select papers in an order if the delivery is later in the day.”
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