Morrisons charges customers EXTRA ‘in case of substitutions’ and shoppers aren’t happy
MORRISONS has added a new fee for shoppers ordering their food online - charging them 5% MORE than they have spent.
Shoppers have taken to social media to complain about the new charge that is applied to their online basket "in case of substitutions".
When customers check-out online, some have been met with a message that explains a 5% charge is added on top of their spend as a "payment deposit".
The message reads: "To allow for any changes at delivery or collection that could alter your order total...We need to reserve an amount 5% higher than your order total.
"This will show as pending payment on your account. This means your bank will hold the money and you can't spend it. We will calculate the final total after delivery or collection and only charge you that amount."
The change was highlighted by one Morrisons shopper on Money Saving hints, tips and ideas, who shared a screenshot of the message
Morrisons confirmed to The Sun that it had implemented the charge.
It said that because a lot of the fresh food sold in-store does not have a fixed price, your overall spend will depends on the size and weight of the product.
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This means, your online shopping bill will depend on what the Morrisons picker selects for your order.
Morrisons said the deposit would cover substitutions on your order, as well as workers picking weighted items that turn out to be more expensive than your original order.
The 5% hold will cover whatever might be the difference when you get your final confirmed order.
The supermarket said the money would be held by your bank when you checkout, but not taken out of your account.
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But customers are not about happy about the charge and worry it could leave them strapped for cash.
Replying to the Facebook post, one shopper said: "It's my second or third shop with Morrisons so this is definitely a new thing and I won't be using it again."
Another said: "I was wondering why when I go to authorise the payment its higher than my total."
Meanwhile a third said: "This is awful for people who are on an extremely tight budget and only have so much in the bank."
And another agreed. They said: "I'll be avoiding Morrisons then. I have pennies spare sometimes. Shame."
Martyn James, consumer expert from Resolver, said people were right to be concerned about any retailer putting a "hold" on their card for money that may or may not be debited at a later stage.
He said: "This undermines the whole business of paying by card. After all, you only authorise the sum that you pay at the till - any other cash debited isn't really authorised by you, no matter what caveats the retailer adds in the small print."
A Morrisons spokesperson said: "To ensure customers pay the correct amount for their online shopping, we have introduced an additional hold on customer’s cards 5% above the value of their shop.
";This is held by their bank until the basket is processed and the final amount can be calculated. Then customers are only charged the final amount of their shopping."
It isn't the first time consumers have been met with this kind of a prepayment problem in recent months.
At the petrol pumps many have had to fork out for a £100 charge upfront.
New checks are in place at several supermarket forecourts including Morrisons, Tesco and Asda, that hold the cash while the transaction goes through.
Martyn continued: "We've seen the wave of complaints about the £99 hold on cards when people pay at the pump for petrol.
"But the technology can and does go wrong, leaving people without access to their own cash at a time when money has never been tighter.
"So until all of these problems are sorted out, holds should not be applied and a standard price for loose items like vegetables should be honoured."
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It's not the only major change to come from the supermarket as of late - along with other grocery heavyweight brands, Morrisons has agreed to scrap packaging on fruit and veg by 2025.
And it's not to say you can't still get your shop for less at the supermarket - one ex worker revealed how to make your money go further in the store.
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