Coles supermarket shoppers furious at new $1.50 fee affecting millions: ‘Appalling!’
Cole’s supermarket has come under fire over a new $1.50 fee affecting millions of customers.
On May 18, the retail giant began charging the $1.50 flat fee Cole’s online Customers are demanding bags for home delivery of their groceries.
The $1.50 fee is charged per order and covers the total amount of bags needed to hold a customer’s items, no matter how large or small the order.
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Woolworths also charges a flat fee of $2 per order for bags on all home delivery orders.
Because Coles’ recycled paper bags cost 25 cents each, some shoppers have pointed out that the new fee penalizes those placing smaller orders.
An angry pensioner took to Facebook to say the charges were “completely unfair” to “singles” and “the elderly”.
“Why is there a $1.50 flat rate for my online home delivery order,” she said.
“I shop a week and an average of three bags. So far, I was billed per bag for the plastic bags. Why can’t you do that with the paper bags?
“They scam everyone who has small shops, mostly singles or older people. I’m not content with asking for more for less. Go back to per-bag billing!
“Today three bags and all the cereal boxes are loose. Terrible!”
The customer added, “It’s totally unfair to charge a flat rate of $1.50 for home delivery orders.” I believe the paper bags are 25 cents each, so you should charge per bag used .
“My average store goes for three to four bags, and that’s the price you should be asking.
“I don’t think that as a pensioner I should be subsidizing everyone else with bigger families and far more food than me. Yes, just me!”
Other customers have also spoken out against the new charges on social media.
“Is it no longer possible to opt-in on bagless delivery, or is this just your way of giving customers an additional $1.50 off?” asked one.
Another said, “Why is there a $1.50 fee for a paper bag when ordering online?”
A third added: “Coles COVID is over – why can’t you go back to bench delivery?”
Coles answers
A coles A spokesman has defended the fee, saying the supermarket is testing an alternative “swap-a-box” option for home delivery for some customers.
“We recently made the decision to offer our customers 100% recycled paper bags as an alternative to soft plastic bags. For a flat fee of $1.50, customers can have their groceries delivered to their door or trunk, regardless of how many bags they need,” the spokesman told 7NEWS.com.au.
“Our switch to paper bags in-store and online by the end of June demonstrates our commitment to reducing problematic packaging at the checkout and will eliminate 230 million plastic bags in a year. The 100% recycled paper bags can be recycled curbside and hold up to six kilos of groceries.
“To reduce the use of plastic bags, Coles is also piloting a new initiative called Swap-a-box in select states, which allows customers to use a reusable box with click-and-collect orders. For Click & Collect customers there is a bagless option where a team member packs the items directly into the customer’s trunk.”
