SHOPPERS have been left fuming over sneaky Celebrations gift boxes that cost twice the price of normal tubs.
Tesco customers have complained of unwittingly buying the smaller 385g versions of the Christmas favourites online, instead of the 600g standard version.
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The Christmas gift box currently sells for £6 compared to £5 for the traditional tub, or £4 with a Clubcard, meaning shoppers are paying up to £2 more for far less.
On a price per 100g the difference means shoppers are paying more than twice the price.
The smaller gift box works out as £1.56 per 100g, compared to 83p for the larger tub, or just 67p with the Tesco loyalty card.
The products look similar on the website as there’s no sense of scale to see the size difference. The gift box is octagonal in shape rather than round.
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One upset customer wrote on Tesco.com: “I didn’t realise I’d be paying twice as much for a different shape box?
“Now I’m going to have to buy the round tub for my friends because this was not big enough for a family of eight. Very disappointed.”
Another added: “I feel really stupid, like others in this review section, I too thought I was buying the normal Celebrations tub, but this is for a much smaller box about half the content of the tub.
“Not good value for money. That will teach me to check the reviews for everything.”
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A third said: “I bought this chocolates as a treat for my little boy thinking it was the large tub that you get at Christmas, very disappointed as small and overpriced would not buy again.”
And a fourth added: “Ridiculous. Like so many others shopping online I assumed this was the standard sized tub that you buy at Christmas, not a miniature imitation.
“I’m not impressed seeing as I bought four to use at a charity event. Poor show Tesco.”
The product has been rated as just one star on the Tesco website.
Similar comments were made on the Ocado website, where the product currently sells for £4.50, down from £6.75.
A regular tin from the online supermarket is £5.50. Several Ocado customers have also complained of feeling ripped off.
Reena Sewraz, Which? money expert, said: “Manufacturers are frequently changing packaging designs and offering different size products, which can make it really tough to spot a smaller tub of chocolates, especially when it’s the same price as a big box and you are buying it online.
“The best way to avoid disappointment and not get ripped off is to compare multiple products by looking at the unit price.
“By checking the price per 100ml or 100g, you can make sure you always find the best deal for your needs in store and online.”
Ocado said: “We do everything we can to make sure all products are really clearly described on our site and always highlight the weight of every product.
“Both items are competitively priced and the gift box is included in our Ocado Price Promise which compares 10,000 products to Tesco.”
Ocado’s Price Promise compares 10,000 products – covering branded, M&S and own-brand – against like-for-like products on Tesco.com, including promotions and Clubcard prices.
Customers receive money off their next shop if their shopping would have been cheaper at Tesco.
Mars Wrigley UK, which makes Celebrations, said: ‘At Mars Wrigley UK, our focus is always on ensuring that we offer our great tasting, high quality chocolate at the best possible value.
“We have a range of Celebrations treats on sale this Christmas that are available in different sizes, formats and price-points to suit all occasions for the British public this festive season.
“As with all our products, final pricing is always at the discretion of individual retailers.”
Tesco did not comment.
How does unit pricing work and how can it save me cash?
Unit prices are meant to make it easier for shoppers to compare similar items of different sizes.
You should be able to see the unit cost of the product where its price is shown, usually on the shelf label in stores or in the product description online – it may be in small print.
Stores are obligated to show unit pricing, under legislation known as the Price Marking Order 2004.
It lays out that a unit price should be “unambiguous, easily identifiable and clearly legible”.
But there is no requirement that it be used consistently with the same units across similar items.
So some items may describe the unit price per millilitre while other products are per litre.
It’s also common that items that are a reduced price do not show the equivalent discounted unit price, making it harder for shoppers to compare the true cost.
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This includes loyalty or member prices as some supermarkets.
Previous research by Which? found that 72% of people could not work out the cheapest item when comparing products in store.
