Grandmother pushed over online limit after Tesco counts Brussels sprouts INDIVIDUALLY

A grandmother fears Christmas dinner could be ruined for millions after Tesco counted each of her two kilos of Brussels sprouts individually – taking her over the 95-item online shopping limit.

Sandra Greenwood was forced to go without her festive favourites while ordering via Click and Collect from the Great Horton Road store in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Despite only adding 18 products to her basket including bread, milk and two kilos of unpeeled sprouts, the 66-year-old was baffled when she was warned she had exceeded her allowance.

The following day, the administrator realised Tesco had counted her sprouts as 71 individual items, pushing her well over the limit.

Left with no choice, Mrs Greenwood was eventually forced to checkout without getting her beloved veggies and worries others could face a dinner without all the trimmings this Christmas.

The grandmother-of-six, from Bradford, said: ‘Sprouts are the main things for Christmas dinner. Some people love sprouts and can’t imagine Christmas dinner without it.

‘[Tesco’s website] had obviously estimated that each sprout is one item, which I thought was quite funny. 

‘But older people who can’t get out or people without family might be disappointed by it.’

After having heart problems and breaking her ankle in June, Mrs Greenwood had struggled with her mobility so decided to try and secure a Christmas delivery spot with Tesco.

When this failed, she arranged for her daughter Lindsey Greenwood to pick up a Click and Collect order instead last Monday – expecting to fill her basket with lots of festive goodies.

‘I was looking for all the fresh food in case we can do Christmas Day,’ she said.

‘Normally, you can get sprouts in bags that need peeling but the only ones they had in bags were sprouts that were already peeled. They were about three times the price of what a bag normally is.

‘There are 12 of us at Christmas so I need a lot of sprouts. They had loose sprouts so I thought ‘if I get 2kg, that’ll be enough’.

‘I put them in the basket and all of a sudden, it said that the number of items I could buy had been exceeded.

‘When I counted, I had about 18 items in my bag, and it said I had 100-odd items. They were limiting them to 95 items per person.

‘I thought that the time “well, there’s nothing like that amount that’s there”. With the sprouts I’d only spent £28. Then the next morning when I took the sprouts out, it reduced my items by 71.

‘I had to take the teabags out and put lettuce and cucumber in – but [go] without the sprouts.’

Baffled by the rule, Mrs Greenwood then called Tesco customer services, where an advisor allegedly claimed there wasn’t much they could do as it was ‘the system’.

‘I called Tesco about it yesterday and spoke to a young girl,’ she said. ‘She was lovely but she said “I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it”.’

The frustrated shopper added: ‘Christmas is a busy time. I’d been trying to get everything in place early because you don’t want people to mess about getting them.

‘I can’t just get in the car and drive to the shop to get some sprouts. I’m not classed as vulnerable but I’m more at risk because I have heart problems. I’ve had to be careful.’

Tesco has been contacted for comment.