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Aldi customers confused over Special Buys rule: 'Not allowed!'

When it comes to picking up Aldi’s popular Special Buys it’s usually, first in best dressed.

Customers often arrive early and line up to secure their spot to get their hands on one of the store's famed weekly specials which are released on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

But one shopper’s Facebook post has sparked a huge debate over the unknown rules around securing the store’s bigger Special Buys items.

The shopper excitedly took to Facebook after her husband picked up one of the store’s mattresses in a box - an in-demand item that was only available at select stores due to product delays.

“Woohoo - hubby got a mattress!” the customer from Victoria wrote in her post.

“Pays to ask, it was the last one - was on hold but the lady hadn’t come to collect it, so the worker gave it to him!”

Aldi Mattress in a box ad is pictured. Source: Aldi
A woman's Facebook post about Aldi's Special Buy mattress in a box has sparked an online debate. Source: Aldi

“The worker said that the lady asked for them to hold it until 10am, he went in at 2pm - so was much later.”

The comments quickly sparked an online debate about whether Aldi staff are allowed to hold limited Special Buys items for customers to pick up later.

“Aldi hold things?” One person asked.

“I can't believe Aldi hold things for people ours wouldn't,” said another.

“Mine doesn’t. Especially a Special Buy. First in best dressed where I am,” commented a third.

Confusion over Special Buys holds

The unclear rules around whether staff can or can’t hold items for customers at the German retail giant left some customers confused.

While some said it’s not allowed, others insisted stores do hold items, depending on the size of that store’s warehouse. Others suggested stores would hold items if you paid for them first.

“Picking mine up after hubby finishes work! Hope yours isn’t the one I had them put away for me!” one shopper said.

Shoppers queue outside an Aldi supermarket.
Aldi's Special buys often prompts huge lines before the stores even open. Source: Getty Images

“They held one for my husband this morning without paying a staff member called another store and organised it for him and he went to grab it half-hour between stores,” commented another.

“You’re ​​not allowed to hold items unless paid for in full,” added another.

Aldi clears up confusion

While some customers say holding an item is allowed and have conformed staff members holding items for them, the Aldi website states otherwise.

“To keep things fair for all our customers, we do not reserve stock,” the website says.

It seems the rules around big-ticket Special Buy items involves lining up with everyone else to secure them.

Aldi Special Buys cancelled

Aldi recently announced that they would cancel Special Buys in particular areas around Australia.

The cancellation comes after the store came under fire for continuing their famed Special Buys in areas currently under strict Covid-19 stay-at-home orders.

Radio shock jock Ray Hadley blasted the German retailer for being "irresponsible" for continuing to promote their Special Buys.

His comments came after a shopper posted a photo of a packed store in Blacktown in Sydney's west, one day after an apartment building in the area was sent into complete lockdown following a Covid outbreak.

"It's like a plague of locusts when people queue up to get there," he said during his morning radio show on 2GB.

As a result, Aldi stopped select Special Buys in lockdown areas including, Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Central Coast, Shellharbour on the NSW south coast and the Blue Mountains.

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