It is only a preauthorisation and not payment. Payment still occurs when the known order has been filled (that ordered by the customer less products which couldn’t be delivered or substituted).
I think such approach is fair as Coles needs to know that sufficient funds are available when order is placed. The customer doesn’t pay more than the delivered order. The delivered order value is likely to be similar to online order placement value…unless one has ordered very expensive products which can’t be delivered for some reason.
I suspect Coles has been burnt by customers ordering, then packing ready to deliver and then trying to charge for the delivered order only to find the transaction has been declined…meaning they either have to unpack the groceries or lost opportunity for other customers to purchase items as the products may have been assigned to the rejected order. This is particularly the case when local stores pack the orders for delivery.
Maybe as an alternative, Coles could charge a refuse transation fee for time and costs to handle the failed order…this may cause additional hardship to those which couldn’t afford such fees/costs.
Anyway, some don’t like change …and this change is only minor and shouldn’t cause anyone hardship should they ordered what they can afford.
