Christmas delivery slots

[Perihell]

Was thinking about booking a delivery slot for Christmas,I’ve got a Sainsbury’s delivery pass and apparently you can get a heads up on the slots.but the dates are already out there so don’t know if that’s right.Also Iceland slots are supposedly up for grabs but can only see a week ahead.Of course there’s nothing left on Waitrose.Am I doing something wrong not used to booking delivery is it normally this chaotic?..

I missed out on @Ocado slots, I’ve had a pass Holder for about 15 years and spend about £150 to £200 each week. They are releasing more in December, I rang them to ask, but they won’t let pass holders have an early view, lovely treatment of loyal customers!!!!

It's probably worse this year with more people grocery shopping online because of Covid-19.

Similar issue with Waitrose, Not. Weekly delivery here and I'm on the website at least twice a week, but when I saw the Christmas week slots had gone up they had already all gone. So no Christmas delivery here. No warning of the date they'd be going up, either on the website or via email to their regular, loyal customers. It's worse for a friend who has been shielding since March, on the Waitrose priority list for vulnerable customers, and completely reliant upon the weekly delivery. The same happened to her. When she rang, she was told it was just a computer glitch and the slots were still available. Slots never appeared though so when she rang again she was told she'd been misled and they had all gone. Even Customer Service staff weren't told they were being released, apparently. Waitrose are usually so good and you'd certainly think they'd treat their vulnerable priority customers better. She's been left without a delivery for over a week at Christmas, while others who probably could get to the shops have been lucky. She'd even saved some gift vouchers to spend that week on the special, more expensive food as a mood-lifting treat. Customer Services have told her sorry, but they can't help.

Some supermarkets have increased the number of slots available and limited customers to one delivery a week to cope with increased demand. I would say if you can go to the shops do that, to leave more slots available for those who are shielding or self-isolating, but based on the experience with Waitrose, I'm not sure your slot would go to someone who needs it more.

normally if you have a delivery pass they email you when slots go live. Most supermarkets release slots for dleivery pass holders first. I have delivery pass for morrisons and managed to bag a slot on dec 23rd when they were reased but they go VV quickly. Iceland are a bit odd, and have only offered a choice of dates to VIP cusotmers up to 22nd, you pick which date you want then apaprently they allocate you a slot a week before. Not sure that will be much help tbh so thats why Ive gone for my morrisons one.
I think the tescos ones all went V quickly as well.
Dont know the dates when sainsburys release theirs though....

Tesco non delivery pass customers can book from 20th, Sainsbury’s on 29th onwards depending on which date you want. It’s all on their website. Asda have released slots for the week of Christmas but only until the Tuesday. I reckon they’ll go pretty quick so you’d have to be there early when the slots are released.

Ocado slots were released weeks ago and as far as I'm aware, Smart Pass holders were given first dibs? I got notification of when they'd be live and another reminder when they were live. Did you not get that @NotwatchingSpooks.

OP - a lot of supermarkets released their slots weeks ago and they were snapped up (don't think this is anything new, they usually are). You may struggle now. Maybe see if you can get Click and Collect anywhere.

I missed it unfortunately and by the time I realised they were all gone, they are releasing more, but not willing to let pass holders have priority. I would not mind but our daughter has been put in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable group (put in last week) and so we are now shielding her, but no letters being sent out, the person I spoke to was totally unsympathetic.
I may try emailing head office

@Perihell Christmas delivery slots for Sainsbury's delivery pass holders available from 22nd Nov according to the email I just got

Lovely I’ll keep a check on it, would be nice to believe loyalty counts these days. Spend enough in there!

@NotwatchingSpooks

I missed it unfortunately and by the time I realised they were all gone, they are releasing more, but not willing to let pass holders have priority. I would not mind but our daughter has been put in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable group (put in last week) and so we are now shielding her, but no letters being sent out, the person I spoke to was totally unsympathetic. I may try emailing head office

Good luck with that one. Same situation here a while back, trying to get a slot - Ocado were the most heartless, unpleasant, uncaring outfit (including the CEO) outfit I've ever come across.

Similar heartless and unpleasant experience with Sainsbury's especially at Head Office, doce and Not for another shielding friend. Thankfully both Tesco and Waitrose did care enough to offer priority help.

I have tesco del pass and get slots releaSed early only one i could get was 18th dec so taken that , getting meat fresh from butchers anyway so hopefully that will see us and just pick up any bits from local shops

would be nice to think loyalty counts these days
Alas it didn't with Sainsbury's on this occasion. Friend refused priority registration had also been a customer for many years, and had a pass. Shielding, loyalty, pass - didn't matter to them.

Sainsburys have released the dates priority booking open on their website starting from 22nd November for 21st December delivery. The non priority slots start from the 29th.

Have to say I have had no issues with Sainsburys through all of the lockdown 1 madness and they gave my parents (ECV and shielding) a regular weekly slot which they have maintained even though they didn't shop with them before. I think it must depend where you are and the size of the delivery operation that they have in that area.

Does Sainsbury’s send out a email about priority Xmas slots then? I’ve got an anytime pass and not had a whisper from them.All it says on website is slots open 29 Nov,whether I’m logged in or not it’s the same,is there something else I should be clicking on ?
Will something drastically change on the 22 Nov....??

PP hellox means 'priority' booking for delivery pass holders, not priority slots for vulnerable customers.

@perihell I got an email on Monday (just before I posted).

@HeatherAndSand from reading Sainos website, availability of slots goes to vulnerable first hence may vary for DP holders after that. Sorry if that's not been your experience.