Ocado Christmas delivery slots - what a waste of time and money!

[redglobox]

Why do they offer Christmas delivery slots if they don't have the stock to fulfil them? I had to pay £8 for a slot (in the late evening). Booked one thinking it would save me from going into the shop. Finalised the order on Friday and they are so low on stock there's little choice in any category and some items are completely out of stock (puff pastry, frozen desserts...). Ended up having to go into our local Sainsbury's anyway and it couldn't have been more different: fully stocked shelves, loads of choice, interesting options.

I called Ocado about it and the guy apologised but said he wasn't allowed to refund the delivery fee or offer vouchers to cover the cost.
Happy Christmas to you too Ocado!

Are they all this crap? I don't think I've ever had it before that there's little choice and you're supposed to cheerily hand over your £8 and be glad that you got anything at all.

I got my slot the day they came out, I think about a month ago and filled my basket. They had already at that point run out of so much Xmas stuff! I decided to keep the a lot anyway anyway and have got things from Waitrose. My order arrives on Wednesday morning, I hope there aren’t any substitutions.

I had my Christmas delivery today, nothing missing or subbed (I did the order weeks ago although did keep tweaking it). Annoyingly though some of the vegetables eg parsnips and sprouts have best before dates of 23 or 24 December…

I got an order last night with half the stuff missing.
I’ve mostly stopped using them as the fact they are still using plastic bags drives me crazy. Have switched to bagless Waitrose and Tesco

Tesco has been the same for weeks. Not worth paying the delivery slot for.

I am not sure booking early reserves the product. Surely they just give you what they have when the delivery is due.

I’ve used Ocado for years, pre-pandemic so had priority access all along since Covid struck. It may be you are not a priority customer? When did you start using them?

I selected all my Christmas foods when I booked my slot in first round of release. It was delivered today, nothing missing, no substitutions.

The only things I finalised were nonChristmas food and no issues there.

I do agree that they were better when with Waitrose. I now have a weekly delivery from Waitrose and one from Ocado because there are many foods Waitrose does better and cheaper than M&S or Ocado. Especially fresh fruit and veg.

Got my order today. Booked slot in October and pretty much finalised weeks ago.
Lots of items have pre-xmas dates.
4 subs and several items not available including Christmas Colin The Caterpillar which DC really wanted!
When I got the email this am, I went straight to M & S and they had loads in stock with good dates.
Bread from Ocado was squashed and sour cream damaged and went straight in bin.
Not worth the £9 delivery charge.
I usually get a Waitrose Christmas delivery but couldn't get a slot this year.

@Chloemol

You book the stuff weeks in advance to make sure you get it, never leave it to the last minute

No, sorry, it doesn't work like that. Whenever you finalise your basket you still only get the stuff if it's in stock when then Assistant goes to pick it.

I went into my local M&S food hall this afternoon, and the place was absolutely piled high with food. So why they say there are shortages I have no idea.

@DSGR

I got an order last night with half the stuff missing. I’ve mostly stopped using them as the fact they are still using plastic bags drives me crazy. Have switched to bagless Waitrose and Tesco

I admit I don’t like it also, but I am reassured by the fact Ocado is only grocer to have created their own closed loop recycling of all their plastic bags. They have partnered with Echo, and every bag you give them they pass to Echo who makes them into pellets that are then made into new Ocado bags.

They also take any recyclable plastic bag from anywhere- even the ones you can’t put in your blue bin! So I give them the plastic bags my bread and rolls come in. The plastic bags used for parcels from online shopping. And so on. They also pay you 10p back per bag. So they’re not making money off this at all.

www.ocado.com/content/bag-recycling-process-148928

Load your trolley when you book your slot, with important things anyway. I learnt this in lockdown. It means they can order the right stock to fulfill orders.

So you're not 'reserving the product' no but you are helping them order enough to meet demand.

They've always urged people to fill their trolleys early for Christmas deliveries. They can't magic up thousands of organic turkeys etc a week before Christmas.

My Saturday order last week was cancelled by Ocado about 4,30 pm Friday, I'm bloody furious, no proper explanation.

I've got the Christmas one coming 23rd and expecting half the stuff to be missing.

I'm cancelling my regular Saturday order and smart pass subscription.

I'm changing to Waitrose in the new year.

I use Ocado precisely because they do still use bags. It's a nightmare to get to my front door from the road with the big trays the others use and the drivers never volunteer to help. At least Ocado recycle the bags for you.

I got a fairly last minute Ocado delivery today with no substitutions and such a friendly delivery driver that I emailed them to tell them.

I promise I don't work for them. Just adding another viewpoint for balance.

I couldn’t get an Ocado slot so used Waitrose instead. Wish I hadn’t bothered and had just shopped in store.

All the fresh stuff has use by dates of tomorrow or Wednesday, including all the milk. Many terrible substitutions even though I’d checked the no substitutions box.

@Bloatstoat Sainsburys recently sent me a gluten free steak pie instead of vegan cheese! I was

Ocado work differently to other supermarkets and order in based on what you have in your trolley so if you leave it to he last minute, they won't necessarily have what you want to order. Doesn't suit me at all as I am very much a last minute person so I shop at Tesco. Having said that there have been lots of staples out of stock in recent weeks. Milk stick the last two weeks has been dire.

They’ve always been consistently shit at Christmas. Usually run out of sprouts.

Hoping Waitrose are better.

I gave up on delivery years ago because of the subs, not even at Christmas.

I know some people cannot afford to buy ahead but your best best is to order long date/shelf stable items early November, freezer items by the beginning or December so all you are relying on getting this week are perishables as far as Christmas items are concerned

No, sorry, it doesn't work like that. Whenever you finalise your basket you still only get the stuff if it's in stock when then Assistant goes to pick it.

Ocado doesn’t work like that. All the stock is packed in massive warehouses by machines. So the earlier you order, you’ve more chance it will be in stock. I suppose this year with all the supply issues they’ve had to put their orders in much sooner than previous years, so if you don’t get your order in early, things will have sold out.

I have a very love hate relationship with Ocado. I used Waitrose last year after Ocado royally pissed me off the year before, it was not a success.
Almost all of the Boxing Day food I’d ordered went out of date on Christmas Day despite only being delivered on the 23rd. I ended up stuffing the freezer full with it all and then having to defrost it again. On top of that I had a lot of missing items.

Booked Ocado way back in October and pretty much finalised the shop then. Been on earlier to add a few last minute regulars like kitchen cleaner etc and everything seems to be still there as ordered. Fingers crossed and I’ll see what Thursday brings.

@orangesnapples

My Tesco shop is looking the same. Had everything ordered a week ago and popped on today to add something only too find a lot of it is no longer available. It's not due till Thursday night so won't know if I will need to brave the shops till then.

Lot of things tgst had gone out of stock for my Tesco order had come back in today. It might be worth checking before your order is packed.

@LizzieSiddal

No, sorry, it doesn't work like that. Whenever you finalise your basket you still only get the stuff if it's in stock when then Assistant goes to pick it.

Ocado doesn’t work like that. All the stock is packed in massive warehouses by machines. So the earlier you order, you’ve more chance it will be in stock. I suppose this year with all the supply issues they’ve had to put their orders in much sooner than previous years, so if you don’t get your order in early, things will have sold out.

Yep Ocado is as stated above Waitrose is a completely separate company and items are picked in store

I use both but Waitrose usually have more subs because of the above

Did my ds a Sainsburys shop yesterday, only two subs, both sensible.

Equally miffed off here with the things missing from my shop which was booked and finalised in October on the day the slots opened for smart pass customers.

No milk amongst other things, as apparently no substitutions…. Find it very hard to believe that they had no milk what so ever, so having dragged my butt out of bed at this time for my delivery, I’m now having to go to Asda for basics when I specifically order all food in as my disability makes supermarket shopping absolutely horrific at the best of times, let alone when it’s busy and I feel stressed. Bah Humbug.