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Ocado are suspending their reserved order system

532 replies

Neednewwellies · 26/03/2020 16:28

I’ve been using Ocado for 12yrs. We pay extra for a reserved pass. A week or so ago they emailed to say existing customers were priority and especially those with a reserved slot. Made a thing about supporting loyalty etc. Now today I’ve received an email telling me that not only is the delivering expecting tomorrow not coming but they’ve decided to suspend the reserved slots and it’s every (wo)man for themselves. Of course, there’s no slot available for weeks.
I’m angry and worried. Why not continue to prioritise those who have a set slot. Surely adding those thousands into the traffic of people desperately trying to get a slot will just make the situation worse? As soon as this is over I’ll be leaving them. No way will I continue to pay extra when they’ve behaved like this. How can they leave it until the day before to drop this on us? £150 a week plus the monthly fast pass fee to be treated like this. I wouldn’t even mind if they were on twitter holding their hands up but they’ve gone silent.

OP posts:
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7
Standrewsschool · 30/03/2020 16:59

No priority access email yet. I’ve been with Ocado for several years.

mooboy · 30/03/2020 17:01

@Standrewsschool I didn't get an email either but when I logged in I had priority access.

perfectstorm · 30/03/2020 17:39

Ocado emailed me a week ago to say they have been advised I am exceptionally vulnerable. They are giving us priority. We don't have a smart pass. They email me a special link to order a slot and to log in faster. That means I have a good shot (no guarantee, even then) of slots.

They have been amazing and I am incredibly grateful. My mum is also exceptionally vulnerable (has a lymphoma - but her hospital have been slacker at advising anyone of it, so she's had to register herself and is yet to get her special letter) and my in-laws are as well (elderly, and one is celiac). I'm alternating my protected slots, which are weekly, between the three households so we all get an order once every three weeks. With careful planning, that will mean none of us have to leave the house. And as I'm meant to get one slot a week it doesn't deprive anyone else, either.

We've shopped with Ocado for years but been canny about it - lots of special offers, using the flash sales to stock the freezer up - so right now we are spending twice what we usually do, as obviously sales aren't happening (they want to discourage mass buying, not encourage it) but when all this is over, and life is more normal again, we'll bloody well buy a pass from them, just to say thank you. Every single year.

They are going to save lives by prioritising the vulnerable. That's not good business for them, as we aren't any more likely to be Smart Pass customers than anyone else is. But they're doing it anyway, and it's so, so appreciated.

PickAChew · 30/03/2020 17:46

Well that's more communication than sainsburys delivery pass holders are getting, which is precisely none. Even if we were all emailed to be told that they had all been cancelled and anything outstanding would be refunded, that would be an acknowledgement that customers have paid in advance for a service they currently cannot provide.

Aragog · 30/03/2020 17:47

Ive had the first email last week, but no second email with the priority link yet.

otterhound · 30/03/2020 20:36

We’ve had an email saying our order for the weekend is coming. And have a slot for the following wed.
The only thing missing from our last delivery was flour - which seems cannot be got for love nor money anywhere

knittingaddict · 30/03/2020 21:20

We have smart pass (pay for slots in advance etc) we received an email stating that every smart pass person is put in a group and will receive an email each week or two weeks to get a slot. There will be a slot available for these paying people. Luckily we paid for it if you didn't I can imagine it would be a pain however can see their thinking.

That would be lovely if true. I have had the anytime smart pass for years (possibly 10 years) and can't get a delivery slot at all, despite receiving the so called priority email. In many areas there are NO slots for paying customers. Giving them money every month for many years has been rewarded with precisely nothing.

knittingaddict · 30/03/2020 21:23

My husband is vulnerable, although not in the extremely vulnerable group. I've informed Ocado of that, but not expecting any help from them now.

Nanasueathome · 30/03/2020 21:40

I’ve got an ocado delivery due Friday, 3rd
It’s just let me in to edit
No more slots available to me after that but I’m ok for now and will wait and see
I’ve got the anytime delivery pass

PrincessHoneysuckle · 30/03/2020 21:43

I've got smart pass,received e mail last night to put me in priority queue to edit before my order comes on Wednesday.I did this successfully but Ive tried to get back on today as forgot something but it wont let me now.

iVampire · 30/03/2020 22:07

@perfectstorm

Do you have any idea how Ocado identified you as a vulnerable customer?

Was it through the government hub? Did you say ‘yes’ fit good support - because the only option it gave me was registering for a food parcel - something I’d prefer not to go as I do not need free food. I just want you be able to use the ‘vulnerable’ access Ocado seem to be able to provide for others,

I am a long-standing Smart Pass customer, and I’ve emailed more than once about this and they are simply not responding.

I have the government letter as proof of exceptional vulnerability (also cancer occurs immune system, but Move is a leukaemia)

And if I can’t get a slot. I probably will be in food parcel territory by next week.

RogueV · 30/03/2020 22:10

Well well we’ll

My SIL has just registered a second email address on Ocado and look what she’s got in front of her. This is right now.
So much for prioritising anytime smart pass customers! Boils my piss Angry

Ocado are suspending their reserved order system
RuffleCrow · 30/03/2020 22:13

Supermarkets are adding to the panic with their policies. What a time to be restricting their delivery slots. Not everyone has a car or a strong back. Or a way of keeping an autistic 6 year old 2m apart from everyone in the supermarket for hours :-(

Minta85 · 30/03/2020 23:13

@RogueV did she register as a new customer, or just change the email address on her existing account?

LastTrainEast · 30/03/2020 23:21

I just went to Ocado and placed an order for the 1st . I never expected that to work and I have no idea how it did.

The site seems broken. Only slots are for next 2 days and they come and go when you refresh.

Most of their stuff seems to be out of stock anyway, but I'm hoping to get some of it.

Fuss · 30/03/2020 23:23

If I register as a new customer I get this.

Ocado are suspending their reserved order system
perfectstorm · 31/03/2020 01:32

@iVampire I genuinely have no idea. I have had a letter from the NHS and my own hospital, but Ocado had already contacted me before they did. I do wonder if I wasn't already flagged up as such, because we had a driver who really got it and was sympathetic, and after that drivers seem to know to stand back and leave shopping etc. But I was also logged in the NHS system very fast, because I am under the care of a specialist cancer hospital, so maybe that's it. I really don't know.

PMing you. Hang on in there.

EmmaBridgewater20 · 31/03/2020 09:02

@WindFlower92 you do realise we pay for these passes - not the reserved slots they're different. But smart passes are paid for and they're £12 a month. I completely get prioritising their vulnerable customers but expecting me and others to subsidise this is not fair. They're going to have to give in at some point because it's illegal but they're not at the moment.

My partner isn't covered by any of the relief measures as he's a director of his own Ltd company. Thank god we have some savings, but given we're going to be losing money and are being forced to go out and potentially get the virus I don't feel like giving £12 a month to a multi million business so they can supplement lower order values, and I'd be surprised if anyone else does!

EmmaBridgewater20 · 31/03/2020 09:07

Oh and to explain the vulnerable customer thing........it's just those people that received the letter from the NHS government. This database of addresses has been shared among the supermarkets for them to cross reference against. And you can self refer to this database but I understand it's quite stringent.

iVampire · 31/03/2020 09:19

The database has not been shared - if it had, I would not be in my current predicament.

The only option it has, as of yesterday, for food support is food parcel, perhaps consent to pass info to supermarkets for those who wan it will be added. But right now it can’t be done,

But supermarkets say go to the hub.

I’m a bit stuck.

JaneEyre7 · 31/03/2020 09:25

I've had confirmation of the two reserved orders that I managed to create manually but it won't let me create anything past these.

The website can be very unpredictable - at times you go straight in, other times it lands you in a queue with 450000 others.

I think a PP had it right when they said that usually Ocado are a gold standard, and this has been a really poor show from them. They needed to cut their new customers off immediately, and give priority to existing and those on the Government vulnerable list/anyone over 70.

I'm not jumping ship just yet, I am lingering on the fence so to speak but this whole crisis has been an eye opener to how some companies operate. I'm still waiting for dog food to be delivered after 14 days..... my regular order that I place every two months and have done for years. It's not even showing as processed and they say they are swamped with new customers.......... and those must be the people getting deliveries. I won't be going back to them after this.

RogueV · 31/03/2020 09:28

@Minta85 she says she’s registered as a new customer!

mooboy · 31/03/2020 09:33

I'll be moving to Waitrose after this. I still haven't had one email from Ocado. If I thought I was getting shoddy treatment because they were prioritising vulnerable customers I'd get it but I think they are just being greedy. No idea what's going on with their senior management team but they are shit.

SharonasCorona · 31/03/2020 09:35

Funny how all the people saying 'FFS stay at home' get miffed when Ocado removes their reserved passes Hmm

YABU, OP. I'm glad supermarket/food companies are prioritising vulnerable people / giving others a fair chance.

Loyalty means nothing in exceptional circumstances.

Minta85 · 31/03/2020 09:37

Thanks @RogueV.

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