Changes to Tesco slots?

[ExhaustedFlamingo]

Family of four, been shielding due to pre-existing health issues (me), and been managing to grab click and collect slots - with a great deal of effort.

I think the supermarkets have done amazingly well increasing capacity, and if I'm not lucky enough to get a slot, I understand. There's so many of us trying, I don't blame the supermarket at all if I'm not successful.

But here's the thing. Talking to my mum yesterday over Skype - she is a pre-existing delivery saver customer, which may be relevant. I could only see slots up to 22nd May - everything taken for click and collect, and delivery (we haven't taken any delivery slots because we can manage click and collect). Anyway, she could see slots up to 29th May!!

She is local to me and we were comparing slots for the same branch. She's basically able to see slots a week ahead of me. I've refreshed/reloaded etc and I'm a week behind her. Does anyone know the reason for this? Are Tesco giving preferential booking to those who were existing delivery saver customers?

With a huge amount of effort, I'd been able to get click and collect slots but for the past fortnight or so, there's been absolutely nothing. I'm wondering if Tesco have changed their philosophy and are now giving delivery saver customers advance booking? It's the only thing I can think of to explain the difference.

I've got absolutely no problem at all not being able to get a slot if we're all trying at the same time. It's hard for everyone and we can't magic up more slots. But if Tesco ARE offering advance booking to their delivery saver customers, then there's basically no chance for the rest of us. Mum said for the week ahead - which I can't even see yet - there was only one slot left for the Friday and that was the last day on what she could see. So, in other words, when it gets released to the rest of us, no bloody wonder there's nothing left because they've already been taken! Aaargh!

I'm making sweeping assumptions here as mum isn't on any kind of list so that's the only reason I can think of.

I have managed to get slots for click and collect with Asda - did our first one today. Tons of stuff substituted or out of stock and not substituted - don't normally have the same problem with Tesco other than the odd thing here or there. I've got two autistic children, one with quite profound difficulties, and while they eat quite a reasonably healthy diet, they've very rigid. Not being able to get certain things is a real headache - substitutions don't work. Deep sigh.

I really don't want to sound like an entitled brat, and with so many people ill and dying, I realise that this is minor. But has anyone else noticed this or does my mum have access to some magical Tesco portal that's blocked to us mere mortals?

First post so please don't slay me for sounding like a whiny cowbag.

It must be area dependent as since they added the extra week, I can have my pick of any slot at any time for the whole day when there was absolutely nothing before. Now I've got four weeks of deliveries booked! But if I look on DH's account, with no pass, there's nothing.

Me and my neighbour figured this out about 2 weeks ago. I have delivery saver and can see up to the 31st, she doesn't and can only see a week behind me. The only way she's been able to get slots is to check around 6am to see if there's any available slots for the up coming week.

I think it might be to do with AGE!

My Mum who is 74 can see a whole load of delivery slots available to her. She has no pass or official shielding certificate.
I can see none. Not one for weeks!

When you sign up, do you tell them your DOB? We both made an account a long time ago so can't remember!

Anyway, I'm glad she is able to get a slot each week! The supermarkets must be doing something to enable it! 👍🏻😊

BTW, I am talking about Sainsbury's in my last post!

I can get AsDA slots. They come up daily.

not seeing anymore slots might explain it-ive got a c +c for next friday and havent been able to book anything after that

@PumpkinP I do agree with you. I have always been mocked by family for having a delivery (they manage without a shopping delivery each week so why can’t I and don’t forget mil had 4 dc and no car and never had a delivery when she was in my position). Funny how they have all jumped on the home delivery slots now. I was really frustrated that I couldn’t get a slot, but it seems to have been sorted now as I had a delivery last week, got a click and collect for the weekend just gone and two delivery slots lined up for later in the month.

I can see until the 31st May, although no slots available. I have been having no luck at midnight/2am, but have found slots available at random times through the day.
No idea about click and collect, they seem to have full availability for the week ahead and have Many slots free to book.

Thank you!

I entered into a contract with Tesco’s so I think it’s extremely entitled of some people to now think that the contract shouldn’t be honoured and we should all be treated them same it’s a contract (delivery saver) and Tesco’s is a business, it’s irrelevant whether they’ve suspended payments, they’ve done that to hang on to their loyal costumers who now can’t get slots, we are much more
Likely to continue to shop with Tesco’s which is obviously why they’ve done it.

Yes I agree. Vulnerable people should be prioritised first, then the people who’ve entered into a contract with Tesco for regular delivery, and then everyone else if there are any slots left.

I find Morrisons have been really good. I've had weekly slots with them since March. Good availability too.

@vanillandhoney I’ve taken a temporary job with Morrisons doing picking for home delivery and click and collect. It’s a new thing for my store and is really taking off.

Still prefer Tesco for my main shop. I get discount in both stores as husband works for Tesco and I have delivery saver so don’t want to pay again for that iyswim.

Yellowbutterfly1
That is incorrect. Around a third of coeliacs have issues with spleen function. This isn’t tested for, so coeliacs have to assume that they fall into that third and act accordingly. Check the updated advice online on coeliac UK.
Coeliacs also often have other auto-immune conditions too, but the spleen function is the biggest concern.

@Yellowbutterfly1. Please excuse me using the @ to alert you, but your relative does need to see the new advice that people with coeliac disease should assume they are at higher risk, see my above post.

I was getting click and collect with Tesco but my last one is tomorrow.

I hope that at some point in the future i will be able to get deliveries again. I think lots of people who are new to home deliveries will stick with it and it will still be hard to get after lockdown 😫😫 mind you, I cant get many of the cheap brands from online that they sell in the store it comes from so I might save money going in.

Yellowbutterfly1 I have checked for the latest update and coeliac UK have changed the wording on their website, so it is more vague now. I was advised by GP that due to the risk of spleen disfunction coeliacs were at increased risk, this was what it said on Coeliac UK too, a few weeks ago they had clear advice that coeliacs should assume they have spleen issues and are at increased risk, although not at shielding level, so I acted accordingly . Now it seems less clear, which is possibly good news ? I have other auto- immune conditions too, hence me being v cautious.

Thanks sirvixofvixhall
I just rechecked their website too. I was getting worried the information had changed and they hadn’t been told, but I think they must have contacted their GP and the Coeliac society after they updated their website.
If you have other auto-immune conditions then it’s totally understandable to be extra cautious.

That's interesting. Ive Used Tesco to deliver in the past. What I find is that everything is booked three weeks in advance, but then out of the blue, slots appear for later the same week. Maybe these are made available for those who have booked in the past?

It is nice to see them recognising loyalty. I have been a customer of Asda delivery for years now and have seen no evidence whatsoever of them prioritising loyalty. I will certainly re-consider which company I shop with when this is all over.

It’s all hit and miss. We try to organise click&collect on our small road and each neighbour sees or doesn’t see different slots. No idea how it works anymore. We try Tesco and Sainsbury’s. If it is showing as available then you can book 1 per week with Tesco.
I know all the supermarkets are doing their best and trying very hard to adapt to the current situation.
However, seeing they are the only businesses making real profits right now, I’d have hoped for better availability. We are spending a lot of money and it feels like I have to fight to hand my money over, either by finding a click&collect or braving the shop. The prices have gone up and some home delivery charges are showing at £7!

Some Tesco slots were £7 before all this, which is why a delivery saver was such good value.

The supermarkets are taking more drivers on all the time which creates more slots
A family friend actually did my mums delivery the other day, he’s usually a taxi driver doing airports
He says they had even had extra vans as well as drivers

I’ve taken a temporary job with Morrisons doing picking for home delivery and click and collect. It’s a new thing for my store and is really taking off.

Yeah, our local store has just started this too. They never used to deliver but started about two weeks into lockdown. It's been really popular and I've been getting regular slots which is proving impossible with Tesco and ASDA (nowhere else delivers here).

I just checked, can get slots most days up until 23rd.
DH is on gov list, we have never shopped at Tesco’s before.

Are you checking the priority slot tab?

Hi again - just catching up.

Some interesting points being raised which provide food for thought. Yes I suppose it is a business decision to stop existing delivery saver customers going elsewhere. I hadn't really considered that as a reason.

To the PP who said that they were loyal customers who deserve to be treated better by Tesco - well actually I'm an extremely loyal Tesco customer but I just happened to visit the store instead. As you got your shopping delivered and I visited in person, you deserve loyalty and not me? That logic doesn't really stack up for me.

As it happens, we'd been talking about switching to deliveries for bloody ages before all of this but I hadn't gotten round to doing it. Guess who's kicking herself now?! Haha! Every time I go in the shop I end up buying shite I don't need. it's also hard to fit in because I work full-time and with two autistic children, a supermarket isn't much fun. My and DP have talked about this in the last few days and have said that setting aside the fact the virus could be hanging around for the next year, we're probably just going to carry on now with deliveries or click and collect. It is definitely helping me with meal planning and budgeting.

As I said earlier, I think Tesco and all other supermarkets have really stepped up and been amazing. I appreciate how many extra slots they've created and I accept they have done absolutely everything possible to try and help. It was just the sudden change that confused me and why there's now literally zero slots anywhere near me, when up until now, there was a decent amount to be had. Something has obviously changed and now I know what. It's fine, it's pointless chasing after rainbows - if all the slots are being allocated out, I'll have to switch. At least I know now - which saves me sitting online queueing for a non-existent spot haha!

Well I tried and failed again tonight, can’t do click and collect either, as it isn’t from my local branch, it is from the branch at a larger town, which is an hour away so obviously not ok in lockdown, never mind the petrol.
Anyway suddenly thought of Morrisons. We rarely shop there as it is about an hour away, we only go in when driving to visit Mil. (They have a great gluten free section, so we usually stop when we pass one.) I had assumed they wouldn’t deliver here as there is no store close, but they do ! Anyway, I got a slot within a minute of waiting in a queue, it is in 17 days time, which is fine anyway, as we have a Tesco delivery later this week booked weeks ago.
So I can relax slightly. We always shop in Tesco so know their stock, Morrisons is taking me longer to go through because it is new, but they have a good selection it seems.
I can go to sleep now ! 🙂