People 'reserving' delivery slots

[turquoise50]

I've recently discovered that apparently lots of people are 'reserving' supermarket delivery slots by just putting a bottle or two of booze which they don't really want into their trolley to take it over £40, and leaving it there for weeks! Then when they're ready to order their actual shopping they edit it and take it out.

Thus just strikes me as dishonest and really very selfish when everyone knows that delivery slots are still in very high demand. I tried to book on Saturday and the earliest slot I could get was Monday 27th. Last week there was a two-week wait and I had to order from my second-choice supermarket instead, where the wait was only a week.

I presume people are doing it the minute their order is delivered, to hold their regular spot for next time. Whereas I tend to be more reactive in my shopping habits, besides keeping a rolling list in my notes.

I feel a bit shocked, but at the same time realise that if I (pre-lockdown) would, say, order on a Thursday for delivery on a Sunday, because that happens to be my preferred day, it's effectively the same thing. But there wasn't a shortage of slots then, going to the shops was no big deal, and I was ordering stuff I actually wanted.

YANBU - it's selfish and sneaky and people shouldn't hog slots; in fact the shops should crack down on it by making it so that slots can only be held for up to a week, and/or make the trolley limit a minimum number of items, not a minimum amount of money. (I know some shops did this for a while but not sure if still continuing.)

YABU - it's really no different from ordering your full shop a few days in advance and editing it several times before delivery as you run out of different things.

(As a side question - when these people forget to update their order and 'accidentally' get a delivery of nothing but a £40 bottle of whisky that they don't even like, should I feel a certain amount of schadenfreude, or be even more annoyed by the totally wasted delivery slot? Or a bit of both? )

I've been doing this for many years. (Or very similar - I have a "shopping list" of stuff I normally need on a weekly basis, so I just copy that into the trolley, reserve the slot in advance, then edit and add to it nearer the time.)

I assumed everybody did this. It's a complete no-brainer.

I don't see any moral issue with it whatsoever.

Completely normal. I got a Tesco slot yesterday for next Monday 27th and put a lot of my 'usuals' in the basket but I fully expect to amend my order at least 2 or 3 times prior to then depending on what else I need.

But in answer to your last question. People don’t get a bottle of whisky they don’t even like. Nobody who regularly does this forgets their delivery. And were they to it’s very likely they will have reserved their slot with a few of their staple items. Nobody I know reserves their slot with items they never actually order. I reserve mine with my most frequently ordered items. I don’t think you are being unreasonable (you have not actually done anything wrong), so much as a bit naive.

Yabu

YABU. I book my weekly slots as they become available, currently three weeks in advance, to make sure I get a slot.

I reserve mine with a bottle of champagne to be fair! Wouldn’t be massively bothered if that’s what was delivered

YABU as it is normal and you may not realise this but you can book several slots in advance. Up to 4 weeks away with Delivery Saver.

I have 4 booked. One for each week.

What you put in it makes no difference. I usually copy a previous order in, save it and then edit that when it gets closer. You can do "add all to basket" when looking at a previous order.

I've had a recurring slot for a couple of years so well before Covid. I was so glad of it when slots became like gold dust, meant I got my shopping every week anyway, even if there were limits/lots unavailable. I always put enough in on a Wednesday to take me over £40 then amend on a Friday, how is that sneaky? I thought everyone knew to do it

YABU
This is how slots are meant to be? Booked in advance so the supermarket know all the bookings and then the basket is allowed to be edited until the day before when you know what you need/have run out of. Then the lovely picker does all the shopping and it goes on the van. You can’t all book things for next day delivery? That wouldn’t be good planning for the supermarket to know what they’ve got booked surely?
You have been able to do this for years and years so it’s not sneaky or wrong?

This is just what everyone does. How is it relevant when a person updates their basket? You just need to be more organised and book slots you may need!

YAB totally U

If people need a delivery slot it doesn't matter if they hold it with one thing and add in their full shop later or put in their full shop and add any bits that run out later.

The outcome is the same - they use the slot as needed

Instead of ranting about people who are simply more organised than you why not just get more organised?

Yabu. This is what people I know do, and this was before the lack of slots because of COVID.

I’ve literally just done this with my Sainsbury’s shop for Saturday. I don’t know what I want / need as yet as I don’t have time to sit and plan. I’ll do this later in the week when I have more time. My order will likely be amended a few times.
Don’t know why you’re getting irritated by others due to your own lack of planning

This is what everyone does
What's stopping you being more organised?
Fwiw same week slots are now not difficult to get.

@DameXanaduBramble I’m not outraged. I was just very surprised! I guess the joke's on me for never having thought of it. It just literally never occurred to me that anyone would do this. My method is:

1. Look in fridge, notice that a few items are running down.
2. Roughly estimate how long I can last before I absolutely need to stock up.
3. Book (or try to) a slot on the following weekend.
4. Order enough stuff for two weeks. Yes to rolling edits, but that's usually because I realise I left things off the original order, which is generally compiled from 'Favourites' and the list I keep on my phone.
5. Once delivery has come, forget about it until the next time! Never in a million years would it have crossed my mind to reserve the slot for next time, and I’m a pretty organised person otherwise.

YABU. I've always done this
I don't know what I want until the day before

You are taking the piss with this thread surely?

I struggle to believe there are really people like this, even after 10 yrs on MN.

Yabu at directing your anger at people who are more organised t than you.

I put Jack Daniels in so if I forget to update I'm still happy 😊

I now have slots booked for the next 4 weeks so thanks for the thread OP!

I thought you were going to say "and then cancelled it at the last minute, rendering the slot useless for anyone else" and you wouldn't be unreasonable to be annoyed about that ...

But to be annoyed that someone doesn't have virtual shopping in their virtual baskets is baffling. They're still going to use the slot?!
You're upset someone doesn't have non existent apples in their online basket? BONKERS.

There’s no shortage on my local Asda one and I do that with my basic shop in the basket to then be amended the day before. I’ve always done it as I like my shopping to be delivered on a Monday and seeing as slots are now available I don’t see why I shouldn’t just because I’m organised

Tesco put their slots up a month ahead, if you don’t reserve one a month ahead there won’t be any when you get to the week your want your shopping delivered. How else would you get the slot you want?

I moved from Tesco to Iceland because of this, I can usually get a free next day delivery.

I book my slot with a bottle of milk then add my groceries a bit at a time. You always have to edit your basket the night before anyway, because stuff is out of stock so you have to choose replacements.