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? )

@onlinelinda

I am in official shielding, but told the shielding team when they called that I don't need to be sent shopping-on the basis they were sending it, and I can afford to pay for my own. As a result, I've only been able to get two deliveries the whole lockdown. Odd system.

The supermarkets would have added you to their priority list if you spoke to them. They still might if you give them a call

The lack of conversation between departments has been really poor

Thank you. My local is Tesco but they wouldn't.

@onlinelinda

Thank you. My local is Tesco but they wouldn't.

I managed to get priority slots with Sainsburys for my mum but did have to call them though. I THINK the number I used was 0800 328 1700. Don't be out off by the recorded message. The person I spoke to (in the height of lockdown) was really helpful and I got frequent delivery slots for her (as a frail elderly person) - but not for me as I wasn't priority.

Sorry these were online slots and I just ordered her enough for two weeks+ each time.

@onlinelinda

Thank you. My local is Tesco but they wouldn't.

It's not down to them, they don't get to choose.

Please call us on 0800 917 7359. We can’t guarantee a slot will be available, but we will do our best to prioritise you as we continue to expand our capacity.

Thank you very much . I will!

Sorry. This was/is the priority number for Sainsburys. 0800 953 4988

I've always done this. In my area, waitrose deliveries are now at least 3 weeks booked up so I reserve a place for a monthly shop. Top up with Iceland next day for bits and pieces meanwhile. How else?

I usually book my delivery a few days ahead as in normal times they are always available so no need to do otherwise. I have Tesco delivery saver but could not get any slots at all with them from March to June, despite being a regular customer and vulnerable.
I can now get slots 4 weeks ahead but prefer to use Sainsburys which almost always has slots free 7 to 10 days ahead, sometimes sooner. When Sainsburys had no slots, I've used Iceland who only release slots a few days ahead.

Hi again OP, I think another poster put it well when she said it's like someone booking their holiday for next year. It's not gaming the system, it IS the system. (I like capitalised words too ). They just put a bottle of alcohol in the trolley as a placeholder, because it takes 10 seconds and you're done, rather than trying to guess what you might need in a week's time and then having to alter it all.

Would you feel aggrieved (or surprised?) if you tried to book for your holiday in a certain resort on a certain date a month beforehand, and it was fully booked? Because that's kind of what you're doing here. I'd imagine you'd just think it was tough luck and know that next time you needed to plan ahead and book in advance, as others were doing. If you don't book ahead, with holidays, supermarket delivery, or other services, you're quite likely to miss out. I think most people are aware of this, which is why we're surprised you're surprised!

I understand it's stressful not being able to get a slot. But people reserving slots in advance was not the problem that caused a lack of slots during covid. It was the huge increase in people wanting online slots when they normally shopped in person.

I reserve the slot by putting actual food on it rather than alcohol but I don't see what difference it makes. Bizzare that you think it unreasonable. I don't think delivery slots are in very high demand anymore but even if they were why shouldn't people reserve them? They give priority to vulnerable customers anyway so it's not as if people are preventing them from getting a delivery.

Whenever I book a slot you can’t see further than two weeks ahead so no idea how they’re doing that.

YABU how is anyone supposed to know what food they need two weeks in advance? I also got a bottle of booze as forgot to “checkout”, so long as the slot is used for food I don’t actually understand how you can think it’s unreasonable? And the reason they release weeks in advance is so you they can plan rotas etc. Starting to wonder if I know you actually @turquoise50 based on the things you’ve said

I think everyone does this tbh

I'm soo glad that everyone said they do this - I do too - and was beginning to think it was bad?!
I book a slot on a Saturday for the following week. Even before Covid; if you dont book in advance; you might not get the day/time you need.
Altho; I dont add 2 items for the £40 then change it the day before. I keep a very diligent eye on what is running low and order accordingly.

Also though if your idea of misfortune (schadenfreude personally just sounds a bit obnoxious especially when the former is quicker to type..) is getting booze then you should rethink

I thought everyone did it.. as I amend my shopping multiple times...I dont know what we may need or fancy buying in 3 weeks time.

But have known a few people who then forget to amend and end up with just wine or whiskey 😂

Never used to but since COVID myself and parents were in shield group and couldn’t go to the shops, couldn’t get a delivery for 4 weeks. Had to rely on kindness of neighbours to get basics. So as soon as we could we got a priority slot and I now make sure we have reserved slots for next 3 weeks. Because if things change I don’t want to be back in the position of not having enough food, cleaning products etc. My dad is now incontinent and we have to change bed every day and need to dettol the mattress and at one point had no spray to clean with, no kitchen towel either. Making an already stressful situation much worse. And yes I was annoyed that people who could physically go to shops took up lots of delivery slots I completely understood why they did but it made our lives really fucking difficult for weeks.
My parents both have very complex eating needs due to allergies and inability to swallow properly so shipping is crap at best of times. Dad is also dangerously underweight so could ill afford to loose more. So for those reasons I book ahead. Selfish of me? Yes but I think the extenuating circumstances mean we have little other choice.

@mooity

YABU - this has been common practice way before COVID! I usually stick enough in my basket to cover the £40 and then add more when I more when I know actually what I need the day before delivery.

Exactly this.

This isn’t a new thing, it was the classic Christmas trick that whenever the online delivery services opened up their Christmas delivery slots you simply went in, selected two bottles of champagne and booked the slot, added to it as you wanted and then remove the champagne if you wanted

Hardly dishonest if the system allows you to do it

When you take into consideration how many household havent even been able to order food in the last 16 weeks this really isn't an issue ... Good on them for finally securing a spot for them and their families instead of having to risk themselves to go get go get food

Dear OP .....Truly scandalous behaviour here........I just put a bunch of bananas in my basket to reserve it!!! 😱

I've just done it. Two bottles of champagne for my Saturday delivery. On Friday when I plan next weeks menu I'll remove them and put food in instead.

I do it weekly. I order for the care home I work in. Believe it or not, despite having a home full of vulnerable people who needed to shield, because they lived in care homes none of them got letters and concessions that vulnerable folk in the community got. Hence no priority delivery slots for shopping either.

As a result I started booking whatever slot I could get and updating it at the last minute. I’m still doing it now and will continue to.

I also don’t see why it’s selfish to do it under any circumstances. And certainly not dishonest?!

@Greydrapex

Whenever I book a slot you can’t see further than two weeks ahead so no idea how they’re doing that.

Because different supermarkets have different amounts of slots open.