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? )

This reminds me of those idiots who queue up with a basket of biscuits in front of me in M & S and then their partner appears with a massive trolley full of stuff. Not going to happen

This is the electronic equivalent.

YABU. I don’t do online shopping but I’ve always known people do this. Who really cares?

I've never done this and the last time I looked, you only held that slot for 2 hours (at least with Tesco) or your slot is cancelled.

"Everyone" has NOT been doing this for years, SOME have been doing it and YANBU.

It's selfish and they are CF, I don't care what their reasoning is. Particularly during COVID when there are more vulnerable people who need those slots.

It's disgusting behaviour.

I also have always done this. Especially when slots are scarce, and new ones ‘released’ at midnight weeks before. I’m not spending an hour in the middle of the night working out what I am likely to need in three weeks’ time. I chuck 6 tons of baby formula in the basket, checkout and go back to sleep!

I pay on the delivery saver plan monthly so book at least 2 slots in advance. I pay for the privilege. . It’s not sneaky or dishonest. Its perfectly acceptable practice.

It wouldn’t occur to me to mind people doing this? What difference does it make whether anyone else puts things in their basket the day before or the week before it’s delivered??

I’ve always done this too.

There are no shortage of slots in my area.

Sainsbury’s offered my a permanent slot at the same time every week, last week when I did my shopping. So they want you to do it.

You’ll just have to get with the programme & book your slot sooner 😉

I’ve had a monthly pass and the same time slot reserved each week for a few years. I actually do put a couple of bottles of absolute in each week until I have time to sit down on my one day off a week to meal plan and put the order through.

Ds1 is home for when the delivery comes the next day to put it away (for some reason he loves putting the shopping away - suits me!!)

It's disgusting behaviour.

Oh behave.

Is there anything to stop vulnerable people doing this to get slots as well?

@FelicisNox

I've never done this and the last time I looked, you only held that slot for 2 hours (at least with Tesco) or your slot is cancelled.

"Everyone" has NOT been doing this for years, SOME have been doing it and YANBU.

It's selfish and they are CF, I don't care what their reasoning is. Particularly during COVID when there are more vulnerable people who need those slots.

It's disgusting behaviour.

No it isn't because (a) those people who need slots can only get them the same way everyone else does - many disabled people who cannot go to the supermarket do not get prioritised slots and shielded people are a very small tip of an iceberg of people who would stave wereif there not slots they could reserve; and (b) the system is designed to reserve and amend orders, it's what it's supposed to do, and it's what the supermarkets tell you to do. The only CFs around here are people like you who think that your entitled position gives you the right to judge others when you know nothing about it.

Oh dear I am sorry you got your second choice supermarket! You do realise that whether people are putting one thing in a basket or 95 things they are reserving a slot? They are reserving a slot because...they need shopping? You can do the same too.
The shops have strategies to manage people getting a fair chance - limits on individual items, limits on total shop items, limits on how many weeks in advance you can book or limits on how many deliveries people can have a week.

I've never done this and the last time I looked, you only held that slot for 2 hours (at least with Tesco) or your slot is cancelled.

@FelicisNox Incorrect. They “hold” your slot for two hours until you “checkout”. You can put anything in that basket from a bag of crisps to an entire shop.

Then, check out, but you can still repeatedly amend your order as many times as you want until late the night before your delivery (and yes, this is the case with Tesco). It’s been that way for years.

So if you just want to secure a slot, put an item in, checkout and amend later.

Imagine not booking a seat at the cinema and being this enraged when the only seat available is front row or it’s sold out.

It’s ADVANCED bookings for a reason. If it was “disgusting” or “taking advantage” (the hyperbole on MN is delicious at times!) then it wouldn’t be offered.

Is it selfish to book the slot, do a shop, then add extra items on? I mean, you’ve done your shop so that’s it, if you want to book in advance you MUST know every single little thing you need in advance or fuck off?

Honestly no wonder heart attacks are so frequent, the inane bullshit some people get worked up over.

Sorry but you're in the minority here. I always reserve my slot as my shopping day is a Tuesday. I actually properly edit the basket the Monday night as then I have a think about what we want for the week. Also, if I did it a week before it would be a waste of time as many of the things would be out of stock

Learnt something new today 👌

I’ve never done this either. Didn’t realise people did.

When COVID hit, I did mine and my moms shop with Iceland online instead of going to store and got a slot every week, no bother.

@FelicisNox

I've never done this and the last time I looked, you only held that slot for 2 hours (at least with Tesco) or your slot is cancelled.

"Everyone" has NOT been doing this for years, SOME have been doing it and YANBU.

It's selfish and they are CF, I don't care what their reasoning is. Particularly during COVID when there are more vulnerable people who need those slots.

It's disgusting behaviour.

The slot is held for 2 hours, you fill virtual trolly, provide payment details, and exit. You can then amend up until the night before delivery (apart from Ocado which is 2 nights before). The payment is activated at that point.

So unless you cancel the slot (and have no shopping), no one is hogging a future slot - you've booked it, shared payment details and have the opportunity to amend.

During Covid peak, most slots were withdrawn from public booking and reserved mainly for shielders, as more information came forward about number of shielders and the run on stock eased, slots became erratically available. Now shops have much more availability but how they manage that is down to each one - Sainsbury's tends to release in my experience 2-3 days ahead, whereas Ocado release a week or so in advance....

Yabu. My parents do this as the thought of them not being able to get a shopping slot is a real pain for them (elderly and disabled)

I did read a case on mumsnet of someone being delivered £40 worth of ice lollies when they forgot to Change their basket 🤣

“
I just honestly thought we were all in the same boat! Slots are hard to get, you can't always get the one you want because of demand. End of. Never thought to question it”
We are all in the same boat, shopping for our families? Just because you decided to not book a slot in advance doesn’t mean your more virtuous than anyone doing it. I don’t live in London and can book skits up until the 10th August on Tesco.

You called people “dishonest and selfish” when it’s called being organised. Tesco don’t give a f**k if I change my basket and it’s not selfish because I buy food.

i always bung in something then checkout its the only way i can get a aslot as soon as its released

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t do this although I do click n’ collect as it’s an opportunity to get out of the house- mind you our local supermarkets are Waitrose, M&S and Tesco and with the exception of M&S who are still grappling with the idea of the internet it seems possible to get a deliver of collect with about a days notice.

I don't think it's dishonest or sneaky. Sometimes you know you will need food but don't know what you need. People often do.it with Christmas slots too.

It's selfish and they are CF, I don't care what their reasoning is. Particularly during COVID when there are more vulnerable people who need those slots.

I'm confused why this is selfish?
Why does it matter what day I edit my basket? At the height of the pandemic Tesco asked people to book their slot and check out asap because the website would get so busy that it would crash. You had to queue to get into the site which was a shocker.
Slots are plentiful here. I could book 2 or 3 deliveries a week at all the supermarkets. I get emails from the ones that I don't use begging for my business. (They have my details because I've tried them in the past and they can probably tell from cookies that I checked availability during COVID )

YABU. Not sure what is selfish about booking a slot? That's all ppl are doing. You are criticising shoppers for not making a list in advance OP. Surely it is more sensible to do it just before your shop so you have a better idea of what you want and if it is out of stock?

When I read the title I assumed you were talking about ppl who book a slot and then cancel the order the day before.

(Cannot get any slots around here for Tesco or Sainsburys)

Thanks for reminding me. Just got myself a Tesco slot for just after we get back from our holidays.. I really don't understand what you expect people to do? Try for a slot in two days time? Almost impossible these days! 🤷‍♀️