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 is how we survived lockdown for the first month - and thank god, because we are a shielding family.

I dont do the £40 bottle of booze though, i just add our usuals to the trolley and add/delete stuff we dont need a few days before the order arrives. Its not dishonest. If i was booking orders "just in case" then it would be dishonest.

I just put two bottles of whisky in mine and a pack of pampers ready for next weekend. I'll add the food Thursday lol

I saw someone only yesterday saying they were about to take delivery of a £40 bottle of whisky after forgetting to complete the order.

I can see why people reserve slots if that's their usual practice, but it doesn't leave much scope for those who usually go to the shops. We were faced with possibly quarantining for a fortnight a couple of weeks back, and we already do the shopping for the only family we have nearby. I confess I had a bit of a swearing session at the pre-bookers when I couldn't find anyone who would deliver inside that fortnight, until I found a very much fourth choice place with available delivery slots. And now I get emails from all the supermarkets I signed up with pointlessly.

@BreconBeBuggered, how do you know the slots weren't booked by others in the same situation as you?

It was impossible to get deliveries here for a good couple of months, but I can almost-always get next day / next few days deliveries from most of the supermarkets now, and have been able to for some weeks.

You must be unlucky where you are.

We can always get slots with Morrisons but it comes from the local shop and it's honestly rubbish. They never have pasta in. They never have the fruit or yoghurts my kids like. No decent offers on nappies etc.

Asda I've been able to get Saturday slots in the evening every week now for about 6 weeks. So thankfully things have got easier.

I joined milk and more too so essentials are always guarenteed.

@lilylion

I have priority booking due to vulnerability and can only book one week ahead so I’m frankly amazed you can book this far in advance, OP.

Who with? Sainsburys and tesco both allow booking ahead. Tesco is up to 3 weeks.

[quote NoWordForFluffy]@BreconBeBuggered, how do you know the slots weren't booked by others in the same situation as you?

It was impossible to get deliveries here for a good couple of months, but I can almost-always get next day / next few days deliveries from most of the supermarkets now, and have been able to for some weeks.

You must be unlucky where you are.[/quote]
If I hadn't read so much about people holding the deliveries with champagne or whatever, I would have no clue that it was a thing. And ad hoc quarantiners need their shopping in the next week or so, not in 3 weeks' time.

Yes, but you still don't that in your area it's due to people being organised and sorting their known food requirements in advance.

Like I said, round here we've gone from impossible to quite easy to get slots and (as I also said way back on the thread), Sainsbury's are still only opening slots 3 full days in advance if you aren't registered vulnerable where I live. And there's plenty of availability there too.

Slots are there for everyone to book; it's not selfish to book one!

Ooh. Ocado is aiding and abetting all of these supposedly selfish people (email just received).

@NoWordForFluffy

Yes, but you still don't that in your area it's due to people being organised and sorting their known food requirements in advance.

Like I said, round here we've gone from impossible to quite easy to get slots and (as I also said way back on the thread), Sainsbury's are still only opening slots 3 full days in advance if you aren't registered vulnerable where I live. And there's plenty of availability there too.

Slots are there for everyone to book; it's not selfish to book one!

Of course I can't see inside the heads of everyone booking. I also said I understood the practice if it's what you normally do. But don't expect me to say 'Aw, bless their little organised hearts' when I can't get the odd delivery if I need it. Just checked my area to be up to date with this, as things have changed, and there are no deliveries before 8th August. It won't let me try any later than that. It won't kill me to get things from somewhere else if I have to, but in the dark distant past I was able to get an online grocery order if I fancied one from wherever, more or less when I wanted it.. It's an observation, not a personal judgment.

Iceland only opens slots a day or so prior. If I really needed a delivery quickly I'd try there (even though it's not really somewhere I shop that often).

Amazon sells groceries too.

There are food boxes sold by at least Morrison's and M&S which can come relatively quickly. If you're near Booths, there were doing this too (not sure if they still are as I don't need it). Aldi started doing one too (again, I've no idea on the current position).

There are quite a few options other than a bog standard supermarket delivery, if time is of the essence.

I've looked at Sainsburys today and for the very first time since lockdown I would be able to get a slot (with a reasonable choice, including "eco-slots") in the next few days.

So maybe things are finally easing although I'd have thought that those who are vulnerable would still want home deliveries (and maybe those who don't want to wear a mask, too, though they could do click and collect).

Yup. I do this. 2 bottles of LPR.

@NoWordForFluffy

Ooh. Ocado is aiding and abetting all of these supposedly selfish people (email just received).

I got that too! I honestly can’t see a problem with being organised and booking things ahead.

Like NoWordForFluffy says Amazon is great for short notice delivery. Also Waitrose do the Rapid delivery - you book on the day for the same day delivery. Not all items are available just what they deem the most essential but still.

I have always done this.

I pay for unlimited delivery all year for both Tesco and Ocado and alternate between them. I book 4 weeks ahead and put stuff in to the basket to keep the slot.

Since the lockdown, I do it for my elderly MIL as well as she gets priority slots, so I book them 3 weeks ahead.

It is just being organised and planning ahead. I can't see the issue.

And ad hoc quarantiners need their shopping in the next week or so, not in 3 weeks' time.

It’s a supermarket not social services.
People were asked not to book if they could go so it’s cheeky to take slots that aren’t necessary. Hiwever booking slots in advance is what makes delivery work. How could a supermarket possibly know how many extra drivers it needed if no one booked until 2 days before?

Since lockdown, the way a lot of people shop has changed and whereas a lot of people tended to book a slot a few days ahead (except the Christmas delivery),Now we've got used to booking a lot further ahead. As I said on my earlier post, I've been shopping online with Tesco for over 20 years now. The only difference now is that I am booking my slots three or four weeks in advance, rather than a few days or a week. I suspect that a lot of people will carry on doing this. My mum, in her eighties started shopping online during lockdown and will continue to do so as shesystill not comfortable about going back to the supermarket herself.
Since you now know that this is what people are doing, there is no reason why you can't do the same - if you decide you don't need a slot, you can always cancel it or move the date.

Would it really make it less selfish if they were filling in all their shopping as soon as they booked the slot?

t’s a supermarket not social services.
People were asked not to book if they could go so it’s cheeky to take slots that aren’t necessary. Hiwever booking slots in advance is what makes delivery work. How could a supermarket possibly know how many extra drivers it needed if no one booked until 2 days before?

Exactly!!! FFS! We won't book a slot just in case some lazy arse disorganised person wants it or on the off chance (rare at the moment!) someone needs to quarantine.

Of course I can't see inside the heads of everyone booking. I also said I understood the practice if it's what you normally do. But don't expect me to say 'Aw, bless their little organised hearts' when I can't get the odd delivery if I need it.

Do you think this might be due to extra people ordering not the people that "bless their little heads" are organised. Because if you'd bothered to read any of the thread the "bless their Lyle heads" organised people have been doing in forever!

It's the "newbies" you should be whinging at! How very dare they take your slots,.... it's a pandemic and no me should start online shopping because of it, it should be left to the ones that are used to ordering three days ahead!

@BreconBeBuggered

You say you 'nearly' was in quartine afew weeks back.

I haven't left my house since March 14th !!!!
Yes i book my delivery slots 3 weeks in advance, as soon as the next week becomes available. Because frankly, if i didn't, i may not get one for that week and wouldn't have any food.

I'm not selfish. Lots of slots are taken up by people like me, who have literally been nowhere! Because we cant !

So glad you didn't have to shield for "two weeks" !!!!

This is the maddest thread I've ever read

@Anycrispsleft Would it really make it less selfish if they were filling in all their shopping as soon as they booked the slot?
Exactly!

Do those saying it's unfair never edit their shopping after checking out? Genuinely is that how some people do online shopping, they only order once they know exactly what they need & don't edit?!

I must edit it at least 6 or 7 times running up to delivery as I think of things I need (despite sometimes accidentally ~on purpose~ leaving in the bottle of champers.... oops!)

@Coronabegone

The newbies???

The shielders?

The ones that can actually die if they catch covid?
Those the ones your angry at?

It’s in the supermarkets financial interest to prioritise the people who get an order every week over the people who get an odd one once in a blue moon.

So after (rightly!)prioritising those who are shielding, most supermarkets have given next priority to existing customers with delivery saver passes. They are the ones who will be spending money regularly, and who will likely remain customers long after social distancing.