The Ocado Queue Thread.

[FlamingoAndJohn]

Hello. Are you in the Ocado virtual queue? What position are you?
Would you like some company?

I’ve looked at my address and my mother’s which is a couple of hundred miles away. There are no deliveries showing past the 4th of April.

As for ‘how do they know if you are vulnerable’. There are some very interesting things you can tell about someone through their buying habits.
Target in America had a loyalty card. They realised they could track the data to find out things about people. They could use the information to track your sex, age, if you live alone, if you have children and most controversially if you were pregnant.
If Target thought a woman was pregnant then they would send them discount vouchers for baby things. One young woman started getting these mailing and her father was shocked. She still lived at home and she just couldn’t be pregnant.
He was wrong, Target’s algorithm was right.

I’m obviously confounding them given the vouchers I get and NO WINE!!

@marshabradyo When I go onto the homepage now, I get a message saying something like 'if you've received an email for priority access to delivery slots, please log in here'

Then otherwise it suggests you wait in the queue to edit your existing order.

Target Pregnancy algorithm.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/amp/

I reckon SmartPass is about 4 years old
I found an email back in 2013 but it wasnt a joining smartpass email.

40890
Yesterday I got straight in. It’s so odd

Must I see thanks yes wonder how they know

Not sure how they can identify who is vulnerable though, it can't just be based on age - and what about people who need to self-isolate now? Some of the people on the "shielded" list will also be absolutely fine normally but not now (people with an organ transplant for example).

I've resigned to the fact next week's delivery will probably be my last one for a while and I'm making alternative arrangements... Incidentally, Sainsbury's is still sending almost daily emails - not sure how it's so hard for Ocado to communicate with their regular customers, usually I have several emails a week advertising this or that special offer.

@Marshabradyo It'll be interesting to see if anyone on this thread receives this mystical email with priority access!

Must I agree!

I don’t recall giving my age when I signed up. It was absolutely ages ago, but that’s more what you give for a store card or something trying to get extra data. Maybe I did.

Very very poor communication from the ocadoos I'd like to know if this endless queuing is just wasting my time. Have I got any chance of a slot at all.

I've had the priority access email just!
As fir reserved it says:

Unfortunately, unless you received confirmation that your order had been processed, this means your Ocado Reserved order will not be going out for delivery

I'm assuming as I've had confirmation of my edits, it's coming on the 2nd.

As for Priority access:

Today we are releasing additional delivery slots, and offering you priority access to the site. This helps us to give you the best chance of booking an available slot without having to wait in the virtual queue.
We are releasing these gradually throughout the day, but demand continues to be high so we know they will still sell out quickly. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee there will be slots available for everyone

I cant see past the 3rd April but there are no slots and my existing delivery is showing for the 2nd.

Fuss do you know why they sent it to you and how they knew? (If you don’t mind saying)

If they are asking drivers to identify vulnerable people, that's really commendable. Their communication has been shocking and frustrating.

I'm really disappointed that a lot of companies I've supported for a long time are clearly not interested in servicing their loyal customers - the ones who helped them build their business. I've been an Ocado customer for 10 years, no idea whether my reserved slot is filling up. We've used Abel and Cole for years for our veges - I had to throw away a decent amount of our last box because it was rotten. I'd understand if they were having trouble sourcing their usual offering but I'd prefer no box to what I received.

I’ve just had the email too.

I clicked through, and my order is still showing as placed for tomorrow.

I’m not sure how or why they identified me as in need of priority access. I am a long-standing Ocado customer, which obviously they know, and am a single parent to 3 disabled children, which they cannot know (even though I acknowledge they probably know a hell of a lot about me from shopping habits/tracking)

Didn’t get a priority email

Oh, they will also know, from my last delivery, that I am self isolating, as I left instructions for the delivery driver.

That sounds really good that they are identifying people.

I just got in . My reserved order is there. So will see.. the one after it says no slots available but it said that last week for Tuesdays one initially. Reading what they’ve said again it said it was a technical hitch that prevented the reserved orders going out so perhaps it’s not permanent .

Well ima single parent with three disabled children and haven't received an email at all. I don't know how they would know this though

If the regular customers aren't getting deliveries, then who is? Vulnerable existing customers deserve to be served first but that should surely leave a lot of capacity left?

I feel the same about Sainsbury's. It is right to focus on the vulnerable customers but I am not sure that then completely closing the door to everyone else is the answer either.

do you know why they sent it to you and how they knew?

I have no idea. Customer 10+ years with a smart pass is the only thing I can think of.
As it happens I've started with a really sore throat today so thats DH and I isolating but they wouldn't know that.

@Fuss I'm a smartpass holder being with them for 10 years - so frustrating! No email. Their lack of communication and clarity is frustrating. They should really refund smartpasses as they can't be used!

@Xiaoxiong - I totally agree that it isn't just panic buying. Having a 13 month old and a DH that WFH means our shopping isn't that different, but I work part time and will either take left overs or buy something, and we'll go out to a cafe 2-3 times a week and maybe a breakfast out once a week max, so imagine all the families with 2 working full time who go to Pret or something most days/pop into the supermarket for a thing of soup and have kids eating at school. The extra food required to be in 24/7 with children is enormous (not to mention extra loo roll required!) so it is very unfair to say everyone is stockpiling.

I'm really pissed off they've changed their policy whilst I was in the queue, which I have been for 2.5 hours from 174000 apparently! I'm pregnant and technically vulnerable but as I have no urgent need for anything, I've been trying to avoid taking a slot which someone in greater need could use. I was on this thread in the early days of the chaos, and repeatedly gave up trying. Wish I'd bloody stuck at it now. Been getting orders from then for more than ten years and this communication is appalling. At least Sainsbury's have said things like 'from tomorrow'.

@Greenpoppins doesn't seem to be any reasoning then. Nothing in my weekly shop would identify me I wouldn't have thought. Just DH and I and the dog with grown up kids who have left home. I'm not buying nappies etc

Whatever algorithm they are using is an odd one.
As I say, not complaining as I'm now isolating but I feel for those who do need the slots.