Ocado slots

[HealingCalmingSoothing]

For those with the smart pass have you now been managing to get slots?

Just went on their website and wait was just one minute, then I had lots of options for slots.

They seem to have got their act together pretty quickly. Prices seem to be higher though but I think that's the lack of special offers.

Checked Sainsbury's and cant even log in so the same situation there

You did go into the calendar when looking for slots, those who can only see three days? I had the same then it showed me furthe ahead on the calendar.

I did that but the calendar stays fixed.
They're subtly telling me to piss off aren't they?

I’m an existing customer and have been for 14 years; however as I don’t have a smartpass I’m apparently not loyal enough

@knittingadict yes it’s seems unfair. My friend lives in London as do I so we should both have pretty good access. I think she must spend more than me and I get that ultimately they are a commercial company that needs to make money first and foremost, but it’s so disappointing to not even get a slot every 2 weeks. Especially as they told me that they have identified me as vulnerable and had previously had access.

@fizzybootlace Thats just not true. They are identifying vulnerable customers and also allowing people to self register as needing priority access for new slots.
Thats why as I have stated twice now I couldn't get a slot previously because they only had capacity to serve vulnerable people. Now they have scaled their service and are able to serve other people as well.
Why not just hop off your high horse now.

@MinesaBottle Yeah I'm not that comfortable with the slots going to smartpass people. It's like 3 quid a month so shouldn't really put you on a higher tier when it comes to placing orders at this time

I do think you'll start seeing more slots in another week or so though.

Smartpass holder here, I was told firstly I would be given priority access to the queue (2 wks ago, never received an email) and then that I would be able to see seven days ahead. I can now access the site and can indeed see 7 days ahead... And there are zero slots available. I'm lucky enough that it's not a major headache for our non-vulnerable household. I'd be happy to give up slots to more vulnerable people but tbh it's a bit annoying they keep merrily taking my smartpass money every week and promising me priority access etc. when it never materialises! If they just fessed up, said it's a crapshoot everyone for themselves, we'll stop taking your money, I'd a lot happier! I'm sure they have more important things to worry about but will be asking for a refund of my smartpass payments when things start to get back to semi-normal.

I have an anytime smart pass, spend a lot and am officially shielded and cannot gat past a page which says we have no slots, if you are an existing customer log in, if you are returned to this page you are not priority. So that’s great. I really cannot understand their problem, my father is a Sainsbury’s customer, was quickly identified as vulnerable and proactively contacted with an offer of a slot per week. If they can manage this why are Ocado making such a monumental fuck up of it?

Sorry not read the thread but my understanding is this:

• you cannot have a delivery less than 10 days apart
• you cannot book a slot until 7 days before the earliest delivery day.

We had a delivery last Friday (as was our now lost reserved slot) so we aren't allowed another until next Monday. It was showing as no available slots all weekend until first thing this morning (6am) when suddenly there were lots for Monday onwards.

& we have a smart pass!

@Allthecandles It is true, I can't post images for some reason but just go to Twitter, type in Ocado, view Latest and read. It's there for all to see, lots of "we will" and "as soon as we can " crap. Emails say exactly the same.

Can't get on a horse. Bet you can.

If you aren't prepared to understand the facts and how vulnerable people in our society are being valued behind those with a Smart Pass or other arrangement then don't reply.

I’m a most loyal customer so their email says, should have one delivery a week and ability to book 2-3 weeks ahead.. I’m unable to book a slot, my account calendar is just greyed out, even though I know friends who went on after me in my area said there were plenty of slots, I can’t see anything. There is no one to contact and no responses to emails..

Totally and utterly fed up of them and their inability to deal with their customers.. won’t be using them at all after this.. I’ve used them, for over 10 years.. going to have to take myself out and shop despite my doctor saying I should be staying at home.

Hmmm, I'm wondering if there is an explanation for only seeing 3 days of slots with none available.

We had a delivery on Saturday (that's another story which I've been meaning to post about). I think the email said that I can order every 7 days. Maybe as I get towards a week since my last delivery there will be slots for me to see. I'll report back if that is so.

Now to the story about my last delivery:

After obsessing about trying to get a delivery slot, we gave up and went to the supermarket last Thursday. We were almost at the front of the queue and I decided to check Ocado one last time and could get onto the site. However I couldn't concentrate on looking for a slot and do social distancing in the shop, so we decided to continue with our shopping trip.

When I got home I went on the laptop to see what delivery slots they had available and there was one for Saturday and I clicked on it. Obviously I didn't need the vast majority of my basket now, so I reduced it right down to the things we couldn't get in the shop. When I went to check out the delivery slot had vanished. I could have cried in frustration.

I then had the bright idea to try on my phone. I got straight in and there was a slot for a different time on the Saturday and successfully booked it.

That might sound like a good thing, but it was actually quite upsetting. My husband is in the vulnerable group and I always get respiratory issues when I have a cold or virus, so it felt a bit risky for us to go to the shops. We were so close to avoiding it completely, but without a clear idea of what Ocado were doing we felt we had no other options. I just hope that the situation improves.

@fizzybootlace Yeah there are lots of issues with Ocado they're missing lots of people and also identified some people as vulnerable early on who weren't at all but they do have a system in place to serve priority people as best as possible and have been running that for weeks and are now opening up slots to all (albeit smart pass only for now it seems). I'm not going to ignore three full days of free slots over data and technical issues. I'm not "taking" a slot from anyone.

Love your high horse comment. Very manipulative of you to try and make out like I was in any way talking about your physical ability to get on an actual horse. Bet you do this to people all the time. Just waiting for you them to make a little comment that you can twist into trying to make them feel bad. You are on a high horse and with that comment it just grew a few hands. Stop trying to shame me I have been acting responsibly throughout this crisis and the last thing we need is people like you passing judgement.

I wish people would stop shaming others for booking deliveries. You have no idea of anyone's circumstances - there are lots of reason for needing a slot even if you're not on the list of extremely vulnerable people for covid-19. Obviously most people who shop with Ocado weekly do so for a reason, those reasons haven't suddenly disappeared...

And probably even more importantly, there is just absolutely no guarantee that if I don't book a delivery, that slot will be available for someone who needs it more. It's down to the supermarkets to sort out access to the vulnerable group.

@NaturalBornWoman I’m not quite as bad as you, I’m vulnerable (have heart failure/dilated cardiomyopathy) exactly the same here just keep returning to log in page, doesn’t seem to be a facility for recognition of vulnerable list that the government issued a few weeks ago, totally understand that you & others that are on the shielded list take priority but does seem very much pot luck with others getting slots reasonably easily, not sure what the answer is though.

@fizzybootlace stop being so goady
I've booked three deliveries ahead I think I am still able to book more
I am Kent if that helps
I do spend probably about 1000 a month
I can see why they let their more lucrative clients have the slots, it does make sense, although it isn't moral.
Does anyone know what criteria Ocado use to decide if you are vulnerable?

@Allthecandles No one can shame you if you don't feel ashamed. And you do, hence your comment about previous actions. All I've asked for is consideration from people with the ability to shop, that is all, not reasons why it doesn't include you. Your aren't going to change your mind, and that's fine. There are some people on other threads that have and I'm grateful to them.

@cultkid Not goady at all, just asking for consideration. The problem is they are not releasing slots using the government information, but relying on customers to use their morals here, even if they are not.

I absolutely understand how much you have spent but perhaps think if you need all the slots you have.

My h is a delivery driver for Ocado, they are now on turn around routes so will have more slots- at least the one he works at

Yes, I have been able to book a new delivery slot a week in advance. I got straight into the site on Saturday evening because I have a delivery booked for tomorrow morning. I edited it and exited the site. After that, I went back to Ocado again (it still let me in without queueing) and I looked to see if I could book a slot for next week. It let me do so, it had blocked out about 5 or 6 days, I was able to book from next Monday onwards, so I booked my slot.

We are a smart pass holder and got the email to say we'd get an email to get a slot every 7 days. This was 2 weeks ago and received nothing

I have a Midweek Smart Pass and have shopped with them since they first started. I haven't had any sort of email at all and can't even get on to the site at the moment. I had a delivery at the beginning of last week could this be why? I'm in the SE so not sure if that makes a difference.

I managed to get a delivery slot for next week.
Keep trying folks

Those saying that Ocado are prioritising the elderly and vulnerable - please note that even Ocado themselves no longer claim this. They have changed the language they are using to say they are prioritising those on the government's "extremely vulnerable" list ie those they have no choice but to help.

Everyone else is prioritised - or not - according to how lucrative they are to Ocado, not according to need.

The pious noises about "proritising the extremely vulnerable" ring hollow once you stop and think about who is excluded from that category and sent to the back of the queue behind the bigger spenders. Those with vision problems or mobility problems, the frail elderly, people housebound with long term chronic conditions - not "extremely vulnerable" to covid-19, but all dependent on an online grocery delivery for other pre-existing health reasons which make physical shops difficult or impossible to access. These people have just been thrown under the bus by Ocado, if they are insufficiently lucrative customers. Same for those who don't quite make the "extremely vulnerable" list but are still "very" vulnerable to covid-19 and were relying on Ocado's previous assurances they would help their "elderly and vulnerable" customers, not just their "extremely vulnerable" ones. They have been let down too.

In my family, my mum (late 70s, visually impaired) and my dad (late 70s, heart condition, kidney disease, hypertension, asthma) have been given no priority by Ocado despite having identified to the contact centre and had their account noted as "elderly and vulnerable" - they are graciously allowed to scrap for any leftover next day slots after 9pm, as they don't spend enough to be rated "most loyal" and favoured with the opportunity to book a weekly advance slot, and they aren't on the list of the "extremely vulnerable" who are the only people Ocado are actually prioritising for reasons other than being lucrative. Plenty of similar stories out there.

I am one of their "not loyal/lucrative enough" customers who gets the lowest tier priority access - I can look for slots 4 days ahead. I will give my parents any slots I manage to book (not holding my breath I will get any) but will take my custom elsewhere when all this is over. Very disappointed to see Ocado doing nothing for the elderly and vulnerable who were reliant on online deliveries but don't fall within the "extremely vulnerable to covid-19" group. Ocado are following the money, which is their prerogative, but a little more social responsibility would have been good...

@Ceara thank you, I saw your post on the other thread was hoping you would post on this one, made me realise that’s probably why I haven’t had any success with Ocado.