Ocado smart pass trials, tribulations and tiers

[Milky77]

Background

On March 23, Ocado divided anytime and midweek smartpass members into random groups for access then realised that didn't work so divided us again into most loyal, loyal and near to miscellaneous tiers with having different levels of frequency for order delivery and indeed how many slots you can book in advance.

Certainly the most loyal and probably generally high average spend compared to local populations are the only ones being treated well. They are allowed to still book every seven days, can book 2-3 weeks in advance and are encouraged to book several slots over this time.

The rest of us are being treated with varying levels or service, disappointingly some have not had a single email since March 23 and still don't have access.

Those anytime pass members on the extremely vulnerable list by NHS England should be able to book every 7 days though aren't given the ability to book 2-3 weeks in advance. A few are apparently being called for fortnightly orders.

Ocado has been too greedy. They blame poor service on helping the extremely vulnerable but actually they let too many new and infrequent shoppers place orders putting too much stress on the system.

Complaints on social media are typically met with cut and paste replies. Both the call centre and chat comms have been shut down.

Those with weekly Reserved slots have had their places cancelled. The technology failed, or maybe actually wasn't fit for purpose anyhow

Here was our first thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3862959-Ocado-Anytime-Smart-Pass-holders-have-you-received-priority-access-yet

Let's hope we don't go to a third

Top tip is to try other companies including Morrisons who also deliver from warehouses.

Good luck to all

@haven yeah sorry I read that as you have only made one order and that was the recent one

HavenDilema Have you tried to get a slot with all the other supermarkets? Morrisons just tell me that there are no delivery slots.

Can you get a click and collect and ask someone to collect it for you?

Are there are any local shops doing delivery? Our little bakery is doing boxes, I know not as good because you get what you get?

Check out deliveroo, places like the co-op and Morrisons are on there for some areas.

Is there anyone who could use one of their slots on your behalf? I have offered to do this for one of dd's friends Mum as the friend is in the shielding group.

I apologise if you have thought of all these, sometimes though it is hard to think everything through when you are under the stress of trying to get food.

So I have just had my (Somerset) delivery (1 sub, but one rotting bag of veg) and chatted to my Ocado man: Stop ordering too much wine/beer/water/cat litter (I think they might have stopped the water orders now)!

Apparently a van can hold 80 trays/baskets and no tray can weigh more than 12.5kg. So if a family decides they can't do without 2x6 bottles of water and a couple of cases of wine and beer that means several families lose the opportunity to get a delivery (I imagine it was complete chaos at the warehouses on week 1 of lockdown).

In the past week or so they have also tinkered with the delivery routes. They have spotted that it is a lot easier to have a lot of orders in one location, as opposed to having the drivers zig-zagging around from town to village...back to town...to village.

@HavenDilemma are you managing to get food of any sort? I find the local council website usually links to some sort of organisation that has a list of local indies that will deliver and who to phone for help.

Madcats I agree with you. Ocado have stopped selling some bottled water but you can still order the more expensive stuff in litre bottles.

I’ve stopped getting all water and cat litter from Ocado for the moment to hopefully make room for more deliveries. I can’t live without my 6 cans of Pepsi max a week tho

Our local newspaper had a useful list of food suppliers now offering home delivery (many of whom usually delivered only to restaurants, etc).

@TheGreatWave Tried them all for both delivery and click & collect :(

Deliveroo only has one shop round here and so is only helpful for emergency items.

All local shops delivering are booked up for weeks!!

Have got school vouchers for one branch of the Co-op so having to drag madam there!

Madcats Interesting about the van trips, I wonder if that is why I can no longer get in even at 6pm. Perhaps they have decided that driving for 90mins plus up here for minimal drops isn't working.

But as with everyone I just wish they were clear with their policies, the lack of communication seems to be the biggest issue.

@Madcats Yeah I’ve just been driving to the co-op branch where school vouchers are valid. Having to take my daughter whether I like it or not.
Local indies are all booked up for weeks! Deliveroo only has one shop with very limited range. Have managed to get a Food box but the next delivery slot is late May! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Haven It sounds an absolute nightmare for you. I hope you get lucky with a slot from somewhere.

Someone posted on the first thread that a driver told he Ocado needed to turn the trip planning algorithm off to stop the site from falling over. Apparently this cut down the number of stops drivers could make.
That problem may have been resolved now

M&S also offering some food boxes here
www.marksandspencer.com/l/gifts/food-boxes?scroll=4

I’m paying £24.99 for my six months midweek pass. That works out as £4.16 a month which I also have the ‘privilege’ of paying for in advance! From what I’ve seen here I’ll be asking for an anytime pass for the same money (or less), not that I can get anything more frequent than every 14 days at present...

@HavenDilemma maybe you won't see this in time but (in my area at least) Tesco have just released a load of slots for the week ahead. It is showing availability for all days and lost slots for the next week right now.

@LoudBatPerson Thanks for the tesco hint. Managed to get a slot and it is so much cheaper than ocado with lots of special offers.

There's also Tesco slots available in my area.

Thanks - I just booked a tesco delivery!

I can see slots for the weekend of 25/26 April on the Tesco site. So tempted to take one because I would like to try them out and get some different food. We shop in the big Tesco in the next city along when we fancy a change (before CV). It would be cheaper to buy from them too. I won't though because we are now having weekly Ocado deliveries.

Has anyone else has this? It seems quite, erm, final...

I now get the 'Go away, we don't want you' page.

Damn. I got a ‘we love you come and place an order’ text today.

I got that text Flamongo

Anybody get the email saying they won't be receiving a refund? I think that's really cheeky they're getting out of refunding people because they're on trials.

Just for reference I have been with Ocado for many many years, and usually I ring and sign up to a new 12 month delivery pass when my old one expires. I had no idea this was classed as being on a trial.

Very crafty.

Oh, I thought I was special 😁

My smart pass never expires, it just rolls over each year.

Anybody get the email saying they won't be receiving a refund? I think that's really cheeky they're getting out of refunding people because they're on trials.

It says a free trial - so nothing paid, nothing to refund.