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

An interesting number of people on their first review ever or for a significant amount of time.

Certainly don’t think I will trust Trustpilot again.
Wonder how many of these sudden new 5* reviews which all seemed to have been submitted in the same hour are from Ocado’s newest ‘‘privileged’ customers.

Maybe some of us mere mortals will suddenly receive an email from Ocado allowing us the privilege of a normal weekly slot which we always used to have, or we may be given Gold status and be allowed to place deliveries weeks in advance all in exchange for a glowing 5* Trustpilot review.

I personally won’t be holding my breath.

I just completed a check out, and for the first time (as far as I've encountered) it gave me a link asking me to do a trust pilot review.

This probably accounts for the increase in reviews (and largely positive ones) if they're my coming from people who've just been able to successfully place a order.

I’ve given up with Ocado.

I’ve been a customer a long time, probably since 2006 when we moved into this house. Certainly several years before they launched their app. Have had a smart pass most of that time (paying more than my Mum and sister who live close by). Always got an anniversary gift for being a valued customer. So a good 14 years.

DH had an old account too that he set up for his parents so we could do them a separate shop and not have their favourites muddled with ours. It was registered to their address but they didn’t really like it so stopped using it years ago.

In January they sent him an offer of a free smart pass and lots of money off coupons (£15 first shop then £10 for several more). As I was paying double what my Mum pays for her smart pass I cancelled mine and we switched to his account changing the address to ours, setting up our reserved shop slot (every Friday) and list of regular items.

Come March when COVID hit we got our first three deliveries as normal and have since been blocked from the site. I can’t get a slot on either account.

I understand his account isn’t priority as it’s on a free smart pass and has only had weekly deliveries since Jan and probably only a years sporadic use Previous to this from several years ago (and in laws only spent about £40 a shop).

My account which has spent thousands and had regular deliveries for years is also not priority as it’s had it’s smart pass cancelled.

I can’t get slots with either account at all. I emailed Ocado and got a copy and paste reply.

I won’t go back to them. Probably spent £150/week.

Yes, I'm getting the request to fill in a Trust Pilot review every time I complete an order too

But you can't have it both ways, @SaltySeaBird! You seem to want Ocado to consider you a "new" customer for the purpose of freebies, but simultaneously also consider you a long-standing one, for access to slots [coonfused]

Ocado have clearly prioritised customers who spend the most money with them and abandoned the rest.

Pretty mercenary approach but will protect their income sources I guess.

Ocado have clearly prioritised customers who spend the most money with them and abandoned the rest.

I spend £50 a week and I’m being allowed a weekly delivery. (I’m only having every other week)

I keep saying it but I think it's more to do with demand in your area. Which makes logical sense.

To those who are mentioning the trustpilot reviews I may have some insight.

When I checkout my Ocado delivery I get a pop up asking if I want to do a Trustpilot review. So I assume all those customers who are getting a delivery are being asked the same question and, for the most part, those people will currently be happy with Ocado. The pop up has only been there for a few days, maybe a week.

I haven't written one because it's all perfect right now, but it wasn't for a while and the stress was terrible. I would also like to wait and see how it goes in the long term. Maybe others are less cynical and do a positive review and some would never have had issues with Ocado during the pandemic and are happy to recommend them.

I have done one, dont even think I've been asked but I'm not going to give them a bad review after 16 years of excellent service because of a few weeks of chaos in unprecedented times. I'm getting orders now weekly and a few more subs and items missing

I don’t really understand the system now but as a regular customer (with no pass), in London I can now book a slot with ease 10-14 days after my last one (as long as I’m prepared to pay 4.99 - 6.99 for the privilege). Getting straight into the site every time and no difficulty editing my order.

We have used Ocado regularly for about 2 years and we’re putting a large (£200+) order every time at the moment. So I don’t know if we’re ‘favoured’ in some way.

Bottled water available again for delivery despite the previous big who ha about it taking up to much space and weight. So either less people are ordering/have voted with feet/can’t actually get a delivery which has freed up more van space or maybe Evian have kicked up a fuss at the blanket ban on their products...?

Long time full smartpass as well as 16 years I can book 3 weeks in advance for a weekly delivery. I'm nearish to the huge depot in Hatfield.
I could only book fridays and a soon as that was delivered I could book the next one 3 weeks in advance. This week I managed to get a Saturday slot end of may and the special offers are creeping back

I imagine voted with their feet, I can get TESCO slots with ease now. Which is handy as we both are key workers.

I spend £50 a week and I’m being allowed a weekly delivery. (I’m only having every other week)

Makes sense. Of those I know using it it’s the £200+ a month spending regulars who are prioritised.

In that case I should be able to get a slot but that hasn’t happened

I spend about £60 a week. Was initially told ten days but am being given weekly now.
Just been to edit a few things and also got the trustpilot prompt. Funny how they are suddenly on a PR exercise when the couldn't even acknowledge a question three weeks ago

Lucky to get weekly orders.

They said bottled water wasn’t available to order but there’s always been, the more expensive bottles , available to order throughout the recent weeks/months

I stopped ordering bottled water and cat litter from my orders as soon as this started to help make more space in the van for more orders. I have noticed more multiple pack offers for things like 24 bags of wotsits that surely must take up a lot of room

@PowerslidePanda

I’ve spent approx £150/week with Ocado over 14 years. Say that works out to 40 weeks a year given that obviously we are on holiday / miss a few. That’s £84,000. Okay we didn’t used to spent as much before we had children but it’s very realistic I’ve spent over £50,000 with Ocado.

I can’t get a slot on that account. It isn’t considered a priority account - perhaps because no active smart pass. But I feel given the history and amount spent, I should be able to get at least a slot every few weeks!

My husbands account was probably set up maybe 10 years ago, when he was at his parents house helping them out with some stuff. The address was their address. Over the years they’ve sent offers - it’s not a new account. We switched to benefit from a free smart pass in January having felt a bit ripped off at finding how much my Mum was paying 15 mins down the road! It wasn’t a new account. I understand why that one isn’t considered. My in-laws were never big spenders, the cumulative spend history even with us using it since January is probably less than £5,000.

I get why you did it - I probably would have done the same in your position. But I also would have accepted that I was gaming the system and that in this case, it backfired. You willingly cancelled your paid smart pass in exchange for a free one and £50 worth of shopping that you weren't actually entitled to. Having benefited from that, you can't now claim that you should be treated as if it had never happened!

I also took the gamble and cancelled my anytime delivery pass before Christmas when they tried to put it up to £9.99 a month

They offered me a month free in March then £59.99 a year from April that I only paid during the lockdown. I thought I was screwed

Even though on free month when this started I’ve been offered weekly slots 3 weeks in advance. I didn’t think this would be the case

I’ve also been asked for trust pilot views over the last week when I’ve placed or edited an order. Not happened before

@PowerslidePanda

I’m not sure we weren’t entitled to the free SmartPass, we didn’t set up a second account to game the system, it was set up for a different household and was an old account.

Others on this thread, without a smart pass, spending less than me have been getting delivery slots. Over £50,000 spent on my account and nothing, I can’t even log in. Regardless of me not using that account for approx 8 weeks before lockdown, it has a long history and I’ve been a loyal customer.

I know you didn't set up a second account for that purpose, but equally, you knew full well that those offers were intended for your PIL's household, not yours. Regardless of historic spend, you chose to have Ocado treat you not as a regular, loyal customer when that suited you better, and now that you've milked benefits from that, you want to revert to your former status. You can't have it both ways!

Not sure a free smartpass that I’ve not been able to use is much of a benefit (when I’ve been paying double what my Mum pays for hers)! I forgot to use the vouchers after the first week too. But I admit, that’s my fault.

Ignoring my husbands account, I’m just saying others with less spend and equally no smart pass are getting slots.

I won’t use them again, but equally, I don’t think they care.