Ocado priority, tips and hacks and Toblerone

[FredAstaireAteMyHamSandwich]

Carrying on from the last Ocado thread that is about to fill up. Still haven’t been given a toblerone yet.

Just started using Ocado (normally get Waitrose delivery) but really miss some M&S products.

Can anyone tell me how Ocado deliver loose vegetables? Do they come in a mini plastic bags like you get in store in other supermarkets or are they just loose in the larger shopping bags with other products?

Thanks

The degree of packaging depends on the supplier - Ocado don't produce all the fruit and vegetables they sell. So, apples for example - my recent Wholegoods' Organic juicing apples came in a net bag; the same producer's cucumber came in the usual tight wrap. (Plastic?) Duchy Organics lettuce in cellophane, the same tomatoes is cardboard and wrapping. Other apples I know are presented in more elaborate moulded packaging.

Hmm ... Tbh I don't recall many actually loose fresh items - except melons, and maybe aubergines. Broccoli, onions, bananas, all in some sort of packaging. Melons and aubergines just take their chances in the bags, no mini plastic bags.

(To my knowledge they only provide those for toiletries; soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc are packaged together in a little closed bag.)

They won’t pay for bags, they haven’t charged for them since lockdown so sadly no profit. But be good to get rid of the 200+ I have in samosa folds in the spare room 😂

Packing was really good this week and everything in stock with only 2 small fresh creams subbed for 1 big one.

Ashamedly looking forward to Thursday order, despite being vocal about not wanting the M&S change. I’m anyone’s for a tub of Percy pig ice cream it seems.

I’m looking forward to Cornish Cruncher Cheese with Balsamic onions. Forget crackers, eat it straight from the packet...

Have just remembered an M&S thing I like: Fresh Vanilla Custard. (Though I know we're supposed to be boycotting vanilla ...) It's my eat straight out of the tub thing.

@PerditaProvokesEnmity

Have just remembered an M&S thing I like: Fresh Vanilla Custard. (Though I know we're supposed to be boycotting vanilla ...) It's my eat straight out of the tub thing.

Are we boycotting vanilla? What has vanilla said?

I had a delivery booked for last Thursday between 12 and 1.
At ten past one the driver phoned me.
He apologised and said that the delivery wasn't coming as he 'had run out of time'.
I had to phone customer services. They offered to rearrange delivery and gave me a £15 voucher.
I've had many, many deliveries from the big 4 aswell as Ocado and never experienced this before.

@FredAstaireAteMyHamSandwich

I’m looking forward to Cornish Cruncher Cheese with Balsamic onions. Forget crackers, eat it straight from the packet...

I may have just added that to my next order.

@ElizabethMainwaring

I had a delivery booked for last Thursday between 12 and 1. At ten past one the driver phoned me. He apologised and said that the delivery wasn't coming as he 'had run out of time'. I had to phone customer services. They offered to rearrange delivery and gave me a £15 voucher. I've had many, many deliveries from the big 4 aswell as Ocado and never experienced this before.

I’ve had weekly Ocado deliveries for over 10 years now and I have never had that. Very occasional I’ve had a delivery cancelled, once he broke down but he was about a mile away so we went to him and picked up the order. I’ve never had a ‘run out of time’ even in the middle of lockdown.

@ElizabethMainwaring

I had a delivery booked for last Thursday between 12 and 1. At ten past one the driver phoned me. He apologised and said that the delivery wasn't coming as he 'had run out of time'. I had to phone customer services. They offered to rearrange delivery and gave me a £15 voucher. I've had many, many deliveries from the big 4 aswell as Ocado and never experienced this before.

I'd not be very happy with that. I had a call for my last order from the driver explaining he was late leaving the depot (Dartford) and there was an accident on the M25/M20 - so common they should build it into their delivery schedules!. I told him not to worry - I would be at home - driver turns up less than an hour later. I start chatting about the traffic and our conversation - it's a totally different driver. They had found him in the canteen not assigned to a van. I could ask him too many questions, but I was so curious about their process - do they keep spare drivers on call?? My mum and I are alternating our slots - she has the first M&S one booked for 1st Sept. I so hope it goes well!!

Update!
Replacement delivery was due today between 11.30 and 12.30.
Driver rang at 12.25 and said he was running late due to 'a couple of difficult deliveries' and that he would be late.
Not here yet.

I had that with Morrison’s once. The driver rang to say he didn’t have time to deliver.then proceeded to have a full on rant about his bosses, about his pay rate, hours they had to work... I rang Morrisons to complain about having to listen to him moaning. They offered a £5 voucher. Never shopped with them since.

@GreenUp

Just started using Ocado (normally get Waitrose delivery) but really miss some M&S products.

Can anyone tell me how Ocado deliver loose vegetables? Do they come in a mini plastic bags like you get in store in other supermarkets or are they just loose in the larger shopping bags with other products?

Thanks

Ocado don't really do 'loose' vegetables - not single ones on the whole. E.g. you need to buy a plastic pack of 3 peppers (or a single Natoora one for ££), a pack of 2 lemons, a pack of 3 courgettes. I used to mainly get fresh veg from the shop and use Ocado for more long-life stuff but lockdown has sort of forced me into getting the bigger packs and trying not to waste.

I'm avoiding placing a shop for 1st Sept (I normally would do on that Tuesday) in case of unavailability. Have ordered for a week later - it's a bit annoying, for all the M&S products it tells me I 'last ordered it on XX date' when it means I ordered the equivalent Waitrose one. I am glad they've made equivalents for most things, though.

Update on the bags if you haven't already heard - they are going to start taking them back from 22nd September, but only as many bags as you can fit into one carrier bag each time, which apparently could be up to 100 if you're skilled at packing.

I'm avoiding placing a shop for 1st Sept (I normally would do on that Tuesday) in case of unavailability.

I've been holding off on making a shop this week because I thought they'd be out of a lot of stuff during the changeover. I have an M&S heavy shop booked for the 1st. I hope I get most of it...

I’ve had so many squashed goods recently I’m concerned Ocado think I’m not telling the truth

I had 8 out of 12 eggs smashed and as PP have said the cleaning up the mess that’s the real issue

I've gone for a mid week full M&S shop on Tuesday. I’m not sure what I’ll get. I'll report back

Just flagging that Daylesford is owned and run by Lady Bamford, wife of Lord Bamford, who owns JCB (big Tory/Vote Leave donors). In case that’s important to anyone. I tend to avoid it. In fact Ocado’s co-founder Tim Steiner... ah well you can google his donations history.

Loyal customers of over 15 years here but not huge fans of M&S, and really not liking the social media presence in the last few months, so considering Waitrose instead.

I did try Waitrose direct but was disappointed.

Yes some goods that were delivered with use by dates that day or the next day were given free but that’s not how I do my weekly shop.

I also found the £70 limit difficult. Not for a standard weekly shop but for a mid week top up

The reason I went back to Ocado is when I ordered 6 bread rolls from Waitrose. No bread rolls delivered. I can’t believe the store didn’t have any substitution for me whatsoever ever

@Mollcat Agree re Bamford. They are also dodgy re tax.
I’m shifting to Waitrose. My last Ocado order the fruit and veg were grim.

Does anybody know how to do a new product suggestion? Is it just the normal contact us page?

I noticed that M&S don’t do their own brand Greek yogurt so now the only option is the much more expensive branded make.
Huge amount of Greek style though.

Custard creams!
What the hell!
Two types of gluten free but only one small packets of M&S regular ones. I want a big double pack like normal people.

@Yellowbutterfly1

Does anybody know how to do a new product suggestion? Is it just the normal contact us page?

I noticed that M&S don’t do their own brand Greek yogurt so now the only option is the much more expensive branded make.
Huge amount of Greek style though.

I may be wrong but do they call it “Greek style” because it isn’t actually made in Greece? Perhaps it has to actually be MADE in Greece to be called Greek yogurt? I could only find Greek style or Greek recipe on most supermarket sites except one on Waitrose which states “made in Greece”.

I may be wrong but do they call it “Greek style” because it isn’t actually made in Greece?
Yes has to be made in Greece now to be called Greek Yogurt. Plenty of unsweetened M&S greek style which is likely to taste the same

I’ve found that some M&S products are not showing up in the correct category.
For example if you go Fresh>salad>coleslaw you don’t get any M&S products. Search for coleslaw and there is loads.

Proper Greek yogurt contains live bacteria which is good for gut health. Greek style doesn’t contain any, seems to just be a normal yogurt which has been thickened.