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.

I’m coming to moan.....

I just don’t like Ocado since the whole M&S collaboration has happened. I was really open minded and was up for keeping my weekly slot but now not so much.

I can never get a slot and I managed to get one for the whole lockdown period! The subs are crap and there’s always missing items- again not something I ever experienced before. And finally, the range is just not as good.

Minor issues I know but I just don’t like it anymore [saddestfaceemoji]

@Madcats I’ve never checked the BB date on a bag of lemons, it’s a BB any not an use by.

[quote ShivD]@Madcats I’ve never checked the BB date on a bag of lemons, it’s a BB any not an use by.[/quote]
I just looked at the limes i got on saturday and the bb date was the 5th october. I dont normally take much notice of BB dates on veg i use them if they look ok whatever the BB date.
The tomatoes are the same , its a big box and should really last the week. Its pretty bad really.

I don't post much but read a lot.

But.... I feel the same as shivD. Didn't realise how much I would miss Waitrose stuff, especially their strained Greek Yoghurts. M&S is treat food for us, not regular shopping and we quickly get bored of it.

Ocado/M&S can't substitute for Waitrose Essentials and Cooks ingredients. And in 9 years with Ocado, I've never had so many missing items and substitutions.

At the start of the year, I was praising them to the heavens and felt safe as we moved into lockdown. They have been reliable through cancer, and broken/ sprained limbs- there was a great app, always a slot and deliveries with substitutions and missing items were rare. .

Now I feel abused by them. They have taken my loyalty for granted. I forgive them the lockdown debacle but the app is still broken and they are now rationing slots and lying about it on social media. I can't trust their deliveries anymore.

And I feel sad. 😢

I was surprised by how unsettled I felt the first time I looked at an M&S item and saw 'Last bought 2/2/18' or similar. No, I didn't. I bought the Waitrose equivalent. Why can't they say 'You bought something like this on 2/2/18'? I don't like being lied to.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g I agree - this trickery with the items bought made me unreasonably angry! I want to know exactly what I bought or didn’t buy

I was moaning about that gaslighting back in August!
Something else they're doing that drives me up the wall (perhaps it was always like this) - say I've booked one delivery, "Shop 1" and then book a second for a couple of weeks later, "Shop 2". Say I order a beef and ale pie for Shop 2.

I later go to edit my Shop 1, checkout all over again and all the 'are you sure you don't need....' items in the interminable checkout process are everything I've ordered for Shop 2, like the beef and ale pie. Cue me having a moment of mad panic, thinking "I'm SURE I already put that pie in my basket" then realising that was Shop 2 not Shop 1, and I don't want allllll the same things from Shop 2 in my Shop 1, thank you very much.

I agree, M&S was never a weekly thing for me. I'd pop in every now and then for a ready meal and some Percy Pigs. There are plenty of bits I'm enjoying, but it's ready meals and treat stuff. And the stock levels look like they're all over the place.

The loss of Duchy Originals may be my tipping point, I didn't realize how much of their line I bought until it wasn't there anymore! I realized why I expected it to stay. Someone had asked them on IG if it were staying, and their answer looked like a yes, but looking back it was some waffle about an excellent range of organic fresh fruit and veg...

Anyway... I thought it would be sensible to stay put with Ocado over winter, but this M&S change happened at a really bad time and they are obviously struggling. I might start trying out the other supermarkets.

No cheap tinned tomatoes anymore

I am extremely happy with them and have not had any subs as per usual !

With my order today, I do think that the 'use by' dates had improved.
But...
I had several standard items missing, including the main ingredients for three meals, plus store cupboard items.
Only a couple of substitutes, one of which was totally different in flavour and use from the item ordered.
So I'm not too happy with that.

Also, why on earth can't they keep the substitute items packed separately? Especially now, when the system depends on only the driver finding the item. Rooting in the bags, tipping up "keep flat" items, wasting time for the driver, all would be solved by a different coloured substitutes bag!

I had a moan yesterday. I wanted to book a top up shop, nothing other than my reserved orders available.

Messaged Ocado and asked why I was paying £10 for an anytime smart pass that isn't any time anymore. Got the usual bot speak back, pass doesn't guarantee delivery slots, you can cancel blah blah.

I was so annoyed I went to sign up to Morrisons, but it seems the cut off for being offered a Christmas slot was October 1st. Not that Ocado are telling anyone when they are opening theirs up and frankly they are being beyond cagey over it when asked.

So, Ocado, I'm stuck with you until the New Year, at which point I'll be cancelling that pass faster than you can say 'Percy Pig'.

Anyone else getting really wound up by the mask-less drivers who don’t seem to believe in social distancing? Also not a fan of the M&S change. I thought it would be fine, a bit of a novelty at first, but I actually think it’s more expensive and the quality is not as good as Waitrose. Also missing some of my favourites which weren’t Waitrose brand but have disappeared to allow for the M&S versions.

My delivery drivers are lovely and always stand well back from the boxes of bags (we have a narrow path).

I delved a little too deep into Ocado's Twitter feed whilst cooking today and it would appear that there is sometimes a discrepancy between "M&S in Ocado" prices and the prices in store:
twitter.com/ross_farmer/status/1312424800019779584

That seems really underhand.

Talking of drivers, that reminded me...

Last weeks delivery had yet another tub of cream upended in the bag. Driver was desperately trying to hide this bag and was so shifty about it, it made it more noticeable.
After much huffing and sighing he said he'd refund the cream. I asked him to also refund the mushrooms in there as the creams works its way into the cling film folds and into the box. Again much huffing.
I said this seemed to be weekly now and he actually told me that really I shouldn't be ordering things like cream and eggs as they always get broken. I did ask what the point of online shopping was then to which he shrugged and left.

And no, he didn't refund any of the damaged items and I had to chase Ocado myself for it.

@Mollcat

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.

Bugger. I’ve been buying quite a bit from Daylesford lately.

That's shit, Fuss. Tbf our drivers have always been great, except quite often turning up an hour early without phoning - we're always in though!

I’ve been editing my order for Thursday and found that lots of items I want are out of stock. We’ve also given up on fresh stuff because the shelf life is too short. So now I have to supplement my order with a trip to Waitrose. Unfortunately our local one is tiny and we couldn’t do a full weekly shop there.

M&S stuff has always had quite short shelf lives.

I think they use less preservatives in the processed things, and fruit & veg have more flavour probably because they are picked later when they are more ripe.

This is OK if you are using them for treats and top up shops, but no good if it's your main shop.

I've also noticed more substitutions & out of stock since the switch.

For info: Waitrose seem to have released their Christmas week slots. I've just booked a slot for 21st December. Still £40 minimum and no delivery charge.

Thank you @CoteFolie - just got mine booked for 23rd

I'm tempted, but our Waitrose isn't huge and I'm a bit worried half my order won't arrive.

Has anyone used them for a Christmas delivery before?

Thanks for the heads up about Waitrose slots. I think I'm going to stick with the local butcher and veg merchant this year rather than risk Ocado.

I'd get too cross/fat with the short dated items and subs.

@Fuss

I'm tempted, but our Waitrose isn't huge and I'm a bit worried half my order won't arrive.

Has anyone used them for a Christmas delivery before?

I've booked a Waitrose Christmas delivery slot (could only get one for the 20th) but I have the same concerns as you do. I use Ocado 4 times a month, and Waitrose once a month. I have had hardly any missing or substituted items from Ocado, but Waitrose always have some missing. I find Waitrose definitely has more problems with OOS items than Ocado at the moment (in my area, at least).

I selected this Christmas shop from last December's order and a third of it - most of the nice stuff! - was OOS. Before March 2020 Waitrose were reliable, but not so much any more.

I will hang on to this slot until I see what happens with the Ocado Christmas slots. I've got an anytime smartpass and have had no problems with getting deliveries in general.

Wot no cream cheese? Not even a sub in delivery this week, basic stuff really

Happy with my ocado magnetic meal planner for 1p though

Would be grateful if someone could post when Christmas slots are released, I have a smart pass but still don't seem to be getting any emails or anything