Ocado - Hacks, Tips, and Smart Pass Rip-offs Thread 9

[GaryUnicorn]

Carrying on from the old thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4104964-Ocado-tips-tricks-subs-M-S-shortbread-giveaways-and-defectors

Give a vague area of where you live, or first part of postcode, and how much you pay for your smart pass. They seem to charge how much they think we will pay.

London, SE23 : £9.99 for an anytime pass. Customer for 10+ years.

Just cancelled

I am still the only one in this thread who is daft enough to be paying £10.99. This is madness. Why am I paying so much???

Got Percy pig van today. Just posting to say that really

As you were.

It used to be possible to call them around the time the smart pass renewal email came through and basically say I'm leaving... and they would reduce the price for another year. I don't think that's possible now, they'll just say bye then and cut you loose.

There was a long article about Ocado in the Guardian last year and they are basically delivering at/close to capacity so they're not specifically trying to find new customers. The actual grocery delivery part of Ocado is still making a loss, too, it's the technology licensing side that's going to make them money in the years to come. In that light it's understandable they don't really care about customer experience that much, they know they'll have enough customers anyway.

I think they just got too big for their boots last year.
Suddenly all these people who had never used online food delivery before all wanted to start instead of going to the supermarket as they normally would have done.
Ocado decided to take them on knowing full well they didn’t have the capacity and lie in the process.

Seems to have gone really downhill from there. Loyalty to customers especially from people paying for smart passes has been shocking.

@nordica

It used to be possible to call them around the time the smart pass renewal email came through and basically say I'm leaving... and they would reduce the price for another year. I don't think that's possible now, they'll just say bye then and cut you loose.

There was a long article about Ocado in the Guardian last year and they are basically delivering at/close to capacity so they're not specifically trying to find new customers. The actual grocery delivery part of Ocado is still making a loss, too, it's the technology licensing side that's going to make them money in the years to come. In that light it's understandable they don't really care about customer experience that much, they know they'll have enough customers anyway.

Yes, this is exactly what I've been saying. Delivering groceries is just a means to promote the technology and not what they consider their main revenue stream. It's just a means to an end.

My smart pass is £3.99. South West London. A few years ago the smart pass went up to £9.99 a month. I rang them, they refused to take any money off so I did what I told them I would and left and then rejoined using my partner's email and name.

Ocado customer in Cheshire for well over 10 years and a midweek smartpass holder for 10 years, paying £2.99 a month. Have just been allowed to see slots 3 weeks in advance after months of 2 weeks in advance and getting frustrated that after Christmas I struggled to get any slots. That was coincidentally sorted after contacting them to complain. Just when I think about cancelling, they seemingly improve.

South London - £2.99 per month, anytime pass. I do spend a small fortune with them though am considering cancelling when pandemic is over as my food bill is getting ridiculous....

To PP:

I just tested availability for next 3 days from an account I'm no longer using. Availability tomorrow night 8-11pm or Wednesday 5.30 to 8am. Only 3 days showing & each of those deliveries would cost £3.99 +£1-2 if under £75 value.

SW London area FWIW

Exactly what I'm seeing on my other account @Greengagesummer - we must be close!
But is it only 3 days because it's a non-smart pass account, or just because I'm a less important customer on that account? Have used DH's account for the vast majority of orders over the years.

I'm cancelling my smart pass next week. I've been using Morrison's for the last 3 weeks and have saved between £15 and £20 each week. The app is no where near as good but I'll put up with it for that level of saving.

I have an M&S simply food down the road so can still get the bits I like from them.

I'm going to get my last delivery this weekend so I can claim the anniversary gift and give £5 worth of bags back first.

I cancelled today in the end. Logged back in and can see paid delivery slots going forwards. They range from £0 for very late at night (10:30) to £6.99. There were a few at £2.99 for Tuesday evenings. I think I may book one every so often to stock up on a few products I don’t get elsewhere. Just bought a Sainsburys pass for exactly half what I was paying Ocado.

There’s such a huge discrepancy in what people pay, from £2.99 for Anytime pass, to £10.99

@RaggieDolls - what’s Morrisons been like? Their annual price works out about £20 cheaper than what I’m paying with ocado.

Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury aren’t accepting new Delivery Saver customers at the moment.

Waitrose don’t charge, but no free slots.

My friend just told me she pays £1.99 a month! While I was paying £9.99. Grrrr. To the person who said Sainsburys are not taking new pass customers, it must be area dependant. I signed up today with no problem and could have slots from tomorrow. Loads available.

I’m one of the lucky ones who has been paying nothing or almost nothing for my smart pass for the last few years. I’ve never paid more than £1.99 per month.
This is the email I got last week.

My deliveries come from Wolverhampton but I’m over an hour’s drive from there.

If I was being asked to pay more than this I’d cancel. It’s still handy to have for basics but I now need to go to a farm shop and my local convenience store Waitrose to get everything I want.

We find it near impossible to get Waitrose deliveries here because most of the stores closed recently. I think there’s just one big store left and that’s about 30 miles away.

[quote Standrewsschool]@RaggieDolls - what’s Morrisons been like? Their annual price works out about £20 cheaper than what I’m paying with ocado.

Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury aren’t accepting new Delivery Saver customers at the moment.

Waitrose don’t charge, but no free slots.[/quote]
I've been having them for a few weeks and they've been good. The app isn't as good and the selection of items is smaller but that doesn't bother me... e.g. the range of hand soaps is basic but I always choose a basic one anyway.

They don't offer anything 'really nice' but we have an M&S foods and a farm shop nearby for more luxury items.

I've been paying £3 for a late night Sunday delivery to 'test' them out because Ocado say I won't be accepted back onto the reserved list if I leave.

There are small gripes with Morrisons but they are hugely outweighed by the huge weekly savings.

@BobsDouble overjoyed for you - but so angry pricing isn’t consistent. I’m at £9.99 😭

Have my 99 bags ready to give back. Didn't need to samosa them. Just rolled up in piles of 10 and shoved in a bag.

I’ve just packed up my 99 bags as well.

SW London, customer for around 13 years, £7.99 for anytime smart pass.

Emailed but they aren’t interested. Like RaggieDolls, they say I won’t be allowed to rejoin straight away. So much for all of the money spent over the years. Never known anything like the varying pricing