Can someone explain Ocado to me? <confused>

[Gauchita]

I've heard some Mnetters (and people in general) rave about their customer service, products, etc. I saw on a thread yesterday something about a monthly cost for deliveries. I went online but I ended up confused.

It says it's £10.99 a month but then in the FAQs it said some deliveries are free and others have a cost How does it work?

Can any charitable soul out there, who also happens to be an Ocado user lover,maybe explain this to me?

Thanks in advance!

Sorry, DS cried and posted last post too early.
Which would you say is better value, Ocado or Waitrose?

FredFred, the only supermarket we have near is Morrisons and I don't like it too much. Their fruit and veg is not very good, and in general it didn't impress us much. A trip to the supermarket with both DC on my own, though, would be stressful as DD is at an age when she wants to touch eeeeeeverything she sees. I end up spending ages in there and come back home a bit stressed

Handme, I wish I managed to organise myself and get two deliveries a week (DH loved that idea!) as that would mean really fresh fruit and veg.

When Ocado tried to massively increase my delivery charge I sulked and went off to Waitrose. The produce is the same (though not as mich choice) and because they select from the store and then deliver, the items are 2 or so days of shelf-life down on Ocado. Ocado deliver straight from the warehoudpse so the food is that bit fresher.

guachita Oh yes, we have Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Asda, M&S, Lidl all within a 15 minute walk, would be very different if we didn't have that choice delivery would be more appealing.

TeamEdward, Lottie, I noticed you both have 6mth memberships but pay slightly different prices, would that be because of where you are? Do different areas have different prices? (Otherwise, TeamEdward, I'd be on the phone tomorrow and request the £6.49 difference pronto ).

You don't have to be that organised to have two deliveries a week. I use the iPad app, so I can do it while watching tv in the evening, or whatever. BTW, Friday night deliveries are usually late, so try to avoid them!

We were lucky enough to sign up for a delivery pass during a promotion early this year (just before their financial results came out) - a 6 month delivery pass for unlimited free deliveries on Tu, We,Th for just £15 for 6 months! That's an insanely good deal TBH, called them up twice to confirm I wasn't missing something in the small print.

Extremely good service, hardly any missing items, very very polite drivers - I once got refunded the price on all items in one bag because a little milk had spilled out! And he wiped up the spill carefully.

But have now finally switched to Sainsbury's in-store for my main grocery shop - Ocado veggies not as good as I hoped. I do a monthly top-up from Ocado so as not to "waste" my delivery pass.

Ocado definitely offer better rates to some customers than others - mate has a v good value pass, what they offered me was laughable.

They're good though, I usually take cheap late night slots, 90% of the time get a call to ask if the can deliver early, so we get a £3.99 slot for £1.99 - or if we're out, they wait. I liked last night's - Leonard in the Cabbage Van, actually Len, and about 20 years younger and far cuter than a Len should be.

Waitrose has free delivery (over £50), so I switched from Ocado to Waitrose. Waitrose customer service is great too when they occasionally mess up (as happens to them all).

Where are you that it's £3/delivery with Waitrose even over £50? I thought they were free everywhere and that's what their website says.

I got a whole year's worth of Delivery Pass for £39 last May, I have had on average 3 deliveries every two weeks in that time so more than had my money's worth. I get two deliveries of just over £40 most weeks, then I usually have one week in every 3 or so where I don't need as much and just do one order. I have just had the renewal email saying it is going up to £109 for the next year, but even that is pretty good value. I might haggle, not decided yet.

They have always been polite, nearly always punctual (and they do get in touch if they are running late) very rare to get substitutions and those that we have had have always been sensible ones. I also like the fact that you can book less than 24 hours ahead (usually about 20 hours, so lunchtime for the next morning for example). Also the Iphone app is very easy to use, just wander round the kitchen checking things, it has a barcode reader now.

I really like the fact that they deliver on Sunday afternoon/evening now, which is a recent development, not sure if the others do this. I love the fact that we can go away for the weekend and come home and get the weeks shopping delivered on Sunday evening.

TSC, is that a monthly cost or a 2/3/6 mth offer? I can see the delivery cost they offer you can vary a lot, only from what I've seen in this thread.

Auntie, I went back to the website, to see if I had misread.

"The cost
For purchases worth £50 or more, delivery costs £3. There is a £5 charge for smaller orders"
However, it does say on the homepage "free delivery on orders over £50" so I guess as it's an offer they haven't changed that.

Dont, at Len in the Cabbage van. Although not as funny holy as Jesus in the Cabbage van, like another MNetter got.

TeamEdward, hope they offer you a delivery charge refund (and a nice voucher).

Hand, note taken re. late Friday night deliveries!

£39 for a whole year!

Apps definitely help, when I used Tesco I always used the apps, much quicker. Tesco didn't have Sunday evening slots, AFAIK.

Wow TSC I love comparing prices and finding offers so I'll do that this weekend, plus give them a ring to see what's the best delivery price they can offer.
Thanks all for the advice and suggestions, off to bed now.

Can anyone tell me how you actually pronounce Ocado?

Thanks TeamEdward

Ah, you are looking at the Waitrose "shop in branch, we deliver" prices. Which obviously Ocado don't have as they have no branches.

at "I love comparing prices and finding offers", OP - are you a real person? Do people really think like that?

Auntie. I know, sad, but true

We love Ocado. Asda are cheaper there is no denying it but their customer service is dreadful. Substitutions are a problem. The nail in the coffin for asda was instead of 4kg of rice they sent 4 bottles of white wine vinegar and didn't bother to tell me, nor even register it as a sub. When I complained I was refunded one pound ???

The charges, AFAIK, re Waitrose, as has been said I think, are for the you shop, we drop service.

Auntie, Margieritaa, thanks for the clarification, I see now. I have some work to do tonight but I'll compare Ocado and Waitrose after that.

TeamEdward, glad I'm not the only one! did you manage to check the delivery price with them?

Mannah, what?! Ha ha ha What on earth made them think that was a reasonable substitution? Awful response on the refund side, a pound!?