Waitrose delivery fees

[lockdownwithwhoresdrawers]

Just a heads up that from the 9th September Waitrose are going to be charging for their home delivery slots. Although I'm a lifelong Waitrose fan, and I do understand there are overheads with staffing/vans etc, I am a little put out by this change!

Waitrose has massively gone downhill of late - not helped that our brilliant local store has closed and is now Tesco.

The smaller store which now supplies most of our deliveries has endless substitutions and dodgy product dates at times. Marzipan instead of icing anyone?!!

I have been ordering for ourselves, some elderly friends and my brother's family - often over £300 per week., but not even an email to say that charges were being introduced.

This will probably force me into using local butchers (where the meat is better but twice as much as Waitrose!), and farm shops. So my shopping will be greener! We can top up with other stuff as necessary.

So....after nearly 30 happy years....Goodbye Waitrose - loyalty should be a two way street.

@RadioSixMusicLover

Hi *@thismeansnothing*. You shouldn’t be using bags for milk if they haven’t been paid for.

Exception in being raw meat/fish and milk.

@RadioSuxMusicLover we have been doing since they brought the bag charge in as there was several cases of milk bottles leaking on delivery and ruining what was in the crate so it keeps any mess from a leak a ABIT more contained. So now we have to bag it. We get marked down on our packing if they do a crate audit if we haven't. Oh and on ambient if someones ordered bleach we have to bag that for the same reason.

Well!!

I was thinking of trying Waitrose as Ocado have gone downhill so much, don’t think I’ll bother now

@lockdownwithwhoresdrawers

Well!!

And no longer selling 10p bag for life’s

Now they will do special super duper 50p bags only

@thismeansnothing - nope, that shouldn’t be happening. Milk and bleach shouldn’t be bagged separately if the customer hasn’t paid. It’s da law I’m afraid.

Exemptions under the law include food in containers that aren't secure enough to prevent leakage during handling. I think that covers the milk if not the bleach.

Heh, this threads mint

I'm really looking forward to the Christmas online food shopping whinge when there are shortages. Going to be better than the have to go to the in-laws ones.

@MrsSkylerWhite

You’re all being fleeced already, Aldi food is so much nicer/better value.

Runs away

Some ver' naice Waitrose shoppers also shop at Aldi you know.

I suspect that when Aldi's delivery areas widen, there might even be some shimmying over.

@MrsMackesy

Exemptions under the law include food in containers that aren't secure enough to prevent leakage during handling. I think that covers the milk if not the bleach.

That refers more to deli pots etc where you can’t be sure they’re closed properly. Not milk. Milk should be checked at the time of shopping, both the seal and extra tightening, they do not need bagging.

The issue is more once it's left the shop and out for delivery.

When the bagging goes on the 26th it's just raw meat and eggs that will go in compostable bags.

But I'm just as minion and do as I'm I'm told. Not arguing over a plastic bag. But as it stands now, as a customer I'd prefer a bottle of bleach in a bag rather than exploded over my shopping

I had an email, informing me of the charge from 9 Sept, I think.

The more concerning thought is that they are now also stopping 10p bags, so either the delivery driver will bring the shopping into your home, no well thought out with autumn/winter andCovid on the rise! Or you need to take your bags to the door.

This is they reason why I stopped having Asda deliver, as it was hassle to either take in the crates or take bags to the door etc. Waitrose will still be selling bags for life in store 50p be would prefer you to take in your own bags.

Ah shit, the bag thing is a real nightmare for us.

Probably due to Brexit.

Their overheads will have gone up.

Everything is getting more expensive and they are probably trying to cover the costs in ways that don't involve raising the prices of food.

Just get some trolley bags or a couple of IKEA bags or something.

I have collapsible trolley bags and it takes me all of 2 mins to take my Waitrose shopping out of their crates and dump it into my bags. It doesn't have to be perfectly arranged, it's only going to be in the bags for a few minutes while you carry it into your kitchen & unpack.

I know when my shopping is due to arrive, so shortly before the slot I get the bags out of the cupboard and put them ready by my front door.

This is all distinctly less hassle than actually going to Waitrose and doing a full shop myself.

I think people are making the bag issue more difficult than it needs to be! Surely having fewer plastic bags being used is a good thing...

@MrsSkylerWhite

You’re all being fleeced already, Aldi food is so much nicer/better value.

Runs away

I'm often told this but in my experience it is just not true.

Aldi is more decent than many give it credit for, but it's not as nice as Waitrose.

I some think people just like to believe that people who shop at Waitrose are wasting their money, but it's all about what you prioritise.

Every other supermarket charges a delivery fee so why shouldn't they?

My delivery yesterday was free. My mum's on Saturday wasn't.

some think people just like to believe that people who shop at Waitrose are wasting their money, but it's all about what you prioritise.“

I prioritise good food. Just don’t want to pay twice as much for exactly the same salad, for example.

For the first time in 18 months I haven't had the next three weeks slots lined up - typical! Just done my first online order with Sainsburys - getting used to a new system, but the prices are better.

Re the bags - we never had them. Put some washing baskets outside the front door, and the delivery person moved everything into them, for us to bring into the house and put away. Always worked well.

I’ve been using them since January weekly
for my parents a s my shopping. They’ve been great tbh and I’ve always managed to get a slot. With over £100 worth every week I was getting it delivered in bags which is now 80p ( I am aware that isn’t Waitrose but the government directive) now with £3 delivery too it is a bit annoying . Saying that I don’t fancy doing two lots of household shopping so I’ll have tonst ok with it. On the subject of subs, yes very random at times. Does anyone know of subs are selected by the ‘picker’ or does the system suggest something ?

I've received an email with two time-limited £10 off codes, but of course you have to spend over £100 each time to use them. I suspect the timing is an attempt at a sweetener for regular customers about the new delivery charge, which I do think is too much at £12-£15 a month. That works out more expensive than most if not all other supermarkets, I imagine? Tesco's most expensive pass for example works out at £95.88 a year and for unlimited deliveries. Waitrose's fees for a delivery a week are £156 a year. That's quite a difference. If they had to bring in a charge, a more competitively priced delivery pass seems a better idea.

My usual store used to be booked up but now there’s lots of slots available.

I had Waitrose deliveries for a long time and thought they were great, as were the substitutions. I had a few deliveries from June to August 2020 then couldn't get a slot for months so moved to Sainsburys. They've been pretty good, their substitutions price difference is refunded with a voucher, I have the delivery pass which has loads of availability and best of all you can make changes up to 11pm the evening before delivery. The pass is £35 for six months unlimited so pretty good value too.

An unusual number of available slots here too.