Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Other subjects

Flip

Original poster

Online supermarket shopping. Have people had mostly good or bad experiences?

18 replies

beatie · 09/02/2006 11:33

I've only tried Sainsburys. It seemed like a good idea once dd2 was born and the thought of shopping with two children filled me with dread.

But after a handful of deliveries I have gone back to trawling the aisles... trying to go every 3 weeks and alone. I begrudge how long it takes me. It's a whole morning out of a precious weekend.

Twice the delivery time did not tally with what we'd chosen and the only time they successfully delivered us the milk we chose, it was out of date. 8 pints of it.

I woudn't mind receiving alternatives if they were chosen by someone able to put some logical thought into it. Instead, they appear to be randomly chosen items perhaps based on shelf proximity or some matching keyword. I always reject the alternatives but it's a pain when at 7pm you've been expecting milk and you don't get any.

I just wondered what other people's experiences have been like. The Tesco thread above set me off thinking about this.

OP posts:

anorak · 09/02/2006 12:09

I shop mainly with asda and occasionally with ocado. I find them both very good. I've been using this service for about 2 years now. I don't mind the odd substitution, even if it's not exactly what I wanted, the convenience, time and effort saved more than compensate. I've never been sold an item out of date, in fact I find everything well within date as if I'd picked it myself.

I must admit that the worst experience I had with non-availability was when I booked a delivery slot at the weekend, I guess they don't fill the shelves as much then. Pick a time the week and not much goes wrong.

Bozza · 09/02/2006 12:13

I shop with Asda and it has been great. They are very punctual. The substitutions are generally reasonable. The only gripe I have is that sometimes they don't substitute when they could, eg a loaf of bread is not that difficult to substitute is it?

Nbg · 09/02/2006 12:16

I always shopped with Asda and the only reason we stopped was because they didn't have as many delivery slots as Tesco.
I can go on-line now and get a delivery with Tesco for tomorrow whereas Asda I would have to wait up to a week.

But yesterday Tesco made a real balls up and it's really teed me off.
The reason I shop on-line is because I don't drive and when dh is home it's mainly a weekend and it's the last place we want to be. Plus dd hates it with a passion as do most toddlers.

earthtomummy · 09/02/2006 12:16

We do a monthly Sainsburys online shop. It's great because where I l,ive it's either Waitrose (fab but pricey for basics) or Morrisons which I can't bear. I have 3 under 5 year olds so I buy a massive amount of stuff once a month - cat food, loo roll etc, organic meat from there, tins of toms etc - you get the picture - stuff I can freeze or cupboard stuff. Then I top up weekly buying fresh fruit veg etc from the market and sarnie stuff for DH from the deloi. I think it works out more cheaply because I'm buying large amounts and make multi purchase savings. Also takes the hassle of half a day shopping - I get it delivered at 8pm when the kids are asleep and never pay delivery cos it is over £70 and delivered mid-week. Once you've done it once it gets a lot quicker because you can pretty much repeat the list the next month because it's store cupboard basics. And I think Saisburys have imprived as they haven't substituted any items on the list for ages.

Blondeinlondon · 09/02/2006 12:17

I use Ocado although only once a month.
Mostly for things I can't be bothered to carry.
Meat and veg has always been good

fairyjay · 09/02/2006 12:17

Found Ocado quite good and Tesco OK

Socci · 09/02/2006 12:19

Message withdrawn

edodgy · 09/02/2006 12:19

For the last 2 weeks ive used asda online and they seem to have great difficulty understanding and providing 4 cloves of garlic, the first week they tried substituting it for garlic puree and last week they just didnt bother either way, it's strange because when we visit the same asda they use we have no problem finding garlic cloves. I find their subsitutions strange in general one week I ordered organic butter and they tried to substitute it for Flora Light! How does that make sense why not just give non organic butter!

fairydust · 09/02/2006 12:20

we use tesco every week and the service we recieve is fantastic the driver are always on time and there's hardly ever any subs.

tracyk · 09/02/2006 12:22

use Ocado ocassionally as they are quite pricey - I wait till they are doing a 10% off offer -then order. Excellent service.

Original poster

beatie · 09/02/2006 12:33

I wonder if it depends on the warehouse and if it is worth asking them about the milk problem. That's my biggest gripe. They never have the milk I want and either don't substitute it with anything logical or don't substitute it at all.

OP posts:

WigWamBam · 09/02/2006 12:38

Have given up on Tesco - out of date food, mouldy fruit, crap substitutions, a weeks worth of yoghurts all dated for the day of delivery, items missing, crap crap crap. We tried Ocado once and the delivery was good, but I can't justify paying the prices they charge (and I know someone will come along in a minute and say they're no more expensive than the others, but I found them much more expensive).

FairyMum · 09/02/2006 12:40

Sainsbury's is a nightmare. Their replacements are very odd.
We use Ocado and I want to marry an Ocado-man one day. I think they are great and worth every penny! And you get freebies quite often too.

oliveoil · 09/02/2006 12:42

get ye to the shop ye lazy lumps

Bink · 09/02/2006 12:44

We depend on Ocado - big shop about once a month - all the things which are a deadly grind if you live in a third floor flat without a lift. Haven't done a detailed price comparison but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were more expensive - but I've never had out of date milk or mouldy veg or frozen things that have been left to melt; and the substitutions are always sensible. And in dozens of deliveries now we've only had one single delivery person sulk about bringing it all up the stairs.

Vive Ocado.

Mazzystar · 09/02/2006 12:46

the ocado people are sooo polite and lovely.

mckenzie · 09/02/2006 12:46

I've used Tesco, Sainsbury and Ocado and Ocado comes out tops by miles.

scotlou · 09/02/2006 13:00

I've used Tesco for about 3 years now. Think they are fine. Delivery always within time slot, occasional substitutions / things missing.
No problem with refunds for missing items. Drivers always friendly and carry the stuff right into the kitchen. Sometimes the use by dates are a bit quick - but if it saves me 2 hours round the shop on a Sunday morning with 2 kids it's got to be good!

Flip