Rather annoyed!

[spanieleyes]

I am an existing customer of Simple Online and have, for the past 2 weeks, been trying to buy a pen at the old price. Each time of trying, I was told it was “ too soon” after my last order. So yesterday evening was too soon, this morning, at the new price , is fine! Grrr!

All pharmacies were only allocated a limited stock from 14 August when news broke and they all sold out of thos very quickly as everyone was panic buying.
They were only then allocated new stock at the new price from manufacturer much later on. You could have tried a different pharmacy early on as the news about this was everywhere but after a few days it probably would've been too late especially for the higher doses.

They had them in stock, just wouldn’t let me buy one earlier than usual to beat the price rise, I’m on a low dose so no real shortage.

Honestly - they sound responsible to me, saving their cheaper pens for existing customers who are not trying to stockpile. I know it's annoying, but it would be more annoying for a customer who had run out to not be able to get any.

The reason you can order today is because their deliveries will start coming through again this week.

Then they should have put an Out Off Stock notice on the treatments, but instead they put a notice saying the order was too soon after the previous order. I have been a long term customer and simply tried to order my next pen a few days early to avoid the price rise. Not stockpiling, simply buying my next pen. As I say, if they had no stock at the old price then the website should have said out of stock. It didn't do that, it allowed you to go through the full assessment process as normal, put the pen in your basket, then gave you a message at checkout that you were ordering too early. That's a medical safeguarding reason. If it were the case, then that safeguard should still be in place today. It's too much of a coincidence that suddenly the clock has ticked on for patients and sufficient time has lapsed for the next order, coinciding perfectly with the price rise.

If they put an out of stock message, existing customers who are not stockpiling could not order when needed.

There has been so much criticism on this board about pharmacies letting people order more than one pen, or order too early, the result being others who need meds can't get them. Damned if they do, damned if they don't....

I was an existing customer who wasn't stockpiling. They had a separate message saying they would not consider orders from new customers. They've never previously allowed patients to order multiple pens.

Sounds even better: reserving stock for existing customers only, who have not ordered in the last X number of weeks.

Like I say, they were being responsible.

It’s just amusing that yesterday was too early to order but today, when the price went up, isn’t! I wasn’t intending to stockpile, can’t afford it, just wanted to purchase a week earlier than normal!

As of today, Eli Lilly's wholesalers are no longer holding back the drugs so this makes sense to me. 'Rationing' ends today.

But the OP is an existing customer who was ordering their usual dose?

I get it OP, had the same thing - trying to order my usual 5mg pen. For several days I got the “too early” message, and/or that my one pen was exceeding the purchase limit. Luckily it did eventually work on Saturday (I had complained by then via email, not sure if that made a difference.) So they definitely had pens in stock (“ample” according to the FAQs). Or if not were willing to sell at the old prices. Very annoying for you.

She was ordering her usual dose, but not at her usual time. She was ordering early.

A week early - but presumably after the usual cut off of 2 weeks, which is when SOP usually start pestering you to reorder. I started trying to order after 2 weeks as usual and was told too early, but 18 days was apparently not too early. The system is evidently up the spout given it was also telling me I was trying to order too many pens when I wanted one. Whether just a malfunction or deliberately trying to delay until 1 September, who knows.

Ok, I am not presuming anything. Just going by the words the OP wrote.

You aren't getting it. Yesterday they wouldn't let the existing customers order at the old price because it was "too soon after the last order", but today at the new price they suddenly are. The only thing that has changed between yesterday and today is the price

I think it’s safe to assume the OP wouldn’t be surprised or annoyed to be told too early, if she was in fact asking too early 😂

That's not the only thing that's changed between yesterday and today though. Are you sure it's me that's not getting it?

@JustPinkFinch If they had said, they’re low on stock or some such , I could understand, but they didn’t, it had nothing to do with stock levels but it was just “ too early” I was just amused that last night was too early and this morning was fine!

Correct. They have stock today. Which is why their message should have said “out of stock”, not “too soon since last order”.

I don’t think they were out of stock - when I was trying to order there was no mention of any shortages, in fact the website said they had “ample”. Plus they did eventually allow me to have 5mg on Saturday. Maybe they prescribed a pen that they didn’t yet have, but it seems unlikely they would do this, sell a new pen at the old price.

I emailed them to find out why I couldn’t order, they definitely were NOT out of stock, they said they had plenty!
it was simply annoyance that, given the increase in price, yesterday at 10 pm was “ too early” to order but 6 am this morning was not!

Exactly. They probably did have stock. But wouldn't approve any orders by means of a specious "ordering too early" message until past the higher price deadline. This was exactly the OP's grumble in the first place.

Yes, which means they bought them at the old price. Made them quite a few quid extra that tactic, holding those pens back.

Not sure why you didn't just go elsewhere?

Well having ordered from SOP on Saturday after a few days of trying, they have just emailed me suggesting it’s time to reorder 🤨

Hoping this doesn’t mean my order has vanished. They have taken the money so better not!