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Ocado/M&S online deliveries

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby Hope » Fri Oct 02, 2020 9:30 am

herbidacious wrote:Somehow I feel more worried about contamination with delivery whih makes no sense at all. But going to the shop sucks all hope for humankind out of me.


I read some proper science that said the risk of contamination through touching an item was extremely low. Because the initial study into this used unrealistically high doses of the virus, that would've been the equivalent to 100 infected people coughing on it! If you get one partical of the virus into you, it won't make you ill. it takes quite a few. Having said that, I wash my hands after unpacking and try to quarantine long-life items for three days, just in case. I certainly feel safer with deliveries than going to the supermarket.

Pampy wrote:At the moment, you have to tell the driver if you don't want to accept a substitute before you accept the shopping - they're still not taking products back once you've touched them.

yes that's true, although sometimes they've asked me to find the product and hand it back, because, as one driver told me "I don't care!" Not very encouraging!

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby Badger's Mate » Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:09 am

We still clean everything that's delivered or brought in, unless it's not practicable, in which case it still gets quarantined. Possibly overkill but can't see the harm in it.

We just take the hit on anything that's delivered, accept any subs and deal with it later. Sorting it out is too much of a faff. If the item we want has got to be the very thing we ordered, we choose the 'no substitute' option. This is certainly available with Tesco & Sainsbury. We've not had any problems with substitutes when we have used that nor when we've used the dialogue box to explain our requirement.

Our experience has been sufficiently positive that we'll almost certainly continue to use deliveries for the bulk of our commodity grocery shopping. The majority will be the two mentioned above, with occasional use of Ocado and Waitrose. We're prepared to give the latter one more chance some day but if they cock it up again we probably won't bother after that.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby Hope » Fri Oct 02, 2020 11:20 am

Badger's Mate wrote:we choose the 'no substitute' option

the annoying thing is sometimes they substitute for something suitable, other times they don't. (applies when you have fussy eaters or have multiple allergies/intolerances!) Sometimes I've had to order more than one option, just so we get something we can eat. One week, early on, all the food my autistic son eats (which is very limited) was substituted/missing. So all we had that he would eat was bread and cheese. Luckily a local friend was able to find a few things for us. I've had to bulk buy pasta to make sure we never run out. (I realise this isn't helping with the panic buying, but I don't have a choice!) One day we made pasta. took all of us all afternoon. was fun, but exhausting and certainly couldn't do it very often!

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby Badger's Mate » Fri Oct 02, 2020 11:57 am

We've had the odd daft substitution, or more correctly, one or two which didn't turn out as we expected, but the notes for the pickers usually result in getting something acceptable.

You shouldn't feel guilty about bulk buying. There's nothing wrong with stocking up on goods, as long as it's done gradually when other people aren't doing it. The problem is if everyone wants to buy six month's worth of toilet rolls the same week. I wonder if it's people worrying that they won't be able to get them, or others who think they can sell them for a profit, or both. We've had several months over which people could buy the occasional extra tin or packet. Assuming there might be interruptions to supplies for various reasons over the next few months, if there's something you really need it would be wise to make sure you've got a bit spare.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby herbidacious » Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:06 pm

I usually accept subs. Can't be bothered not to.
The silliest one was sending me sauce thickener instead of yeast... which I did accept because i thought I might try it. (I haven't...)

I have all along suspected that getting Covid through shopping was highly unlikely, so I have rather half heartedly washed stuff in hot soapy water. Worst of all worlds as either it's not necessary and I am doing too much, or it is necessary and I am not doing enough. And I end up with fridge food with no use by date on it, because it was on the paper sheath that I threw away.

OH said there was loo paper in Sainsbury's but he forgot to buy any :? He bought half a dozen eggs though.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby jeral » Fri Oct 02, 2020 2:55 pm

It was on the news this week that Ocado had a higher market value (what it is worth) than Tesco, although Ocado has US interests, so not the same as the biggest UK supermarket by sales.

This is said to be a result of Ocado getting to grips with the technology and logistics for online deliveries well enough to make a profit, when other supermarkets either lagged behind or didn't even bother to think ahead (like M&S).

I've tried all the ones here, preferring Ocado or Tesco although I'm sure it's postcode lottery as to which is or are better.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby KeenCook2 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 5:18 pm

Just reviving this thread as I have a question for anyone who is a regular Asda onliner.

As I've still got a "delivery pass" through being on the govt shielding list, I think that means I can book my Christmas delivery from 30th October, instead of the 6th November when deliveries are opened up to everyone else.

Does anyone know if that means from midnight - ie, literally from one minute past 12 on the 30th?

Thx :)

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby jeral » Wed Oct 21, 2020 5:28 pm

Well, a millisecond past midnight is the strict definition of "From ... day", so I'd always go with that. I imagine if it's not for some reason the Xmas bookable slots won't be shown.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby KeenCook2 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:42 pm

Yes, you're probably right, jeral, so it looks as if I'll have to stay up past midnight! Rather that than get up at 5 or 6 am! It'll be the first time I do the main Christmas shop online.

When we were young and before we had children we used to go to Sainsbury's in Chiswick on Christmas Eve afternoon, before they closed, and just bought whatever was reduced and we liked the look of!!

I'm afraid that's a thing of the past for us now :lol: :lol: I even have a countdown timetable nowadays :oops: :oops:

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby jeral » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:03 pm

Well staying up late means not having to get up early ;)

The good thing is that one can book a delivery slot and put anything in the basket that meets the minimum spend, usually higher at Xmas but dunno about Asda, and of course check out to secure it. There's lots of time to change one's mind before the editing window closes, although clearly worth noting what the edit cut-off date is.

I have used Asda and no complaints, but if they don't have what I want that's not bog standard, it's harder then to meet the min. spend just to buy odd items elsewhere. Their bread and pastries seem very good, although strangely their biscuits are dry hard sling shots.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby KeenCook2 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:04 pm

jeral wrote:Well staying up late means not having to get up early

Yes, that's true, jeral :lol:

Asda definitely don't have anything like as wide a choice as the others, but I am finding them less expensive for a lot of the basics. But yes, it's then difficult to make the minimum spend to get those few other items from somewhere else!
I find it odd that online they don't have fresh butternut squash or cooking apples, for instance. At least they have frozen bns.
There were some things that I was really glad to find when I first started using them a couple of months ago, like quinoa and giant couscous, but they seem now to be unavailable ... I wish I had stocked up instead of just buying what I needed!

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby jeral » Wed Oct 21, 2020 9:35 pm

I think many supermarkets cleared the shelves of "luxuries" to make way for panic buy staples.

Ocado were good for maintaining their wide range and even adding to it with new artisan products, but it's not so good if you can't get a slot of course in these grab-it-while-you-can times.

TBH I've bought a few tinned staples as I can't flit to shops easily plus have a spice/herb drawer so I won't starve. Some people struggle to buy even one extra tin to put in the cupboard already, let alone before Tier 3 is imposed, with our millionaire government saying "We're doing enough". For themselves maybe. Sorry, drifted into rant mode.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby smitch » Wed Oct 21, 2020 10:11 pm

KC2, are you using the Asda app or website? I’ve found stuff on the app that doesn’t appear on the website. The search on both is terrible but I find the app slightly better.

The Ocado app still isn’t working but at least they’re taking carrier bags back again. It does seem that loads of items have disappeared from the shop, don’t know if that is permanent or if they’ll return.

I’ve been mixing it up recently with Ocado and Waitrose deliveries (Waitrose have only just started coming to our area) plus an Asda click and collect for the stuff I can’t get anywhere else.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby jeral » Wed Oct 21, 2020 10:58 pm

Just to continue my rant mode with a one-liner: MPs have voted down a Labour motion to extend free school meal vouchers for needy households.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby KeenCook2 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:57 pm

Smitch, I use the website. As for the search, I've sometimes found I've happened to come across something I searched for without any success! The shopping list option is useful. It's also helpful to be able to book a recurring slot.

jeral wrote:Just to continue my rant mode with a one-liner: MPs have voted down a Labour motion to extend free school meal vouchers for needy households.

:evil: :evil:

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby Pampy » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:51 pm

I've noticed that a lot of things are no longer available from Ocado. As with all the other supermarkets, the number of promotions has vastly reduced too.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby KeenCook2 » Thu Oct 22, 2020 7:29 pm

Pampy, is that because M & S just hasn't got its act together yet to cover what used to be available?

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby smitch » Thu Oct 22, 2020 7:31 pm

KeenCook2 wrote:Smitch, I use the website. As for the search, I've sometimes found I've happened to come across something I searched for without any success! The shopping list option is useful. It's also helpful to be able to book a recurring slot.

jeral wrote:Just to continue my rant mode with a one-liner: MPs have voted down a Labour motion to extend free school meal vouchers for needy households.

:evil: :evil:


Try downloading the Asda app see if you find it any better. I can get squash on my click & collect and it isn’t a great branch of Asda.

Most of the stuff I’ve noticed missing from Ocado is branded rather than M&S. I originally started shopping with them because they had a great range of veggie stuff but they’ve cut right down recently.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby Pampy » Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:14 pm

KeenCook2 wrote:Pampy, is that because M & S just hasn't got its act together yet to cover what used to be available?

No - the ranges started to reduce months ago - and as Smitch said, it's mainly the branded stuff. I think like most of the other supermarkets, they stopped promotions and reduced their ranges in order to stock things that were more in demand because of the pandemic.

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Re: Ocado/M&S online deliveries

Postby Kacey » Mon Oct 26, 2020 11:53 am

Having shopped with Ocado since at least May 2008, this switch to M&S isn't working for me and I can't see me continuing. It' getting really annoying to have so many basic items out of stock, and only far more expensive alternatives available.

And if they're using M&S then lets have all M&S products available.

I had an Ocado delivery booked for Friday lunchtime but have just swapped it for a Morrisons delivery on Sunday afternoon.

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