Ocado Delivery costs?

Meadows

Do Ocado fluctuate with delivery costs (not just daily or per slot), as over the past couple of months I have placed two orders with them and my delivery was free.
I was sent a 1st time £20 off shop which I passed on to my daughter and her delivery was £5.95!

Looking on their site both yesterday & today there are no slots that cost £5.95 but also there are very few over the month of February that are free either, costs range from £0.49 - £3.99.

I am wondering if this fluctuation of delivery costs is due to the vouchers available to 1st time shoppers at present and does using one of these codes means you pay more for delivery (if not how come no £5.95 deliveries showing for my area right now) or are Ocado very hit and miss when it comes to their delivery prices?

Their loss I guess if they fluctuate their prices as this has put my daughter off future shopping with them and I will certainly have to think twice before ordering if what was a free delivery is now going to cost me up to (or above) £3.99, I might as well shop via Waitrose with free delivery!

Edwardia

Since August last year, I have been using Ocado every week. AFAIK the codes for first time shoppers from Ocado are $20 off a $90 shop with free delivery. (pound sign not working).

I got a discount on a Total Savings Pass so I get free delivery every time I shop, minimum order $40. I've worked out that I will save roughly double the cost of the pass over the year.

Supermarkets offering a delivery service in a new area or wanting to increase orders, will offer a range of lower prices. In my area, a weekend delivery costs 6.99 same as Tesco.

If you save 4.00 on offers at Tesco then pay 6.00 delivery you've saved nothing. If you save 3.00 on offers and get free delivery from Waitrose, you've saved 3.00

Ocado offers more choice than any other supermarket and will match or beat Tesco on brands. However Tesco doesn't carry every brand Ocado does.

If you shop value lines with a few brands then using Ocado and Waitrose brands would up your food bills.

If you value choice and great customer service and don't buy value digestives maybe Ocado is for you.

Sophie4120

From a thread a while back, the impression I get is that delivery prices vary by area. There are always free delivery slots available when I order, and this availability hasn't fluctuated - perhaps the difference is due to being in a different delivery area?

Meadows

Edwardia wrote: »

Since August last year, I have been using Ocado every week. AFAIK the codes for first time shoppers from Ocado are $20 off a $90 shop with free delivery. (pound sign not working).
I got a discount on a Total Savings Pass so I get free delivery every time I shop, minimum order $40. I've worked out that I will save roughly double the cost of the pass over the year.
Supermarkets offering a delivery service in a new area or wanting to increase orders, will offer a range of lower prices. In my area, a weekend delivery costs 6.99 same as Tesco.
If you save 4.00 on offers at Tesco then pay 6.00 delivery you've saved nothing. If you save 3.00 on offers and get free delivery from Waitrose, you've saved 3.00
Ocado offers more choice than any other supermarket and will match or beat Tesco on brands. However Tesco doesn't carry every brand Ocado does.
If you shop value lines with a few brands then using Ocado and Waitrose brands would up your food bills.
If you value choice and great customer service and don't buy value digestives maybe Ocado is for you.

Not seeing your point here, I did not shop at Tesco I shopped Ocado so what Tesco (who I do use from time to time) charge is irrelevant and regardless of value lines (which I don't buy) then the cost of your overall shop has nothing to do with delivery.

Sophie4120 wrote: »

From a thread a while back, the impression I get is that delivery prices vary by area. There are always free delivery slots available when I order, and this availability hasn't fluctuated - perhaps the difference is due to being in a different delivery area?

As I have not moved my delivery area since shopping with them (and they are not new to the area) and my daughter also lives in the same area then the cost of delivery slots changing is not the case here.
My last shop was about two weeks ago @ £0.00 for delivery, daughters shop was a few days ago @ £5.95 (using a £20 off shopping code) and over the last two days delivery prices are now £0.00 on a few slots throughout the month and then £0.49 - £3.99.

jpsartre

Aren't the relevant delivery charges made clear when you book your slot?

Meadows

jpsartre wrote: »

Aren't the relevant delivery charges made clear when you book your slot?

Yes and they are greatly fluctuating hence my question

Meadows wrote: »

Do Ocado fluctuate with delivery costs (not just daily or per slot).

to assertain whether other MSE Occado shoppers experience the same when ordering.

smallblueplanet

I've not noticed fluctuations in delivery charges, only 'normal' day/time of day ones.

Why not ring them up and ask them?

Edwardia

Tesco relevance.. pretty much all supermarkets now promise to match or better price of brands carried by Tesco. Ocado has a much bigger range of brands than Tesco and therefore the better/matched brand prices will be a smaller percentage of Ocado's overall stock than say ASDA.

If you were wanting to buy

1 packet own brand digestives
1 pack value burgers
PG Tips
Kellogg's Cornflakes
crispbreads

You might find that the Ocado or Waitrose biscuits were dearer at Ocado than another supermarket, that you couldn't get value burgers and would have to pay more for Waitrose own brand. PG Tips and Kellogg's Cornflakes would be same price/cheaper than Tesco. You could get a bigger range of brand crispbreads than elsewhere but the brands offered may not all be price matched to Tesco because Tesco doesn't carry them.

www,supermarket.co.uk has the facility to compare your shopping trolley to other supermarkets but also individual products across supermarkets.

For example at 57p Sainsbury's sells cheapest own brand organic baked beans. ASDA sells cheapest own brand organic chopped/peeled whole tomatoes at 75p. ASDA charges more for Heinz organic cream of tomato soup than any supermarket but least for organic Weetabix.

Over a whole shopping list either ASDA or Sainsbury's could come out cheapest.

If at the end of your order it says you have saved $4 and the delivery charge is $6 you're still paying out $2 in effect.

If you save $4, $2 even $1 and get free delivery then you have saved $4, $2 or $1

In the same way if it costs you $2 in diesel to get to Waitrose, if you shopped online and got free delivery you've saved the $2 to use on another trip.

Personally I shop at Ocdo to give me widest choice of organic food and I find that the weekend slot prices I use don't change.

Meadows

smallblueplanet wrote: »

I've not noticed fluctuations in delivery charges, only 'normal' day/time of day ones.
Why not ring them up and ask them?

Thanks smallblueplanet, I emailed earlier and this is the reply
"The charges displayed relate to orders of £75 or more, so if your order total falls below this amount, then you may be charged slightly more for the delivery. For orders below £75, there is a minimum charge of £2.99, and a maximum of £6.99"

Which I find very odd as when I go to book my slot there is no value in my basket so according to them the delivery charge should show up to £6.99 but it actually shows £0.00 :think:

Now if I shop at Waitrose then the minimum spend for free delivery is £50 (not that this is an issue for me as I spend well over that but certainly would be more beneficial to my daughter).

Bearing in mind you have no control over substitutes at Ocado and the fact some of their fresh items have a very short life (although you do get a receipt detailing not just what items you have bought but where they need to be stored — such as the fridge or cupboard — and when they need be used by. They also offer a guarantee of at least three days to perishable food such as meat and fish), then it might be the better option to shop at Waitrose.

Edwardia

If I get the very occasional sub from Ocado I send it back if not organic and the driver refunds it on his way back.

The dates on receipt is handy, saves me opening fridge to check dates.

I used to shop with Waitrose but Ocado has bigger range. Do still go in Waitrose sometimes.

room512

I've noticed the delivery charges from Ocado vary wildly where I live too. When I used a voucher the only delivery choices were £5.99 (I think) even though I wasn't fussed about day or time (and was spending way over £75!!!), but now when I log in they have 49p slots!