Ocado Smart Pass

Spark

Six months ago, I was offered a 3 months free delivery + 3 months midweek smartpass membership at £2.99 for another 3 months.
I got an email a few days ago telling me that my midweek membership will go up to £6.99 after the end of the introduction offer, on the 23rd august.
After looking around on the internet, it seems that they are advertising the midweek pass at £6.49, so I don't know if other customers are paying less for their midweek pass, or new customers are getting a good bargain on deliveries while the long standing customers are there to be 5crewed left right and center, with the ever rising smartpass fee and not much vouchers or worthwhile discounts coming their way, but all what I know is that I was paying £6.49 only six months ago for all weekdays smartpass before they moved me to a midweek membership.
I have contacted them back to say that, If they have changed the terms and conditions of a midweek membership and rise the fees from £2.99 to 6.49, to cancel my membership. Which they did.
I was surprised about that, as generally they come back with an offer, but this time they didn't.
I don't think it's a bad thing, I know they have cheap slots late in the evenings and I can still order once every fortnight if necessary, and I am curious to see whether I will have bigger vouchers and discounts on my groceries now that I am out of being a smartpass member.
I remember years ago, before I took the smartpass offer, I used to get £20 off my next order from time to time, and other offers, but as soon as I took the smartpass offer all that stopped.
And the fact that I had to contact them every time my smartpass contract was at an end because they were always trying to rise the membership fee started to really get on my nerves anyway.
Maybe they've done me a great service by cancelling the smartpass, as Waitrose is still offering free delivery on orders over £50, something that I reminded them of in my email to them.

ehlo

I had a similar thing and also cancelled.

Two months later they have offered me the same deal again (midweek, £2.99) or anytime delivery (free trial for 6 months)

I think you can cancel online now as well which makes it easier. So obviously I have taken the free anytime trial and will cancel before it ends. Bit silly really when I would of happily paid £2.99 but it's their loss!

Spark

They really get on my nerves, I don't have time to chase them about to have a better deal, when they simply could leave you on the existing deal, at least for more than six months. First time I've registered for a smart pass, years ago, I was left to pay £9.99 for one and a half years (I didn't know then that other people were paying less for their smart pass), then they decided to rise mine to 10.99. That's when I decided to contact them and tell them of my discontent, since then, every time my membership is at an end, it starts all over again.
Not anymore
It really makes you feel that, because you have been with them for a long time, they thing you will be stupid enough to cough up.

mateypeeps

Thanks for all of you giving us info on this smart pass.

I am here because the Ocado website is so COY about how much it would cost.

After reading about all the shenanigans they are getting up to, I have decided to go elsewhere for my first online shop.

So thanks for the info everyone, I do not trust merchants that automatically upgrade to a more expensive product without asking first, are not open about how much it costs, and seem to give preferential treatment to some, and penalise others based on what they can get away with, so it seems.

And the botched way they have introduced this, and the dual price same-delivery-slots that frankly smack of being FRAUD, perhaps Plod could investigate that one.

Sounds like fraudulent misrepresentation for pecuniary gain, pretending to charge £5 more for the same service just to justify their smart pass costs.

But then I am no lawyer.

Errors and Omissions Excepted, I am a man of straw, allegedly throughout, for him read her, and all the other legalese weasel-words trying to be Politically Correct and avoid being sued...

Spark

Yes, as I am explaining in my thread about it (I didn't know this one was still going), they were at it again, rising my midweek smart pass from £2.99 to £6.49. So I have emailed them telling them that, if they want to rise my midweek membership to £6.50, to cancel my membership. Surprisingly, they did it straight away.
Now I can see what they charge normally for deliveries, for the days after the end of my current membership, and I will have my shopping delivered on the free delivery slots.

The advantage to this is that I will not receive any more emails every time my membership is reaching the end, telling me:

"Congratulations, after so many years that you have been with us, we thought of you and, as we have decided to offer those big smart pass discounts to new customers only, we think you will definitively be stupid enough to pay more for your smart pass, without doing anything about it, after all, we need to make up the difference.
If it's any consolation to you, rest assured that, once those new customers are enrolled for a smart pass, all those generous vouchers and discounts they were enjoying before becoming a "valued"(:rotfl:) smart pass member will stop.
However, they will still be able to save a few pennies on those few items marked with the smart pass logo, like you do.
After all, Ocado is dedicated to treat all their customers equally (cough), regardless of how long you have been shopping with us.
Have a nice day,
Customer service:whistle:

Loz

I've always been happy with the service from Ocado. At the moment they are offering the Smart Pass free for 6 months - just remember to cancel it if you don't want it to continue afterwards!
Your membership will renew automatically. If you want to cancel, simply give our Customer Service team a call on 0845 656 1234
http://www.ocado.com/webshop/displayDeliveryPass.do?clkInTab=deliveryPass&marketingSourceCode=TOP_TABS

Spark

Loz, if you had read my previous post, you would know I cancelled my membership already when I got another of those emails.

Don't get me wrong, except for what I mentioned in my previous post, I am happy with the rest of the service, that's why I stick with Ocado, but I had years of getting those emails, while knowing other customers were still paying less. At the end you start getting fed up arguing your case with them all the time.

I think someone mentioned you can cancel online now.

Edwardia

I got an email a couple of weeks ago and the Smart Pass renewal price Ocado offered me is half what I paid last year so I'm happy.

Spark

Well, lucky you. They always tried to make me pay more, not less.
How do you do it? Do you spend loads on groceries, maybe?
Me not happy :sad:

Edwardia

I spend £40-£80 per order, mostly on organic food but I certainly do shop the offers and bulk buy them eg Evian, President butter, Andrex Eco. I aim to save at least a tenner per order on offers.

So no I don't think I'm doing anything radically different ???