Ocado - are the wheels falling off?

A._Badger · 28 September 2018 at 10:50AM

Although not an obvious subject for MSE, if you live in a rural location (which I do) Ocado can sometimes prove useful. With a 25 mile round trip to a decently sized supermarket, especially when I am busy, an Ocado order can be a boon and can even save money, assuming you shop carefully.

Or rather, that used to be the case, because in the past six months the wheels have started to fall off. Large numbers of items on the Ocado site seem to be 'out of stock', orders placed arrive with multiple items missing and even the Ocado website was inexplicably down for several hours one evening this week.

Ocado's 'customer service' (sic) is hopeless. They'll dish out a money-off coupon but not explain what is going on, nor when it will be put right. They need to try making a compliant to Aldi. Do that and someone from Aldi phones you, explaining what will be done and assuring you they take your complaint seriously. Ocado? Not so much.

Is this a nationwide sign of Ocado falling to bits? Is it regional? The nearest I have got to an explanation was when a driver cryptically hinted they are having 'warehouse problems' but wouldn't expand on the story.

Have any other MSE users decided it's time to ditch what was once far and away the best home delivery supermarket? Is there a more reliable alternative?

sarah1972 · 28 September 2018 at 2:23PM

I love Ocado and have never had any problems, my order this week had everything included with no subs or unavailable so I would assume that it is just local to your area?

Have you tried Waitrose deliveries?

A._Badger · 28 September 2018 at 3:43PM

sarah1972 wrote: »

I love Ocado and have never had any problems, my order this week had everything included with no subs or unavailable so I would assume that it is just local to your area?

Have you tried Waitrose deliveries?

I gather that my deliveries come from a depot somewhere near the dome, in Sarf London, which is quite impressive as I'm in deepest Kent. It seems a long journey for a few bags of groceries.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried Waitrose in the past and was quite impressed. They are probably the one I will try next - anyone but Sainsbury's!

seashore22 · 28 September 2018 at 3:51PM

sarah1972 wrote: »

I love Ocado and have never had any problems, my order this week had everything included with no subs or unavailable so I would assume that it is just local to your area?

Have you tried Waitrose deliveries?

Couldn't agree more. I don't have any of the problems that the op has listed.

My only gripe is that Ocado mashed potato seems to have disappeared from the site. I cook most things from scratch, but the ready made mash was so good and relatively inexpensive. I may not be able to forgive them for that.

alanq · 28 September 2018 at 4:27PM

When I was a customer of Ocado items were rarely out of stock.

However, I parted company with Ocado a couple of years back. There were few things that I wanted that were at reasonable prices. I found that Ocado's offer prices tended to be around other supermarkets' usual prices.

What finally caused me to quit was that I pointed out an issue whereby the price that appeared on the order confirmation differed from that on the bill owing to rounding in different ways. It only involved pennies but customer services strung me along for months saying that the issue was being worked on, that it would be fixed in the next site upgrade and even that the problem had been fixed. All untrue.

jenniewb · 29 September 2018 at 4:23PM

alanq wrote: »

I found that Ocado's offer prices tended to be around other supermarkets' usual prices.

This!

Additionally, I also do find that about 25% of the offers I am sent in a bid to get me to shop with them again are out of stock. It's normally more obscure items rather than well known brands and etc, but the more obscure brands were the reason I used to pick Ocado- because I couldn't get them elsewhere! I could never see the point in ordering items I could get at my local supermarket where they'd either be cheaper or at best when all offers were combined, at the same price (but never cheaper).

I liked the ethos of a friendly service which was never late and service was with a smile, but it costs too much and I don't have the luxury of opting for that any more.

Gnocchi · 3 October 2018 at 5:53PM

I just don't recognise your tale of woe.

That said, items on special offer DO sell out fast. Also, if you are shopping via ANY delivery service, I have found in my six years of shopping online with Ocado and others, that deliveries arriving on Friday, Saturday and Sunday do tend to have more missing items.

When you order with Abel & Cole, you know that you will get everything, because the deadline for the order gives them even time to get more stock in.

Do an order with a supermarket, and there will be other orders before your delivery which get fulfilled first. Food isn't specifically allocated to your order until they start packing.

My experience of customer service with Ocado, is that it's the best. They will email or call, they do refund and every year SmartPass customers get a thank you voucher for wine or chocolates up to the value of £10

Ocado is the only supermarket delivery service which gives you 5p for every carrier bag returned and will do same for single use bags from other supermarkets too.

Ocado is very rarely late. ASDA has made mistakes and given the wrong product and Iceland turned up 5 hours late, once. Tesco also made mistakes and the drivers hang around like they are expecting a tip.

Ocado is arriving tomorrow and I saved £27.11

A._Badger · 3 October 2018 at 7:04PM

The point of my post was to find if Ocado's service has dropped off a cliff for others MSE readers, as it has for me. If some of its customers think its service is still up to scratch that suggests the hint dropped by one of its drivers, that the company has local logistical problems, was accurate.

I couldn't help laughing at the snatch of a BBC programme I caught last week, where one of Ocado's technical geniuses was trilling about the wonders of its implementation of AI and how OCado is about to expand into other areas using its expertise. I think I heard that as I was putting away my latest, incomplete, order.

It wouldn't be so bad if they just admitted they have problems. Not to do so just highlights the hollowness the caring and cuddly marketing hype.

Timpu · 3 October 2018 at 7:27PM

Ha! Just about to ditch my Ocado Smart Pass after many years of using them. We're serviced by the same depot as OP and talking to Ocado customer services (some of the staff are really good, others errr...not so good), I understand there are too few drivers and there has been a drive to increase the number of customers in the area.

My experience is the same as the OP's. Ocado were fab, offering convenience and prompt delivery for 7+yrs. Now, I'm struggling to put a shop together based on available items. I'm talking about basics, eggs, bread, cereal all being difficult to get. Forget stuff on offer, this is just items priced as normal.

I've then had multiple late deliveries, having to wait in for them to turn up. It's not a matter of 30mins but 2-3hrs late. (Absolutely not the drivers' fault, it's down to poor organisation of routes.) I've also had lots of missing items or poor subs.

It's quicker for me to now go to the supermarket, an activity I absolutely hate. However, I'd be an idiot to pay for convenience and time saving that simply isn't there anymore.

A._Badger · 3 October 2018 at 8:14PM

Thanks, Timpu. Late deliveries I haven't experienced (which is quite impressive given the distance involved in their trip) but everything else sounds familiar!

Bacman · 3 October 2018 at 9:33PM

When there was an offer months back for introduction discount for Ocado I had a look at their prices - even with the 20% offer discount they were going to cost more than supermarket delivery companies, so I didn't bother.

Ocado - are the wheels falling off?

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