How to get a refund on your supermarket delivery pass if you can’t get a slot
SUPERMARKET shoppers who've paid for a delivery pass but haven't been able to get a slot due to the coronavirus epidemic might be able to get a refund on their plan.
The UK's largest grocers have been under extreme demand during the spread of COVID-19 with panicked shoppers stockpiling goods including toilet roll and pasta.
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It's meant delivery slots for online orders have been selling out at an unprecedented rate with many customers complaining that they can't get their food delivered.
Most delivery slots across the major supermarkets - Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco - are currently sold out across many areas of the country.
Meanwhile, Ocado had a wait of more than one hour just to get on its website when this newspaper checked today.
To help make sure the elderly and vulnerable can get access to food, Iceland is now reserving all online delivery slots for these customers.
While Tesco CEO Dave Lewis today urged healthy shoppers to leave delivery slots for elderly and vulnerable customers.
But what happens if you've signed up to a delivery pass plan? Can you get a refund if you've been unable to get a delivery slot?
Asda
Asda says it refunds customers in the form of an e-voucher if the cash amount of delivery slots they've used doesn't come to more than the amount spent on their delivery pass.
This can only be spent at Asda and will be credited to your account automatically once the pass has ended.
This means you won't get the physical cost of your pass back - you're also unlikely to get the entire amount back.
You can also get a full refund if you've purchased your pass within the last 14 days and haven't booked a slot.
To cancel your delivery pass, you should contact Asda on 0800 952 0101.
Asda has several delivery plans to choose from, including 12-month and six-month options and monthly payments.
In terms of one-off payments, customers can get a 12-month "anytime" pass for £60, a six-month "anytime" pass for £36, or a 12-month "mid-week" pass for £24.
The "anytime" pass covers deliveries Monday to Sunday, while the "mid-week" option is only for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday delivery.
There's also two ways to pay monthly if you're buying an "anytime" pass.
Asda currently charges £5 a month over 12 months, or £6 a month if you tie yourself into a six-month contract.
When we checked today, Asda was still accepting new delivery pass orders.
However, we couldn't get a delivery slot when we looked using one London postcode.
How to get an online delivery slot
MANY retailers have sold out of online delivery and click and collect slots.
But it's worth continuing to check regularly as some say they are trying to increase capacity.
We've asked supermarkets when the best time to check sites is but in the past, shoppers have waited till midnight for new slots to be released.
At this time of night, websites are also likely to be quieter which means there's less chance of them crashing due to high demand.
If you're vulnerable, disabled or elderly you should also let Iceland and Sainsbury's know as these supermarkets are giving online priority to these shoppers.
You can contact Sainsbury's on 0800 328 1700 if it hasn't already contacted you to tell you you fall in this category, while with Iceland you simply need to select that option when you visit its website.
Morrisons
Morrisons says customers who choose to cancel their delivery pass will be entitled to a refund.
However, it hasn't said how much money back shoppers could get, or if you need to have purchased your pass recently to qualify for a refund.
Shoppers can cancel their Morrisons delivery pass by calling 0345 322 0000 or emailing fres[email protected].
Morrisons also has several 12-month, six-month and monthly delivery plans.
Shoppers can get a 12-month "anytime" pass for £65, or a six-month "anytime" pass for £40.
There's also a "mid-week" 12-month pass for £40, or a six-month "mid-week" pass for £20.
The "anytime" pass covers deliveries Monday to Sunday, while the "mid-week" option is only for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday delivery.
In terms of monthly options, you can get a rolling "anytime" pass for £8 a month, or a "mid-week" option for £5 a month on a rolling basis.
Morrisons was still selling new delivery passes when we checked today.
However we were placed in a queue with a wait time of 34 minutes when we tried to book a slot.
Ocado
Ocado says it has started to contact SmartPass Anytime customers to offer them priority access to the site alongside vulnerable households.
This means it's not offering full or partial refunds to these users at present.
Of course, if you're still unhappy you can always try and talk to customer services.
Like the high street supermarkets, Ocado offers 12-month, six-month and monthly delivery plans.
Shoppers can get a 12-month "anytime" pass for £109.99, or a six-month "anytime" pass for £49.99.
There's also a "mid-week" 12-month pass for £59.99, or a six-month "mid-week" pass for £34.99.
Ocado also offers monthly passes, including a rolling "anytime" pass for £10.99 a month, or a "mid-week" pass for £6.99 a month.
The "anytime" pass covers deliveries Monday to Sunday, while the "mid-week" option is only for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday delivery.
We were placed in a queue with a wait time of more than an hour when we tried to sign up for a new smart pass.
The wait time was the same for delivery slots.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's also refunds shoppers with an e-voucher if the price of their delivery pass doesn't cover the cash amount of delivery slots they've used during the pass period.
This voucher can only be spent at Sainsbury's and you're unlikely to get the total amount of your delivery pass back.
The refund comes automatically when it's time to renewal your pass.
Sainsbury's charges £60 for a 12-month "anytime" pass, £35 for a six-month pass, or £20 for three months.
Customers can also get a 12-month "mid-week" pass for £30, a six-month version for £18, or a three-month pass for £10.
The "anytime" pass covers deliveries Monday to Sunday, while the "mid-week" option is only for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday delivery.
Sainsbury's has temporarily suspended new delivery passes, so you won't be able to buy one for the time-being.
The supermarket had sold out of delivery slots when we checked with a London postcode today.
Tesco
Tesco shoppers can request a refund on their delivery pass by contacting the supermarket, although lines are expected to be extremely busy.
You're also not guaranteed to get any money back.
Tesco can be contacted via its customer service line on 0330 123 4040 or through WhatsApp on 0800 917 7403.
The supermarket has "any day", "mid-week" and "same day" options when it comes to its delivery passes.
The "any day" pass covers deliveries Monday to Sunday, the "mid-week" option is only for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday delivery.
For "same day" passes, Tesco charges £12.99 a month on a rolling basis, or £9.99 a month for a six-month deal.
"Any day" passes cost £7.99 a month on a rolling contact, or £6.99 a month for a six-month contract.
For "mid-week" options, Tesco charges £3.99 a month on a rolling basis, or £3.49 for six months.
Tesco is currently not accepting new delivery pass customers.
We also couldn't find any delivery slots when we looked today using a London postcode.
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