If you reply to the order email and let them know they will usually refund you short-dated items or those not of good quality 
Sometimes they ask you to take photos so they can pass it on to the store, so take some as soon as you get the order.
You can also leave a note with each item you order, so if you need a larger or smaller item (eg a steak) or something with long dates you can ask in the note 
I am still very happy with my delivery from Waitrose, it costs me £3 but money well spent for me. It saves driving to town saving petrol, the risk of catching Covid and the hassle of shopping particularly as I have health issues that prevent my standing for long. Also unlike when shopping in store there is less temptation to impulse buy.
If you have a My Waitrose card every Wednesday you can choose 2 vouchers with reductions up £2 each based on your frequent purchase.
I Shop online so go to MyWaitrose when placing an order and select from a list, this week I chose £2 off olive oil and £1 off Kafir. You can also get the vouchers to shop in store.
Everything in my order is fresh, if it has a same day date there is usually no charge for that item.
Substitutions are good, I ordered 4 unwaxed lemons today and there were none in stock so got 8 for the same price.
Last week I got a substitution of large eggs for the same price as medium eggs.
A few weeks ago I complained the basil was squashed, the delivery man said he would take it back but I needed it so kept it. A couple of days later I got an email from Waitrose refunding the cost basil so the delivery man must have complained.
That’s pretty much my experience too Meg - the delivery drivers will often refund you items but let you keep them. There is one driver who checks my order for me off his own accord (I must have moaned about dates or something in the past) and if anything is short-dated he will say, right that’s not good enough, and will refund me but let me keep the items! 
Have you tried making your own Meg? It’s easy to make and much cheaper (and better/more microbes) than the store bought stuff. You can buy the ‘grains’ from eBay for about £5 - I would have sent you some of mine but I stopped making it a while ago. I used the Dutchy organic full-fat unhomogenised milk.
Hi Azz 
I make Kombucha (ginger flavoured mostly) and with that and a sour dough starter to keep alive, I didn’t really want another thing to’tend’ but as I now have a lot of damsons I might make damson Kafir in the autumn when I don’t have the gardening to do .
That sounds lovely Meg! I only ever made plain Kefir - but did make smoothies with it with cocoa powder 
Before the pandemic i shopped at Waitrose and Lidl.
Just before the arrival of covid I switched to Ocado/Waitrose deliveries.
All Waitrose produce was lovely and fresh as it came directly from the Ocado warehouse.
Now it’s Ocado /Marks & Spencer…. I miss my Waitrose favourites.
Off topic I dislike shopping for groceries will continue on with deliveries.
Azz do you have a link to a reliable ebay or other kefir grain source? I bought some on amazon a few years ago and it was a disaster. I think you have to use whole milk - is that right? Someone gave my parents kefir grains when I was a child (prob about 7) and for a while we were all drinking it. It was like nothing I have ever tasted since. It makes you feel so good inside if you have the real deal. The kefir in the shops does not compare. I have been told that you have to get it from a human source - it’s like a network of kefir grain donors, a bit like drugs but legal 
I was disappointed when Ocado switched. I was also excited thinking of M&S foods but that has since plateaued. There is a neighbour who has waitrose deliveries and I watch with envy but can’t justify setting up an account. They are just way too expensive these days. I wonder how long they can justify their business model in the current climate.
Looking at my order the supplier no longer sells them, but if I were to buy some now I’d probably use this seller:
£5.99 for 10g - so you’d need to use them for a few weeks for them to grow enough to do more than just a glass at a time, but they do grow pretty fast in my experience!
Yes, RAW milk is best, followed by Dutchy organic unhomogenised, followed by organic. Tho on occasion I’ve had to use the normal Waitrose milk when my usual hasn’t been in stock. Always use full fat milk.
I couldn’t said it better .
I did open a Waitrose account , unfortunately I had several deliveries with items on the sell by date
I have now and use once a month a Sainsbury account to top up on items sold at a better price . It’s worked out ok a Sainsbury’s Ocado combo.
There isn’t a Waitrose near me for regular shopping, but the only time I have popped in I wasn’t impressed. One staff member said to me “Well if you have to ask where something is, you clearly don’t come here very often” 
Needless to say, I didn’t go back…its bit pricey anyway.
We visited Waitrose two days ago for a pair of Gressingham duck breast. It’s our nearest shop that sells them. They are super expensive but I make one breast do a meal for two … lots of rice to soak up the duck fat that leaks out.
Another luxury item …
Ouch! That’s outrageous. I guess they are cutting down on customer service training as a result of cost pressures…
Sounds like the sort of sarky comment you’d expect in certain parts of the country. Like Gloucester for example … a woman shop worker said something similar to me: I think she suspected I’m from there, but not lived there in 50 years. I gave her a wink, made her day.
It’s interesting looking at price comparisons for this product because Ocado are trying to justify selling 340g for £9.50. While Waitrose is selling the same pack at £6.75. A 300g pack is on offer at Morrisons for £5.49 (probably the best value).
If you study marketing you learn about “psychic costs” which is the hassle of getting to the shop, possibly driving or getting a crowded bus/train. Many people ignore this because it doesn’t translate easily into a monetary value. The opportunity cost of time lost not sitting in your living room relaxing with a glass of wine.
What this does demonstrate is Ocado’s value for money gap. They have removed delivery costs in many cases but this is balanced with an increase in prices of some goods. I can see they must be struggling post-lockdown. I use them for bulk buying pet food, mineral water, soft drinks. Things that you don’t want to have to carry. They do have the best delivery service and they were the only online delivery service that I could get through to during the first lockdown (when they were still linked to Waitrose). But finding it hard to justify the high cost.
We quite like the excuse to take a free busride somewhere different. There’s a Morrisons in Acton … might check it out. 
They don’t freeze well, losing blood when defrosted.
Wow, you see I wouldn’t have walked from that!
Should have said “That’s because I can never find anything and the staff are pig ignorant!”
News headline… woman banned from Waitrose….
I tend to alternate between online Tescos and online Ocado. Ocado are pricey but if you’re flexible you can usually get free delivery
I don’t drive so if I wanted to do a supermarket shop, my husband drives me. We both work at the moment so time is precious so I find home delivery well worth it
Yes it’s the convenience that makes me continue to use it, plus they deliver in plastic bags so you don’t have to scrabble about on your hands and knees in a crate while the delivery guy is waiting.
