Asda Online the place to go? (asda.co.uk)

Name: bilbob20

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	asda.co.uk
Date:	14/05/08 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Decent service, easy to navigate site, and you're charged when your items are on their way

Disadvantages: Open to error outwith your control in terms of the items you receive

I dont know that my review of Asda.co.uk will be that favourable now after a couple of minor negative experience's with them. I have started shopping online to save myself the carnage of children who scream and mothers who scream louder, as well as the hassle of taxi's and stairs. There is a minimum order of £25.

Like the store itself, the website is very basic, and colourless. A white background with only the logo and a few links to take you into different parts of the site. A tab along the top of the homepage allows you to click on the main shopping site, or BOOKS; CDS; DVDS; GAMES; ELECTRICALS; FLOWERS; FURNITURE; GIFTS; MOBILE PHONES; OPTICIANS; PHARMACY; PHOTO; TRAVEL. All of these tabs speak for themselves and offer alternative services to the standard grocery delivery service.

To do a shop with Asda online, you click on Groceries to your door. That instantly takes you to a screen that allows you to log in, using a PIN allocated by yourself at the time of registration. Now, be warned, even with the fastest broadband, busiest times mean that asda.co.uk isn't particularly fast moving.

Next, you're allowed to book a delivery slot. You have the option of morning, afternoon or evening, each of which have 2 internal options ie. 10am-12noon, 11am-1pm under the morning banner. It immediately tells you what options are FULL (fully booked) and which ones still have availability. Click on the option still available for the date you have chosen, and that slot will be reserved for 3 hours allowing you to do your shopping.

You can go to your previous orders and choose from there, or enter your till receipt to bring up your previously bought list, or you can click on each of the options down the left side of the screen under the "choose an aisle" section. Like the supermarket itself, the aisle's are seperated up so that you can buy different items from the appropriate aisles. Each aisle is seperated into sub-aisle's. For instance, click on Meat, Poultry & Fish, and you then have the option of Bacon, Beef, Breaded Poultry, BBQ, etc. Again, click on the appropriate link and you'll be taken to a wide variety of goods. Brand names are mostly present, as are Asda's own brands at similar prices to instore.

When you go to the checkout, this asks you to confirm payment details and delivery address in a similar fashion to most sites, it also offers you the alternative product option if they dont have your product in stock. This has caught me out a few times, as I recently received items that I wouldn't use, most amusingly a tin of ladies deodrant. Obviously, I ordered the mans version.

If I dont put you off with my next batch of comments, and you decide to use this fairly easy to use online service, then here's another tid bit for you. If you do a google search under asda discount codes, you will be able to find discount codes that give you essentially your delivery free (ie £5 off vouchers). These genuinely do work, although they are for over orders of £50. I recently used a side called www.myvouchercodes.co.uk, which gives you money off codes for many other online stores. Some work, some dont, so do that google search if these one's have ran over their closing date.

Now, about those alternatives. As I said before, you do get some ridiculous alternatives. I received a bag of warburton's rolls instead of a brown wholegrain loaf. I received women's deodrant instead of men's. And I also wasn't refunded for the bottle of vodka that arrived smashed by the delivery driver. Not impressed with that. Dont worry too much about those alternatives though, you have the option to say no. And you are literally only charged for each item that goes into your bags.

The delivery blokes are always helpful as far as I've seen, and are happy to return any items that have arrived damaged or incorrectly. Another small gripe was that a couple of items arrived and were just about to go past their sell by date. I would hope that asda aren't packing up the items that haven't sold into online shopper's baskets, as there must be some kind of health and safety rule against that.

The pro's for using this site is that its easy to use, saves you the hassle of going to the store, has online discount codes to save you taxi fares, petrol costs or the climbing up the stairs. You are also only charged for your shopping as it is despatched to you, rather than when you place the order. Not many sites operate in that way.

The downside is that you cant see your shopping as you choose it and have to trust the presentation on the website and the packers, its open to error outwith your control and you have to be rigid about your items or you might just find your men smelling of women's sure deodrant.

Summary: An easy to use site that benefits customers, but be careful about those alternatives