Category: Daily Living
Would anybody recommend it, or discourage it. If the former, what would be the best service? I know it would be convenient, but I don't want to open up my new delivery of groceries to find that half of them are rotten.
i guess it would depend. i know Schwans does really good online shopping for that, they feature it acually. thing is they do cost a little.
Online shopping is good because it takes less time than actually going to the shop and waiting for someone to come and assist, but it costs me about the same to have it delivered as it does to go there and get it. I do like the fact though that you can choose what time you want the shopping delivered and they call you when they're on the way.
Anytime we as blind people shop online we potentially make more informed decisions: We read the description ourselves rather than listen to an interpretation of what is there by an assistant at the store. Check your local grocery for store-to-door service or something similar, and you should be good to go for grocery.
I actually love food shopping because I get out of the house and I enjoy the live experience. Usually, I go to the store with my Mom or my boyfriend, both of whom don't mind describing things for me and, in most cases, taking time to browse the shelves to see if there's something new and exciting that I'd like to try. But I shop online for many other things, sometimes even food items, since I like organic stuff that can't always be found in regular stores. Since these stores have a huge selection of items, it really is best for me to be able to read the descriptions of things and choose what I want. But in a grocery store, I usually know what I want. That said, I think the online grocery shopping is a great idea and there have been several times when I was tempted to use it because no one was available to take me. One of the problems with it is the cost of delivery, though some places don't charge nearly as much as others. Another is knowing whether or not the shoppers will choose the highest quality products i.e. ones that are fresh. More importantly, in my case, is that it seems to be impossible to use food stamps online, even in stores where they are normally accepted. Has anyone ever tried this and if so, how does it work? Do you need to call the store ahead of time? What about giving sensative information, like your pin number?
Does anyone know of any sites where you can buy fresh, organic food. I know most grocery stores have an organic section, but I'm talking about somewhere that sells only organic products.
They are usually not rotten. However it's annoying when things are out of stock and you are suddenly presented with something else that you didn't want, or something that you really wanted is missiing. This is irritating. Apart from that I'd recommend it because it's very comfortable. I'd only suggest it for a bigger shop though, so that it's worth it.
Why would they give you something that you don't want instead of just telling you that your chosen item is out of stock? Anyway,
http://www.shoporganic.com
has some really great stuff, though you won't find things like fresh fruit, dairy products or meat unless they're dry. But they do have a huge amount of foods and organic items from which to choose. The only annoying thing, for me at least, is that many are reduced in fat or fat free. But this is a problem that I've encountered with organic producs all over. That and many are made with substitutes for the usual ingredients found in the particular food. It seems that people can't understand that some of us want everything to remain the same. We just don't want chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and pesticides in our foods and we don't want animals to be treated with cruelty.
What about in the UK? Is there a good organic foods online shop? I found one but you kind of had to only order a certain ammount of fresh and frozen things and I didn't under4stand that. Please let me know any shops that sell organic things?
Aw, I'm pretty lucky for the organtic thing, because there's one near my house, but anyways I think it's a great idea like Ocean said as long as there aren't any rotten stuff in the bags. I'll be pretty pissed if there were. Plus I think people should get more than that because isn't that your money?
Well, yes, but you can't usually return food once it's been delivered to you like you can with anything else. Thanks, Tiffanitsa. I'll look into that.
So long as you don't open it, you can definitely return things. Also,
http://www.iherb.com
has some things but not much in the way of food. They do, however, sell Teeccino, which is an excellent coffee substitute and they have alot of free things with no gimics and no purchase necessary.
I use Peapod grocery once a month, sometimes more depending on the weather. They have fresh foods and dairy products. They have fruit and veggies. I believe the web site title is peapod.com. It's here in the U.S. In 15 years I only had 2 products come to me not good, milk to be exact. And I got credit on my next order for that.
Do you know what these places charge for delivery fees? Just an estimate? Also, are these places nation wide?
you can check ot see if schwans delivers to you by entering in a zip code on the site. as for delivery fees i'm not sure. you'd have to check the site for that
I know that Peapod is not available everywhere. It's not in my area. But you can find out by visiting the site.
sadly, peapod is not available in my area. grrrr.
Ocean, from my experience, most places charge about a 10 dollar delivery fee. That's an approximate, I'm sure it's different, depending on your area and/or the company you're using. That's one of the reasons it's worth it. I actually save more by having groceries delivered than I do by having to take a cab home from the store, or pay my driver to take me there. One of the problems though is that if you're on food stamps, you cant use those online. Or at least, I've never seen where you could. So, if you have those, then you actually have to go to the store.
Eleni, you can choose whether to have them substitute an item or not, if the one you ordered is out of stock. Or, you can write in specific comments about what would be an acceptable substitute. I have substitution turned off, so if they don't have the specific item I want, they drop it from the order, and don't charge me for it. In some cases, I will leave comments by specific items, letting them know what would be an acceptable substitute. You can also specify things like this. If you order bananas, in that comments box, you can tell them that you prefer greener ones. Or, you can specify that you want something that's at it's freshest date. So, when ordering produce and dairy, that's what I do: make my preferences as specific as possible.
Very rarely have I had problems with getting rotten produce. And, as someone else said, you can usually return things. In my case, I just call customer service, let them know that I am unsatisfied with whatever item they've brought me and why. They will either refund the money to my credit card, or have the driver bring out a new one of whatever it is. Most places seem pretty flexible.
You're absolutely right about the food stamps! I don't understand why they can't make it so that they can be used online... And I couldn't imagine how I'd use them on my own at a store so that I wouldn't have to tell the people there my pin etc.
You're right, since food stamps act like credit cards, with a 16-digit number and a pin, there's no logical reason they can't be used online. So, when I do have to go to the store, I go with a friend, my reader/driver who I trust, or sometimes my cousin. that way I know I'm giving my pin to a trusted person. But in truth, there's not much they can do with your pin without your card.
That's very true. A credit card number would be different, although they're trying to prevent it from being stolen that way by requiring a signiture with all credit card payments. In most cases, if you don't sign, it means you didn't authorize the payment. Anyway, I digress. Thanks all for the help, and I don't use food stamps. Actually, I can't, since I'm not a US citizen yet.
For uk people, I use tesco online with no problems at all.
They have a site just for blind people which is meant to be more accessible than the main one; products are always available on both sites at the same time.
You can often read cooking instructions for the item on the site, and even if they don't have them, I find that there packaging is fairly ocr friendly.
You can choos your sub options per item.
Delivery is pretty cheap; if you pick a slot in a couple of days time you can usually get it for £3.50, plus, there are usually some voucher codes if you have a google that give you money off.
I've never ordered from schwons but I have a friend that is on food stamps and he has gotten food from schwons and it has worked. I'm actually thinking of buying from schwons myself..to try something different. I'm basically spending the same amount of money going to the store, picking up food and going back home.
However, I also like getting out of the house..I generally like people but ordering foods and other products online is easier cause I can read the description.
schwans is extremely helpful when it comes to ordering food from them and they just have to call in with your food stamps and you're set. only 1 buck for handling fees too
I have been using peapod for a few months now and I really like it! In Boston and surrounding areas, they use stop and shop for their supplier. The grocery chain they use may vary from state to state. I find it saves time and money. I can't stand going to the grocery store and getting assistance. (The local grocer I go to if I have to is not stop and shop by the way. Their in store assistance is much better than what i am about to describe. The same goes for H E B and trader joes in my experience. I've had little to no trouble with their employees) At my local grocer though, Sometimes, it can take them up to a half hour to find someone to help. I've even been told to come back the next day to get help, which really pissed me off as I took the time to get there, and it's a 24 hour grocery store. If they do happen to find someone, it's really hit or miss. I've had people that didn't speak English, which can be frustrating. many of them don't know what is in what department and it can take two hours for me to get what I need. A lot of them tend to rush you too, which I really don't care for. I try to stretch my money as far as I can when food shopping especially, so, I like to compare name brand to store brand, things like that, and they just can't be bothered it seems. Shopping online saves me time and money. Also, what's great about the peapod site is that you can browse by department, do key word searches, sort by brand, price, look at weekly sales, etc. The site is very screen reader friendly. Also, you can actually look at the nutritional info and ingredients list for any product. That is very helpful and there is no way you can get that kind of attention to detail when using an assistant. I have never had anything show up rotten or damaged. With peapod at least, you can choose if you want a substitution on out of stock items, or, if you just want them taken off the bill when they actually run your card on file. I'd never go back to grocery shopping in person now that I use this service. Lastly, delivery is cheaper than a one way cab ride back from the grocery store to my casa. (I take the train there, but, with a guide dog, you really can't carry that much stuff so I tend to cab it back home.)
One thing I forgot to mention, due to laws in this state at least, you can't have things like alcahol, tabacco, or lottery tickets delivered. (That can vary from state to state.) That does bug me a bit as I have to allocate the time to run out and get a bottle of champaigne or a 12 pack of Sam Adams. I could save a bit of time if they were allowed to deliver items in those catagories, but, nothing is perfect I suppose.
I too use online grocery shopping. I shop from safeway since I have a safeway in my area and they deliver to your home. The problem with food stamps cards is not all of them are 16 digits. Some of them are more or less, Illinois for example is 19 digits on their food stamps cards. I've also used peapod.com and amazon.com for groceries and that's pretty good too, but i definitely like safeway if there is one in your area use it, they can even give you same day delivery though it costs a little bit more.
thanks for all the suggestions. We've found a better method for going to the store and picking up our food in person, but it's still nice to have the option to have it delivered as another alternative.
I've just ordered from Schwans! Instead of making a whole new topic, I thought to just bring back up this one.
I thought my schwans experience was great. This was my first time ordering from them. Everyone I spoke with were very nice and very helpful. It is a bit more pricy, however it really doesn't make a difference from needing a cab to go to and from the actual store.
Depending on the food quality, wich I haven't tried yet, I'll be getting from them again! :)
I know people who live in my parents' kneck of the woods use Schwans, so they do urban areas also? Interesting.
I have used peapod for years along with shopping at my local store once a month. Peapod delivers alcohol here but I use my credit card to shop with them. Never rottten products and always fresh veggies. As for shopping at my local jewel store, I call a day ahead so they have the right help for me to shop with since some folks there are either mentally challenged or don't speak English. I know calling a day ahead sounds like I am being singled out to shop, but would rather do that than be frustrated.
Has anyone shopped using Peapod's app with VoiceOver? If so, how accessible is it?
In the Western US, Safeway.com has online shopping, and as far as I'm concerned its awesome and adds only an extra $10 to my bill (and saves a ton in cab fare.)
Mike, thanks for posting about Schwans! I looked up the zipcode for my apartment at university, and they do the full online ordering and delivery. previously, I thought my best option was to use harris Teeter's system where you shop online and have to go pick it up, but this looks fantastic. I was so worried about how I was going to get a ride/cab to the store, but this looks like it's going to considerably lower my stress level.
Schwans food is AWESOMELY awesome! It tastes really good..the only thing I was disappointed with was the chicken cassual..won't be getting that again but everything I've tried has been really great. Even the fruits and vegies! :)
that's just it with them, some people complain that they cost a lot but their food is second to none in quality most times and easy to make too.
I absolutely love their ice cream, especially the mint chocolate sundae cones, silvermint bars and English toffy bars. I'm planning, if finances permit, on also trying a new sundae cone I discoveed (new to me at any rate), the vanilla fudge sundae cone.
that last one sounds awesome! :)
Now that I've actually experience both online and in person shopping, I've realized there are benefits to both. In person, you take home exactly what you picked out, you know exactly what you're going to be paying once you get to checkout, and some, not all, prices on certain items are cheaper. Most of my fears about online shopping have been disproven, but there were others I didn't know about. For example, let's say I want to buy six bananas, and they're $2 per pound. I can roughly calculate how much that will be, but I won't know for sure until they've been weighed and I receive them at my door. At the store in person, you get to see the price, and if you decide it's too expensive for you, you can put some or all of them back. Also, if items are out of stock, yes, you can choose to have them pick out a substitute for you, but in person, you can choose your own. Now, having said that, the convenience of online shopping is worth all that, especially considering these little issues don't happen often. Not only that, but you tell the website what you want, and people bring it to you. That saves the hastle that I've sometimes had in person where I've been misunderstood by whomever is helping me shop, and I end up getting something completely unrelated than what I wanted. I use Peapod, which doesn't usually give out too many free coupons, but when they do, they're usually something you couldn't take advantage of in person, like free delivery, or those online only offers.
Anyway, I figured, given most of the posts here, most of you know all that. I just thought I would post my thoughts now that I've actually experienced it for myself.
does anyone know if there is any online grocery shopping possible for Illinois?
Peapod's main headquarters is in Illinois, so I'd be surprised if they didn't deliver there. You can check their site, though.
also if you want to check schwans to see if they deliver there there'x a box on their site you can put your zipcode in, then it'll tell you if you get serviced
Thank you all for all this helpful information! I'm going to try grocery shoppping online just to see how well King's Supers does it here in Colorado! Also, knowing Safeway works well is a very good thing, Thanks!!!
I was honestly trying to help a friend one day that needed food. I figured I'd order online and they'd simply bring it to her.
I got to the store in her neighborhood, went to the cereal section and checked the price of a box. $6? Really? Okay, so I go check a few other things and there highter by twice.
Nope, not for me. Get up and go to the store or get a helper to do it. hahaha
I use Amazon grocery, subscribe and save for some things. It's true that you can't have everything delivered from there, but for things like brownie mix or canned pasta, it's great, and the shipping is free. Also, it's less that you have to carry home from the regular grocery store when you go shopping.
O yes. I definitely use that too when I can. it's great, as long as you don't mind buying in bulk.
$6 for a box of cereal? Seriously? I have never seen that, ever.
Me either until I went to a local Albertson's. I thought it was really neat.
You get to the main site, put in your zip code, and you get the store in the area close to where you are.
Okay than you can shop, and they'll bring it over free. I like the concept, but the prices? If I ever decide to try it again I'll get some of these qupons suggested here.
Ah. Well, that might be part of the reason. if there's no delivery fee, chances are it's just built into the price of groceries. that makes a little more sense. Still, it shouldn't be *that* much more expensive.
wow! $6! I agree with Ocean on this..
Well that wasn't the only product that was more than I thought it should be. I just don't know.
Everything's getting more expensive these days and I fear it's only going to continue to do so.
I'm glad I checked this board out again. Thanks all for the helpful info about Schwans. I had not thought of ordering from them before, but I'll check it out.
Sam, not sure if you'll look at this again, but when I lived in Colorado, I ordered from King Sooper online all the time. I was generally happy with it. My only complaint is that they sometimes were later than the scheduled delivery window, which was a bit of an inconvenience. But not nearly as much of one as going in and getting assistance.
Brian, I agree with you when it comes to food prices. Hence i order from schwans..cause when you ad up food and transportation costs it all equals about the same.
Yup. I love Schwans. It's a bit expensive, particularly if like me SSI is your only income, but the food is definitely worth a little extra. I myself have a rather severe weakness for those Chip Mint Sundae Cones and those English Toffy Bars. And since my girlfriend Sandra likes Mint Chocolate Chip almost as much as I do one box of those sundae cones would not last long in our house.
lol! I totally understand!