If your order is important or time-sensitive, do not trust Ocado. Ordering from Ocado is a gamble. No matter how far in advance you plan, you’re left waiting anxiously until the cut-off, hoping your order doesn’t suddenly vanish. Grocery shopping shouldn’t feel like a game of chance. I placed a carefully planned order well in advance for a special event, only to have it cancelled minutes after the cut-off – with no warning and no chance to put it right. Here’s the issue: Ocado doesn’t check your payment details until after the cut-off. If there’s any problem – even something minor – your order is automatically cancelled, and by the time you’re notified, it’s too late. In my case, I still don’t know what went wrong. The card was saved to my account (I’d used it for previous orders), and there were sufficient funds. Maybe my bank wanted an authorisation in the app? But it shouldn’t matter. What matters is that Ocado’s system gives you no chance to correct anything. They cancel your order just hours before delivery, and customer service can’t help. I was told I could place a new order, but the next available slot wasn’t until the following day, long after my event. And there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again, as Ocado still wouldn’t check payment until after the next cut-off. Senior customer service manager Reece told me this was 'the system working as intended.' That’s what baffled me most. Ocado's system is designed to cancel orders at the last minute, with no recourse – and they’re fine with that. I will never rely on Ocado again unless I truly don’t care whether the order arrives. But with groceries, that’s almost never. I’m sharing this so others don’t get caught out like I did. If you need your delivery for a specific time or occasion, don’t take the risk. I used to recommend Ocado – now I will warn people to think twice.