Safeway.com
1335 Webster St
(between Byington St & Ellis St)
San Francisco, CA 94115
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
32 reviews
Neighborhood: Japantown
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18 Reviews for Safeway.com
I do like this service, it so convenience to order on line and get it delivered to the third floor. I usually order the bulky and cases of waters which are very heavy to carry up the stairs. I requested the delivery during the evening time- between 6pm-8pm and most of the time they are not late. You do have to pay 12.95 for delivery charge, which is ok as long as they carry my products up the stairs. The delivery people are friendly and nice, but I do not like the customers service-service. Every time I called I need to hold forever in order to speak to a representative.
For a convenience, this service is a pain in the ass. Yeah it's nice having someone else lug my kitty litter up the stairs, but after sitting around all day waiting for it to arrive I wouldn't mind the exercise. Plus, seriously guys, I know the difference between string beans and brussel sprouts. Please stop delivering me bags of beans that you've labeled as sprouts.
But my main problem is the customer service and delivery sides don't seem to communicate very well with each other.
I needed to change a delivery time. Customer service said no problem, but the delivery still showed up at the original time. Okay, not a big deal, we rescheduled. But then customer service didn't know about it when I called the next day to get an ETA. When my order and I finally connected, items were missing; I called customer service and they had a whole song about how they don't know what the delivery guys actually have in the bags. I got a refund.
That feels very broken to me. Refunds should be the exception, not the rule.
Screw this. I'm grudgingly going back to Cala Foods since it's walking distance.
Locked in my house all weekend with a high fever and no roommates to hear me whine, I sent my San Diego-based sister numerous incoherent text messages. "Got dazzy and almost pissed out in Walgreens buying juice" is one example.
She needed to take action and did what any techie would do, hopped online.
On Saturday, my doorbell rang. My sister, concerned about my well-being, had ordered me groceries online. Of course, it helps that we are twins and have nearly identical tastebuds, but Safeway.com delivered my favorites:
1 box of Triscuit (that's plural, didja know that? Look how useful I can be!)
1 jar creamy peanut butter (the 33% less sugar kind!)
2 boxes of toaster waffles. (yum! just like Mom used to make.)
4 huge bottles of orange Gatorade
2 containers of broth-based Safeway Signature soups
1 lb strawberries (much fresher than I ever see at Safeway)
1 bunch bananas
1 container of chocolate hazelnut gelato
and...
1 dozen pretty pink roses
Thanks to their online delivery website, I didn't feel sick, abandoned, or alone. Plus, in honor of my sis living all the way down in San Diego, I ate for two.
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Yo, this online service is the bomb! I got mad skillz and can sort by Club Deals, Buy One Get One Free and prices from low to high. Know what I'm saying?
Yeah, and then I don't have to worry about walking out of the store holding toilet paper in front of all the hot shawtys.
Hehe, delivered right to my door.
If you work for Safeway delivery, my apologies. Not because you work for Safeway delivery, but because I'm that annoying customer who lives on the 3rd floor of a building with no elevator and likes to order large quantities of soda and 28lb containers of kitty litter.
Sure, I try to help you out - take a case here, a bottle of liquor there, but it takes several laborous trips and you're usually a little sweaty by the time you pull out that receipt. Through it all, you're generally pretty nice, usually sporting a smile, maybe say something like "boy, this is a workout!" in a friendly fashion once or twice.
So, the fact that the produce is a bit scary looking is fine, there's better stuff nearby that's cheaper. I can also forgive the one time I was charged for that organic frozen burrito I discovered previously and was really looking forward to but didn't receive - it wasn't worth the $1.69 to complain and it hasn't happened since.
Just for traipsing up my stairs with all that crap I'll give you a 50% tip - what's that? You don't accept tips? Gee, sorry. Well, okay then don't trip on your way back down and watch out for dumbass drivers. G'night!
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Accuracy has been fairly good - about 96% of the time. My last order was delivered over 1 hour after my delivery window. I had to call twice to find out where my order was, if it would ever show up, if I should wait around. My order finally arrived, and my frozen food was all room temperature. My fudgicles had melted. I wrote to them and asked what they were doing to prevent this in the future. They said they advised the operations manager. We really need more competition in San Francisco. Safeway sucks - both in store, and out of store. WHOLE FOODS IN THE CASTRO PLEASE!
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Safeway.com is a Godsend to this car-free single parent. I order all the big, bulky or heavy stuff like canned goods, laundry detergent, paper products, juice, soda, milk, booze, etc. through them. The $12.95 delivery fee plus minor gas surcharge is well worth it, as I'd spend almost that much anyhow dragging all those big, heavy bags AND my preschooler home from the nearest super. All the savings you'd normally get with your club card are available and easily searchable. You should probably avoid buying produce from them unless you absolutely have to, though, because that's something you really need to touch, smell, squeeze. I haven't had the best of luck with them in that arena, and most of the time they charge ridiculous prices like $1.39 for ONE tomato. ????? One star off because the substitutions and accuracy were better before they moved the delivery source from the Fillmore store to Market Street.
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My new love...
Safeway.com has transformed my grocery shopping experience. Here is why Safeway.com is better
1) I keep my grocery list online. Everytime I see I need something, I add it to my shopping basket.
2) They deliver as early as next day
3) Forget walking 15 blocks to to store then hauling groceries home on the bus or paying $9 for a cab
4) It clears up at least two hours on my weekends for me and my boyfriend
5) They have way more of selection than the store I typically go to
6) No fighting crowds on the weekends - argh
7) No more carrying eight bags plus five gallons of water anymore. It's all taken care of for me.
8) The drivers have always been on time for me and very courteous. Refused tips I tried to give to them. They are so nice I thought they were going to put my groceries away for me!
9) Safeway keeps a record of all your purchases so you can go back to reference them quickly
10) You earn United miles just like you do in the store
What is not to like?
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Why do i not use them anymore?
They are unreliable, which takes away from the "convenience" of the service.
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Terrible. They forgot all 28 cans of cat food (and a less important avacado), so after waiting on hold with a customer service representative, I was given a half-ass apology and they said they would deliver the next day between 6pm and 8pm. So, I wait, and wait. By 715 I am nervous because I now have trust issues, so I call the call center to get an ETA. They tell me that I have to wait until 8pm to call. I demand that they contact the driver to verify he is en route. They cant contact him. 8 pm and still no cat food. I call back (another 1/2 hour wait) and am told they cant reach the driver. What kind of delivery company doesnt have good dispatch? And, since they messed up the day before they should have prioritized my delivery. Anyway, cat ended up eating gerber baby food and safeway.com lost a customer. I would have given 0 stars if I could have.
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Our first 4 orders arrived on time and were relatively accurate (although we always received extra items that we did not pay for). It is super convenient to not have to drive the store, shop for groceries, unload the car and then seach for another parking spot at home.
Unfortunately, we finally were on the short end of the stick for our last delivery. Our bananas were so smashed that only 2 out of 10 are edible, during delivery a yogurt cup was smashed and got over all the items in that bad, two eggs were also smashed in delivery and spilled over all items in the bag, and finally, they picked the wrong soup that I ordered. All of that time saved was wasted as I had to clean off individual items before putting them away. But it doesn't stop there, our driver never showed up for our scheduled time. After reaching him on his cell phone, he said he would be there in 15 minutes, and again, a no show so we had to wait until Monday morning. he even lied to me and said that he stopped by twice for delivery, eventhough i was home the entire time. very disappointing.
overall, they are decent for groceries that are in boxes or plastic, but sub-par for produce.
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Anyone living in the city can attest to the fact that riding packed MUNI + heavy bags of groceries in tow = misery. So when Safeway.com home delivery service became available in San Francisco I was like, "Sign me up!" The first few times I ordered were absolutely perfect, I received most of the original items I had chosen and well within my delivery window. I was so happy I was telling all my friends about this and was really settling in to make it a part of my monthly routine.
A few months in, I started noticing that the quality of fresh fruits and veggies I ordered was not as premium as it had once been, and many of my original choices were either being substituted or not delivered at all. It got annoying real quick because each time that happened I'd have to not only go out and buy more fruits and veggies but I also had to request and ensure I was refunded for the missing goods.
Despite those annoyances I still felt that home delivery service was overall worth it because it saved me so much time, energy and stress. Well. What really finally started taking things to a whole other level was when my groceries stopped arriving all together. The first time it happened I was ill-prepared and pretty much went to bed hungry that night. The second time I was able to have the delivery rescheduled and delivered the very next day so I was fine. The third time was a charm and I really needed to give customer service a piece of my mind, so I called and they called my delivery person to find out what the deal was. No answer, so they leave a message and tell me to give it some time. They tell me this after I've already waited for my entire 3 hour window and "HELLO!" I have other things I need to do! Fine. I decide to stay in all day and do housework but in the end, the delivery never comes and no one ever calls me back. I am livid. I sent safeway customer service a nasty email and told them to cancel my order and my online account.
I hadn't used safeway.com in probably a year, especially since I had recently discovered ZIP Car and a whole new world of shopping freedom opened up before my very eyes...Target, Trader Joe's, Bed Bath & Beyond... what kind of life had I been living before?! But one rainy weekend I was feeling sick but needing groceries so I thought of safeway.com again. It had been a good while since my horrible experiences and I'm a pretty forgiving person (probably to a fault in some situations) so I decided to log on and place an order for next day delivery. Deciding to stock up I placed a pretty big order and actually began to excitedly anticipate the arrival of my stuff.
Next day comes, but the groceries don't. I almost cried. I was frustrated, mildly ill, dreading Monday blues and a week's worth of eating out because I did not get my groceries. I called customer service who then called the driver who didn't answer. They left a message along with my phone number, but no one ever called me. I finally called THEM back and told them to immediately cancel my order and refund my card ASAP. I logged onto zipcar.com and reserved a car for that very same afternoon. I printed out my safeway.com shopping list, mapped out my various stops on mapquest, bundled up and schlepped myself all around town and in about 4 hours I had everything I needed and more. While it was way more work, it took less time and I'm all stocked.
Wanna hear something else that's rather shocking? Even after safeway not delivering my products and me having to call them to demand my refund they still hadn't refunded my card TWO WEEKS LATER! I had to contact customer service who then had to research the matter and call me back the next day only to say that, "It seems as if your account credit was never processed, so I will put that request in for you right away and you should see it as a refund to your account within the next 2-3 business days." Are you kidding me?! What kind of operation is safeway running these days? What legitimate business takes an online order, then doesn't deliver and doesn't refund your money?? None that I know of. This is a true case of Buyer Beware and Do It Yourself.
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The bottom line: Convenient, get the heavy stuff, use the free delivery coupons, perfect for the low-maintenance shopper
So you don't set yourself up for disappointment, do the research before you place your first order. If you follow a few simple guidelines and keep your expectations at a moderate level, you'll find this service to be very beneficial.
1) USE THE COUPONS mailed or e-mailed to you. Why? Free shipping! Since shipping averages $10 per delivery, this is a no brainer.
2) LOAD UP ON THE HEAVY STUFF like cat litter, beer, bottled water, laundry detergent, hair care products, etc. If you carry your groceries home, you know how heavy and inconvenient things can get...looking out for psycho redlight runners, avoiding the random dog poop, putting down all your groceries to fumble around for your keys to get into your building, etc.
3) PICK LOW-MAINTENANCE PRODUCE. Hard fruits like apples, pears, and even bananas hold up. Vegetables can be risky, especially the leafy loose stuff. So stick with the pre-bagged stuff, like baby carrots, broccoli, and celery.
4) BE FLEXIBLE and allow things to be substituted. When you're in the actual store, you find things out of stock all the time. Why should online be any different. In my first order, I ordered 35 things. Only 2 things were out of stock. Zero substitutions. A little strategy helps.
5) LEAVE GOOD DRIVER INSTRUCTIONS. Your driver doesn't need detailed instructions unless you live in a maze. Be succinct and point out important landmarks, especially if your driver is delivering after 6pm. This will only increase your chances of getting your delivery within your set time range.
5) DON'T TIP THE DELIVERY PERSON. Safeway forbids their drivers from accepting tips. If you offer, they will (or should) refuse. No awkwardness. Everything's cool.
6) IF YOU NORMALLY SHOP AT WHOLE FOODS OR ANDRONICOS OR FALLETTI FOODS...DON'T USE Safeway.com because you're probably a high maintenance shopper, expecting grapes just picked from the vine! This is not for you.
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Safeway.com is such a convenient service. I don't have to go to the grocery store, which involves either spending lots of money at Bristol Farms (across the street) or Whole Foods (0.5 miles away) or paying for a City Car Share to go to Safeway. Also, shopping online eliminates a lot of the impulse buys. Getting our food delivered right to our door (up four floors and down a long hallway) takes the trouble out of grocery shopping.
I've used this service four times, and three times delivery was completely free and the fourth time it was discounted. The delivery was always made during the early portion the window (and if it was a few minutes early, I was called to make sure it was okay). The delivery person is always nice and friendly. The first time I tried to tip, he refused and suggested we leave positive feedback (which I did).
A couple of times, something was not delivered, but it only takes a simple email or phone call to get the reimbursement straightened out.
The only thing bad about online grocery shopping (in general) is that the variety/availability of items isn't as great as in the store. But the convenience far outweighs the hassle of physically going to the grocery store.
I used safeway.com to order 2 cases of Champagne for my wedding. I figured they may have to order it so I set the delivery for 1 week after my order.
Only 7 bottles arrived. The drivers were apologetic, but could only give me a number to call. When I called the number they basically said "too bad so sad. you can re-order and spend another $9.95 delivery fee and see what shows up..."
No thanks.
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I used to get my groceries delivered every other month or so, and it usually went pretty well. I got most of the stuff I wanted, even the obscure items. The produce quality seemed to depend on the aptitude of the "picker," but at least I didn't have to do the picking.
The last time I ordered, they were about an hour late, although the guy was super friendly when he got here. I did have to call for status, which is annoying.
Tonight's order hit a new low -- it never came! The window was 7-9pm, and at almost midnight, I've received neither status nor groceries. Their customer service center closes at 9:30pm, so I have no idea what happens next. I suspect an Xmas weekend with NO EGGNOG or anything to make cookies or dinner with. Mommy is NOT HAPPY.
UPDATE: Minus three stars. The order never came. WE had to call THEM this morning and all they could say was that nobody in the 7-9pm window got their orders and they couldn't say whether or not they'd be able to deliver today -- maybe, maybe not. This is my Xmas dinner we're talking about! WTF?? We canceled the order and I marched my tired holiday *ss to the actual store and bought all my items in person... along with all the other last-minute people that I should have been able to avoid... Pass that eggnog... I'm going to need a few. Happy friggin Xmas.
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Getting your groceries delivered sounds pretty easy especially if you only go once every few weeks or so. I love grocery shopping but when I go I bring back bags and bags of food. Very hard to travel with from my location and I don't like Cala Foods that much. So I tried the Safeway.com delivery service.
They charge ranges from 7 to 10 bucks and sometimes they will email you free delivery coupons. Ive used this service maybe 5 times. 3 out of the 5 they were late and occasionally the produce isn't that fresh. I would spend a lot of time online just making a darn grocery list. Sometimes its so much easier just being their and picking exactly what you want and taking a cab home for 7 to 10 bucks. They have this feature where you can check if you would like any of your items sub'ed for something else if it isn't available. I always say no subs but they always bring something to sub it with and thats a pain.
I can be pretty picky about selection of food and Webster st doesn't seem to have a whole lot. Who ever heard of canned pumpkin not being available at Safeway in the fall/winter?
A coworker recently told me about safeway.com's free deliveries on new customer orders. I hate taking the bus with bags full of groceries and can never seem to make it to the store when the deli is open, so I decided to give the site a try. Big mistake...out of the 20 items that I ordered, 8 showed up and I was charged for all 20. Similar to a story above, I was given a customer service number and was connected to someone who offered no help since the missing items were not on the backorder list. I asked if I could bring the list to the store and pick up my items that I had already paid for, and the woman told me that she would call the store to explain the situation and let them know that I was coming. She told me to go to the customer service desk, and of course, when I got there the service rep knew nothing of the situation and looked at me like I was crazy. He actually sarcastically asked me, "Why would you order your groceries online?" After about another hour of arguments and phone calls I was finally able to get the rest of my groceries (4 hours after the original delivery). Safeway's online system is so unorganized...I not sure why it's even up and running.
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