An Honest (and Surprising) Review of Jet.com Fresh Grocery Delivery
I really hate grocery shopping and everyone who knows me knows that about me. I love to cook, I love to cull through fresh ingredients, try new recipes, and chop up a rainbow of veggies for my kids. But when it comes to stepping foot in a bright, busy grocery store and making decision after decision about prices, deals, coupons, labels, and lines I'm almost completely fit to be tied.
I hate it so much that I'll do just about anything to avoid actually going into a grocery store and that includes online shopping. I have my pantry items down to a science, regularly dragging them in from our front porch. Unfortunately, in our area, fresh grocery delivery services have only been available to those who can pay a private service to shop for them—until now. When I logged onto Jet.com two weeks ago to pick out a few of my usual pantry items I noticed there was suddenly a fresh delivery option available to me and in total disbelief packed my virtual cart full of fruit, vegetables, lunch meat, cheese, and even some frozen food.
With hesitation, I checked out and waited two business days for my delivery, expecting a box full of cracked eggs, burst juice jugs, and soggy frozen pizza. I wondered how they were going to keep it all cold. One of those fancy boxes that you send back, like with meal prep services? Styrofoam? Black magic?
Well, I was wrong on all of that for sure. What I got wasn't quite what I was expecting. Read on for the good, the bad, and the just plain awesome of Jet.com's fresh grocery delivery.
What I Ordered and the Condition it Arrived in
Item
| Condition it Arrived In
| Purchase Again?
|
|---|---|---|
3 Bags of Steam-in-Bag Frozen Corn
| Frozen! One of the bags popped open slightly, but there wasn't really any spillage and I've had this happen with the same brand from the grocery store too.
| Absolutely. Sometimes all I can get my kids to eat IS corn. Also, these were about $1.00 cheaper than the same exact brand/package at my local grocer.
|
2 Boxes Frozen Soft Pretzels
| Frozen, as they should be.
| Yes, my husband loves these! And again, a really good price - under $2 for each box.
|
2 Bags of Baby Spinach
| Cold, packages in good shape, good dates.
| Yes.
|
2 Boxes of Newman's Own Pepperoni Pizzas
| Again, frozen as they should be, I was totally impressed.
| Yes, as with the other items these were also a good price.
|
2 Bags Alexa Frozen Onion Rings
| Frozen, great condition.
| Heck yes. These things are my cravings-nirvana.
|
2 Bunches of Bananas
| Also basically frozen, mushy from getting too cold, inedible.
| I don't think so, I've heard the same from others. This is a grab-from-the-grocery store item. Bananas don't do well when they get too cold. However, Jet refunded me with zero issues.
|
2 Dozen Eggs
| PERFECT. I was pretty impressed. My first job was as a grocery store bagger and the first thing I always did before bagging a customer's eggs was check for cracks as they were inevitable. So the fact that I received 24 cold, intact eggs is pretty great.
| Yes, and the price was, again, awesome.
|
2 Three-Pound Bags of Macintosh Apples
| Cold, a little bit of bruising, but still totally delicious.
| I will.
|
2 Pounds of Strawberries
| Fresh, nearly-ripe.
| Oh, yes! Great price and packaged well.
|
Tub of Cottage Cheese
| Cold, good date, totally intact.
| Yes. Healthy snacking made convenient, woot woot!
|
Sugar-Free Popsicles
| Melted! I couldn't believe it, because the other items in this box were frozen perfectly. I think the issue here is that these were sugar-free which was an accidental purchase on my part. I actually bought these to test if everything else in the order stayed cold but it was obvious it did and that something went awry with these, possibly because they're sugar-free?
| No, because I didn't even mean to buy these. However a family-member purchased ice cream through Jet Fresh Delivery and said it came perfectly frozen. So frozen treats aren't out.
|
Four Sticks of Butter
| Cold, not at all squishy, a little bit of tomato seeds on the package (from my tomatoes)
| Yes. I can't do life without butter. <3 And I don't want to.
|
Package of Turkey Bacon
| Cold, great date.
| Yes, but I learned my children don't share the same fondness for turkey bacon. Too bad.
|
Package of Natural Bacon
| Cold, good date. Also much appreciated is that this "raw" meat was wrapped in meat bag like all good baggers know to do to prevent cross-contamination with other foods. I dig that.
| Absolutely.
|
Veggie Burger Patties
| Cold, great date.
| Yes!
|
12 Burger Buns
| Good date, NOT squished (!!!)
| Yes.
|
Uncured Salami
| Good date, cold
| Yes, but not this brand because it turns out I don't like the taste of salami unless it's filled with bad stuff...
|
1 Pound of Tomatoes
| Cold, two got a little squished. But no mold or signs of rotting. Fresh.
| I probably would, my kids always stick their fingers through the tomatoes before I get a chance to slice them up anyway.
|
16 oz. Shredded Mozzerella
| Good date, nice and cold.
| Yes. Easy healthy snacking!
|
59 fl. oz Calcium Orange Juice
| Good date. The top was squished in a little. But because this product is delivered cold, with a seal, it didn't leak or affect the safety/taste.
| Yes.
|
1 pound of Baby Carrots
| Good date, cold!
| Yes, my kids love baby carrots, we can't go a day without them. And they were a good price.
|
Cold Pressed Strawberry Banana Smoothie
| Cold, good date, delicious af.
| Oh yes. These are my favorite and kind of pricey at my local grocer. Jet had them for a significantly lower price.
|
Pomegranate Juice
| Good date, cold.
| Yes, this is basically miracle juice, right? Good price too.
|
8 oz. Whipped Cream Cheese
| Good date, cold.
| Yes indeed.
|
20 oz. Blueberry Bagels
| Nice and cool, good date, NOT squished.
| Yes!
|
What I Didn't Like About The Delivery Service
I like to start with the bad news first because if you're like me, this is probably the only real information you're looking for, so here it is:
The Packaging
Okay, so, the packaging is a necessary evil. As I said, I ordered two dozen eggs and not a single one came cracked. My bread wasn't squished either. But there is so much darn packaging that undoing it all and sorting it for recycling does take some time. The packaging has several parts. These parts are:
- The outer cardboard Jet box
- Paper packing material
- Dry ice in plastic bags
- Water-based ice packs in plastic bags
- A soft packing material that is bio-degradable if you take it out of its plastic bag
I'm glad all of the parts are recyclable or bio-degradable. The dry ice can be set outside to melt or evaporate (do not put dry ice down the toilet, tub, or sink drains) and the ice packs can be snipped open and run right down the garbage disposable. But doing all of this is a process that took me almost as much time as it would to grocery shop in person. However, I would personally rather be in my own home doing this after unpacking my groceries than spend time in a grocery store. If you're looking for total convenience, this isn't the solution. If you're a one-car family, trying to save on gas, or just really hate the grocery store as much as I do and you are willing to take the time to properly dispose of these packaging materials, then this is still a good option. My kids personally had a lot of fun making this job 100x harder than it should have been.
A word of warning though, dry ice is dangerous. Don't touch it without gloves and don't let kids or pets near it.
Some Produce Gets Too Cold and Is More Easily Bruised
This was the case with my bananas. My apples also had a few bruises but weren't as bad as the bananas. I cut apples up for my kids anyway (or they'll eat the core...) so slicing off a bruise or two wasn't so bad. If you're using them to display, then you might want to grab a bag from your grocer.
The Boxes Are Heavy
For me, this is no problem. I live on the ground level and just have to drag the boxes from the porch through my front door. It was much easier than hauling my groceries to the car, loading them into the car, and then unloading them again. But if you're unable to lift heavy objects this might not be a great solution, or you may just want to start unpacking the box on your porch to lighten the load.
Other Cons
- You can't use coupons unless they're Jet coupons (and some of those are pretty good).
- You can't shop store brand except for some Great Value varieties since Jet was recently purchased by Walmart.
- You can't shop local and if this is non-negotiable for you, then this isn't a great option.
- You can't use an EBT. Boo.
The Pros
- Everything was very carefully packaged. This is something I really appreciate. There's nothing more depressing than one leaky grocery ruining all of the rest. But Jet did a phenomenal job protecting my groceries from raw meat, my eggs from cracking, and my juice from leaking.
- Food stayed cold and I didn't have to worry about anyone getting sick from unsafe temperatures. I couldn't believe how the cold foods stayed cold and the frozen foods stayed frozen (albeit those sugar-free popsicles...). Jet seems to have the temperature thing down pretty well and perhaps with more tweaking, the delicate produce won't get too cold.
- I didn't have to leave my house. That is just amazing.
- The prices were totally reasonable and with many of the items even cheaper than at the grocery store. As the commercials suggest, the more you spend at Jet the more you save, and those savings can be steep.
- So many healthy options are available. I felt like this made healthy shopping for my family easier. At the grocery store, I tend to become overwhelmed by the selection, but at an online retailer, it's easier to sort by preference including the brand. That's a big time saver.
- Jet only ships Monday-Friday so you know your food is arriving fresh and hasn't been sitting on the delivery truck all week.
- The freshness factor. An icky truth about having once worked in a grocery store is that I know grocers don't always practice safe food-handling habits. I've never worked behind the scene at Jet's either, so I can't really say anything for sure, but I do remember many a shift that consisted of someone ditching their cart full of meat and dairy at an end cap, only for it to be found an hour later when some sorry sap at the end of her shift (that would be me) was sent to return those items to their refrigerated home...after sitting out for a while...yuck. Since Jet's groceries are delivered to them cold, stored cold, then delivered to me cold, they're always cold. And that's pretty awesome. I also know that the food wasn't handled by a bunch of people before it arrived on my doorstep.
Disclaimer
I'm in no way affiliated with Jet.com or it's parent/sister companies. I didn't receive any compensation for this honest review, but I couldn't find any on this service out there and thought the internet could use one.
Are There Hidden Fees?
Are there any extra fees for Jet.com fresh grocery delivery besides the price of food? Nope, there are truly no hidden fees for fresh grocery delivery with Jet.com
Shipping over $35 is free, but you will pay a $4.99 cold delivery fee for each order (to cover the costs of cold packaging).
What Are the Prices in Comparison to My Local Grocers?
- Some of it, like the bagels, was maybe right on par or just slightly above the average grocery store price, while others were priced at or slightly below grocery store price, with the total cost dropping with each added item.
- With the first-time-order coupon and the number of groceries I ordered I ended up paying considerably less than I typically would at my local grocery store (the above order came to just over $80).
- I tend to buy the same things over and over again, without a lot of variation, so purchasing my food this way saves me from making impulse purchases at the checkout. If you're someone who utilizes extreme couponing and only shops sales, this probably won't be a cheaper option for you.
Will I Use Jet.com's Grocery Delivery Service Again?
You betchya I will.
- Next time, I think I would do a bigger order, since as I mentioned, the more you add to your cart, the lower the prices drop.
- I would make it an event: chop, freeze, prepare, and store things appropriately, and try to keep my fresh-shopping down to every other week to streamline dealing with the packing materials.
- I would also be thoughtful to be home during the warmer months when my groceries arrive so I can unpack them right away. Even as carefully and well packaged as my cold and frozen items were, I wouldn't want things to get soggy while I was at the beach.
As with anything, this service will be a total lifesaver for some people and a pain in the butt for others, but hey, a few years ago everyone thought I was ridiculous for ordering my toilet paper and laundry soap online and now...
Account Issues
It's been four months since I first wrote this, and I just wanted to update this review to include some information I learned this week about Jet.com's account policies. After a couple of weeks of trying to login to my account to order more groceries, I thought Jet might be experiencing a glitch that I honestly didn't have time to deal with, so I skipped sitting on the phone with customer service and bought my groceries elsewhere.
Last week my mother asked me to pick out a birthday present for my youngest. I tried again to login to Jet.com to purchase a foldaway slide. I still couldn't log in so I tried to use my mom's account to login and make the purchase from her account. When her account also wasn't working, I decided to just make a new account using my school email. I've had to do this on their sister site, WalMart.com when I had a glitch with my old account (I entered my billing address incorrectly, and it just never forgave me). I want my groceries, dagnabbit! Feeling kind of frustrated I threw the slide in my cart, checked out with the new member coupon (cue the pearl clutchers), and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And... you get the idea. It didn't come.
Since it's summer, I don't check my school email often, but this morning I logged in to see if there were any updates from Jet on the slide, and I was greeted with an e-mail informing me that my order was canceled and my account suspended for using a new member coupon when I'm already a member under a different account. When I contacted customer service, I explained that I wasn't able to login to my previous account and that's why I made a new one. That's when I was informed that that old account was suspended too, along with my mother's, for having the same mailing address, hence why I couldn't log in to either of them.
*deep sigh*
Up until this spring, my mom and I did have the same mailing address because I lived with her.
Although the fresh grocery delivery service is definitely pretty kewl, I'm no longer a Jet member because of the no-same-address policy, and I have no desire to be one again after this experience.
TL;DR
Go ahead and use Jet.com's fresh grocery delivery service but seriously, don't upset the JetHeads by having the same address as another Jet member or using a welcome coupon when you're not new. They'll make you pay. Or, rather, they'll make it really, really hard for you to pay them *big eye roll*
If I hear back from customer service with a better solution to this situation, I will definitely update. Until then, with so many other options for grocery delivery bursting on the scene this year, I'm sad to suggest that you might want to shop around before settling on Jet.
Update: Jet No Longer Servicing My Area
So, I just received an e-mail from Jet this evening (I don't really understand how, since they terminated my account) to let me know that they are no longer servicing my zip code with fresh grocery delivery until they can properly work out some "issues" that aren't really explained in the e-mail. This is too bad, and I hope for others who use the service in my area and other canceled service areas that they can find affordable alternatives.
Would you try a fresh grocery delivery service?
Questions & Answers
© 2017 Kierstin Gunsberg
Related
Comments
I tried Jet and loved it except for to do with all of that packaging, especially the brown paper. I became concerned about what would happen to my packages in the winter when trucks became delayed due to weather. If I was expecting a shipment on say Thursday and it was delayed getting to Fed Ex until Sat. I would not receive my items before Mon. because the truck doesn't run in my area on weekends. Also, I needed my shipment when expected. I loved Jet! If I lived closer than VA. I would probably still be using their service.
- AUTHOR
Solongago, I hope that the service continues in your area! I think it's an awesome service to be able to utilize if things go smoothly and in my brief experience with them, they did an awesome job packaging the groceries. Although I know a lot of people try not to do business with Walmart or it's affiliates I do. I used Jet until they terminated my service and continue to use Walmart.com and Sam's Club for most of my groceries. I have to feed my family without going into debt!
Good luck getting your license back - you may just find that even when you're able to drive again, you really like having your groceries delivered :)
Due to going a year without car insurance and not turning in my plates, the State of New York has temporarily suspended my registration, so I can't legally drive. The only grocery store within walking distance in this tiny village has a very limited selection, so for about two months now, about two thirds of my groceries have been ordered from jet.com. Other than a cracked container of chopped dates, everything else has arrived in perfect condition. I regret that they're owned by Walmart now, as I take pride in avoiding Walmart, but I will definitely continue to use jet.com, at least as long as I'm unable to use my car.
- AUTHOR
Deb, it was really awesome to hear from you! Thank you for reading and for commenting :) I really want to stress that my interactions with customer service representatives themselves have always been more than pleasant! I think that some of the policies (or really just the no-same-address policy) is a bit tricky and inconvenient/unfair but that's not something that anyone in customer service can control and I'm sure it's equally frustrating for you.
I'm excited to hear that Jet is working out the kinks because I think this is a wonderful and innovative service. It's 2017 and fresh grocery delivery is definitely something that will thrive, but as with any great idea, it takes some time to define perfection. I didn't see any issues with the heavy packaging, but physically that's not something that's a problem for me and I can see how it would be hard for a lot of Jet's customers.
You're totally right about the bananas! Seriously, bananas are fragile even straight from the grocery store, haha.
When I was growing up, I remember that my mom and all of my friends' parents had a shopping day. They would go to like five different stores to get all of the groceries for the week. It was arduous and I didn't get it. Now that I'm the grocery shopper for our home I totally get it! I now shop online between seven (!!) different stores to get the best deals from fresh meat and dairy to bulk snacks for my girls and toilet paper and cleaning products. All of this is to say that maybe it will be difficult for Jet be a great place to grab fresh produce and remain economically competitive, but they're an awesome place to get the best deals on other things (in my experience, refrigerated snacks like bagels and cream cheese and pantry goodies like bags of candy were cheapest at Jet) and that may be where Jet's focus should go. I really hope they restore service to the cancelled zip codes, I know a lot of people had become dependant on the service.
In the meantime thanks again for reading and giving us some inside perspective! It's very helpful.
I work at jet fresh and they are redoing a lot of things and working on the packaging issues as well as a huge complaint is the amount and "heaviness" of the packaging. I want to show the upper management the issues with the codes and the other issues you mentioned as working there I can attest to the fact that they are all about customer service some of the comments really affected me because it is a really good company to work for .. we've gotten a lot of positive feedback and they are working on certain issues right now hence the cut in zip codes and also the code situation I want to address that and other great points you brought up. One thing I'll be Honest about is steer away from the bananas it just seems as though it's impossible to keep them fresh; they either freeze or turn black no matter how we've shipped them. Any questions please ask and I will bring this article to work with me.
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- AUTHOR
Frustrated, I noticed their dry grocery prices had been going up too but like you say, I buy most of my pantry items from WalMart or even Target's websites anyway.
I think this "gap" in fresh grocery delivery without a definite return date is bad business and gives their base too much time (and uncertainty) to find new services.
It seems the suspension of fresh delivery was over many zip codes, and after a few conversations with them, it apparently should return in a few weeks, though with no definitive date.
Their dry grocery pricing has been climbing sense June, however the fresh and frozen items had remained very reasonably priced. Most of the dry items are also available from Walmart (exact match brand, size and pack), and Jet will honor the Walmart prices if you send an email with a link for the items within 30 days of your order. They'll honor other delivery service prices, as long as they aren't subscription based like Amazon.
Bummer to hear they wouldn't work out a solution for your address situation. With separate payment methods / card users, you'd think it'd be clearly not abuse on your part. What a shame.
- AUTHOR
Marie!! (((hugs))) I am one of THOSE people too! There's just too many decisions to make, the lights are too bright, the music is bad, the other shoppers are sure to notice I'm a total weirdo and BAM panic attack. Try the WalMart pickup and let me know what you think! I wish we had that here, but we don't (maybe because we already have pickup from Sam's Club, which is also WalMart?). It's also worth it to message Shipt on Facebook and find out if they have any plans to come to your area. It's more expensive than just picking your groceries up from WalMart, but you pay for the convenience and so far we just love it. Waiting on an order right now!
I was so bummed when I got the email about them suspending the fresh grocery delivery for now. I have been using it since January. I reached out and they are sure it is coming back but they do not know when. Cry. It was so awesome for me because I am one of those people who can have a panic attack in the middle of a store for no reason and leave the store and my cart and get my butt home because obviously there is something that is going to kill me. lol. So for now I will give Walmart's grocery pickup a try. I mean...at least I don't have to go in right?
- AUTHOR
I'm glad the info helped you! If you have grocery delivery or pickup in your area too it can make shopping at these bargain stores even easier :)
- AUTHOR
It's really strange to me because for the last year I used Jet with wonderful customer service and then suddenly their attitude was that I was a thief for trying to re-use a coupon code. I can understand being told not to re-use a coupon code but for all the hassle they were giving me for just trying shop at Jet I was forever turned off. Their groceries are a little cheaper than my local delivery service so I would have utilized them more for more expensive products but honestly, Shipt is a TON easier because all I have to do is unload my grocery bags and I like knowing that I'm supporting a local person who might be supplementing their education or income with a flexible schedule. That's a win/win for me.
I appreciate this info also. I associate Walmart with VERY poor treatment of and policies for EMPLOYEES! Will not give them my money. The nearby convenience & low prices do not sway me. There are PLENTY of other bargain shopping stores! and I've found them all. Thanks!
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I suspected they were somehow associated with Walmart/Sam's, so I'm glad you noted that. I've ordered three times and didn't order any cold stuff, just a bunch of catfood and I was moderately pleased except for the horrendous amount of packaging which you noted. I don't understand how they can not charge taxes. Seems like with them being a Walmart associated company they are big enough that they should collect taxes. I associate Walmart with terrible customer service so I'm glad you did the update.
- AUTHOR
Chris says: "A good article and I am also a Jet customer. Please note ***you should not put dry ice in the sink as stated. It can cause damage to pipes and plumbing.*** it is best to set outside to evaporate."
Chris, you are totally right, geeze! I looked into this and it's definitely NOT safe to dispose of dry ice in the sink, toilet or anywhere with plumbing. I'm going to fix my article - thanks again!
- AUTHOR
Hey everyone! Unfortunately some great comments didn't make it through the comment filters so I'm going to post them here for everyone to read :)
Kim says: "I love jet.com, three weeks in and will continue to use, and I find I am saving money cause I am not picking up those so called deals that are not on my list :) I do have one question. Once a month we go to recycle center and divide out our trash. We are unsure where to put the fabric like material that's inside the plactic packs. Do they fall under paper? It reminds me of a filter from a cigarette or insulation but I am just not sure which bin to put it in :("
Kim, that's a REALLY good question and one I don't have the answer to. I will contact Jet's customer service tonight and when I get a reply, I will post it here. Does anyone else have any ideas? I know that the soft material is biodegradable when it's not in it's plastic bag, but beyond that I have no idea how to handle disposing of it other than tossing it loose in my trash bin.
- AUTHOR
Hey, Just ordered! I'm so excited for you that you have the option for Jet Fresh Grocery Delivery in your area. It seriously is such a time saver and just reassuring to know that fresh groceries are just a click away. I'm actually waiting for my first Schwans order as I type this, ha! My kids are pretty excited about the ice cream cups ;)
I agree, the taxi fare to and from WalMart for the grocery pickup probably isn't worth it, especially if you're able to find the right stuff at Jet. We're on a tight budget too and I was really happy with the amount (and variety) of groceries I was able to get from them for the price. I'm still a little bummed about the bananas, but we just got a new service in my town called Shipt which delivers from the grocer just down the road from me so I'm back in banana business.
Thank you for an honest opinion. I placed my order then wondered, how do they come cold packed? A quick search and read this. Now I thank you for the photos as well. I am disabled and been using Schwanns for a large portion of my shopping because they accept EBT and deliver, but now I no longer get EBT and have to pay cash for everything which is hard on a fixed income. I need affordable and convenient options and this is great! Walmart recently started grocery pick up, but that means setting up a cab service to pick up at the store at X o'clock and seems like a huge waste of money to pay roundtrip. Even with a small delivery fee and cold pack fee, this SAVES me money!
A good article and I am also a Jet customer. Please note ***you should not put dry ice in the sink as stated. It can cause damage to pipes and plumbing.*** it is best to set outside to evaporate.
- AUTHOR
Cooper, you're welcome! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)
Shauna, I don't blame you! For some, grocery shopping is a fun outing but for someone like me with two little kids and mountains of homework, I'm okay sacrificing some of the control for convenience.
This is interesting. I know many local grocery stores now offer a delivery service, but I was unaware fresh groceries can be purchased online.
I really don't think it's something I'd want to try. I shop weekly and I'm a label reader. I also use coupons for items/brands I prefer. I know exactly where the items on my list are located, so I'm in and out pretty quickly. Unpacking takes very little time.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed your review, Kierstin.
This is a great article - I've been thinking about starting to get my groceries online (I, too, hate going to the market) and this level of detail is super helpful. Thanks a ton!
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