Hey there!
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I first discovered Samokat in 2021 when it popped up in my hometown of Yaroslavl, just as my husband and I were moving into a place close to the dark store. All the ads and billboards were touting 15-minute delivery, a discount code for the first order, and their own branded products. At the time, I had no idea it was affiliated with Sber, and I just thought it was some quirky service that I wanted to try out.
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One day, when my husband was out running errands and I was home alone, 8 months pregnant, I was exhausted from all the household chores and decided to treat myself to some food. That's when things took a turn, and Samokat became my go-to companion.
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I remember ordering only the branded products – milk, sausage, bread, cookies, and other treats. And I have to say, I was impressed.
Fast forward to after my baby was born, and grocery shopping just lost its appeal, even though I never minded the big supermarkets nearby. Eventually, when I needed to pick up some essentials in a hurry, I found myself defaulting to Samokat – and my husband did too.
And that's when the vicious cycle of overspending and indulging in junk food began!
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The pros:
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1) I've had the best experiences getting what I need, whether it's diapers, shampoo, toothpaste, or even weird stuff like socks with a built-in light (yeah, it's a thing) within a 30-minute window. All I need to do is let the courier in and grab my order. That's it! It's all about comfort and saving time.
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2) The product range is pretty extensive. I've stumbled upon some really interesting products, even though they're not always what I was looking for. I've found some great partners for ready-to-eat food, like Creative Kitchen or Samokat itself.
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3) Customer support is top-notch. I've had my fair share of complaints, but the team always gets back to me and refunds my money for faulty products. You can try to return something at a hypermarket near your place, but you'll end up wasting time and dealing with a long queue. Here, you get your money back immediately, and you even get a 10 or 20% discount as a gesture of goodwill.
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Where they fall short:
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1) You can't physically check the product before buying it. It's a bit of a bummer when it comes to fruits and veggies, but when you're shopping online, you just have to trust the picker's taste. In the best-case scenario, you get what you need, and in the worst-case scenario, you can always return it. This one's more of a personal quirk, so you can't really change it.
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2) I've gotta admit, free shipping is a major perk of ordering from Samokat. Sometimes I've even managed to snag a deal for under 300 rubles and they'll deliver it in the middle of a snowstorm – I mean, those couriers are my heroes! But, let's be real, sometimes the service can get overwhelmed and they'll impose some pretty harsh restrictions on your order. One time, they even charged me extra for delivery – I think it was around 100 rubles – and then told me I had to spend a minimum of 1,000 rubles to qualify for free shipping. I mean, what if you're just trying to grab a few essentials and don't need to break the bank? You end up having to over-order just to get what you need, and let me tell you, it's not cheap.
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3) One thing I've learned is to never, ever open the Samokat app on an empty stomach... Otherwise, you'll be tempted to buy everything in sight. The new arrivals, the saved items, the curated collections – everything looks so delicious and alluring on the screen that you'll want to splurge. And it's not just the app – even walking into a physical store can be a recipe for disaster. But with Samokat, the temptation is always there, lurking in the back of your mind, waiting to pounce. You can't help but wonder what else you could be buying, what other deals you could be snagging.
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4) I've had issues with not being able to contact the courier directly. Sometimes, the order's paid for and confirmed, but the delivery person is nowhere to be found. I get that their work style might not involve juggling phones during extreme driving, but it'd be nice to have a way to communicate. Imagine you need to leave in a hurry, your doorbell's broken, or your kid's asleep – any unexpected situation, really. You're stuck playing phone tag and submitting support requests. And when the courier starts calling from weird numbers you can't answer in time, you're left with no way to reach them. It's not exactly convenient.
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Now, about the support
I've reached out to the service in various ways – phone calls and messages. Honestly, it's easiest to just send a message in Telegram. At first, a bot responds, but if you need a real person to handle the issue, they jump in and help.
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I haven't had any major conflicts with Samokat, but I have had my share of complaints.
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For example:
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How the service responds:
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I've gotta say, I love how flexible they are - you can do whatever you want with them, and that's especially awesome.
But overall, their response has been pretty on-point and prompt. I've never had an issue where they didn't refund me for a expired product. Their support team really tries to resolve conflicts and offers promo codes and discounts right away - that's a nice touch.
However, there have been a few instances where the couriers were a bit careless.
I had two separate incidents where the couriers were a bit absent-minded. In the first case, they somehow managed to leave their own e-cigarette device in my package - yeah, that's a chemical device that could potentially leak nicotine into my food, which is just gross, even if it was in sealed packaging.
The second situation was even more nerve-wracking, as they left a sharp object - a pen knife - in the package. I was not happy, as my little kid often opens the delivery packages looking for treats, and a pen knife is a serious safety risk. Needless to say, I was fuming and wrote some pretty scathing messages about taking them to court, but Samokat was pretty unemotional about it.
I'm relieved to say that I actually managed to get the team to have a group discussion about it (I hope), and the customer service team messaged me about it via SMS (after all the drama on a certain social media platform).
Of course, with such a large order, it's easy to see how a knife could get left behind in a package, although I think it's a good idea to double-check each order before sending it out. As for the electronics, that was just a courier's mistake. I remember it was raining at the time and I guess he decided to keep his device dry - not cool. I'm just glad it didn't happen again.
Now, let's take a look at a few orders from 2024-25 (about 20% of the total):
Orders always varied, but they were always close to a thousand or even more. Did I spend that much in physical stores? Heck no, thankfully sometimes I just didn't feel like going there.
In 2024, the service wrapped up the year and decided to roll out personalized statistics for each user. Over the course of the year, I made around 400 and change orders, each of which was over 600 and some were even in the thousands, when I ordered household chemicals and products for events and trips. My husband's stats were a bit more modest, but together we hit the milestone of a million.
For a girl: marketplaces with cosmetics
For a woman: the electric scooter!
But I do want to mention that I make orders not just for myself, but also as gifts for loved ones in other cities. If someone gets sick or just tells me they want to try something new, I instantly place an order. It's so convenient to be able to make someone's wish come true from a hundred kilometers away in just 15-20 minutes. Attention is priceless!
I completely forgot to buy my mom a gift for International Women's Day, and then I had tulips, good-quality skincare, and a gift box. Med!
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I've had my fair share of last-minute grocery shopping, and let me tell you, it's a real pain. Especially when you need to pick up a few essentials for a dinner party.
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That's where Samokat comes in!xa0
Just the other day, I was in the middle of getting ready for a shower when I realized my favorite body wash was out of stock.
Samokat!
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Have you ever tried to cook a hearty beef goulash, but struggled to find fresh meat at your local butcher? Yeah, me too.
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Samokat!
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Recently, I went on a picnic with friends and needed some last-minute snacks and drinks. That's when Samokat saved the day!
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Samokat!
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For me, Samokat has become the go-to delivery service. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's been a lifesaver on more than one occasion. Whether it's a sick family member or a last-minute dinner party, Samokat always delivers (pun intended!). And the best part? It's convenient and hassle-free.
Some couriers are the real MVPs - they're like angels without wings. Wishing them good health, and hoping they get to treat themselves to all the things the service promises.