Have you been refused sale of formula from Boots?

[Aquaticmama]

I went into Boots today and bought a single pack of formula. The lady behind the counter took it upon herself to tell me how earlier today she refused the sale of more than 2 packs of formula to a mum with young baby. But found out later the "law" had changed two days ago and you can buy more than 2 packs of formula.

She then showed me the formula behind the counter she refused to sell!

I have previously bought more than 2 packs in that store with no issue. I rang customer services who were not at all bothered but said it was a company policy which is no longer enforced.

I was just wondered if it had happened to anyone else?? Not selling formula to mum with a little baby was horrific to hear and Boots just did not seem to care.

[10IAR]

Most large retailers put a 2 pack maximum on formula a while ago, there was worry of a shortage because people were bulk buying to send to a country that had contaminated formula (I believe it was China but I may be wrong).

Not sure why it's still in force in some places though.

[Mads123]

I have never heard this and have worked for boots, they are unable to have promotions or give points on stage 1 formula but that is a government policy not a company one.

[MeltyTalented]

Its a rule to stop people bulk buying.

Imagine someone bought ten at a time then the next person comes along and can't buy any so can't feed their child.

Not everyone is able to travel around to other shops and not all shops have the capacity to stock extra goods to compensate for unexpected bulk purchases.

[MyBreadIsEggy]

My Tesco have always had a “2 per customer” rule to stop people bulk buying.
I remember when DD was little and we’d moved on to formula, the only one she was happy with was Aptamil Comfort, and there was a huge shortage of it because of a fire in the factory it was made in. So the rule was helpful then because it meant people couldn’t go in and clear the shelves of the special formulas in one go, and it was fair game for everybody.
I think they make exceptions for people with twins/triplets etc who would natural need more than people win a single baby.

[Aquaticmama]

But Boots have ended this policy and actually you can buy up to 10 packs at a time now.

I guess I was just horrified at how proud she was about enforcing it even today.

[PRoseLegend]

Australia has a 2 tin rule, because chinese customers were clearing entire shelves to sell back home for a huge profit margin.
They still find ways to get around it by having the whole family go shopping and it will be 2 tins for grandma, 2 tins for aunty, 2 tins for mum etc
While I get that people in China need formula too, it's the blatant disregard for others that gets me... No qualms emptying the shelves of formula just so they can makw a profit reselling it.

[DaffyCactus]

They might be rationing it in case shoppers are stocking up ahead of a no-deal Brexit after last night's news?
I would certainly be buying up stocks ahead of time if I had a small baby, just as I have been stockpiling extra loo roll, san-pro and other household basics over the last couple of months. If it's something you can't manage without, it would be irresponsible not to.

[MeAgainAgain]

Doesn't make sense.

Surely with the old policy, she would have been allowed to buy one?

So she tried to buy 2 and the woman refused to sell her any.

That's properly awful.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Think I'd be buying a few cartons on reserve too @DaffyCactus

[Kokeshi123]

I live in Japan and it is usual in big cities to have strict limits on formula buying (1 can max at a time per shopper)--also nappies and wipes.

Many Chinese tourists and students have been buying very large quantities in the past to sell in China on the "grey" market, at high prices. People will pay a premium for formula for overseas due to worries about contamination of local formula, as well as general food safety/pollution worries. Even foreign imported formula in shops in China is not trusted, due to fears that fake labels have been stuck onto compromised local formula.

It's also become a serious problem in Hong Kong.

I know that putting limits on formula purchases sounds shocking, but the rules were brought in because parents were coming into stores and discovering that the whole place had been gutted of formula. Everybody has just had to learn to be more organized and purchase a single can regularly.

I do think that parents accompanied by twins should get special permission to buy two cans.

I understand that parents in China are frightened of their own homegrown formula. In the long run, however, the situation won't improve until the people of China start putting more pressure on their government to start cleaning up pollution and food safety issues. In the meantime, countries are entitled to safeguard formula supplies for their own consumers IMO.

[RogueV]

I remember the Aptamil Comfort saga very well.

[deathbycats]

I remember that when DS was a baby, so 2013, that it was really hard to get a hold of Aptamil and Cow & Gate in the supermarkets near us and a lot of shops were limiting it to 2 cans per customer because they were worried about it being exported to China - if I remember correctly there were poisoning fears in China about their own formulas.

[bookmum08]

As other's had said shops often do restrict to things like Two Per Customer due to the reasons people have said. But this sales assistant was basically talking made up bollocks that was not relevant to you and must of been baffling to the other mum and could even scare a new parent who feels they are doing something 'wrong'. I think you should contact the store manager just to have a chat with the assistant today say if she is going to do small talk could she stick to the weather and how cute your baby looks. New overwhelmed parents do not need to be told pointless nonsense by retail staff.
However the stores not being allowed to have Stage 1 milk on special offer or give clubcard points is due to government policy of 'promoting' breastfeeding and that is the way stores have to interpret it but many sales assistant will say "it's the law". That is semi true but restrictions on how much you can buy is nothing to do with the government or laws.