Is it irresponsible to order things online now?

[Grabbners]

I’m trying to think of ways to keep us occupied while we’re all but housebound. One of the projects I have in mind is doing the garden, but in order to do so, I’d need to order stuff online.

So is it irresponsible of me to be making delivery drivers approach my house?

Or is it the opposite - giving money to companies which might begin to struggle, and keeping drivers in work?

If it is irresponsible, does anyone have any suggestions for keeping busy without putting anyone at risk?

Thank you.

My friend is doing up her house at the moment and delivery drivers are just phoning or texting her when they've dropped the stuff on the doorstep.

It's fairly easy to do completely contactless deliveries.

I just have. Dd's birthday, some books and games.

Postman came yesterday and just rang the bell and left stuff in the mat outside...

I think outsourcing the health risk to minimum wage warehouse workers for non essentials is kinda shitty, yeah.

I think that's OK. Some delivery companies aren't asking for signatures now. I'm decorating, I've got most of what I need but will order online if I run out.

I can’t leave the house at the moment so online deliveries are vital here. The delivery drivers have been leaving packages/food on the doorstep, ringing the bell and walking away. I shout thanks down the drive. No contact at all.

Just remember to wipe down any plastic packaging, the virus can linger on that for days.

They’ll leave things on the mat (and report the delivery as DOA your surname) so that they don’t have any contact with you.

I have been ordering things so I can do the garden as it’s completely overgrown (recently moved in) and the prospect of a summer indoors not being able to get outside sounds awful, especially with a garden tempting you. I personally think helping businesses to keep going is important, but it’s why I’m not ordering anything (I can avoid) from Amazon - they’ll be fine no matter what I’m sure.

No I think it’s the safest way to purchase goods. I also think it’s helpful to keep business going in this uncertain time.

I have been, I think it will help the economy and the delivery drivers have been putting stuff on the mat so no contact.

It will really help small businesses keep going.

I’m getting my Gtech in a couple of weeks.

Ok, thank you all for feedback.

.Burney how are you planning to pass the time? Not being snarky, genuinely curious.

I have been locked in in France for over a week. We pass the time indoors. I think ordering from small local businesses is ok but ordering from amazon is shitty behavior.

Your local garden centre may be doing home deliveries, several round here are doing that. You phone up, tell them what you want and pay by card, then they come round and deliver, leaving it in the garden.
Wear gardening gloves, then put them in the washing machine when you've finished.

@BurneyFanny so do online deliveries still work properly for non essential items? I’d thought they might stop for ordering clothes and things but I guess not?

The best thing would be for Jeff Bezis to put his hand on his capacious pocket to avoid layoffs.

AFAIK non essentials can still be ordered online here, but I never shop online anyway so I don’t really know.

I'm doing it to support our small businesses. We will need them when we get past this (and we will) to restore the economy.