AIBU to think if you're healthy you should give up your delivery slots

[Sarah510]

Just thinking it's not really fair if you're healthy, and have a car, to use delivery slots from the supermarket. If you're healthy I think you should just go to the shop… It was different when we were all working and had no time etc etc, but most of us are wfh now and no reason we cant do a trip to the supermarket. Would help sick people and key workers etc by freeing up delivery spots.

Yes they should. I know several people who should be staying in (vulnerable/old/health issues) etc who can't get delivery slots and are having to go out, at very great personal risk to themselves. It's just selfish of "healthy" people to keep their slots when more needy people can't get them.

I'm healthy and I have a car. However I also have a toddler and a newborn, and no one to take care of them at home during the day whilst I queue for hours at a supermarket. Slots are almost non existent where I am, but I luckily have one booked for next week. No way in hell am I giving it up.

And if I gave up my slot how would I ensure it went to a vulnerable person?

I hope that with the "most vulnerable" list prepared by the gov and issued to supermarkets, that anyone not on that list won't be able to get slots. The list has only just been circulated, so too early for supermarkets to process it yet, but I hope it comes in during the next few weeks.

I don't think it will be helpful.

The lead time is likely to be 3 weeks if I'm lucky enough to get a slot at all. I'm healthy and well now but in three weeks time I or someone in my family could be sick with Covid-19.

And if I cancel the order shortly before it's due, there's a good chance it goes to nobody, and if anyone else does get it there's a good chance they don't really need it either.

I have delivery slots and pop into the supermarket as well - best of both worlds

I have a couple of slots which I am not going to give up. I am healthy but have a special needs child that I have to take out in a chair. I usually have a delivery every week and have done for a couple of years but I am having them every 10 to 14 days instead and going to my local shops once a week if I have to.

I hate supermarket shopping, that is why I always, each and every week of my life, have an on-line delivery. I always book six weeks in advance, so had my slots on the go. I have two left. Two I would have needed anyway as DD had Covid, so we had to isolate for 14 days.

For those whom I know, who are in the extremely vulnerable category, and need shopping delivered, they have all got weekly supermarket slots and also other food deliveries. Nan and Grandad are currently having three deliveries a week from different shops. Perhaps they are just lucky, and it is obviously very area dependent, but I don't know anyone at the moment that is not getting what they need.

No, I disagree.

I actually do go to the shops as I find it less fuss than online deliveries, but who knows if I’m carrying something and found infect someone else in the supermarket.

I actually have a cold at the moment (no CV symptoms) and I worry that if I pass that one onto someone a bit more vulnerable, it could have a detrimental effect on their immune system meaning they may struggle to fight off anything serious.

The fewer people visiting supermarkets full stop, the better.

I’ve managed to get one delivery slot so far, they’re like hens teeth. I’m healthy but have two young dc and no car. There is a petrol garage that dp can grab things from- he is a key worker. But ultimately I need an online shop.

Can't win either way is about the size of it.

I don't get online deliveries because I'm fit and healthy, and so are my teenagers.

Instead, I cycle to the shops every day, which takes more than an hour. So I am one of those awful people who has more than an hour of exercise per day.

I go every day because there's a limit to what I can fit on a bike.

So you really, really can't win.

It's a tough one Op. We pay upfront for our weekly online delivery and haven't had one for weeks. No car and there are five of us. Dh still working full time so I've been going twice a week to stock up, a rucksack on my back for heavy stuff, and large shopping bag in each hand.
I have to admit that if a slot became available, I would stock up on the heavy stuff wherever possible. We live on a steep hill and it's bloody knackering.

he list has only just been circulated, so too early for supermarkets to process it yet, but I hope it comes in during the next few weeks

Sainsburys have been doing vulnerable only for a couple of weeks now, so this list must be available already.

In any case, if you do make deliveries vulnerable only, you’ll cut off many elderly who aren’t internet savvy like my mum, who telephones me her order and i do it on my account. Or those who become temporarily vulnerable- those who can’t go out due to illness or cv symptoms.

I have a delivery slot with Ocado. I was offered a weekly slot but will go with no weekly deliveries so am giving up some slots not all. Quite frankly call me selfish but this virus seems to strike pretty randomly and I don’t deny getting it either!

If my spots went to a vulnerable person, then I'd be very content to give it up. But the likelihood is that it'll go to someone else who isn't vulnerable, and if that's the case, I'd rather keep it myself, especially as j pay for the slots, and have done online groceries for years.

I have one tomorrow that I booked 3 weeks in advance but after that I have switched to click and collect.
We have severely disabled child who is officially in the vunerable category. We are both as far as we know healthy although in our 50's but if either of us get more than mildly unwell looking after our child could be impossible and he could end up in care hundreds of miles away - so I am keen to avoid actually going into shops.

Ops too many typos. I will go with bi weekly deliveries and don’t fancy getting the virus that should be!

I also agree that many put shopping for others on their orders. My neighbours with a small baby put their shopping on my order for example.

The most selfish ones are those who have multiple delivery slots booked in advance.

People should have one slot only if they must have home deliveries.

I am at risk and it would never occur to me to book multiple slots, because for every slot I book, it’s a slot which someone else can’t have.

Also people seem to be forgetting the middle ground that is click and collect. There’s no reason why someone with a car can’t use it.

I'm healthy and using the odd delivery. I'm a a LP and don't have family support. My 11yr old isn't safe to leave for long and if I get ill I can't keep her brother safe. I managed a click and collect last week but a long outing would be risky.

We are having our first delivery in four weeks and it's mostly things that I can't get locally.

The only other alternative is going outside of the village to a big supermarket that serves a much bigger area. That seems much riskier to me.

I agree, although I have a slot this week which I booked 3 weeks ago at the start of all this. I have 3 children, attempting to wfh and partner is still working, although I can go at the weekend and have been so far. No way I’m cancelling this prebooked slot as to be honest it’s a weight off my shoulders although I won’t be booking any more.

I'm a single parent with a severely disabled child who has a weak immune system. I don't drive and live four miles from the nearest supermarket. I'm not considered high priority. I think the restrictions are really high.

If the system changes and the supermarkets aren't releasing slots to the general public and just the vulnerable then fair enough. Likewise if they cancel my delivery I have booked for a couple of weeks time then again fair enough. It's up to the supermarkets to decide the logistics of who does and doesn't get slots. At the moment the Government advice is to avoid going to shops as little as possible, so that's what I'm doing by using the annual pass I've paid £80 for. I've used it once in the past two months. If there was a system where I could transfer the money I've already paid for my deliveries to give a vulnerable person free deliveries I would do this.

This has been much discussed on mn. Someone in the know said on another thread that the vulnerable get given the first slots, and then Joe Public gets what left over.

Instead of complaining to joe public for taking the slots, maybe complain to the supermarkets/government for releasing slots to Joe public. Maybe the supermarkets should cancel everyone’s passes, then everyone re-apply with proof of their vulnerability. Eg, government letter, disability, child with SEN, over 70 years old.

People on the vulnerable list are already prioritised so the remaining slots are for everyone else.

In addition the government actually advised people to buy online as much as possible.

I’m sure if all the people who have slots suddenly cancelled them and then lined up outside the supermarket, there will be a Daily Mail article showing the line, calling them all ‘Covidiots’ and zoom lensing into their baskets to try and identify ‘non-essential’ items. Their readers and half of MM would be denouncing them.

People really can’t win.

@stefoscope - not sure who you use, but in Ocado, you can donate money to foodbanks.