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.

If the delivery is just for them, perhaps. But not if the 'vulnerable' person is buying for the whole extended family, as I saw with our near neighbours.

See also people shopping for the extended family in the golden hour in the morning.

We are healthy but live rurally, it’s a bloody long way to a supermarket. We gave regular deliveries and include shopping for our shielding neighbours.
I am not giving mine up. Not sorry.

My friend and her husband are both having to isolate as they're on the extremely vulnerable list.

have they both registered on the government website and said that they need help? They then go to the supermarket and register. Try sainsbury's if they dont have a regular delivery company

Plus out local co-op is on deliveroo- lots of basics available

@Carbosug on Mumsnet you can't win. One thread (or in fact multiple threads on the same repeating theme) will judge on going out and then another thread (or again multiple threads on the same theme) will judge the other way.

And once again, this thread should be in the Coronavirus topic so that the holier than thou lot can preach about the rest of us in the topic dedicated to the subject matter in hand.

I should clarify my post above to say that there one theme is NOT GOING OUT and the other is GIVE UP YOUR DELIVERY SLOT.

Its just that demand has massively exceeded supply. Unless the supermarkets cancel all bookings and start again with people who can prove their need, (however that could be done) it will stay like this.

I’m shielded and have managed to book online slots for next two weeks (I don’t think any have been released beyond that)

I think one thing that would make an enormous difference to slot availability is if everyone who normally orders every seven days (and who could enter a shop if they ran out of something important) booked every 8 or 9 days instead

Supermarkets are already prioritising delivery slots for who are on the ‘vulnerable’ list. Prior to lockdown, I had used Waitrose, Ocado and Amazon Fresh and was always able to get a delivery within a couple of days. Now I’ve not been able to get a delivery for weeks. My understanding is that each day they deliver to those who can’t go shopping themselves and release a tiny amount of delivery slots for everyone else to use. My SIL told me they got an email from Ocado saying they could book a slot but I am not sure if they have been able to do so. I also know someone in a different part of the country who can’t register her mum as her mum doesn’t have one of the conditions listed on the gov.uk website where you register.

I think this is being presented the wrong way round. If vulnerable people can’t get slots, it is because there is not the capacity to do all the deliveries needed. I think this far outweighs the number of healthy people who get an online delivery but could otherwise get to the shops.

I'm currently doing my online Tesco shop. I have delivery saver and have had a weekly delivery for the last 10+ years.

When this started, I prebooked several slots and have had a delivery roughly every 2 weeks, buying 2 weeks worth of food (when possible), plus food for neighbours. It means I haven't had to go to supermarket since before lockdown began and have reduced the frequency of neighbours trips to the supermarket.

In addition, I've ordered online deliveries for my parents who live an hour or so away and are isolating.

I have one more slot booked for 2 weeks time, and would happily give it up, if I knew it was definitley going to someone in greater need. If Tesco contacted me and said, we'd like to give this slot to someone else, that would be fine. But cancelling it when there's no guarantee that the person who gets it actually needs it, is not something I'd be that happy to do, especially as there's no guarantee that we won't be ill ourselves by then.

I'll keep trying to get slots for my parents, but won't bother with one for ourselves after my last delivery.

I'm not giving up my slot. We are lucky to have a regular recurring slot because we pay to be able to have this, and did so long before the pandemic.

I work long hours in the NHS and use our only car to do so. DH is home with our DC's but they would have to do a shop every couple of days to be able to carry everything by bike. Honestly, I can't be arsed to voluntarily give up the convenience of my asda delivery slot, because there is no guarantee it would go to someone who needed it more than me.

If it is taken from me specifically to be given to someone vulnerable, I won't complain and we'll manage. But while it's just as likely to be taken by someone in a similar position to me I'm keeping it, and I'm not apologising for that.

Where as people getting these slots from? Every time I have looked deliveries ave 3 weeks away so we have to risk it in the shops.

No, fuck you, I'm not going outside unless I have to.

Where as people getting these slots from? Every time I have looked deliveries ave 3 weeks away

By having booked them 3 weeks ago...?

I’m not on the shielded list, but am vulnerable due to heart failure/dilated cardiomyopathy, Waitrose are showing no deliveries in my area right up until the middle of May, Ocado who I have shopped regularly with for about eighteen months, I can’t even get on to see deliveries just the page that says try again later, have had no emails regarding delivery slot availability, I totally understand that those in the shielded group must take priority, but would be nice if I knew that at some point I could be eligible for delivery dunno maybe it’s just pot luck🤷‍♀️

I have not heard of anyone who isn't vulnerable having deliveries. Most people who are fit and well are glad to go out shopping, some of us can't.

I am 'healthy' however I cannot drive because of a medical condition and my nearest supermarket is a 45 minute walk along a very busy road with no pavement. Am I supposed to take my 2 year old with respiratory problems in his pushchair for 45 minutes along a busy road with poor visibility and no pavement to a supermarket putting his health/life at risk?i I am also a key worker working with very vulnerable people who would almost certainly die if they contracted covid-19. So no, I would not give up my delivery spot as I'd rather keep my son, my self, and my patients alive and healthy. Thanks for the advice tho.

YABU. Just because you appear healthy does not mean you won’t catch it. If someone wants a home delivery then it’s up to them. Or are you saying a healthy single parent should go to the shops with their kids in tow? Or is that also an exception? Are you saying that healthy key workers should shop personally even though they are on their knees with fatigue and could do with a home delivery, or is that an exception? People may look healthy but could have vulnerable Family me,vets they live with, or is that an exception?

It’s not that simple. What would be better is home deliveries being limited to one per household per fortnight

@chloemol
What would be better is home deliveries being limited to one per household per fortnight

Agreed. Easy to implement too I expect.

YABU. It is up to the supermarkets to prioritise people who need them and to refund people who are healthy but have paid subscriptions for deliveries before all of this started. There is no way of gifting a slot to someone in need otherwise I would. Also, am getting disgruntled with people who are isolated with good reasons but are unable to ring round some farm shops and get a delivery in less time than the Ocado queue. Peoples idea of essentials is driving me round the bend.

also agree with fortnightly deliveries

I have 3 slots booked over the next 2 weeks. Booked them before the restrictions started. No way am I giving them up, I'm continuing to get our shopping delivered for as long as possible.

OP everyone has their own reason they "need" home deliveries. I really hope the government and supermarkets sort out offering slots to all shielded people so that we can get home deliveries. Because only this will change things. Appealing to people's better nature simply does not work.

I am healthy. But healthy people are also dying. I don't want to die.

I've been an Ocado customer for over a year, paid extra for the delivery slot thingy. I can't get a delivery slot (tried once) so I am sucking it up, I "get" it, but have a nigh-on anxiety attack every time I have to go out for groceries.

I am fit, healthy, low risk.
I am incredibly fortunate that everyone else in my family is as well.
I will not use a slot, I cant guarantee it will go to someone deserving, regardless of what supermarkets put in place someone will find a way to abuse the system.

If however enough people genuinely gave up their slots there wouldn't be this mad dash, this grabby entitled attitude, people could take care and precautions to shop safely, knowing that if they showed symptoms, at that point they could get a slot because people weren't being arseholes.

For those worried about shopping.
My experience in Tesco was fantastic. We queued outside, 2 metre markers were set out but most people left more room than that.
There was disinfectant spray in multiple queue points to clean trolleys
It was a one out, one in system.
Once inside (and needed to queue for about 20 minutes) the aisles were really clear, if I was down an aisle i'd notice people stop, wait till I moved before walking down.
I think only once did someone walk closely to me.
At checkout, only one person was there at a time - You were called, pointed to the checkout and loaded. Then walked past the cashier, the pay machines were at the very end, paid and left.
The whole time I wore gloves. I removed them as soon as I unloaded the car and put my trolley back.
I wiped the bags down with dettol wipes. I then got home to be greeted by husband and kids who all wiped the contents down. I left my shoes and outer clothes on the porch.

It is entirely possible to do a shop, take precautions and leave the online deliveries to those who actually need them.

Or we could all act like @BananaChocolateLump tell everyone to fuck off and hope and prey we never need the help and support of other people.... I know which type of world i'd rather live in.