Sainsburys - update.

[SerendipityJane]

No email received, despite being carer to a vulnerable person. (Although Twitter reveals that some non-vulnerable people have got an email to their puzzlement).

Engaged for past 6 hours. (Yes, engaged. No queue).

Ignored on Facebook

Ignored on Twitter - where it transpires a lot of people are having issues with this. I'm lucky enough to be able to use the telephone, but as some people have noted, the "phone only" option excludes some people with disabilities.

Looks like a store visit is called for ... after I was told on Saturday that my charge clearly "doesn't need any proof" as they are in a wheelchair.

Rant over, blood pressure lowered. Stay safe all.

I registered via the link to gov.uk on the Sainsbury's site but it still says 'tough shit you're not known to us as a vulnerable person' when you try to book a slot.

It's such a windup. Lots of texts saying to distance from your family and kids and no support.

The change to the extremely vulnerable group seems sensible enough to me. There was no realistic way for Sainsbury's to verify vulnerability themselves without some kind of government support like this.

That said, there is no way to register as extremely vulnerable outside England. Having managed to get through to them on the phone this morning and be assured we were being added to the vulnerable list (DH is having chemo), I'm now worried about whether that will be honoured in Scotland.

@Meandyouandyouandme No us vulnerable people who need to shield haven't been sorted out by Sainsburys. They are actually the worse supermarket for allowing customer to contact them. Luckily for me they aren't the only supermarket that delivers in my area. Thank fuck for Morrisons.

@MangePasTesOnglesVilain agree.

There is a huge problem for the 90-somethings who go in person to shop in Sainsburys every week, and pay cash. They fly past the radar of everybody, certainly the 94 year old I pick up the heavy & bulky shopping for has had no communication from anyone. She goes by taxi to Sainsburys every week for fresh stuff, and to the bank and/or PO to take out her pension for her cash. She has not had any email or text - she's not online and probably her mobile phone is off as it's for emergencies when out and about only!

I'm not bothered about picking up her shopping for her as the panic buying has subsided now and she can cope with shortages, after all she got through the War (And nobody panic buys salad).

I have managed to get a slot for Sainsbury's, it was only Fri, sat and Sunday but slots were there. When all this first kicked off I was told 'No go away' but it let me book a slot. So maybe priority for the vulnerable groups and then any remaining slots opened up for others a few days in advance.

Milk is a bit of an issue, but I can get that from the local shop (autistic ds lives mainly on a diet of cereal, so we use a lot of milk)

@LittleLittleLittle ah sorry you’ve not even been able to book one. I’m ordering for my elderly parents as well, who also can’t get a delivery as they normally go to the shop.

Just looked on Gov.uk it appears the supermarkets have moved the goalposts from "Elderly and Vulnerable" customers( who qualify for flu' Jab) qualify for priority slots to only the super vulnerable( shielding) customers. Obviously they should have priority having dangerous health conditions rather than limiting conditions But although healthy I have CP and can't stand or shop alone

Yes @uncomfortablydumb53 it does look like they are no longer bothered about the vulnerable, presumably because of the logistics of identifying and the numbers of us. The government message moved last week as everyone was told to up their social distancing. People are still talking about over 70s but the other 'vulnerable' people seem to have gone by the wayside.

so the TL;DR from all this, is should you see some people out and about at the supermarket, you'll know why.

At least the suns out.

@ArriettyJones Yes Sainsburys have changed their policy When it was first announced they were giving " elderly and vulnerable customers" priority
Which I assumed was everyone who received a flu jab
I have slipped through their net as I do receive a flu jab as I have CP which is a neuro condition but not necessary to shield
I'm 55 and my disability means I cannot shop alone or stand eg in a queue
I cannot get an online slot although I've had one weekly for 5 years
Sainsburys have now lost my custom

Yes I’m in exactly the same boat as you @uncomfortablydumb53

Sainsbury’s won’t get me back after this.

I tried to book cluck&collect but no slots available for three weeks. Dh needs to go shopping because I don't drive. He needs to get a weeks shop and he is not amused.

@AlunWynsKnee
Pretty shit customer care. I have just heard that they're not paying their employees if they need to Self isolate!

@kingis

I’ll probably get shot down for this but could DH drive you, sit in the car in car park while you go in to do the weekly shop? He’s not coming into contact with anyone.

@Deelish75
It would be good idea but we have two primary aged dc who seems to be getting annoyed by each other. I think dh prefers to go to shop than listen those two arguing and bickering in car.

I had an email from Sainsbury’s about this (arrived in my inbox at 1:30am)
He's an excerpt

I've just said this on the Ocado thread, but the rude, dismissive and almost aggressive communication from Sainsbury's is appalling.

Good I will get offered a delivery slot then.

@uncomfortablydumb53 Can you walk and get into the store? If yes I would go and explain the help you need instore e.g. someone pushing the trolley and putting it through checkout for you.

@alloutoffucks
Yes my store is very local and usually walk up It was the queue panic buying which put me off as I can't stand for more than a couple of minutes but hopefully that has eased now Luckily I don't have much of an appetite even when life is normal!!
I do hope you can get a delivery very soon

Thanks. I actually have a Tesco one booked for Sunday. So I am fine at moment and should be able to get another one for at least a fortnights time for one of the places prioritising vulnerable customers.

I hope the queue panic buying has finished.

Well I think last night's ability to book was a glitch in the time space continuum. However it is ok because Mike says we should go and shop at his stores as he won't give any access to any kind of slot.

I am completely over a barrel because I can't complain because that would just sound really shit but I am sure there is a much better way of ensuring the really vulnerable get a slot.

In my opinion what it actually is, is that they don't really want to offer the service, the shielding group (which they now say is their priority) is quite a small percentage of the population, some of those will then be in the same house, take out the ones that then either don't do online shopping or do and don't use Sainsbury's and they are left with a very small pool of people. So they don't want to do online shopping really (staff intensive, staff may go off) and are using this as an excuse, the first group they identified was too big hence restricting it further.

I may be totally wrong, but I will make sure I am well stocked with the weekend's shop and then anything else I will just pop to the little Tesco express for. I don't meet Ocado's new criteria (despite deliveries only starting really recently here) so that option is out too.

I had to register my disabled, housebound and vulnerable relative as 'super vulnerable' (how patronising!) on the gov.uk link today.
Now waiting for her to receive an email from Sainsbury's to allow her to book a slot.

She orders a shop from Sainsbury's every week, they know she's vulnerable, she's spoken to them about her disabilities before; but they still completely disregarded her.

I'm pretty disgusted to be honest. I can't even get to her to do a shop because I'm 200+ miles away and she's vulnerable - trying to organise this from a distance hasn't been fun.

take they have opened some slots for the weekend, you might get lucky.

I have slipped through the Sainsbury's net. I have asthma, so am advised to be especially stringent when socially distancing. I haven't left the house since Sunday morning when DH and I went for a walk. Later that day we were made aware those extremely vulnerable would be contacted by Sunday 29 March and so I am staying home now, just in case I get contacted (unlikely). I also have other complex disabilities, including a very rare genetic disorder.

As I don't have severe asthma, I'm one inhaler puff on average a day* away from being in the category of asthma patients deemed extremely vulnerable, I'm now not prioritised for help as a result.

*People on Fostair 100/6 are extremely vulnerable if they take 5 puffs a day on average, I take 4 but can take 8 if needed. People on Fostair 200/6 are extremely vulnerable. Only reason I'm not on 200/6 is due to Montelukast tablets, they only make you extremely vulnerable if you're already extremely vulnerable due to a high dose of steroid inhalers. Although I carry a high dose of steroid inhaler warning card, it's not high dose enough to count for this exercise.

Clearly I'm at increased risk compared to 'normal' people and I don't want to have to go to the shops for food. DH doesn't either in case he brings it home so we're rationing things like milk until we get a delivery in a week's time which we booked several weeks ago. I've cancelled all of my (non essential) medical appointments so I can stay home.

When Sainsbury's made their announcement prior to the extremely vulnerable category being announced I was so relieved thinking they would help me stay home

@TheGreatWave oh I'll have to ring her, thanks for letting me know.