Taking grocery slots you don't need

[CaterpillarInTheGarden]

Was on a Skype group chat with inlaws and DH's aunt was saying she has booked tesco delivery slots. She is in her early 50s, and her and her 18 year old daughter are not in a vulnerable group. They have no underlying health conditions. I asked if she was shopping for elderly neighbours or vulnerable people or parents with young children who can't get to the shops. She said no of course not . Giving a short laugh as if I was asking a ridiculous question. So I questioned why is she taking delivery slots when she can easily go to the shops because she is not elderly, vulnerable, does not have young children and has a car. I said it was shelfish as people who need them are struggling to get them. She just made a huffing sound, said I was being ridiculous and that she doesn't want to wait in the supermarket queues. Everyone else in chat went silent and didn't say anything. I feel guilty enough using delivery slots and am thinking I should stop using them when we don't have a car, have a young toddler and I would need to walk 35 minutes to the supermarket and have asthma and would need to make a few trips a week to get bulky items like nappies. If I had a car I would definitely not be using supermarket delivery. She also spent alot of time complaining she has had to cancel her holiday. Didn't ask how anyone else was and showed zero concern for how it might be effecting others in the country.

I’ve got a slot booked for Monday and now wonder if I should cancel it? There was nothing on the website about delivery slots only being for the vulnerable and so I (naively it seems) assumed the supermarkets had sorted them out already.

I’m getting stuff for us but also 4 other family/friends who have been unable to get much food in due to lack of stock.

Let me explain it from the delivery end.
We have a set number of vans, that can carry a maximum number of trays each. We cannot magic up any more vans.
We have a certain number of drivers/ That number is currently affected by some ill or self-isolating. New staff have been appointed but need to follow a training schedule before driving alone.
It's not as simple as 'do more deliveries.'
If you keep your slot, but drive and have no health problems, I can see very few circumstances in which it is not selfish to release that slot. NHS keyworkers excepted.
The supermarkets are trying to prioritise but of course, now everyone is saying theirs is urgent/a special case. It has therefore been very difficult to fulfill as many orders as are required.

Staggered by the selfish answers from some posters such as:

im not old/vunerable or any reason why i couldnt go to a shop apart from i dont want to

I can't stand supermarkets and I'm damn sure that I would not be able to stand them in this current climate

she doesn't want to wait in the supermarket queues.

And however much of a loyal customer you have been, doesn't mean you have no responsibility to help out in these extreme circumstances.

@LegoBloodyHurts It's very hard not to judge people by some of these comments when you see how many vulnerable people are unable to access the service and are put at risk when others could be easier for them.

@CricketCrocket My only issue is you could release your slot only for someone to snap it up who is not any more in any greater need than you. I say keep it to feed your family and the others you are helping

@Hydradance Stealth boast for you for 'cooking from scratch every day' and heaven forbid the first pandemic in our lifetime should make the slightest change to your lifestyle.

@CricketCrocket I would keep it but not book any more. You are shipping for others, plus there is no guarantee that someone who actually needs it will take it. At least going forward if you havent taken one that's good.

@ACertainSupermarket very well said

Well said @ACertainSupermarket. We eill keep hoping a slot will be made available to us. We're not going to be out of food yet. But it's the principle - we were told that slots would be offered to the vulnerable and elderly, and I didn't imagine thatvslots were still being grabbed by selfish people who have no reasin not to go the shops other than they can't be bothered or don't want to.

At the end of the day, if vulnerable people, like my DH and DS, catch Coronavirus, and die, because I have been unable to shield them because I have had to go out shopping, those selfish people will be held responsible in my eyes. If that is you then think lo g and hard about your selfish actions - you could be responsible for somebody's death

@Portulaca would you not be entitled to the boris box that others have gotten? I think you register with your shielded letter and they can help.

OP, no people should not be taking delivery slots if they can get to the shops, are able bodied and not shielding. It’s entirely selfish to do so.

And yet there are plenty of people on MN who are - and are not afraid to shout about it.

If I was sure that my released slot would go to a vulnerable person, I would release it but it wouldn't.

I have two click and collect shops booked. I don't feel guilty as I think it's better than going to the supermarket. I feel I am taking a risk every time I go out. I am one less person who has the potential to spread it by going to the shop. I am also avoiding having to take my dcs to the shops too.

If I didn't have the slots there's no guarantee a vulnerable person would get them anyway. I have asked neighbours if they want me to add anything and my sister who is in self isolation too.

It is ridiculous to be angry at her. You are basically saying a 50 year old and 18 year old should risk their health and risk getting a virus that could kill them as other people are more important.

I am saying this as a disabled woman with asthma and a young child whose unable to get a delivery slot.

Meanwhile people like my gran and father who are both very high risk due to age (nan) underlying health conditions (both) can't get a slot for love nor money.
My father is legitimately scared to leave the house. He is my nans carer, she has outside carers for washing which also scares him.
I live 100 miles away so can't help as we can't travel and I being pregnant am being classed as high risk to but I will still go so my own shopping because we have a car and we live super close to our own store so it seams stupid to take a slot for something less than 2 miles away when others need it more who can't go out or who can't drive.
I and my dad worry they won't get food and he can't physically stand in the lines as he's in so much pain standing and walking, I wish I lived closer so I could help.
I kinda feel the stores should check the people they deliver to, some have teamed up with the NHS and are screening their customers for slots. This takes time and man power and people lie because they are lazy or selfish.
The whole situation makes me sad of how awful and entitled people are.
My dad says he can't get the basic items and my local store seams to be full with everything even if it's not the normal brand and costs a little more they have some version of what we usually buy. I wish I could send him the food form my store.
I hope the buying craziness stops.

You feel like stores should check up on people they deliver too? This is ridiculous they are still taking monthly payments off people for delivery passes. So why would they check up on people. You know supermarkets aren't charities ? Nor are they a government service they are private companies . They should make more slots available for those on the shielded list I agree.

Sorry I forgot to say that if your Dad and Nan are extremely vulnerable they should phone the number on their shielding letters and they should help them out with food parcels.

At the moment Sainsbury's are releasing slots for delivery pass holders once they have served their vulnerable customers. When I booked next week's there was about 4 days solid I could have picked from. I can't speak for other areas but ours does seem to have slots. The likes of Tesco and Morrisons don't though.

It's really selfish to take a delivery slot if you don't need it at the moment. It means people who are vulnerable are being forced to leave the house to get in groceries. Or that volunteer's have to work harder to make sure everyone is OK so that perfectly healthy non vulnerable people can have their shopping delivered to the door.

And the argument that you've been shopping online for years and shouldn't have to stop now because there is higher demand from those who now need it more but have never shopped onl before is unbelievably selfish

In case any vulnerable on here don’t know, 900,000 vulnerable will be getting food parcels delivered to them via wholesalers. My aunt is one(I had been doing her online shopping)
Surely this will take some of the strain off the supermarket deliveries?

Happy to report that finally we got priority access to Ocado and even managed to book another delivery slot a week from my next one. We’re shielding a transplant child. The relief at not having to risk leaving the house to go in an actual shop is huge. We’ve done our time in intensive care and on ventilators and we’re not going back there ever again

In case any vulnerable on here don’t know, 900,000 vulnerable will be getting food parcels delivered to them via wholesalers

We can wish and that’s the intention but last week only 10,000 parcels were delivered so basically only one out 90 vulnerable people are getting them. I expect there will be a very gradual increase on deliveries whatever the government is bleating about.

I have a recurring slot.
I have used online grocery deliveries for years most weeks but when the country started going mad, I booked a recurring slot.

I don't feel guilty at all.
I feel that the people moaning, are the ones that didn't think of this in the first place!I

I am ordering groceries for not only my household but two other households that have vulnerable people in it. I am driving, yes driving, the groceries to their house and dropping them on their doorsteps.

Everyone is doing their best.

Be kind.

I'm a pass holder and I just booked my home delivery slot fir next week. There were loads of available slots in my area so why shouldn't I book one?

I feel like a lot of people on here complaining about others booking delivery slots forget that many, many people have particular reasons as to why they feel they need home delivery, or why the feel they or someone they live with is at increased risk. Probably everyone feels justifed in feeling its important for them to avoid thr shops but if thata the case what were you all doing for food shopping previously?

@portulaca

If I was to lose my slot to you and I had to go out to the shops and I caught covid and died, do you feel you should be held responsible for my death? Anyone can die from this virus.