To sell or not

hubb

Just ended all my listing bar the ones I can pop straight into the letterbox. There is also the option of paying online for postage and popping it into a large post box if you have one in your local town. Having said that, I suppose a trip to that would be non essential.

soolin

hubb said:

Just ended all my listing bar the ones I can pop straight into the letterbox. There is also the option of paying online for postage and popping it into a large post box if you have one in your local town. Having said that, I suppose a trip to that would be non essential.

Exercise is an allowed reason for going out, so just take your daily walk, or jog, via the post box, or on your way to the shop to buy bread. Trips to the PO are also actually allowed under the current rules anyway. 

Lazydayz71

Just be aware that you won't have proof of postage for the items put straight into the post box, so you won't benefit from the upto £20 cover if they are lost.

Although, I have to say, I don't know how that works if you'd purchased postage online? Maybe someone can enlighten me?

Spoonie_Turtle

Lazydayz71 said:

Just be aware that you won't have proof of postage for the items put straight into the post box, so you won't benefit from the upto £20 cover if they are lost.

Although, I have to say, I don't know how that works if you'd purchased postage online? Maybe someone can enlighten me?

For proof of postage they still have to be taken to the PO.


I don't know how to multiquote but re: the virus being in/on packages, that's why you wash your hands and don't touch your face. The results from the study showed viable virus from a dose equivalent to having been coughed or sneezed on was detectable until 72 hours later on plastic but until 24 hours on cardboard (not real-world conditions as the temperature and humidity were controlled, but a useful starting point). Viable virus doesn't necessarily mean it would automatically take hold, as you need a certain amount (viral load) for it to become a problem, but it is something to be aware of. Study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973

I personally am still buying occasional things that have a significant impact on my quality of life, such as a new filter for the shower so that my skin will stop itching and drying out so much, or a specific hand cream because I've run out of anything that doesn't cause irritation - but most other things can wait. I suppose that's why they can't specifically legislate for what is and is not essential, because everyone's circumstances are different and we can all cope with sacrifices in different areas. For me, it's my skin that will break me, but for others it's food intolerances that will break them if they can't get the right things. Other people need to be able to do practical things to keep themselves sane so yes, craft supplies are important to their quality of life. We just all have to take responsibility to do our best.

Lazydayz71

Spoonie_Turtle said:

We just all have to take responsibility to do our best.

Hear, hear!

mgdavid

Flyonthewall said:

They're taking it because they either haven't thought about it or just don't care. By selling non-essential items you're allowing it to happen so are just as responsible. By selling the items you are part of the problem. Don't sell, they can't buy, less people die.

Why would you not want to do whatever you can to reduce the risk of thousands of people dying, especially when it's something so simple? 

you don't know what I'm selling or whether it's essential. I don't know whether my buyers regard it as essential either, it's their call. For some it could be essential if they are key workers and it keeps them mobile. For others it could be they see it as important to maintain their mental health while incarcerated at home. I would never be so arrogant as to decide what's best for them.

mgdavid

Lazydayz71 said:

I'd like to know how many hundreds of thousands of items have been sold on Ebay UK over the last few days, resulting in hundreds of thousands of people making non essential visits to their local Post Office.

Also consider the debatable risk of packages containing or having the virus on them moving in all directions across the country.

I'd like to know the split between Post Office and couriers for delivering items. I don't sell a lot (I'm not a business) but more than half my sales go via courier, who pick up from my drive with no interaction.

Flyonthewall

mgdavid said:

Flyonthewall said:

They're taking it because they either haven't thought about it or just don't care. By selling non-essential items you're allowing it to happen so are just as responsible. By selling the items you are part of the problem. Don't sell, they can't buy, less people die.

Why would you not want to do whatever you can to reduce the risk of thousands of people dying, especially when it's something so simple? 

you don't know what I'm selling or whether it's essential. I don't know whether my buyers regard it as essential either, it's their call. For some it could be essential if they are key workers and it keeps them mobile. For others it could be they see it as important to maintain their mental health while incarcerated at home. I would never be so arrogant as to decide what's best for them.

I don't know what you're selling, but this whole thread has been about non-essential items and that's what all my posts have been on so if that doesn't apply to you then fine. My posts are to those it does apply to.

As for what is essential or not, the government have decided that with regards to shops so that would be what to base it on. People weren't living in empty homes before this and if they can shop online they have the Internet and some form of device to access it, which means they should be able to find some way to occupy their time and ideas to maintain their mental health. They could also have bought items when lockdown was first mentioned and before a lot of shops/businesses closed (online and stores), most people shouldn't need to keep buying things.

Some things are common sense. Physical media, for example, is not essential. There's plenty of digital media that people can buy at no risk to others. Better still, there are many free options! You may prefer reading an actual book, for example, but for a few weeks I'm sure you can manage with the books you already have or reading them on a device.

If you look at various forums you can see most people aren't buying stuff because they feel it's needed, they're buying because they're stuck at home and they want it. Want, not need, no risks to others considered. 

Things are hard for everyone, but too many people are putting others at risk so anyone selling online should carefully consider what they're selling and removing non-essential items for sale or reducing the number of non-essential items for sale.

RFW

Flyonthewall said:
As for what is essential or not, the government have decided that with regards to shops so that would be what to base it on. People weren't living in empty homes before this and if they can shop online they have the Internet and some form of device to access it, which means they should be able to find some way to occupy their time and ideas to maintain their mental health. They could also have bought items when lockdown was first mentioned and before a lot of shops/businesses closed (online and stores), most people shouldn't need to keep buying things.

Some things are common sense. Physical media, for example, is not essential. There's plenty of digital media that people can buy at no risk to others. Better still, there are many free options! You may prefer reading an actual book, for example, but for a few weeks I'm sure you can manage with the books you already have or reading them on a device.

Physical books are considered essential for online selling. Amazon have prioritized sales of home, health and books. I never say what I sell on here but whether it's essential is debatable, I have a demand and I see that through that it does some good so I'm continuing selling. I'm fortunate to be able to drop in a postbox. No one's telling me not to do it and I actually think I'm doing more good than possible harm. I'm working alone from home, I frank all my mail myself and walk it to the postbox.

RFW

mgdavid said:

Lazydayz71 said:

I'd like to know how many hundreds of thousands of items have been sold on Ebay UK over the last few days, resulting in hundreds of thousands of people making non essential visits to their local Post Office.

Also consider the debatable risk of packages containing or having the virus on them moving in all directions across the country.

I'd like to know the split between Post Office and couriers for delivering items. I don't sell a lot (I'm not a business) but more than half my sales go via courier, who pick up from my drive with no interaction.

There's no great way of knowing that. You can make assessments but it's all going to be different right now anyway. For example restaurants must use up a lot of courier deliveries but they're largely closed.
As I see it the government want/need Royal Mail to keep delivering and as long as that prevails and no one is preventing online sales and we can do it safely then there isn't a problem.