Money Moral Dilemma: Should I be shopping online during the coronavirus lockdown?

deejaybee

Nessa_B said:

I’ve been thinking the same thing... (To others: please note my reply has NOTHING to do with ONLINE SHOPPING for FOOD as I don’t believe that is what the original is even referring to!)
I want to order some puzzles and some small craft projects online to do at home but I keep thinking that means somebody has to go to work to pick and pack that item and a delivery driver has to leave his/her family at home to bring it to my door and therefore putting themselves at risk. But as you say I wonder if it’s helpful especially to small businesses and self employed drivers...?
I’d be interested to hear from more warehouse workers and delivery drivers as to what their current working conditions are like. 

I am a courier ( see my post a few up from this )

We do not have to signatures any more, which minimises contact with customers in theory - but you cannot account for the behaviour of stupid, entitled customers ( of which there are many ) like the lady the other day who opened my passenger door ( while i was sitting parked up after delivering ) and stuck her head in to ask me something.......

As i said in my other post, i feel conflicted because at least i am still earning a very good living,  but i am nearly 60 with T1 Diabetes, although fit and well apart from that,  so i do find myself getting angry when i am walking up a path carrying an ASOS bag or whatever disposable tat the person has ordered...

Topofthehill

deejaybee said:

Nessa_B said:

I’ve been thinking the same thing... (To others: please note my reply has NOTHING to do with ONLINE SHOPPING for FOOD as I don’t believe that is what the original is even referring to!)
I want to order some puzzles and some small craft projects online to do at home but I keep thinking that means somebody has to go to work to pick and pack that item and a delivery driver has to leave his/her family at home to bring it to my door and therefore putting themselves at risk. But as you say I wonder if it’s helpful especially to small businesses and self employed drivers...?
I’d be interested to hear from more warehouse workers and delivery drivers as to what their current working conditions are like. 

I am a courier ( see my post a few up from this )

We do not have to signatures any more, which minimises contact with customers in theory - but you cannot account for the behaviour of stupid, entitled customers ( of which there are many ) like the lady the other day who opened my passenger door ( while i was sitting parked up after delivering ) and stuck her head in to ask me something.......

As i said in my other post, i feel conflicted because at least i am still earning a very good living,  but i am nearly 60 with T1 Diabetes, although fit and well apart from that,  so i do find myself getting angry when i am walking up a path carrying an ASOS bag or whatever disposable tat the person has ordered...

Maybe the person ordering that disposable tat has a child/teenager at home who has a birthday during lockdown and can’t get out to buy them a present. Just saying.😉

Susan_1972

Octonaut said:

If you are at all able to, then shop in store! 
I am in the group classified by the government at ‘vulnerable’, due to underlying health conditions, and so have been advised to stay at home, and therefore not go to the shops. Anyone over 70 is also in this category. The sad truth is that I cannot get an online shopping slot for love nor money (despite logging on several times per day to all the various supermarkets). I usually shop with Tesco, but my final shop from them will be delivered tomorrow, and due to the high demand, there doesn’t seem to be any prospect of getting another slot for the foreseeable future. Only those in the ‘extremely vulnerable’ category can get help from the government can get help with food deliveries (and I’m not in that category).
Please, please, please don’t shop online unless you need to, as there must be tens of thousands of people in my position who will be going without essentials, or putting themselves at risk in the shops. 

Hi, I’m not sure what area you are from but Morrison’s do a food box delivery for £35 which they say feeds two people for a week and their delivery slots are only a few days away - might be worth checking out https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/

But for non essential shopping I am a little concerned for the staff in the warehouse and the people delivering, but saying that if we are in lockdown for even longer I may have to resort to buying some things. 

May our Heavenly Father protect us all 🙏🏼

redsboss

Wish I could no online delivery slots to be had

deejaybee

Topofthehill said:

deejaybee said:

Nessa_B said:

I’ve been thinking the same thing... (To others: please note my reply has NOTHING to do with ONLINE SHOPPING for FOOD as I don’t believe that is what the original is even referring to!)
I want to order some puzzles and some small craft projects online to do at home but I keep thinking that means somebody has to go to work to pick and pack that item and a delivery driver has to leave his/her family at home to bring it to my door and therefore putting themselves at risk. But as you say I wonder if it’s helpful especially to small businesses and self employed drivers...?
I’d be interested to hear from more warehouse workers and delivery drivers as to what their current working conditions are like. 

I am a courier ( see my post a few up from this )

We do not have to signatures any more, which minimises contact with customers in theory - but you cannot account for the behaviour of stupid, entitled customers ( of which there are many ) like the lady the other day who opened my passenger door ( while i was sitting parked up after delivering ) and stuck her head in to ask me something.......

As i said in my other post, i feel conflicted because at least i am still earning a very good living,  but i am nearly 60 with T1 Diabetes, although fit and well apart from that,  so i do find myself getting angry when i am walking up a path carrying an ASOS bag or whatever disposable tat the person has ordered...

Maybe the person ordering that disposable tat has a child/teenager at home who has a birthday during lockdown and can’t get out to buy them a present. Just saying.😉

Maybe they could explain to the child/teenager that in the current situation maybe they could wait a while for their present....

As i said stupid, entitled customers....

abicat

NCC-1707 said:

Who thought this was a good idea for a topic? Quite odious....people are dying. 

The original post was not about food items. That was obvious & should have been to those virtue signalling. Stop & think before you post 

JudoCC

I ordered some clothes online this week as my son has grown out of his clothes - I was reluctant and hopefully won’t have to do it for a while. I totally appreciate the packers & couriers work and I hope the companies they work for are following all protocol to keep them safe. In the future I am boycotting all ASOS as it seems they have not been keeping their staff safe in this time. 

val02

I have shopped weekly online with Tesco for at least 15 years. I pay delivery saver. My husband is 73 with diabetes, has just had a year on steroids and now has a chest infection. He was told to self isolate by the doctor. I also shop for my 86 year old mum. I can no longer get online slots, so after all these years I am going to have to change my way of shopping to going out to a supermarket as Tesco have taken on so many new customers. I did email to see if they give priority to elderly/vulnerable just had a standard reply, they are too busy to answer emails. I do not drive and we do not have Tesco in our town so I can’t click and collect.

Irenedm_2

I’ve been trying to buy from either a) big companies that have been treating their employers well during this crisis (eg the body shop) or small local business that have gone online to survive (eg my local craft beer place). Places like Etsy, where people mostly work from their homes, are also a good way to support what may have gone from side hustle to main source of income. I think a lot of delivery drivers etc feel the same way you do - upset that they are being forced to work with not enough protection, but also grateful that they still have a job... it’s a toughie 😔

Kentuckybelle

I also thought about this. And please will people realise that the question is NOT about online grocery shopping. I think that if firms are still trying to trade and make a living and if they have not closed, then if we order items from them (books, toys, clothes, furniture etc), we are helping keep their business afloat. And I am also worried about how judgmental some people are. It is no one’s business to query why someone else has ordered some clothes or puzzles or perfume. It doesn’t matter what their reasons are. If a service is still being offered then I feel we can order from that provider and we may be helping them remain in business.