Are You Ordering Unnecessary Items Online?
In the News
I appreciate the whole nature of this website is enticing deals, many of which can be ordered online and delivered.
However, I spoke to a friend of mine today who works for Royal Mail and they said it's as busy as Christmas in those sorting offices. A close family member also works in one and has said the same thing. They have asthma.
I'm just wondering if anybody else has thought about the extra danger we're exposing those workers to? The same applies for Amazon warehouses etc. It is of course the extra spread of the virus too, not just the direct affects on individuals.
Should we be sending people Easter eggs, birthday presents and anything else that is not absolutely essential? I have even fallen out with immediate family over this but what's worse, a bit of slight disappointment when someone has to wait for their birthday present or millions of workers spreading a virus because we are forcing them to work, in the masses?
Put things into perspective, please.
It's a balance, I'm sure that many people working in the Royal Mail, warehouses, etc are glad they still have a job. The UK economy is likely going to be in a bad place when restrictions are lifted. It's the money the government takes from everything associated with trade and commerce that pays for the NHS, schools, etc. If everyone stops ordering non-essential items a lot more companies will permanently close. The fact that the Co-op filled 5,000 vacancies in one week during the lockdown illustrates there are still a lot of people who want to work. Any individual can choose not to go to work if they are that concerned about it.
ACR Nope. Health is the priority right now. People are being paid 80% of their wage to sit at home and watch Netflix. I'm pretty sure the Royal Mail workers would prefer that and do they have the choice? Really? It's not the job of anyone at that level to keep the economy going. Which companies are you suggesting will close? Amazon? eBay? I hate to say it but the money the government will make in VAT over the next few weeks from online retail is likely to be tiny compared to the debt racked up by all the grants etc already given out.
I'm not referring to large international corporations with deep pockets. I'm talking about the 5.8 million small to medium sized businesses in the UK that employed 16.6 million people at the start of 2019. That account for 99.9% of the business population - https://www.fsb.org.uk/uk-small-business-statistics.html
Many companies were already struggling before the shutdown and they don't have the resources to weather the storm.
But, lets agree to disagree. You won't change my mind and I won't change yours.
I agree, it is a balance. And we need to be very careful to avoid not being able to see the wood for the trees.
There’s huge concern within Whitehall over the economic impact of the lockdown. The consequences will be enormous. The Treasury thinks that GDP could fall 14%+ in the next 3 months, leading to extreme poverty and ultimately to the premature deaths of more people than the virus will have claimed, from the worst recession in history.
Basically rapidly rising unemployment and deteriorating mental health may ultimately prove more lethal than coronavirus. The number of people claiming universal credit has soared by more than one million in less than three weeks. 500,000 restaurant workers have already lost their jobs, and Debenhams could collapse very soon putting another 22,000 out of work.
In my view this isn’t going to be over in just a few weeks, or months. There probably won’t be a vaccine for at least a year, possibly two years, from now.
We all need to change our shopping habits towards doing more online, visiting the shops and other people less frequently, and having more delivered. The warehouse and delivery companies, Royal Mail etc. need to do all that they can now to properly protect their staff, and they need to adjust their working practices and buildings now to accommodate social distancing . The coronavirus is here to stay. For a very long time.
Stopping online shopping only makes things worse and makes it even more difficult to restart the economy again. Reduced consumer confidence and reduced consumer spending are major causes of recession. Something we should all try to avoid to stop rapidly increasing unemployment. So yes it is definitely a balancing act.
Personally I’m amazed to see so many people going to the shops every day for their newspaper, cigarettes etc. That’s what I think is totally unnecessary. Once a week food shopping at a maximum should surely be more than enough for most people.
If you are shopping online, especially at somewhere like Amazon (with Prime), do try to order more things in one go - so for example fill up your shopping basket as you need things but only press the 'Buy Now' button once a week, and not every day for single items. That'll help reduce the number of deliveries.
Yes I have ordered and will do so until lockdown finished delivery drivers postal men are happy when delivery and will have a chat if not busy. And next week will be ordering paint to finish kitchen
Ann1984 I'm not talking about your local postman. Their job is a little more isolated from people. As mentioned in the topic Ann, I refer to sorting offices. What I would suggest when you next receive a parcel that isn't 'needed', ask your postman what the thoughts are of their colleagues at the sorting office. Ask if they are happy going in every day potentially catching a virus and taking it home with them. I'm interested to hear what they have to say.
Iv not ordered anything online since lockdown. Iv had 2 deliveries. 1 was items I'd ordered before that arrived late & the other was a washing machine from currys. We aren't buying anything at the moment that isn't an essential item, mainly due to financial reasons as we have no idea how long lockdown will last & the financial implications long term on us.
Glitterandgold That's certainly another way to look at it. I think a lot of people are shopping online just because they're bored.
I ordered a car seat for my son. It might not seem like an essential item, but it is for my son as he will have outgrown his current one once this is over and it was half price in the baby event, wouldn't have been able to afford it at full price. I haven't ordered anything else online though. I don't buy things unless I actually need them and we don't need anything.
My mom has worked for Royal Mail for years and she now works at a Post Office in which she was not provided with any gloves or masks when we went into lockdown. She also had a cough and felt ill and she has ended up self isolating and now feeling better but I was fuming when she told me they didn’t provide even gloves whilst expecting to handle people’s parcels and money etc.
Mind you, they don’t even provide a chair behind the counter for you to sit on during your 8 hour shift, other than when you have lunch of course in a different area.
AliceBell64468 I hope that illness was a mild case of the virus so she can feel safe going forward. That's out of order with the lack of seat. It's such a simple problem to sort!
Many companies offering deliveries , but they State that deliveries will be in few weeks, plus Non essential items for some can be essential to others so let’s don’t judge!
loveglitches I'm certainly not dictating what is essential and simply provoking a bit of thought. Sometimes people just don't think; do I "want" or do I "need"? I will happily pass judgement on those who go through that trail of thought, know it's a 'want' yet still order.
It sounds like those companies have come up with a reasonable compromise. I have bought a few things from people online but told them I can wait until after this is all over.
Dennab economy will crash , and many companies need people ordering online that’s why they offer free deliveries, and that’s why they can stay open as online shops , the key workers need to be provided with some ppe
loveglitches I'm happy waiting if it means people keep their jobs but also stay healthy. It's a small compromise for those of us who are lucky enough to be working from home.
Dennab well lucky you then , not me, there’s a reason they offer deliveries not click and collect as they need their businesses going, people have to stop telling others what to do , and what to order or what to not order , tired of reading some telling others what they should what they shouldn’t buy
loveglitches I'm tired of people putting others' lives at risk and trying to make out they are doing it to help the economy. If you're putting pressure on those workers unnecessarily, you're selfish. That's it really! Try reading some of the comments from other people who know Royal Mail workers and the news story I posted if you don't like what I am telling you. Why am I 'lucky' to have some consideration for others?
Dennab well some people still having kids birthday and ordering toys for them! how can you explain your 4 year old child she won’t get present for birthday, stop calling people by names if you don’t know them! Also they do prefer people to order online than going to the shops !!!! you judging people by not knowing them and circumstances! I am a key worker and go to work every day ,I said you are lucky as you can work from home, stop putting words into people’s mount ha and tell thEm what they should be buying !!! I am not wasting my Easter on someone who is judgmental without knowing people and their circumstances!
loveglitches You have just explained your circumstances so now I do know and my views haven't changed. In fact, somebody out there working should know better. Thank you for being a keyworker though, not that you'll think that's genuine grattitude but it is. I have thanked people in several shops along with a bin man who just grunted back but the thought was there. There are plenty of people with children finding ways of not putting the disappointment of their child before people's physical health. Some of those workers have kids themselves who would probably like mummy and daddy to come home without a virus. Enjoy the rest of your Easter Sunday and likewise, I sometimes feel like I'm wasting time when my words fall on deaf ears.
Ann1984 No because you 'need' food. You don't just 'want' it. Go out for a walk ffs and clear your mind! We're all in this together remember. To be quite honest, this whole problem I've highlighted could be sorted if they let people like yourself have their retail therapy but simply delay the dispatch. You stay happy and have something to look forward to when this is all over.
I have friends that work in the sorting office and they're genuinely scared, everything is taking longer because they're only allowing one person per van, which means longer hours and more people around whilst they wait for the next van. They have brought gloves themselves as none were offered, nor was hand sanitiser and they are still within the 2metre proximity of their colleagues. I know each sorting office is only as good as its manager but head office need to stop putting profit first. If you haven't got people then you won't get profit.
I've purposely not ordered anything as I don't feel right doing so, if I do have to get anything it will be essential for me, why should someone risk their health just so I can get a few jobs done?
Twollocks Thank you for writing that. You never know, someone may take it in and change their ways. I've heard this from several sources now but there are some very selfish people about, some of which reside on here and 'like' each other's comments, no matter what a load of thoughtless bs they're writing. I'm here to raise awareness, not for likes.
Twollocks That's awful to hear. I can bring up issues and refer to what I've heard and been told but you're talking from experience. It's easy for a lot of us not exposed to the pain you have experienced to become complacent. I'm sorry you've had to go through that and hope people read your comments even if they ignore me. Take care.
I hope that people who are saying it is not ok to be ordering unnecessary items are not encouraging other people to do so by posting deals on such items. Just something for people who do not agree with it to think about. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I dont want to spend my time judging others and I'm not sure of the safety measures in place at warehouses or sorting offices. As with alot of topics at the moment things are not black and white.
Adel28 That's already been said. Hands up, I shouldn't have posted those deals but for the record, I was only aware of the actual pressure Royal Mail were under after speaking to several people yesterday. That's why I shared it on here for others who may also need a nudge in the right direction. Alright, smarty pants? 
It is black and white, just like a lot of advice surrounding this virus that people are choosing to overcomplicate. If the item being purchased is wanted, not needed, it's not 'necessary' by the very definition of the word. It ain't hard to understand and neither is the message to stay at home for anybody with an IQ above 10.
I understand what you are saying I just meant that people should not be too judgemental about what people might deem necessary. I know that in most cases it is obvious but this may not always be the case
I was not referring specifically to you it was a general point about people being judgemental. I think that this was a good topic for conversation to get people thinking.
Join for free to get genuine deals, money saving advice and help from our friendly community
Chief Bargain Hunter
