Discrimination by supermarkets - action to be taken.

[Sky]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been extremely angry with Tesco because I've been unable to get my food delivered. I've been using Tesco home delivery for over ten years, but then suddenly I can't book a delivery slot any more. Thankfully, I am one of the lucky ones and managed to get a recurring one with Asda and although I prefer Tesco, Asda have been a lifesaver for me.

Anyway, it seems there are people taking them to task over this, so if you feel strongly enough and want to take action, take a look here:

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/

http://www.frylaw.co.uk/

I won't be taking any action thanks to Asda, but I'm sure a lot of you haven't been so lucky.

[StarBright]

Hmm,

There is no discrimination by supermarkets against the disabled or able bodied people. Neither can get online slots.

I don't think taking any legal action is the way to go. What good will it do? Absolutely no company be it food or for anything else could of known this was going to happen. There is no way any of the supermarkets that do online shopping would of had enough staff & vans to drive what ever they did even if they knew this was coming.

Only a very small amount of the UK that use supermarkets used online shopping & it's mainly used by people who are disabled or have large family's now almost everyone if they have access to a computer would prefer to shop online to keep them self safe from Covid 19. Your probably talking about 85% of the UK now want to shop online.

It does not matter how long you have been shopping online, weather you have used one supermarket for that time or a mix of them everyone needs food.

Each supermarket has reacted differently, Sainsburys shut it's doors to new online shoppers & have got the list from the Gov & are prioritizing people from that, I use Sainsburys & was indeed locked out for a couple of weeks until they got the list from Gov which I thankfully put myself down as needing help & am now back in. Asda never shopped there before but had signed up was the second supermarket to allow me access to slots because of the gov list. I haven't used them because they don't have something I heavily rely on. Waitrose shut it's online slots down very quickly saying it was giving there usual customers access to slots & the gov list, I have an account there have never used it & they have not contacted me. Ocado similar shut down to regular customers say's it's doing the gov list I have shopped there in the past can't get in & no one has contacted me. Tesco is open to everyone & anyone IF you can get a slot Iceland from the gov list I have an account there but have never shopped there & have not heard from them. Morrisons acting the same as waitrose.

So in some ways you could say that the disabled are being given more chance at getting a slot at Sainsburys & Asda than an able bodied person.

I do however know how scary it is when you can't get out yourself or have anyone who can & all the slots are gone or you are locked out because that happened to me too.

The failing is with the Gov here, it knows that this is happening & they could do more I personally think like using the army to get the food to customers, the army is a huge task force with a huge fleet of vehcles. Also the huge amount of people who signed up to volunteer to help people what happened to them? they could easily do people's shopping for them but I've heard nothing about where they are or what they are doing.

Local support groups have helped me I've used them to collect prescriptions from the local chemist & they will do the shopping for you if you need food. The sad thing is you need money to be able to pay for the food & a lot of older people around where I live have not got access to money or internet, so the support groups won't get the food for you if you have no money they are truly stuck.

[beau]

One of the supermarkets is doing preloaded vouchers for the situation when you have to use a volunteer shopper. I think it is Asda.
Apart from now doing an online shop with Asda as I was put on their priority list because I already had an account that I never used for food but sometimes used it for George.
I transfer some money to my daughter to make a pot and she gets the bits that I have forgotten online. She opened another bank account specifically for that purpose.

[StarBright]

M&S are doing one too.

A warden spoke to me the other day & said there's a few she is worried about because they can't go to the post office or bank to get their money out, they have none in the house, they have no relatives or friends that can help have no access to online & volunteer groups won't shop with no money so can't use the volunteer vouchers at Asda or M&S because you need internet to add money to the card.

I'm wondering if the council will loan them some money or give them the food box's at least they have her to help them somehow I hope

[beau]

Our local council is issuing food boxes to the vulnerable under those circumstances delivered by volunteers. Most of those who receive them will be invoiced at a later date so in the main they are not free.
Tell the warden to try the council or county council for information to see if they are doing the same

[StarBright]

Yes will do .........

[Archersmate]

Sorry my tablet is misbehaving. See the full post later.

[nukecad]

There is no discrimination by supermarkets against the disabled or able bodied people. Neither can get online slots.

That's the important point, if it's the same for everybody then it's not discriminating against anybody.

[Archersmate]

Warning long post

I’ll try to make this easy to read. I can only speak from my own experience, and pass on tips I’ve been given.

The last order for home delivery from Sainsbury was 22nd February and I’ve been blocked from this service since, I think they were waiting on the government list of very vulnerable people. I’m not on this list, but do have a number of risk factors, but cannot access this service as I’m not on the list nor am I over 70 years old.

However I struggle to shop regularly in store and am dependent on London’s Dial a Ride service for a once a week supermarket trip, like a lot of people I cannot stand for very long (in a cue for example) and I’m limited for both time and how much shopping I can bring aboard the bus (two carrier bags only)

I occasionally shop online with Tesco as well as Sainsbury so tried for two weeks to get a home delivery from them I finally got one on the 8th April but it will be three weeks until delivery.

I took a punt on a Morrisons £35 Food box but although it was about £31 worth of goods think it must’ve been complied by a 22 year old with a degree in underwater basket weaving, it was full of heavy vegetables and tins along with meats, loo paper and kitchen rolls.

Some voluntary organisations have leafleted their local area offering help with shopping etc, but as I live on a council estate in a tower block we’ve been left to rot.

I’ve been told that there are Facebook groups of volunteers that can be found but I don’t do social media, there is also stuff advertised through the council by typing into google the name of your council and the words “Coronavirus support hub” but I only found home delivery of sushi, £50 vegetable boxes and artisan bread at £4.50 loaf. But another area might be very different.

I’ve also been told that there might be some help available though your local places of worship, but think people will be reluctant to reach out to them unless they worship there. But they shouldn’t discriminate against anyone who is reaching out for practical help, this isn’t about religion it’s about morals.

We’re all talking about food but there’s so much more to it! What about toothpaste, deodorant, soap, washing powder, washing up liquid or other household and personal essentials they are running out fast. And how are people managing key meters? Or pay as you go phones? What about paying rent as there are so few post offices these days?

Ok more tips

How I got a Tesco delivery slot

Supermarkets release slots at midnight so it is a free for all but you stand a better chance of getting one then. You’ll be placed in a que to access the website I waited about 20 minutes, once you’ve selected a slot if any are available place a few items in your trolley and check out, this secures your delivery slot. You can then add stuff nearer the time but pay attention to when you will no longer be able to do this as it could be one day or more before your delivery arrives.

Good luck and stay well.

[StarBright]

Archersmate,

Put your details in to this link, this is the list that Sainsburys & all other supermarkets are getting from the Gov to class them as needing help getting food. I am not in the most severe group according to the NHS but I could not shop in a shop before Covid 19 so I sure can't now lol. I still filled it out & this is how Sainsburys let me back in & shop once a week Asda also picked me up from this list too.

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

@Nuke, absolutely