Sometimes a rant is good for the soul.
I don’t often go on a rant like this because I don’t like feeling as though I’m getting on my high horse or anything like that. That’s not the way this is intended.
I can empathise more with those stockpiling for themselves, buying out of fear and panic. I can’t empathise with those buying out a supermarket in order to resell it at a ridiculously inflated price online, making profit from tragedy and desperation.
I’ve been to 2x Boots stores, Superdrug, Tesco, 2x Tesco Express, 2x Sainsbury’s and a local pharmacy, all of which are out of stock of antibacterial hand wipes, hand sanitisers, OTC paracetamol and ibuprofen. Ditto the online stores. It’s a little late implementing purchasing limits when it’s all gone.
It’s just frustrating seeing the bare shelves, reading how people can’t get the essentials they actually need right now for themselves & their families, and then seeing that some have bought 200 hand sanitiser gels and £200 worth of toilet roll. The worst offenders are those reselling a packet of hand wipes online for £40.
This isn’t about people buying a couple of things and being sensible. This is about those acting selfishly with no thought as to anyone else.
♥
Caz ♥
Have you been affected by shortages, seen shelves bare or essentials being sold at stupid high prices? Does this irk you too?
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63 comments
I read about people stealing hand sanitisers from hospitals. Also saw a leading money blogger advertising how she was going to list it on ebay. Some people have no shame.
That really is very poor form. I wonder if any of her readers pointed out how selfish & underhand that was?
I cannot agree more with you it’s really angered me seeing how damn greedy people are. On Friday I went to Tesco and everyone had stacks of toilet roll, there was no pasta of any sort left on the shelves, most canned foods gone, no hand sanitiser in sight and there was an elderly man trying to get a bottle of it and was upset to find it’s all gone. Anything anti bac was gone. I was looking for Calpol for my granddaughter as she is teething and is in pain, my daughter couldn’t find any as it was all sold out. Thankfully Tesco had just stocked it again and there were a few bottles left so I did get one. The saddest thing is there are people who cannot even get the essentials they need because of others greed. (Sorry for the rant this is such a sore point).
I’m finding it an increasingly sore point too, the more I read things like this. Bloody awful. I’m sorry you’ve had such a frustrating time with trying to find what you need but I’m glad you finally managed to get some Calpol. I hope your granddaughter is doing okay with her teething, bless her. It’s a bit late to be introducing max purchase limits (not that that’ll stop some from going back repeatedly). Thank you for commenting & sharing your experience. With any luck some compassion and common sense will prevail eventually..! xx
Buying and stocking to re-sell is so ridiculous and selfish .Good message Caz .
The same happens here. It’s so sad how this situation brings out the worst in so many people.
Have a nice weekend anyway, Caz xx
Well said, Caz. This kind of profiteering is disgraceful.
I agree. Bless their hearts is what I say and that’s not a nice thing to say. Selfish indeed.
Have a fabulous day and weekend, Caz. Big hug. ♥
They don’t realize that if the worst does come to pass, however unlikely, those of us who didn’t stockpile 2 years worth of canned beans will just steal their stuff. Lmao
I totally with you on this Caz. I feel exactly the same.
I agree with you – buying what you need for your family is acceptable. Buying out the entire stock to resell is carpetbagging. And that big online retailer ought to take control and not let this happen. But we all know how they operate.
I could not agree with you more Caz. I forgot to tick the box on my repeat for paracetamol which I take with my Tramadol for pain so I thought I would just buy some but just like you the shelves were bare. I noticed a really old gent obviously only popping in for paracetamol and was quite confused why he couldn’t get any. They should limit what you buy and put a stop on this straight away.
I completely agree with all that you have said. The “panic” buying by some is detrimental to the collective effort we need…shameful
Things like this really do bring out the worst in people.
THANK YOU. I went to a bunch of stores last week, all out of hand sanitizer. Stopped at the market yesterday, and it was completely sold out of toilet paper. TOILET PAPER. I don’t understand people’s irrational fears that they have to buy up all the sanitizer and toilet paper. Meanwhile, us average folks who just want to keep their hands clean and wipe their ass sometimes won’t be able to because everyone else has bought three years’ worth of supplies.
Makes me so frustrated.
Bloody ridiculous! ????
It’s the same in the US. I went to a Ma & Pa grocery store for supplies. The little five and dime store had raised the prices for toilet paper, hand sanitizer and anything associated with coronavirus. My neighborhood is not a wealthy one so everybody that shops there is feeling the hit. Store owners should be ashamed too.
Nothing to say, I totally agree.
Let’s hope they get stuck with a load of stock they can’t shift. (Is there a sell-by date to antibacterial handwash and wipes?)
Well said, Caz. It’s totally wrong. In the midst of a worrying and serious situation, some people are only thinking of profit. It’s terrible. Makes me so angry too. Definitely rant worthy!
Our supermarket has been stripped of paracetamol since delivery yesterday. Hand Sanitizer is unavailable everywhere and I saw one man load up his basket with 24 bottles of antibacterial hand wash. The shelves locally are stripped of those too now.
Shopping today for just three items (bread rolls, grapes and a bag of jelly babies), everyone had loaded trolleys. Teabags have gone, as have the cheap bags of rice and pasta, and toilet rolls are low. Plenty of tinned stuff though, but fresh meats are also low in stock. We do a monthly shop and top up weekly, so I’m glad we did ours early this time. However, that is for March….. so I may well have to amend my shopping habits for the next few weeks.
Yep, we’re seeing the same in our town. Stores are posting signs on their doors that they’re out of hand sanitizing lotions and masks.
Profit-taking and the short-sighted thinking displayed are revolting and infuriating. Of course, in the U.S., we’re operating under a shadow of misinformation headed by the POTUS and spread by Fox News, so it’s little wonder that these things are happening.
Sad, sad, sad. Good rant.
100% agree with you Caz! I find it especially appalling if they are re-selling this crap for a profit! That to me is reprehensible, and honestly, there should be legal action taken in extreme cases.
I am so sorry you, and others, have run into the situation where what you needed simply couldn’t be found. Unbelievable. Fear drives people absolutely batty. I understand precaution and concern, but good Heavens, this is insanity.
Good for you ranting my friend. 😀 It is definitely good for the soul sometimes! Gotta let that mess out before our brains pop right out of our skulls.
All my love ???? Holly
It’s sickening that some people will exploit a situation such as this, I’ve been to three different hospitals this week and not one shop had any hand gel. On Amazon there is a wait of weeks to buy anything and then you don’t know if you are buying the real thing! I hope you get some supplies soon ❤️
Caz,
Some rants are necessary (especially when you are voicing the very same thing that many of us are thinking.
We shouldn’t be surprised that people could be so greedy or uncaring of their fellow man.
Thankfully our local shops are still reasonably well stocked and no sign of panic buying yet. But this madness seems more contagious than the virus – so I’m not hopeful.
Hi Caz, I can see why some people might panic but it isn’t fair that so many people are getting items in excess and not leaving any for others that may need only one or two. Stores should seriously put a limit on essential items so everyone can get what they need and not have to go to several stores to find one item!
This was so timely for me, Caz. My husband and I went food shopping today and found huge bare shelves. It hadn’t occurred to me that people were actually ripping off their fellow humans by snatching up items and reselling at exorbitant prices. Yes, indeed, this sorry episode is revealing a dark underside. I agree that merchants should be taking a more active role.
Thanks for this very worthwhile piece.
Annie xx
Omgoodness…its crazy isn’t it. Now ladies toiletries are sold out. The world has gone mad! Just saw scenes on Facebook of a brawl in a Woolworths store here. They had to call the police. Whats wrong with people.
I saw that on the news, I remember thinking ‘they have a Woolworths over there?’ Crazy, absolutely ridiculous. xx
Hi Caz,
Well said. I read a message the other day from a gentleman who has very poor immune system and absolutely needs hand sanitisers, etc. Because of the idiots who are stockpiling he can’t get hold of it. Thoughtless and selfish is the most polite I can be about these individuals. And on Amazon someone is selling Carex (small bottle) at 24.99. That is obscene.
I have read that vodka is a good sanitiser and I have added it to the natural deodorant I make for myself. It’s a thought.
Thank you for a very good post.
Maz XX
Caz, my beautiful daughter, who does her weekly shopping on Saturdays, told me yesterday she was unable to buy ‘toilet paper’; all the supermarkets were out of stock. Fortunately, I had bought some before the craziness happened and was able to help out. The world has certainly gone mad; some women are physically fighting each other over toilet paper!!!!!
A good rant, Caz. Sometimes, as you’ve said, it is needed…
xoxoxo
That rant was justified! Stockpiling is a reaction to the fear of the virus, which is a reaction to the media telling us to be very, very, afraid. That’s bad enough. But far worse are those who are stockpiling in order to resell it at a profit! I can’t imagine the mentality of someone who is willing to profit from other people’s fear and misery. There is absolutely no justification for that…All we can hope is that they up the manufacture of new supplies and the people who hope to profit off of their stockpiling are stuck with a room full of hand sanitizers!
I do understand what you are saying. Even in Romania this crisis is starting to appear and it is actually stupid what it is happening, in my point of view.
There will be food and we will be protected. We should take better care of our own immune systems than to be buying every single food box on the shelf.
Thank you for posting and have an amazing weekend ahead! 🙂
Oh jeeze! I bet this is heading my way shortly too. It is already happening in the Seattle area.
I flew last weekend and couldn’t believe all of the people wearing masks in Charlotte, Chicago, and New Orleans. The CDC only recommends wearing masks if you are sick, and if people stockpile masks, then health care workers will be short masks.
Rant away, Caz. Ran away!
At the supermarket I go to they had to put a limit on no more than 5 items you could buy like cold products etc. They ran out of hand sanitizers. It’s been crazy.
Ugh. I have neurodiverse sensory issues with being sticky, and I’m clumsy from chronic illness and generally somewhat oblivious to my surroundings. I have just a few brands of wipes that aren’t greasy and/or smelly or otherwise “sticky” in their own right I regularly use. First, I couldn’t find *those* brands, and kept ending up with ones that bothered me all on their own. Now I can’t find *any* wipes, and it is seriously messing up my ability to eat food or go out in the rain or other public activities where I might feel “sticky” without a way to clean up. It’s kind of a small thing in the scheme of the overall price gauging and hoarding and what that says about most humans. And, it’s also seriously messing with me to the point that I’m regularly sensorily unhappy enough in my own skin lately that I want to scream. You never realize the frequency with which your Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome hands just lose grip strength and drop something on you, or you get splashed with dirty rainwater, or any of a million other things that render you “sticky” until you don’t have your lovely unscented, fragrance-free wipes to remove the offending substance…
I rant with you! 🙂
There should be a law on that kind of stuff, like there is for gouging on gas.
Praying for everyone.
God loves you!
My partner works at a discount store, and the toilet roll, hand sanitiser and even basic medication, sells out daily. It’s terrible for those who need to take extra precautions, like his colleague, whose little brother has asthma. Thankfully as staff they can put one or two hand sanitisers aside when they get a delivery, but not everyone’s so lucky. Those trying to profit are terrible people 🙁
Charlee: “Yeah, our Dada says that the supermarket near us has a sign up now saying they are limiting purchases of hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and other things to four packages.”
Chaplin: “But of course everything was gone before the signs went up.”
Lulu: “Then he said something about a horse and closing a barn door, so I guess he went to a farm after he went shopping. Or something. I wish he had brought me, I would like to see some horses and maybe roll in some poop.”
Charlee: “Ewww!”
Chaplin: “And that’s why we need hand sanitizer.”
I think you need that hand sanitizer, stat! ????
You guys always make me giggle. Your dadda’s right, too. Closing the barn door a little too late on this one. xx
I couldn’t agree more, Caz.
While it is wise to be prepared and careful, a look back through recent history will show that many of these media fueled, knee-jerk responses to our species pending “doom”, have proven to be exagerrated. Undoubtedly, the stress caused by such sponsored paranoia is a greater threat for most.
I’ve not seen any of that as yet here in my little town.
How selfish people are? Loads, but that there’s the rub, it’s a human trait.
On a memory lane, I recall with a sort of sad giggle, that my nephew (being an alcoholic and stuck in a hospital bed) actually drank some of the wards hand gel. His need was great, well not great, more huge and so there’s something random to put in the comments mix.
I’m glad it’s not an issue where you’re at. I’m sorry about your nephew, I can see why that was a sad giggle. I’ve heard it before with people actually ingesting hand gel. Thank you for commenting, I hope you have a good week ahead ???? x
Strange these same beings do not stock up for the flu season which has a known large “following”
Couldn’t agree more, this is absolutely insane and to be honest, at first I thought it was just parody or something! To see people panic buying toilet rolls and stuff is just crackers.
Good for you! Thanks for speaking up! <3
Bravo for striking a nerve here!
It is insane how people are acting with this virus spreading. I mean, I think if we all just act with normal hygiene and logic, we will be fine. I am a little worried because I do have a weak immune system, but I will not let this control my life. I questioned meeting up with my mother tomorrow, but I am going to go. I will be practical and logical and think we will be okay. I know it has killed people, but so has the normal flu virus.
I saw a story of someone who was unable to get the paracetamols she needed, and for medical reasons she isn’t able to take other kinds of painkillers. That’s not ok.
People shouldn’t be cashing in on these hard times.
I cannot agree more with you! It annoys me. Especially those that are only buying the goods to resell them – I’ve seen a small bottle of hand sanitizer on Facebook for £20. It’s ridiculous. My local supermarkets were completely out of toilet roll and pasta which were two things I was low on at home. 🙁 I usually buy the stores own brand but ended up having to buy the high-end alternatives. So my food shop was a lot more this past week.
Here here!!! It’s shockingly crazy out there!
Thank you so much! I can’t even get on board with those buying too much for themselves. Nobody needs a palette of tp for themselves. None of us are going to be locked up in our house for a year. People are being unrealistic and selfish. In the words of George Costanza “We are living in a society” and we need to look out for each other by allowing or letting others get what they need to survive as well.
I’m finding this panic-buying quite surreal – I’ve seen empty shelves (of loo rolls, but also seemingly random cupboard items like peanut butter and Marmite) in several of my local supermarkets. Just seems so thoughtless and selfish to stockpile and deprive others of the basics!
The corona virus is making people go crazy with stockpiling! It is awful to see that some people can’t get access to things :/ I hope you are keeping well xx
Susie
Could not have put this better myself. The hand sanitiser thing is what set me off initially as my OCD means I rely on it heavily when I’m out and about, but seeing empty shelves for more and more products just makes me so angry. This coronavirus outbreak is bringing out the worst in people and just goes to show how bloody selfish they can be.
It also fills me with rage that people are re-selling this stuff online at 10 times the price too – they ought to be ashamed of themselves!
Hi, I don’t get a chance often to respond to posts, but when I do, I have thought about it a lot. This world has become a “ME” world where people have lost the ability to help and care for one another. Here in California, a woman was shot because she had some TP, and another woman was stabbed for her groceries by a homeless person. Both are true tragedies but it is indicative of our society today. Who is thinking about the homeless people who are exposed or out there in the cold without any help with shelters, let alone food or toilet paper and good, safe drinking water? And yes, people are doing what you are saying. I want to say that both political parties are fighting a death fight to get their parties into power. I am not saying anything about either party, for I am not supporting any of that is happening that they are doing these days, but I am just saying that we have gone to extremes that are not necessary, even with a pandemic, and all this in an election year. So there are many things involved, and this issue is not as straightforward as it appears;. Martial Law reminds me of Poland when the Nazis were coming into power. This is affecting people in our military as well as our everyday citizens and people trying to keep their homes, etc. and get their rent paid. We have been promised help, but are we seeing any of it yet? And yes, it will take awhile, and longer because all the county and state offices are closed to live people coming in, so the only communications are by phone or e-mail, and I don’t know who has tried to get through one of those lines right now, but I have and they say they will call back if you leave your number and then never do. So yes, your post is appreciated and yes, there is alot of ME in this world right now. We can no longer trust the news or even things like Facebook because there are false reports and photos on there every day. We must stand strong, and be willing to help others. We must stop panicking. There have been other pandemics in our lifetimes. I am 78, so I was born at the beginning of WWII, and all my family has been in the military and traveled around the world during times of war. My brother is 100% physically challenged and has permanent PTSD, so we understand these issues very well. Thank you for your good stand. We must continue, all of us, to fight for what is right and good for what this country has been and was founded on, and what is happening right now is not any of that.
Very well said, Anne. It’s sad, isn’t it? It needs to go from ME to WE and US, to a collective. Yes we need to care for ourselves, but not at the expense of others when it doesn’t have to be that way. Thank you for such a thoughtful comment, it’s much appreciated. Please stay safe & take good care xx
I’m fairly certain that profiteering in the war was punishable with a prison sentence perhaps it’s time to bring this punishment back?
Good suggestion!
I’m so very confused about this part of the pandemic. I’m sure people are showing their mental health issues right now.
The stockpiling is awful. We went again yesterday-which is a risk to go in the first place. This time we had better luck and got the items we couldn’t last week like bread, eggs and meat. But we bought two of each because we hadn’t been able to get them before. So there’s a huge domino effect…..people hoard to begin with; that then forces people like my Husband and I to buy (a little) extra and it continues from there. It’s terrible. I’ll be dropping off toilet paper to my 90 year old neighbors today (in their garage), but what about the elderly that are at such risk??? The stores not having items means they need to go out repeatedly. Sigh. A lot of discouraging things happening right now.