Basic Requirements - toilet paper!

[Jane563]

I am very fortunate in that I have a Monday-Friday MSc student. Before she left on Friday morning she said that she wishes to stay this week, provided her university doesn’t close and no travel restrictions come in. She asked what would happen with her money if things change over the weekend.

I very much doubt if I will get anyone else this coming week and told her to book on Sunday evening, just in case things change and said I would keep the room. I also promised her I would refund if she has to go home before Friday. I am talking about a very good guest (who I left in my home, while I went away for a few days) who has booked with me lots of times.

My problem is toilet roll. I usually buy a big pack once a month, but my supplies are starting to dwindle. I resisted the temptation to panic buy and now I can’t get more!  Supplying it is a requirement that I won’t be able to meet unless things change in the UK.

I’m thinking of asking her to bring some in exchange for a discount!!!

[Tom2550]

It is not an unreasonable request

[Donald28]

How does an airbnb host not have enough toilet paper? That's like the very 1st requirement or STR'ing. 

[Helen350]

- Because many shops have sold out @Donald28 ! As @Jane563  alludes, people in the UK are 'panic buying', (anticipating a lockdown), with the result that shops are EMPTY of toilet paper... That's the point of her post, she can't provide the basic necessities, cos shops are selling out!

[Mark116]

@Donald28  Because people are hoarding it, that's why.  Shelves are empty!

@Jane563  I would tell your guest straightforwardly that as a result of the panic buying you are low on toilet paper, toilet paper hoarding has been all over the news worldwide, so I would assume it won't come as a shock to your guest.

[Donald28]

As a result of improper planning she is out of TP. This can't be blamed on the corona virus. You can't be an airbnb host and only keep enough TP for a couple days. I don't hoard TP, I haven't bought any in a couple weeks and I have enough to last for 4-6 weeks. 

[Louise0]

Oh for FS, pull your head in.   I too stock many, many weeks' worth.  However, I will eventually run out because for the last 3 weeks I have not been able to buy any, anywhere.  Maybe things are different in Lithia Springs.  Well, lucky you.  

[Donald28]

you non USA hosts must not have a costco nearby where you can buy 40 rolls at a time? Do you seriously just go out each week and buy a 4 pack at the local grocery store for you and your airbnb guests? You don't have any in reserves? That's on YOU not the virus and not the crazy TP hoarders. 

Do you only have 1 set of sheets and towels too? What if your washer or dryer breaks?

Geez people. Be prepared. 

[Helen350]

@Donald28 

1) Buying 40 rolls at once would be hoarding in the UK.

2) My home (with 3 private rooms to let) does not have enough space to store 40 rolls! I buy 1x pack of 9 or 18 at a time. I buy new when down to my last 2 - 4. You speak of 'any in reserves' ..... THAT'S THE PROBLEM!!! - Too many people  with 'reserves' going out & buying yet more! If we all waited till we had 2 rolls left, & did not buy 40+, the shps would not be empty!

[Louise0]

@Donald28 

  Of course we have Costco down here, and if you spent as much time checking the global news reports as you do pontificating from your moral high ground you'd know that Costcos in most parts of the world, including the US, have queues each morning kilometres long, and essentials such as rice, toilet paper, pasta and pretty much anything with a long shelf life are sold out because of selfish a-holes hoarding more than they could possibly use in a lifetime.

The plight of Airbnb hosts with larger listings is unique.  I host up to 8 guests at a time.  The average human apparently uses 88 average toilet rolls each year, or one every 4.148 days.  My place attracts predominantly young women.  Women use more toilet paper than men, young women even more so.   Given this, the average life of a roll in my place is around 2 days per person.  In other words, I need to allocate each guest half a roll per day of their stay, which means 8 guests staying 7 days requires 28 rolls of toilet paper.

In this new world, where toilet paper is rationed to one pack of 4 per person per shop, how am supposed to source 28 rolls of toilet paper each week?  I haven't been able to find any in any store for over 3 weeks.

[Robin4]

@Louise0 

Seeing as sanitary habits have come up!

Louise, I heard the most outrageous statement today, but when I thought about it, it got me to thinking.

'The food retailing business, ie: Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Foodland, Aldi have gone into rationing of staples to stimulate panic buying and improve general sales volume during what is a difficult retail trading period'. 

My first reaction was....'Yeah, dream on!' every day we hear something out of left field!

But both Woolworths and Coles have announced massive employment drives and all the supermarket chains have seen a real upsurge in business.

Then this person said...."Do you truly not wonder why there is not a roll of toilet paper to be purchased in any of the major cities around the country at the moment? Production hasn't stopped, neither has the delivery chain that has operated so efficiently for so many years, and Kimberley Clark say they have ample reserves in stock .....think about it? "  So, I did, she does have a point.....what do you think Louise?

Is this a retailing conspiracy?

Cheers......Rob

[Louise0]

You may have a point.  Maybe the protracted shortage is encouraged as it forces us to make multiple trips to the stores in the hopes of finding toilet paper? 

I don't understand why they can't just re-stock the TP shelves several times a day instead of doing it once in the early morning and letting the 'locusts' descend and clear out the lot.

I haven't been able to buy a roll for 5 weeks now.  It's ridiculous.

[Robin4]

@Louise0 

I am fortunate, being a 'senior', I get 'first nibble at the yeast bun' three mornings a week at 7.00 am, but even then Louise, there is three quarters of nine tenths of bugger all there! In a whole isle there might be 40 x 6 packs and, the limit is one per customer. Jeez, Ade will go through 2 rolls between 8.00 am and 4.00 pm on any given day.

There is a massive stash of loo paper somewhere....and I hope to God it doesn't catch fire.....we really would be in the sh*t then!

Cheers.....Rob

[Robin4]

@Donald28 

Two weeks have gone by since you made that post Donald and with what is going on in the US at the moment, you probably wish you have not made that post! 

I always buy toilet paper in a 40 pack, obviously because it is cheaper per roll that way.

And Don, I can assure you Australia has 5 major national retail chains that do a great trade at supplying toilet paper in the largest packs that customers can physically carry.

None of us wait until the last roll is on the dispenser before we start thinking about a restock but, this whole toilet paper hording thing took most all of us by surprise.

Now think about it for a minute Donald, take yourself out of the current situation and write down the 10 most likely things to experience a run-on in an emergency situation?

There would be

1/.     water

2/.     plenty of heat and eat meals.

3/.     Gasoline.

4/.     Dog food

5/.     Fresh fruit and veg.

6/.     A generator in case the power gives out.

7/.     Flashlight and plenty of batteries.

8/.     At least a week of non perishable food and a can opener.

9/.     Matches, paper, pencils.

10/.   Non prescriptions medicines

I will bet you that arcade game shed of yours..... sh*t paper would not have featured in your top ten list! 

By the time we decided it was time to restock, the shelves were empty, goose-egg, zippo!

Some things in life you can't adequately prepare for because, you just don't see them coming.

Try not to be too hard on us Donald, because we didn't have a stray 40 pack sitting around on the off chance that a global pandemic might suddenly overtake us!

Cheers......Rob

[Helen350]

@Donald28 What is wrong with you? I lost count of the number of times I replied to your idiotic ramblings yesterday; in all cases, you completely failed to comprehend the meaning of the post you were commenting on, & replied with nonsense as a result.... Do you deliberately do this?

Jane's TP situation is as a result of panic buying & selfish hoarding by others. It's happening  in many countries, as folk here have testified..... PLEASE STOP telling us how wonderful you are in contrast to all the other  idiot - in your opinion - hosts. 

@Louise0