Buying Second Hand in The Time of Covid - VIC

Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 09:52

I'm buying furniture for my house in Ballarat (not under restrictions)

There's a few items on ebay and gumtree for sale in Melbourne - am I allowed to go into Melbourne to pick these up? I'm leaning towards no (depends how you define 'essential'), but I'm a bit miffed that I could pay a courier to do it and that would be fine, without actually changing the risk.

Also, I'm assuming the rule still stands that you won't get fined if you're travelling to a business that is open, so I would be allowed to buy new, just not second hand.

General Discussion

Comments

  • Rukiata on 10/07/2020 - 09:58

    no

  • jjjaar on 10/07/2020 - 10:03
    +3

    but I'm a bit miffed that I could pay a courier to do it and that would be fine, without actually changing the risk.

    I would argue that you’re adding a third party in, increasing the risk.

    I agree, it’s frustrating. But we have to think about the reasons behind it and really try to limit movement.

    While you could probably argue that it’s something essential that you need, could you imagine if you interacted with someone who had covid and didn’t know, then you brought it into Ballarat?

    I would just avoid looking in Melbourne for furniture for the time being so you don’t see pieces you like. Either wait a couple months, or look locally.

  • oscargamer on 10/07/2020 - 10:03

    If you are going to actually pay for and collect the furniture, then yes. If you are going to have a look at it, then no.

    • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 10:48

      yep, pay for and collect. Not browsing

  • DannyC on 10/07/2020 - 10:08
    +1

    Couriers are considered Essential services so they can operate to deliver. How else we gonna get those lovely parcels from our online shopping sprees? ;-)

    So unfortunately, the short answer is definitely a no.

    Anyways all the info if you're still unsure:
    https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorias-restriction-levels-cov…

    • MS Paint on 10/07/2020 - 10:18

      If you need to travel through the Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, you can. You should plan your trip so that you don’t need to stop in an impacted area unless it is for one of the three reasons.

    • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 10:52

      I've had a look over the website, it really isn't clear, and doesn't at all capture the concept of 'if the shops open you can go to it' that was in place during the last lockdown

  • ibuy on 10/07/2020 - 10:28

    Any travel you do must be under one of the four rules. These mean it is basically for essential purposes only.

    If you are going to a shop that is not an essential service then you could be fined. For example if you go to a shop (or even someone’s house) selling second hand furniture that is non essential (you’re buying a Louis XIV cabinet) and in the greater Melbourne restricted zone then you are likely to be fined.

    • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 11:21

      I don't think this is correct, in the last lockdown they weren't fining people who went to shops that were still open.

      • ibuy on 10/07/2020 - 23:19
        +1

        Here is the link from the government website.

        https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/shopping-and-retail-metropolitan…

        It advises that:

        “Victorians in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire must only leave home for the purposes of shopping for necessary goods and services.“

        If the item isn’t critical or essential to your living then you can be fined.

        If a shop elects to open and it is not found to be essential then they can be fined. Many shops I thought would be essentials have actually closed: eg Sheridan for towels, Matchbox for cooking utensils etc. I don’t know the full definition but someone selling a second hand item, unless it is critical for your home I wouldn’t really try. As others have said if you are stopped by the police and they fine you despite your protests, then your only avenue out of this is through the court system.

        It happened to a restaurant in Fitzroy with the last lockdown. They thought the owner was offering sit down meals because a customer was sitting on a chair at a table with a drink but had placed a take away order. He was fined over $9,000 and had to go to court to get the fine reversed. Not worth the hassle

        You can disagree with me all you want but it will not be me who decides. It will be the police who stops you and makes a judgement call on your situation as to whether it is essential or otherwise.

  • GG57 on 10/07/2020 - 10:46
    -1

    Buying furniture is nowhere near essential.
    No.

    • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 10:49
      +3

      I would say it depends on the furniture - a table or bed feels pretty essential

      • GG57 on 10/07/2020 - 11:07

        You don't already have a bed?
        And a table isn't essential.

        • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2020 - 11:10
          +3

          While this makes logical sense, why are table shops (and every single other shop) still open?

          Something being essential is entirely subjective.

          • GG57 on 10/07/2020 - 11:13
            +3

            @[Deactivated]: Logical; sensible; so why do so many people try to find loop holes just so they can 'survive' these restrictions.

            OP could take the chance based on their own subjective definition of 'essential', and if they are stopped by police they can argue their case. But they should be prepared to potentially pay a fine. If OP is that confident, why did they even ask on here?

            • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 11:26

              @GG57: I'm not confident at all, in fact in the OP i said I was leaning towards no.

              I suppose it's just a rant at the inconsistency, if I had extra money to hand I could pay someone to pick it up for me, but going to collect it myself is probably not allowed

        • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 11:20

          I've got a baby on the way, I need to buy stuff. And yes, sometimes people need to buy beds. Lets agree to disagree on the table…

          Having said that, the piece of furniture I most want at the moment is a sideboard, which is certainly not essential

        • whooah1979 on 10/07/2020 - 12:13

          A dining table isn’t if you eat on the floor.

    • whooah1979 on 10/07/2020 - 12:12

      It depends on the furniture. A bed, dining table and chairs are essential to every household. Outdoor furniture, not so much.

  • JimmyF on 10/07/2020 - 11:05

    am I allowed to go into Melbourne to pick these up?

    Yes, all is welcome to enter the Melbourne, but will or should you be allowed back home? No you're not allowed to leave the melbourne metro area to enter country areas.

    tl;dr NO

    • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 11:17
      -1

      that's not the case at all

      • JimmyF on 10/07/2020 - 13:01
        -1

        why are you asking then if you know all? Your reason to enter isn't really 'essential' is it.

        • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 13:21

          Yes, all is welcome to enter the Melbourne

          I'm pretty sure this is incorrect

  • whooah1979 on 10/07/2020 - 12:22
    +2

    Make sure that one of the items is a jigsaw puzzle and you’ll be fine.
    https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/cor…

  • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2020 - 12:51

    Just say essential work or study, the definition of what is essential is vague

    • JimmyF on 10/07/2020 - 13:05

      vague yes, but we all know buying homewares isn't essential. The OP has many many shops in Ballarat that sell homewares.

      • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2020 - 13:13
        +1

        This is why you just say essential work, and do not say homewares shopping

      • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 13:23
        -1

        yes, i can buy the item I'm after new for $1500, or second hand for $500. Hard to guess which one i'll be doing…

  • Stone Monkey on 10/07/2020 - 14:54
    +3

    Metropolitan Melbourne is in lockdown to limit the interactions between areas where there are increasing numbers of cases and areas outside of Melbourne, like Ballarat where there are few to no cases of Covid-19.

    By you entering and leaving the lockdown area to buy furniture defeats one of purposes the lockdown was put in place in the first place.

    • GG57 on 10/07/2020 - 15:32

      Why would anyone neg you for that accurate information?

      • Bren20 on 10/07/2020 - 16:23

        It was me, I don't normally neg on my posts (I didn't neg you), but I felt that Stone Monkey wasn't really adding much, and that they were oversimplifying what is actually happening.

        By you entering and leaving the lockdown area to buy furniture defeats one of purposes the lockdown was put in place in the first place

        It isn't a hard border, there are still large numbers of people crossing into Melbourne for work. The point of the border isn't to stop all movement, but to limit exposure. My question is pertaining to which side of the margin I sit on; is it allowed travel for for essential purposes (if you're defining it as essential as there's no way to complete the task without travelling), or non allowed travel as it really isn't essential for me to get the furniture.

  • Melb69 on 11/07/2020 - 10:13

    Is there anyway you can get by with out the particular item. Is the furniture a bed? I would say that is essential. If you do need to go, get it yourself and bring mask and things to wipe the furniture etc. Also Melbourne and the North are just hot spots at the moment. You really need to assess the risk factor. If it's in a low case area at least you have less of a chance of getting this deadly virus. Personally I wouldn't go if you can avoid it.

  • tinyorca on 12/07/2020 - 01:21

    Stay at home!
    Surely it can wait. People trying to get around the laws are just going to make it worse and last even longer. The laws are there for a reason so just abide by them and use some common sense.

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