Mums sob as baby essential goes missing from shelves & yours could fetch £50 on eBay if there’s a tube in the cupboard
IT’S considered a baby essential by millions of mums.
But a shortage of nappy cream Metanium has left many parents struggling to get their hands on any.
Laura took to TikTok to admit she was stunned to see how much the cream – which is famously yellow in colour – was going for on auction site eBay, as people try to make a “quick buck”.
Holding up a tube of the cream, Laura – aka the Side Money Mummy – said: “These yellow tubes of Metanium nappy rash ointment are out of stock and people are using this as an opportunity to make a quick buck.
“Even businesses are getting in on this and this website is trying to sell it for 50 quid.
“This person is selling four for £200!”
While Laura is no stranger to a side hustle, and is always looking for different ways to make money, she insisted the “draws the line” at trying to cash in on a shortage of something mums rely on.
“As a mother of two young children, it really angers me that people would use a shortage like this as an opportunity to make a quick profit,” she continued.
“You could argue that these people are doing the service by offering a tube to people who cannot obtain one themselves.
“But if it were me and I had a spare tube that I hadn’t used, I would be giving it to somebody else for free or at the very least, I would only be asking for the original purchase price.
“I would not be trying to profit off of this.”
Laura concluded her post by urging anyone trying to make a profit on the cream to look at her page to see “all the other ways that you can make money online that doesn’t involve ripping people off”.
“You can resell these for £50?!?!” Laura captioned the video.
“Just seen this on vinted too,” one person marvelled in the comments.
“I would never,” another added.
“I have 4 tubes if any body is in need,” a third commented.
“Waitrose has it in stock.. £4.70m” someone else wrote.
As Laura replied: “Absolute madness that people would try and sell it for as much as £50!”
How to save cash on nappies
BUYING nappies and other baby items can be an expensive task, but parents are just realising there’s a trick that could save them cash.
If you’ve got a newborn or multiple little ones to look after, you can really see your outgoings go up.
One money saving mum was shocked to discover that she could have been saving money on nappies for years.
She posted her find on Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK.
The mum wrote: “If you haven’t already and you have little ones still in nappies, then get the “Pampers Club App” downloaded.
“You can earn discount coupons and remember to use the code to redeem a £6 off coupon straight away.”
She wasn’t alone in discovering the deal, as the post racked up more than 30 comments from equally as surprised parents who were keen to share in the bargain.
One social media user wrote: “Wish I’d known about this when my boy was born.”
Another tagged their friend and said: “Have you looked into this?!”
A third added: “Ohhh yes gonna give it a go!”
Essentially, each pack of Pampers nappies you buy has a code on the inside of the box, if you scan that code on the Pampers Club app you get a stamp.
The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or from the Google Play store on Android.
You get one point per nappy in a pack so the larger the packs, the more points you’ll receive.
For example, if you scan a code inside a pack of 86 nappies, you’ll receive 86 points.
You can then redeem your points for coupons to redeem at retailers such as Tesco, Asda, Boots, Morrisons or Sainsbury’s.
Plus, Pampers is currently offering £6 off Pampers nappies in Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Coop, or Boots.
“That £200 one on eBay sold,” another commented.
“My daughter needs this cream nothing else works.
“Some people are just greedy charging so much.”
“You’re joking it sold?” Laura exclaimed.
“That’s actually terrible people have done this!”
The Sun contacted representatives for manufacturers Thornton & Ross, who confirmed the cream is no longer available.
“Thornton & Ross has taken the decision to discontinue Metanium Nappy Rash Ointment,” they said.
“This is due to constraints that have impacted our ability to guarantee consistent supply and maintain the high standards of excellence we strive for in all our products.”
They added: “We understand Metanium Nappy Rash Ointment was a valued product and we assure you that this decision was not taken lightly.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience the discontinuation of Metanium Nappy Rash Ointment may cause.”