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Original poster

Are there any stores or companies you refuse to shop from or deal with?

544 replies

User1055 · 26/08/2021 10:26

As the thread title says - I have just decided to shop anywhere except a major high street electrical / computer company from now onwards after a couple of poor customer service issues. I shopped there from convenience, but I'm fed up with them now.
This got me thinking. I avoid any MLM, even though I really like some products I was given as a gift, and stores with poor ethics regarding production, worker treatment, etc.
Do you have any you actively avoid?

OP posts:
JulesJules · 27/08/2021 11:13

Nestle - longstanding
Lush
The Bodyshop
Charities who are merrily throwing women under the bus in exchange for wokey points

aaaaah · 27/08/2021 11:15

Pret label all their food now dont they?

FourTeaFallOut · 27/08/2021 11:27

Bodyshop
Ncpcc
Oxfam
Lush

igelkott2021 · 27/08/2021 11:42

@balloonsintrees

WH Smith as the shops are completely unsuitable to wheel around in a wheelchair. A few years ago was out buying new secondary school stuff for me and the eldest, popped into Smiths in Bluewater. Turning round to go to the till and ended up knocking into one of their boxed displays. Had no choice as the aisles were jammed packed with display units and just crap everywhere. The manager happened to be there and told me next time to either walk around the store or send someone else in on my behalf - I was utterly fuming that someone could be so disablist!AngryAngryAngryAngry I dumped the stuff on the floor, refused to buy it and child and I went out, chased by manager trying to get us to buy the basket of goods. Haven't been in one since, and by the looks of it their aisles are still bloody impassable!!!
That is terrible. But you are right - I had not thought about wheelchair access before but my WH Smith is the same - very narrow aisles and loads of pointless displays blocking things up even more.
igelkott2021 · 27/08/2021 11:43

Sorry but £120 is a cheap flight

It doesn't matter if the OP paid £1.20 for the flight - they have no justification for damaging a suitcase.

igelkott2021 · 27/08/2021 11:44

Don’t mean to derail but can anyone recommend a reasonably priced hassle-free electricity provider

Which? recommends Octopus and Utility Warehouse.

NameEight · 27/08/2021 18:09

I am not as principled as some but can hold a grudge:
Robert Dyas - inefficient with stock levels and wouldn't issue a refund until the manufacturer refunded them.
Timpsons - gave me the run around when I wanted a new remote key fob. They wanted to post off my original V5 and other ID docs.
Local pub with out of date cheese cake - it was fizzy on the top.

luckylavender · 27/08/2021 18:11

Lloyds the Chemist, Weatherspoons, Next, Dyson, Trago Mills.

ThatSunnyCorner · 27/08/2021 18:35

I wonder how Lush and Body Shop are still in business, they are boycotted by so many of us.

Mscarna · 27/08/2021 18:46

Boots due to customer service for prescriptions
Wetherspoons - that dreadful man
WH Smith for charging more than advertised price, repeatedly

summercupcake · 27/08/2021 18:47

Harvester pubs - went there for a meal once with a hungry family as it was next to IKEA.

Worst service, food and cleanliness I have ever experienced. Truly shocking!

I filled out a detailed complaint form online, with times, details and staff names. When I submitted it I got a generic response 'thank you for your feedback, please note we do not reply, have a nice day'

It was years ago I still can't believe they're in business. At the time I was furious now I just think it's funny. But will never darken their doorstep again!

Vicliz24 · 27/08/2021 18:49

My local Specsavers. Shocking service and rude sales people. Would rather travel 20 miles to my next nearest where they're so lovely.

User7458 · 27/08/2021 19:12

WH Smith is closing down in our town, maybe others will go the same way

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan · 27/08/2021 19:26

@User7458

WH Smith is closing down in our town, maybe others will go the same way
Very probably. But that means people losing their livelihoods, so it's a curious thing to wish for.
EishetChayil · 27/08/2021 19:29

I have a long shit-list of companies I boycott because they refuse to call a woman a woman. I can't be doing with any enterprise that calls me a pregnant person or a uterus haver.

#nothankyou

User7458 · 27/08/2021 19:34

Very probably. But that means people losing their livelihoods, so it's a curious thing to wish for.

No different to boycotting a shop or do you expect others to use a shop you don't want to use.

User7458 · 27/08/2021 19:39

So we don't want shops to close down because of people's livelihoods but we don't want to use them...

Rachelthegreat · 27/08/2021 19:40

@EishetChayil

I have a long shit-list of companies I boycott because they refuse to call a woman a woman. I can't be doing with any enterprise that calls me a pregnant person or a uterus haver.

#nothankyou

Totally agree. I’m a woman, girl, female, lady, etc

I cannot possibly ever change this, and the same applies in reverse

Heatherjayne1972 · 27/08/2021 20:20

Currys. -there are no words to describe how awful they were. How they are still in business is a mystery

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan · 27/08/2021 20:31

@User7458

So we don't want shops to close down because of people's livelihoods but we don't want to use them...
Not the title of the thread, though, is it? It's not called 'Shops I'd like to see go under'. I'd never set foot in the Canterbury branch of 'Côte' because of how I was treated when I tried to take my infant daughter in there - but I might visit another branch, and I wouldn't be happy to hear the chain as a whole was in trouble. Because I don't like to see people out of a job. Because I'm not a sadistic weirdo.
User7458 · 27/08/2021 21:04

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan

So ok for others to use them then, you wanted to boycott other shops upthread, I suspect many on this thread would like to see their boycotted shops go under.

Pokhora · 27/08/2021 21:22

Dyson
Wetherspoons
Primark
McDonald's
Sports Direct
Innocent smoothies/coca cola
Ryan Air

Moonwatcher1234 · 27/08/2021 21:26

@aaaaah

Pret label all their food now dont they?
Not sure but ‘Natasha’s law’ is coming into force later this year which requires food packaging to contain a lot of ingredients and allergens highlighted. Actually shocking this wasn’t the case before. And huge credit to Natasha’s incredible parents who have campaigned for this so hard, amidst the grief at losing their beautiful daughter.
Sarjest · 27/08/2021 21:37

Won’t go to any of the restaurants in the Restaurant Group as the unrepentant ex-boss of failed HBOS is now CEO. To be fair, the only one I miss is Wagamama’s, but I refuse to line his pockets. He showed no remorse for running a bank into the ground and destabilised the reputation of financial services in the country. Thousands of jobs were lost in the aftermath.

AnneElliott · 27/08/2021 21:38

Ooh I boycott lots. I don't like giving my money to companies who don't treat customers well, or I disagree with their politics;
BT
Lush
WJ King (garage and car sales)
British Gas
NPower
Treat Me

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