to wonder why people shop at Amazon?

[poppytripll]

Starbucks and the other well known tax dodging companies? If we need more money to pay teachers properly, fund the nhs etc then surely if we supported retailers that pay UK tax it may help? I don't buy coffee much but I use Costa if I do, as it's part of a British company that pays tax.

I also shop in Sainsbury or Waitrose because they pay UK tax as opposed to Aldi and Lidl. I'm probably over simplifying this so please tell me if iabu!

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

Starbucks is very easy to boycott for most people - there's almost always an alternative. Amazon is pretty easy to boycott for books (at a price) but for random electronic bits and pieces it makes life so much easier and cheaper - and I live in London, I can only imagine what it's like for people in the sticks.

It's also a godsend for wishlists for DC's birthdays for farflung relatives - yes, yes I know they should be grateful for whatever Aunty Doris wants to get them, but Aunty Doris a) really wants to get them something they actually want and b) lives in the back of beyond and has trouble getting to the shops and post office.

I do try to avoid it though.

[firesidechat]

I don't use Starbucks because I don't like their coffee. On the other had I love Amazon and they aren't doing anything illegal.

Perhaps I have no principles.

[lavenderhoney]

What they are doing is legal, so unless you have the wherewithal and time to look elsewhere, its very convinient and cheap.

I would say anyone who earns big bucks, will be attracted to saving their money offshore and legally avoiding tax. I dont have huge earnings at all, but I like to ensure I don't give a penny more to the war mongering slippery fuckers than I have to.

If you look at the small print on Internet sites, you can see that various companies or separate entitities of a large company are registered in Jersey or another offshore location.

[firesidechat]

hand not had.

[DoJo]

I too am amazed that people condone tax avoidance scheme, but I choose to focus on the fact that it is the government who are doing so, when it is in their power to make changes. The treasury choose not to accept advice from their own select committees and write off nearly 11 billion in tax in a single year, so I think individuals choosing the cheaper and more convenient option for their shopping plays a fairly minor role in allowing companies to avoid tax.

[Aeroflotgirl]

It's cheap and convenient. Why would I want to pay £20 for a book in waterstones, when Amazon stock it for £10!

[PomeralLights]

Oh, and if anyone's interested, the basis for our way of taxing international corporations was established in the early 1900s, for example the De Beers tax case. Funnily enough, our not-now-fit-for-purpose tax system was previously a great way for our government to extract wealth from over-exploited (by the British) countries like South Africa, Egypt etc. Yes it's all a bit boo-bloody-hoo now the laws are working against the UK, but for a hundred years they were yet another convenient way for our country to rape the developing world of wealth generated in their territories.

So many reasons why the terrible tax laws need to be changed, a lot of them purely practical, like cutting down on the sheer volume of it all. But people trying to get all moral about our terrible and unfair system makes me laugh tbh.

[Aeroflotgirl]

A cd I wanted was £17 in HMV, the same in Amazon was £7, there you go! It was a classical music cd, not the latest chart topper.

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

And it's not so much about a boycott - it's about positively preferring to spend money in a place where I know the profits will stay in the UK economy and partly go towards funding our schools and hospitals. That's a very straightforward decision when it comes to Starbucks, because there's always another choice which is no more expensive. For Amazon it's much more difficult to find a local supplier and if you do it will cost a load more - it's arguably more efficient to drop half of the quid you save in the Hospital Friends collecting tin.

[TucsonGirl]

Yes but how much money actually does go to funding our schools and hospitals, and how much is just pocketed by doctors and teachers? When I see doctors with 2nd and 3rd houses, and teachers that can afford to go on holiday for a month, I just think my money is better off in my pocket than in theirs.

[motherinferior]

I very occasionally shop at Amazon. Mostly I don't. When DP and I bought e-readers we deliberately didn't get Kindles so that has diverted rather a large proportion of my outgoings.

I don't like Starbucks for all kinds of reasons. Avoidance is not difficult.

[CoffeeTea103]

It's brilliant and has everything, and just that some people don't actually care.

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

I don't like Starbucks so don't go there (don't drink coffee anyway), but their tea is grey water and they hot chocolate is awful. I go to Costa or preferably somewhere independent.

Amazon is cheaper and easy.

[Batmansbuttocks]

Amazon rules! I think people are weird who don't use it
I agree they are not breaking the law - campaign for a change in law.

[poppytripll]

Ok fair enough, sounds like iabu. Surely as a country though we should either support companies that pay tax, pay our fair share ourselves etc and have an nhs, free schooling, better paid public sector staff or just bin it all and go pure capitalist, survival of the fittest, minimal taxes as Amazon and the like do?

[Seriouslyffs]

I try not to use amazon, but having walked to the independant shop only to have the owner slam the door in my face and tap on his wrong time telling watch, trying to check he had what I wanted by phone but phone wasn't answered, going back and finding he didn't have it in stock I gave up and ordered for a third off- next day delivery by a friendly driver.

[Everard]

I use Amazon all the time and have done so for years. They have never once, in all that time, messed up an order. They are reliable, quick, easy to use and relatively cheap.

I recently used another company, thinking that I really should find an alternative to Amazon (because of the way they treat their employees rather than any tax reason). The company sent the wrong item, and had a tricky returns process. I left negative feedback and within minutes received a phone call from them trying to make amends. In the end, they gave me nearly all my money back in return for a withdrawal of my negative feedback. I could see they were trying to get things right, but it was still a nuisance when I consider how Amazon have never got any order wrong.

[MaloryArcher]

I don't use Starbucks or any other chain coffee shops/cafés but not because I'm a Moral Mary. It's because their products are shit. We have 2 independent coffee places here that are superior in every way so I go there.

I use Amazon 3-4 times a week. They're reliable, cheap and sell everything. Love it.

No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't bring myself to give one single solitary fuck about their tax policies.

[DontPutMeDownForCardio]

I love amazon. Good products for very cheap usually. I bought a case for my tablet - everywhere ut was £40 rrp but I got it for £12 on Amazon marketplace.

I also shop at aldi because it's cheap and I refuse to believe that they are any worse in terms of ethics than any other supermarket. The others all just make more money.

[miffybun73]

It's cheap and convenient.

[DontPutMeDownForCardio]

I also refuse the believe that the state of the nhs can be laid at amazons door, even indirectly.

[Hulababy]

I use amazon.
I get free next day delivery and can get almost anything I want/need at a click of a button for a good price.
The range of books for my Kindle is extensive and again good value.

As far as I am aware they abide by the current UK laws.

[LemonSquares]

They obey current UK law.

I can spend just under £5 to get into town to find items I need/want aren’t there while I can go to Amazon and it's cheaper and they deliver. With a lot of the small DIY stuff it's often the only place I can get little things delivered without it costing the earth or required a trip to next town - bus, train long walk.

I haven’t experienced issues with deliveries from Amazon like have with other shops I have shopped on-line with.

I love the Kindle bought me as well - great range of books for cheap price and so convenient to get hold of - perhaps almost too convenient.

[MelanieCheeks]

Most consumers don't consider a company's tax-paying record when they're making a choice of where to purchase.

Some people boycott companies for all sorts of reasons.....but many don't.

Most countries adopt a mixed ecomonic approach - it's hard to find any which are very extremely Communist or Capitalist.