To ask how you can live with yourself if you use Amazon

[paperbeatsrock]

Just kidding! All those political threads asking how people can possibly vote for X or Y must be getting to me.

I use Amazon. (While I’m frequently ordering from a vendor rather than Amazon themselves, Bezos still gets his cut.) Yet, the more I read about them, the more I realise I’m part of the problem. So I guess my question is, do you have stern words with yourself for using them, but keep doing it anyway?

I don't find Amazon that convenient - yes, the delivery is good, but I hate having to sift through multiple listings for identical stuff that's all made in China and is rubbish quality. It used to be okay when you were ordering directly from Amazon, and predominantly known brand names, but now it's just a platform for third party sellers, and it's no better than eBay.

I have actively reduced Amazon for many reasons:

• To support my local shops more
• Not necessarily cheapest anymore
• Lots of sub standard, random branded products with fake reviews from China

I use Amazon because I work at home and a lot of the things I need are a faff to find in real shops. Specialist cat food, craft equipment, specialist books and stationery, DIY stuff - I could traipse around all day looking for a shop that has what I want. I shop online elsewhere too, including ebay, but Amazon makes it a lot easier to find things and one-click means it's quick.

A lot of things you buy from Amazon are from other shops, they just use Amazon as a shop window and ordering service. Yes Amazon profits but they are providing a service. If they should be paying more tax, that's on the government to make sure of that and enforce it.

I do have a local area high street and use that a lot too for things that are available.

I don’t have stern words with myself. I don’t have the energy to beat myself up about it frankly. There’s plenty on the list before it gets to amazon.

I don’t live in uk, Amazon means I can get gifts to family quickly so Amazon is definitely my guilty life hack.

My friend told me she never uses amazon. AIBU to be DISGUSTED?

As @Fere said, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is about 40% of the cloud storage market. You would need to boycott Netflix, Spotify and countless other services built using AWS back ends to completely boycott Amazon.

I think amazon is great. If other retailers are struggling then they need to up their game. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I use it regularly, and find their service good.

I'm not aware of any reason why I should feel guilty about that, except for the fact it makes it almost too easy to buy things that we could really live without.

I use it as a comparison if Wordery or Book Depository has it cheaper I but if from them.

Amazon has a much better return policy though with printer free returns.

I love Amazon. I dont know anywhere else wholl deliver small items as quickly and cheaply as them. I love that if I run out of something I can have it delivered the next day or as I discovered recently in some cases a few hours later.

I definitely get value from my Prime membership

It's for the government to sort out the tax loopholes. And they could easily 🤷‍♀️

If a rival company comes along that actually pays their taxes, I'll use them. In the meantime Amazon is very convenient.And I can't recall the last time they sent one of my orders with plastic packaging, it's always brown paper.

Nope never.

It's much easier and cheaper than going into town, paying for parking then normally paying more for the product than it is on amazon.

I live in the Highlands and they're one of the few places that deliver via royal mail so I can actually get it. As the depot for other mail services is 2.5 hour drive away. Also there's not very many shops here so it's not a case of popping to the high street if I wee something.

I find it convenient and quick. Its great for someone who hates shopping like me and I can find absolutely everything. I definitely use my Prime membership and use Kindle Books. Their customer service is also very good.

We've massively cut down and try to shop locally if possible, but it's challenging - we have 2 DC including a toddler and both work full time and Amazon is so damn convenient. We're lucky that we can afford to shop at the local bookshop for example, Amazon book prices are almost always cheaper but we do pay extra a lot of the time to support local businesses. Not everyone has the budget for that.

I try to keep my use of it to a minimum but as a self-published author, some use of it is unavoidable. No indie author who hasn't already built up a substantial following elsewhere could hope to get noticed without Amazon... even though their treatment of authors is shitty.

It's a constant balance/battle. I try to buy locally if possible but sometimes it isn't.
I was in a local picture framers. They didn't have the size I needed and they asked if I'd tried Amazon first I said 'no because I was trying to support their local business' . I did end up buying from Amazon though.

I placed an amazon order today for a christmas gift.

Together I ordered scottish shortbread and a book set to be delivered to one address.

From the shortbread store I would have had to spend £20 alone to get free delivery otherwise it was a flat fee of £5.50. Too much to spend on just biscuits which were just £12.

If I ever need anything I always check Amazon first and then EBay.
I can’t help it, next day delivery ,even same day sometimes and usually at a much better price .
So easy as well, can order from anywhere quickly

I find it on Amazon and then just copy the full name of the product+model and paste it into google to see if I can find it elsewhere at a similar price. Only takes 2 seconds.

I do use Amazon although with a heavy heart. We live in a popular town on the South Coast ,but parking in town is a nightmare ! about £4.50 for a couple of hours. I prefer the shopping centre which is free ,but packed any time after 10.00 . Its a bit like driving really ,people (myself included) moan about the traffic but are contributing to it!

I told them I wouldn't use them again. They didn't care. They knew I'd be back.

Weirdly, the only thing I steadfastly refuse to buy through Amazon is books, although that’s how they started out.

I adore whiling away an hour browsing in a bookshop. If I don’t make actual purchases, I can’t expect them to stay in business and I know I’d be very sad to see Waterstones and the like go under.