AIBU to please ask you not to plough even more money into Amazon over this lockdown?

[schitter]

I know, it's cheap and easy.
I know you probably need to find the lowest price you can.
I know it being delivered straight to your door is win win on non essential trips out.

But pleeeasssssse let's not make the richest man in the world any richer than he is already if you have any other option.
Even shopping online with the big high street retailers is better than lining JBs pockets.
Look at those little individual eBay shops that'll no doubt have exactly what you're looking for and you only have to wait a couple of days extra, it's not the end of the world.

Please look around you, please look what else is available.
Lots of your local shops have diversified into offering home delivery because their livelihoods depend on it.

My livelihood depends on it! My little business did 3% (yes, three percent) of its usual sales in April. I permanently laid off 4 staff and haven't made a penny personally since.
I feel sick at the thought.

I will still be shopping on amazon, eBay is a nightmare having to wait 2 weeks I think it is before you can open a case for an item that’s not turned up! No thanks

The thing is he's rich for a reason. It's cheap, it's convenient. I'm not saying it's right, but it's true.

They do support small businesses and I've ordered from several of them via Amazon recently, and will try my best to do that for gifts.

Also I'm self isolating so I don't have the option of going to get anything before lockdown and I don't fancy the shops around Christmas anyway - it's going to be Covid soup out there.

@Ignoringequally

Amazon is a huge employer in my area (nearby distribution centre). I’d hate to see all those people lose their livelihoods.

I would hope there would be better jobs. Amazon treat staff like shit.

www.channel4.com/news/anger-at-amazon-working-conditions
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25034598
www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/05/amazon-workers-protest-unsafe-grueling-conditions-warehouse

Yes to this! I've been making an effort to switch off Amazon. For example I've switched to Waterstones for books as at least they have a high street presence (and their website is great)

Bloody love amazon and will be continuing to use it as I have always done.

Never shopped locally so it's not as if they are getting my money that would have gone elsewhere.

We are ft working parents with little time to 'shop around' for bargains, if we won the lottery, I definitely will stop shopping at amazon and support small businesses.

I am still helping the rich to get richer by shopping at Tesco and Asda etc.

I mean stop buying from Amazon.

well,Im an NHS clinican working in mental health. I have worked late almost every day for the past 4 weeks. I have worked extra hours at weekends (usually only work Mon - Friday) My Dh is a teacher, full time. I have 3 dc at home and 2 uni student dc.
I have absolutely no time left to search round for things I need, and very often I need things at short notice. We have a budget that has to be stuck to.I have been ordering from amazon for years,and have no intention of stopping now, just because someone decides I should shop elsewhere.

The other scary thing about Amazon is the IT side of the business. So many apps and websites are built using Amazon IT AWS. They are the biggest cloud provider. That level of dominance worries me.

"More than 150 bookshops have signed up to a new online marketplace taking on Amazon this Christmas. Bookshop is an alternative for "socially conscious online shoppers", ensuring stores receive the full 30% profit margin from each sale. The site, opening in the UK today, has raised $7.5m (£5.8m) for US independent shops. Bookshop founder and chief executive Andy Hunter said: “COVID-19 has added further urgency to the need for bookshops to compete for online sales.”

The Yummy Yank does the BEST brownies and bars by post. They are always a very popular and well received gift

www.theyummyyank.co.uk/

The Yorkshire soap company do really moisturising soap bars. My fav is the cherry bake well, but I’ve bought candy candy for Christmas. They last for ages and make the whole bathroom smell lovely

yorkshiresoap.co.uk/

With regards to Bookshop, my local independent bookseller just posted this on Facebook...doesn’t look great for small businesses!

I use it a lot because it's reliable and has good customer service. The rare time there are problems they are always sorted out without an argument and very quickly, which can't be said for all places.

I just cancelled my Prime membership and told them it was because they don't pay appropriate tax in UK. Thanks for the thread
That'll show them!

I will also be using Amazon. I know a lot of people don’t like them but we do. Some of the stuff I get on Amazon I can’t get anywhere else or it is more expensive elsewhere.

I am sorry for your difficulties during covid, but I will continue to shop on amazon
I like amazon, a lot. I’ve had excellent customer service from them, unlike other established and independent retailers
Amazon is often the cheapest and certainly fastest for delivery
Amazon is a platform, that retailers big and small can use, inc amazon market place

Amazon all the way for me

I will continue to keep using Amazon OP.
I live in the arse-end of nowhere in another country. Amazon send their packages with the national postal service. They always arrive. I have tried to order from other companies but they use one of two useless delivery services. The packages invariably end up in the wrong place (in the next village usually, or in my village at an address with the digits of the house number reversed) or they take forever to turn up. It's more hassle than it's worth. I've contacted some of the companies about the unreliable delivery services and they say they won't change their delivery service so as far as I'm concerned that's that. It's just not acceptable to end up traipsing around the countryside looking for packages and the companies which sent them washing their hands of it.
I buy things on Amazon. They turn up. I do try to buy things from other sellers where I possibly can. In fact, these days, most things I would buy are not actually sold by Amazon itself but are "fulfilled by Amazon".
I only buy second hand books on Amazon - the majority of these come from independent second hand book shops in the UK and end up being delivered by our national postal service so at least they bloody turn up.

Also I find Amazon's customer service is good. I ordered a laptop on there a couple of years ago but it was defective. I was able to send it back immediately, no questions asked. They refunded my credit card before they had even received the computer back and I was able to buy another laptop.

@BefuddledPerson well when there are better jobs available then people will take them. But til then we all need to eat.

Is working for Amazon so much worse than working for Hermes, Yodel etc? My impression is that, if anything, they are slightly better.

@BefuddledPerson you can hope there would be better jobs but in the current climate it's a job and round here would be a huge loss and a lot of unemployment

I know a handful of people who work for amazon... none of them have ever complained about their jobs as it goes... so I wouldn't say media headlines are representative of an entire company. There may be issues in areas obviously

I am very busy with work and have no time or desire to shop around in store or online. So often if we need anything I go on Amazon and have it next day, sometimes same day. I used to order things for my ill grandfather abroad and once paid 30£ to get something delivered next day. It was late by a day and I got a refund for the delivery cost without asking for it. So as long as I keep getting this level of service I will keep using them.

I am not going to pay more and forgo convenience & free delivery for eBay
Sadly my experience is that independent retailer doesn’t necessarily equal quality or good service.

@GintyMarlow2

Amazon is quick and easy, and provides employment for thousands of people. I'll be continuing to use it.

Me too. Lots of small businesses trade on their too and they employ so many people not to mention keep couriers in jobs.

I don’t want to pay postage when I have prime and many places have high minimum spends to get free delivery or charge a high amount.

We will continues to use amazon a lot.
I have my favorite small retailers for children’s clothes etc, but there are no decent options for things like stationary etc, especially with good customer service.
Mind you, I haven’t set foot in a physical store for years - I don’t like chains, and the couple of small stores around here aren’t great (overpriced, pushy, no selection to speak off). Even the small stores I love are hundreds of miles away and I have never set foot inside!

I don't touch Amazon, I'm with you op!