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 live in a farming area, mostly rearing livestock, so I buy food direct from local companies and small producers via my butcher, fishmonger and food hub. But toiletries, coffee and veterinary supplies I buy on the internet, with a weighted preference if the company is local.

Ahh yes but so,often on mn the halo,polishers who all buy local and independent, have no qualms paying more, hell much more it’s only money. Halo polishers have the time and inclination to seek out niche and quirky brands make by artisans escaping trauma. Products made with no perfume,no petroleum,no colour ,no SLS,no additives,no whey,no gluten,no glitter. Only additive is obviously artisanal sweat captured in a tiny cup

Meanwhile everyone else, the saintly grunts, have jobs and don’t have the time to fanny about paying more and traipsing to all the independent retailer

Each to their own.

But if I can buy directly from small suppliers that is exactly what I do.

I don't use Amazon, that is my choice.

@StarcourtMall - this one. I was just reading about it today.

uk.bookshop.org/

I agree op. Amazon are trying to take over everything and every sector. Horrible company.

I appreciate your hardships although I hate posts telling me what I should do.

I wish you well though. I can imagine most businesses are suffering right now (apart from Amazon).

Good Luck!

@Redwolf1

Sorry op I want to side with you I really do but it doesn't make financial sense. A mum at my dds school sells usborne books and I really want to buy a load through her but today I realised I could save £2/3/4 or even £5 per book buying on amazon. That makes a huge difference to someone like me who has been made redundant. I wish it wasnt like that but it is

This. A horrid fault of the publisher (Usborne) that sells direct to Amazon at a price they can afford to heavily discount so much that they sell to the public cheaper than the 'at Home' sellers and independent book stores can buy stock at trade prices. Usborne have got people up and down the country promoting their books through parties / social media but the truth is, most people will buy where it's cheapest - Amazon or Tesco etc. So the Usborne at Home sellers are basically providing Usborne with a free marketing service and Amazon benefits from the sales without having to do a thing. Nice!

The British high street shops need to join forces to create the excellent next day delivery/customer service that Amazon provides. They could do it if they emulated the distribution and delivery that Amazon offers.

To add even if I didn’t buy from Amazon I wouldn’t be shopping on the high street from small independent shops I’d be ordering from ASda/B&q/Tesco/curry’s, John Lewis, Argos etc

Because I hate the high street experience, it’s far too busy, you pay a fortune for parking, you never know if a shop may have what you want and frankly the city centre has this weird smell about it. I only go to town to go to the bank so twice in the last 4 years.

I think people should do both-try to get what they can through small businesses but not feel guilty abotu spending on Amazon. I am an author on amazon. I am self published and cannot get into bookshopes. I spent years getting rejection after rejection and being told I was 'so close'. Amazon gives me an income and I get more from them than I would with any other book retailer. They have always been helpful and amazing to deal with. I shop in my local book store, I buy local when I can afford it too. There's a balance

Also same with the school book fair the the children bring home their lists with prices and I check Amazon and it’s always cheaper.

So the home sellers who are flogging osbourne to mates & work colleagues are a bit daft then trying to sell a book at an inflated price
Yes I’ve had the spiel, buy an inflated price book from me, and wait weeks for delivery
Or buy in amazon for less money with next day delivery

It's already been said, but lots of little businesses rely on Amazon so I'll still be buying from there.
Also, it's being able to afford to shop around and delivery charges etc, isn't it?
Not only that I've been looking for a job recently and one of the biggest ones employing (funnily enoughm, there's not as many jobs going at the moment!) is the Amazon warehouses, still wanting to take on loads of people for Christmas.
It's keeping people in employment and when loads of people are being laid off or whatever due to corona, I don't want to jepoardise even more jobs.

Agreed. I've been locked out of my account so now is a good a time as any

We use Amazon a lot and will continue to do so. If you live on the west coast of Scotland companies try to fleece you with delivery charges or point blank refuse to take your business. Amazon offers free delivery and next day delivery on many items which would normally take weeks to arrive. Also, I’m quite sure that all the Amazon employees are grateful for their jobs in the current environment.

I try to buy as much as possible from my local high streets, even if the items cost 10pc more, because I value my physical local shops and appreciate that there is a cost to having such amenities. That said, I’m not a big shopper so that is a matter of a few pounds a month, so it isn’t that significant vs my income, but j appreciate it isn’t the same for everyone. Physical books I try to get from a range of places - some from a local independent bookstore, some from Waterstones and others from wordery and other online stores.

I still use amazon a lot (perhaps 3-4 parcels a month), but consciously try to spend in a broad a range of places if possible.

@JorisBohnson2

Nah, I like Amazon. They do next day delivery on thousands of items. Do you?

Yes I do actually! I'm the very definition of a local company. I don't post anything, I deliver it by hand. I have a route and if you ring or email me through your order it will most certainly be there tomorrow or whatever day you specify. If you ring me and tell me that you need it now and that van has already set off, I'll stick it in my car and come right over myself.

I’m hold up in my house with a teething 8 month old and horrid morning sickness. I only get his naps to order stuff online and frankly ordering from individual websites is pricey and involves a longer wait.

If small companies want to compete they need to have a USP (for example being much better quality) or at least somewhat match delivery costs/times.

I’m a bit fed up of the ‘but you should pay £x more for my products because I’m a small business’ attitude. I’m not a charity! I have a budget to stretch!

I will still use it...

@speakout sellers know what they're doing generally and can take care of themselves. Or at least I could when I was a seller.

A good alternative however is just to google the name of the seller (on the right hand of the product page under 'dispatched from and sold by') and you can usually find their website or alternative shopping options without having to ask anyone!

I've completely lost track of this thread now but that's by the by.
If I've made one person rethink, it's been worth it.
Yes it's a platform for other people as well but it's still an absolute shark of a company and there will be no winners if they get monopoly of the market, apart from old Jeff of course. The thought is seriously alarming.
I really hope people wake up to the prospect of more responsible shopping.

Peace out ✌🏼

I will move heaven and earth not to put more money into the bottomless pockets of that greedy, idle grifter Bezos, who makes his money from sweated labour - he's an absolute bar-steward.

OP, I have no money anyway (thanks to sodding lockdown), but even if I had, I would not be giving it to Amazon. I would be giving it to real people who need it, because I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of nothing.

[quote Magnificentbeast]@StarcourtMall - this one. I was just reading about it today.

uk.bookshop.org/[/quote]
I was just about to mention this!

I really hope people wake up to the prospect of more responsible shopping
Self serving rubbish, wholly driven by buy from you (profit) motives

How dreadfully pompous and patronising of you
You hope the ill informed proles wake up?
“Responsible shopping”

Aye is that right