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 like amazon, they ship faster than ebay even if they cost a little more

For me its choice, price and convenience.
Rural town, shit all shops and none to my taste so online it is, be that ebay or amazon, im even a big wish fan, ive had no issues with them

Amazons fast shipping is winning me though, they fastest ive had living where i do

My DS worked at an Amazon fulfilment centre during the first lockdown and was pleasantly surprised at how good they were to work for. Yes it was pretty dull work and very target driven but he made it clear he was a hard worker and ended up covering many roles which kept things more interesting.
Decent pay, paid holiday/compassionate leave from the outset, subsidised canteen, regular COVID testing. He was happy to be there until he went back to university.
Like most things, it's not all bad.

skweekums, not everything at Amazon is expensive. I've found some real bargains on there.

Choirmumoftwo, I'm glad your daughter had a good experience working for Amazon, they get such bad press at times but they really are very efficient.

jessstan1 oh i do agree, just not as many as ebay but shipping way better

As others have said, Amazon provides jobs and a platform for small businesses to sell to me that would not otherwise get my business. What does it matter if Jeff Bezos gets richer because he has provided a service that is godsend to millions of people? He had certainly benefited more people in his lifetime that you ever will, (or. me). I recently bought something online from a small trader and when it didn’t work was an utter nightmare getting a replacement or refund -had to actually drive to their premises 2 hours away. Fuck that! Small traders on Amazon will get my customs because they are more reliable -they have to be or would get poor reviews, so level of customer service is much better.

Sorry, I willcontinue to use it

I really hope people wake up to the prospect of more responsible shopping.

It’s not irresponsible to shop with large businesses, and this kind of attitude is exactly what puts me off local independent traders, so you’re not doing yourself any favours.

No, my product isn't compatible with Amazon.

So am I right in thinking that Amazon is no threat to you then? Sorry if I've misunderstood.

@unmarkedbythat. When you search on eBay, then click filter, then location is in there to edit your search settings

Shops paid retail rent to the Council, corporation tax, their employees paid tax on their earnings. Local shops probably spent profits locally.
This goes to an American co in California which apparently doesn't pay the tax it should in the U.K.
to not see that this will mean the money that used to go into our economy is now going abroad but think that doesn't matter. Where's the money for public services and pensions to come from? Some magic money tree.

@WaterOffADucksCrack I don't know what's patronising about saying I understand some people have no choice but to go for the cheapest option and that I hope their financial situation improves. I don't think it's a good thing that people are forced into certain situations because they don't have the finances to do anything else.

Tbh, while I've no doubt working for Amazon can have its downsides, and there always shit managers wherever you go, I can only assume that the people who reckon they're the employers from hell have never had to clean bogs, pull pints, or deal with abusive members of the public at 3am in a kebab shop.

I’m disabled I have mobility issues so I can’t walk very far.

To go to a decent sized town with a bookshop costs me a fiver in fuel.

Of course I use Amazon. I have prime so I get next day deliveries and prime tv (can’t get out much even in normal times).

Local shops won’t deliver to me for free and they’re mor expensive to start with than Amazon.

My 'side hustle' is based on amazon. My best friend works in their warehouse and enjoys it, regularly gets bonuses etc etc. Its a more appropriate method of shopping now we live with the constant threat of disease.

I dont like the idea of all the worlds wealth flowing to bezos but i think those chickens will come home to roost at some point.

I really hope people wake up to the prospect of more responsible shopping.

Offer me a better service than amazon or other big online stores and I'll shop there. If the local independents can't offer me anything better then why the hell would I shop with them.

I only shop with an independent company IF they give me something that I can't get online. That might be specialist knowledge, fitting etc but simply saying shop here and by the way I will be slower delivering and possibly dearer isn't the way to win the online buyer.

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.

Going by this, and as your product can only be delivered by you, you must be selling fresh food. There's literally nothing else that amazon themselves could not deliver for you. Even chocolates could be packaged and posted.

I get why you or your employee need to be the ones delivering in that case, because if its fresh food it could be off by the time it arrives, or if its cakes they will likely be squashed to hell and stale. But you'd be better off advertising on your local fb pages than here. Plus your business in that case is not really something people will go to amazon for regardless, so it's kind of a pointless thread.

Amazon employ 40,000 ppl in the U.K. and 20,000 seasonal workers, do their jobs not count?
This year is the year many have had to diversify and adapt their businesses, it’s not Amazons fault that your business is struggling.

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.

That’s all very nice & local shops are great when they stock what you want to buy but it’s difficult when they don’t.
I wanted a book so rang my local bookshop to see if it was in stock - no, but they could order it from their book warehouse and I could pick it up in 3/4 days time £15.99.
I checked Amazon. Next day delivery £8.99.
Amazon marketplace allows people to cut out the middle man (the shop) and buy at cost price. I could have ‘supported’ the local bookshop but it would have cost me £7.

I bought a pack of blu tac from Amazon last week. £1 inc delivery (prime). I'm not in the least bit ashamed.

That's ridiculous.

Just to add, having read your post again OP. A friend’s husband works in an Amazon warehouse... His ‘livelihood depends on it!’
He feels ‘sick at the thought.’ of being laid off.

Do none of the people clicking for free delivery on one item at a time worry at all about local air pollution or the climate impact of this way of shopping?

I find it all so self-defeating and depressing, but I know I'm railing against the sky somewhat.

Amazon is like the store in Wall-e I think

@BefuddledPerson

Do none of the people clicking for free delivery on one item at a time worry at all about local air pollution or the climate impact of this way of shopping?

I find it all so self-defeating and depressing, but I know I'm railing against the sky somewhat.

Amazon is like the store in Wall-e I think

One driver doing multiple deliveries in one area does not pollute the world more than everyone trying to find their different items locally. In fact stock is often so poor in the high street that you often need to drive around or much further afield to get what you want.

@JamSarnie not sure if that will be right, tbh. Most people still also go out to shop as well.

Do people drive round shops? Don't people go to town/shopping centre (in whatever way) then walk round shops?

I think I'm just not a shopper, can't imagine anything I have needed urgently in the last ten years (basically since the babies stopped being babies).

[quote BefuddledPerson]@JamSarnie not sure if that will be right, tbh. Most people still also go out to shop as well.

Do people drive round shops? Don't people go to town/shopping centre (in whatever way) then walk round shops?

I think I'm just not a shopper, can't imagine anything I have needed urgently in the last ten years (basically since the babies stopped being babies).[/quote]
Online shopping means I don't go out to shop in person.

If I did I would have to drive at least 30 miles each way even if I then choose to walk around town. Then if I can't find what I want there I would have to drive further to another shopping area or industrial estate.