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’ll shop where I like thanks. As other posters have said, it’s also an outlet for small businesses that I might not have found otherwise.

I will be buying from Amazon if they sell what I need and have to have it in a hurry, but I can't think of anything urgently required for the next 4 weeks TBH.

I'm really sorry but life is hard enough at the moment without waiting for a potentially slow delivery on an item that will probably cost more. I'll do everything I can to support small businesses when I have the time and ability but when push comes to shove and I need something cheap and fast I'm going to probably pick amazon. I don't have the head space for anything else at the moment.

A lot of Taxi drivers round here lost work during the first lockdown, and ended up working with Amazon.

Couldn't agree more

Tesco's super bargains with clubcard deductions

Home bargains - best shop ever literally some of the Xmas toys 1/4 of the price of amazon

And Asda for everything inc clothes too

I'm totally put off Amazon plus they trebled the price of toys in demand during lockdown fckers

I'll still use Amazon. It's the government's fault that they don't pay correct taxes. Give most people a legal way of paying less tax and they'll take it. Corporations are no different.

In the meantime small businesses use them and they provide a decent amount of employment in my local area. Whilst I'm undoubtedly making a rich man richer, I'm also helping to keep local people employed.

Also, the customer service/consumer protection I've received from Amazon is superior to every other company I've encountered. Dunelm have lost my parcel and as far as they're concerned until the courier confirms it's lost I'm not entitled to a refund! Amazon would have sent a replacement immediately and asked for me to refuse a second delivery if it did turn up. That's just a very recent example, ebay aren't brilliant because they are only a trading platform rather than an online retailer so avoid them more than most.

I don't have money to throw around, I need to know that what I'm spending money on will actually arrive.

As for Dunelm I know my consumer rights, but it's shit that I have to wait 30 days for a refund on something that clearly is never going to arrive!

EBay is a nightmare if things go wrong. Amazon put things right quickly and without any stress if things go wrong.

Plus all the other points made.

Boycotting Amazon won't do anything to address the problems with capitalism that concern you.

I'm on Etsy and there are a fair few people on there who are also on the Amazon Handmade section. Most of those are one man businesses. So I'll carry on with Amazon (and Etsy, NOTHS etc).

Ebay is full of chinese sellers some even posing as uk based sellers, so you still get cheap tatt exported so not good at all. Unfortunately amazon do offer the best prices and delivery and as other pp mentioned have never had bad service. I do try to buy eco friendly and local but i often just dont have the money to do so.

I'm totally put off Amazon plus they trebled the price of toys in demand during lockdown fckers

The vast majority of stuff sold on Amazon comes from independent businesses. Amazon rarely set the prices.

There is an amazon warehouse a few towns away from me that employs thousands of people from my town as delivery drivers, warehouse workers etc. Including some of my friends and family.
I agree that the actual company is shite, though.
But thousands and thousands of people reply on Amazon to make a living

Amazon is not ALL bad.

But for physical books, it is definitely, 100% better if you can buy from somewhere else, somewhere that does not actively harm the industry as a whole.

Buy your ebooks from Jeff's place, sure, support Kindle by all means, but if you're buying actual physical books, there are loads more options where you can get a discount AND help the book trade generally.

If Waterstones goes under, Amazon will have a near-monopoly.

Shop online at Waterstones - they will do discounts on all the big releases for Christmas.

Support your local high street independent directly with your custom if you can afford full price - they can order everything Amazon can, will take online or phone orders and are desperate to stay afloat.

Otherwise shop through hive.co.uk or bookshop.org and support your indies that way - discounts available too.

Thank you, kind MNers.

*I have a small business and sell on Amazon as do many other small businesses. It is a trading platform like all other websites. I also sell on other platforms such as Etsy and ebay. If I didn't have sales through these websites I wouldn't survive.

Same here. I am a small business and Amazon sales are very important to me.
50% of Amazon's catalogue is supplied by third party sellers, and the platform is a lifeline for thousands of small businesses.

Sellers on Amazon pay a fee for using the platform, obviously they get a tonne more traffic so it's reasonable, but as Amazon don't particularly need the money, if it's from a seller doesn't hurt to Google them and see if they have their own website so they keep all of the money.

What's your business, OP? Have you tried trading via Amazon or eBay or Etsy for more traffic? You can also sell via your business page on Facebook now.

To those who do sell on Etsy, eBay etc- what is preferable? I use etsy a lot as I pay for a lot of commissions etc, but apparently the fees are quite big too?

@Bambooble

Sellers on Amazon pay a fee for using the platform, obviously they get a tonne more traffic so it's reasonable, but as Amazon don't particularly need the money, if it's from a seller doesn't hurt to Google them and see if they have their own website so they keep all of the money.

This is also an excellent tip.

Use Amazon for research, then support the small businesses direct if you can.

Diversified trade is good for everyone.

OP have you thought about selling your stuff on Amazon?

I use Amazon for buying secondhand books. I do try not to buy from there, but if I want a selection of odd things; flan tin, carbon monoxide detector, probiotics - then I will order from there.

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

I try and support small businesses but I won't stop using Amazon entirely although I dislike the lack of transparency about goods / sales from China.

I've had better customer support through eBay than Amazon who washes its hands of any disputes with third party sellers

I want to agree with you and on paper I do, but a local shop wanted to charge me £6.95 for delivery on an item that I could get from Amazon with the item itself being £2 cheaper and free postage. I'm afraid that my own financial situation dictates that I go for the cheaper option.

I agree, haven't bought anything from Amazon for many years now.

I do fear many lovely shops will go this year.

YABU. I see no reason for me to pay more than I need to for an item I can get next day most of the time.