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.

Can you sell on Amazon too OP ? That’s what I do

@FloraButterCookie
I believe OPs business isn’t compatible 🙄

@Kalula

Amazon allows ordinary people to sell through them. And I believe they look after buyers and sellers better than Ebay. I think Ebay has gotten too big, time someone like Amazon got the same attention. Ebay had the monopoly for far too long, I would be glad to see Ebay go bankrupt and disappear to be honest, and Amazon or similar have localised sales/bidding.

So we who can eBay properly should lose out?

I've never subscribed to the view that independent is better than chain.

Although I find stock control to be pretty dire in some chains, too.

But at least with a chain you have a HQ you can complain to, there is some accountability and some expectation in terms of eg opening hours.

There is a zero waste shop in my town. Would be great, but only open until 2.30 each day (5pm on a Saturday). What use is that to anyone when the supermarkets are open until 7pm at least?

I also remember the music shop that I went to years ago, got into town early to find it shut. Didn't open at 9. Didn't open at 9.30. Finally opened around 9.45. The owner was so dismissive when I asked if it would be possible to put the opening hours on the door. Never went back and bought online instead. It's now a coffee shop.

www.cityam.com/restaurants-hit-out-at-delivery-platform-fees-during-lockdown/

www.thesun.co.uk/money/11783787/deliveroo-just-eat-and-uber-eats-accused-of-ripping-off-restaurants-by-taking-30-cut-per-order-on-top-of-delivery-fees/

I would use Hive for books but there isn't a bookshop near me that uses the website. We did have an independent bookshop in my town but they refused to use Hive. They don't exist anymore...

@diplodocusinermine

Schrodinger, yes, and it would be so much better if people would order their food, book their accommodation etc etc direct with the supplier rather than go through these third parties who earn money for doing not very much. Our local Indian restaurant had to stop advertising with Just Eats during lockdown because they couldn't afford the commissions.

I don't think that was much about not being able to afford the commission tbh...

Many people still have a great buying and selling experience on ebay.

I have 9000 feedback ratings with a 100% score. A big proportion of my sales is repeat business.

All this outrage over a company that does its job right

But doesn't pay its taxes - Wed better start planting lots of magic money trees if we want to recover from covid in under 30 years. If amazon isn't paying tax someone else has to cover it - young people?? Pensions??

If JB hadn't created Amazon someone else would have done something very similar🤷🏻‍♀️

Also don't forget that these platforms not only bring in customers but also provide drivers. I think 30% is hella lot as a commission, but 15 is acceptable (annoying but acceptable) as you get platform, support, drivers and complaints are handled throu them so you save time too. If you look at how much it would cost to reach this number of customers and employ drivers, it might just be worth it.

Caeruleanblue

But thousands of small businesses who use Amazon pay taxes.
I sell on Amazon and pay tax. Amazon may avoid corporation tax- like many other us businesses operating in the UK, but the half a million or so UK small businesses create considerable economic activity- and employment.

Why are small business morally superior or better to large corporations?

They’re not. They’re in the same game, just on a smaller level.

Plenty of small businesses dodge tax too.

The world has changed and some things including shopping habits won't be going back to how they were after the pandemic ends either. Time to be creative and adapt unfortunately (sorry).

Fed up of people who imply that just because you’re a small business you are clean as a whistle, community minded, pillar of the community...

Maybe not the full whack but Amazon paid £293 million in tax in U.K. last year, hardly not any.

@LolalovesLondon

Plenty of small businesses dodge tax too.

As do employees, unemployed, etc. The "black" economy shows a far higher tax loss according to official figures than corporate tax avoidance. That includes small businesses, but also includes employees doing "cash in hand" work on the days off (or running non registered businesses on the side), all kinds of people selling duty free cigs and booze in pubs etc., that they've brought in from Europe, car booters selling counterfeit perfumes/dvds etc, etc. Basically, more tax is evaded by the likes of your friends, family, neighbours, etc than the big corporations, simply due to it being a numbers game - millions of people evading small amounts is more than a few big firms evading large amounts.

@LolalovesLondon

Fed up of people who imply that just because you’re a small business you are clean as a whistle, community minded, pillar of the community...

Equally fed up of people who imply that all small businesses are pocketing cash, putting holidays through their books, etc.

Amazon are fantastic, they provide really good service all round and pay staff well above minimum wage. I do order from a local businesses and use brick and mortar shops as well. I've been an Amazon customer since they were a small business themselves, have rarely ever had an issue with any of their goods or services and am not going to stop now. Plus the fact every time I order, a small charity close to my heart gets a donation. And the more Amazon expands, the more loads of small businesses who build their warehouses get work and thousands of jobs are created.

badbadbunny

I agree.
Not to mention the current issue with furlough fraud.

I am trying to work out what business the OP can possibly be in which offers a local delivery service to suit need and only did 3% of usual business during lockdown. I think it can only be a wholesale only to restaurants/pubs business, because local delivery services did really well during lockdown.

I am trying to work out what business the OP can possibly be in which offers a local delivery service to suit need and only did 3% of usual business during lockdown. I think it can only be a wholesale only to restaurants/pubs business, because local delivery services did really well during lockdown.

I think she delivers fresh food to people, whether that's cakes or meals I dunno, but it's literally the only thing it could be, as she will deliver to your door personally. If it was chocolates or biscuits, they could easily be boxed up and posted around the country. It's got to be something fresh and easily destroyed by normal delivery companies.

It's not even a market that amazon has expanded into (yet). So I don't get the ops thread. Would be better if we knew what she sold.