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.

The ‘lost’ thing isn’t the drivers fault it’s usually ‘missing’ because warehouse didn’t put it into cage for driver and he can’t go back for it. It’s very weighed against the driver their system.

So what do I do? Pretend that I received the item when I haven't? Not demand to know what happened to it? Especially when on the tracker page it says "handed to the recipient"?

I normally log into Amazon and do my shopping without thinking. However some amazing person set up a page on facebook for small businesses in Ireland to advertise small businesses. I got all my Christmas gifts from different small businesses. I got unique and quirky gifts. Some brilliant Christmas Cards and wrapping papers. There are a few hundred businesses advertising on the page and bar two I had never heard of the rest. I will be checking these out anytime before logging on to amazon.

Also with a number of my orders there was a small thank you for buying for us gift/samples which make my day.

Have read through about a third of the posts. Interesting how people describe other sellers with higher prices as 'overpriced'. We're now conditioned to see the Amazon price as fair and anything else as a rip-off. Rrp plus postage for a book is really not 'over' priced.

Also notable is the number of people citing next day delivery as a gotcha. I really can't remember the last time it was essential I got something the very next day (and I'm pretty disorganised).

Yeah, I'm with the op. I don't like how much power this company has, and while I can't say I never ever use it, I will generally use alternatives who charge a reasonable price where I can. If only in some cases to ensure there is competition left!

@CatsArePeopleToo
That is questionable,I just feel for my friend as they can lose a shift if a customer clicks driver didn’t smile and be courteous; usually as they are hurrying so much, they dont even get told why they’ve even marked down 🙄

This thing about judging Jeff bezos for paying tax or not is missing the point - it's not about jb or what any of us would do in his shoes or whether John Lewis would pay less tax if they could. It's about the fact consumers have a choice between supporting a business that pays tax here v one that does not. One choice leads to more tax for our economy than the other.

Rrp plus postage for a book is really not 'over' priced.

Byllis Why on earth would I pay more for something when I don’t have to?

Also notable is the number of people citing next day delivery as a gotcha. I really can't remember the last time it was essential I got something the very next day (and I'm pretty disorganised).

I pretty much never need anything I order the next day, but I like to have it the next day and I don’t see why I should wait, when again, I don’t have to.

Some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Amazon is shit, they are shitty to their staff, they are shitty to us as taxpayers as they don't pay their fair share.

But that's a free market, people can go for cheap or sustainable but not really both.

But that's a free market, people can go for cheap or sustainable but not really both

And many don’t really have a choice but to go for cheap, as cheap is all they can afford.

@Ignoringequally

But that's a free market, people can go for cheap or sustainable but not really both

And many don’t really have a choice but to go for cheap, as cheap is all they can afford.

I agree.

I am no longer poor, after a period when I was. I still have low disposable income though.

But this is about discretionary spending imo.

@BefuddledPerson

Some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Amazon is shit, they are shitty to their staff, they are shitty to us as taxpayers as they don't pay their fair share.

But that's a free market, people can go for cheap or sustainable but not really both.

Do you work there? How do you know?

You have to give people what they want if you want their money.

@sst1234
I’ve commented a few times regards how
the drivers are treated, it’s not the best.

I bought my books from Waterstones because of this thread.

How do you know?

I have access to the internet, books/newspapers, TV and know people who have worked there recently. That's enough for me to post on a thread, I don't need to lead the undercover investigation myself!

@BefuddledPerson

How do you know?

I have access to the internet, books/newspapers, TV and know people who have worked there recently. That's enough for me to post on a thread, I don't need to lead the undercover investigation myself!

Ah yes, internet....that ultimate source of truth. Since you can use t’internet, you may be know that 1+ Million people work there. Maybe that puts things into perspective.

Oh for goodness' sake, of course the internet is a source of truth, and a source of bullshit too. But there's reliable info about Amazon.

Amazon is not a good employer, got nothing to do with how many.

YANBU I try where possible to stay clear of the big brands, Amazon, Starbucks etc. Mainly because i find their measly tax contribution distasteful when they make such vast sums of money. I know their banking practices are not illegal but they are morally wrong.
It's not fair that a small trader must meet the costs of regulations criteria, taxation etc. and therefore miss out on a sale as their price point cannot be as low as these global giants who contribute little to the countries they sell in.
Support local, support your country's industry and commerce.

You want thousands of Amazon employees to potentially lose their jobs because you can’t compete with the big boys?

Amazon doesn't pay it's fair whack of tax.

So you could see it as everyone time you make a purchase from Amazon their profit goes out of the UK to Luxembourg (or is it Dublin), where Amazon has it's European base (lowest tax requirements) and a portion goes out of the UK to the US (part of the 11.9 billion $ the company made last year).
The tax paid by the thousands of Amazon (mostly low paid ) employees can't remotely compensate for the money that used to be made by Debenhams/ Next/ Waterstones' etc etc profits and all the tax paid by the shop's employees, the rents paid for shopfloor space that used to pour back into our economy.
It's going out of the UK now. I'm sure businesses selling on Amazon pay tax in the UK but I don't believe it is anywhere near what used to be paid (if Amazon is making 11.9 billion).
Obviously this tax reduction will have consequences for UK in the future.

France tried a digital tax to balance things - but Amazon passed that onto the users.
www.france24.com/en/20190802-business-france-technology-gafa-amazon-cost-new-digital-tax-french-clients
I think Trump also threatened trade restrictions on France but am not too sure on that. Trump said a lot of things.
So we have this constant flow of money out of the country.

I just shop where is cheapest and that has reasonably good service, surely that is what most people do, often Amazon but sometimes John Lewis, they often have extra guarantees which make things better value. There are certain independent shops I shop from, it just depends who does the best deal. If I want to buy something I just check out the best deals all round.

And many don’t really have a choice but to go for cheap, as cheap is all they can afford.

Know what's even cheaper? Not buying shit you don't need. Using library click and collect and swapping stuff.

Know what's even cheaper? Not buying shit you don't need. Using library click and collect and swapping stuff

Who said anything about buying shit they don’t need? Amazon sells all sorts, including essentials.
And should people never have anything frivolous just because they can’t afford to buy ‘independent retailer’ prices?

*afford to pay

I wanted to buy loads of craft stuff from my local haberdashers but they never have what I want in stock and if they do it is really expensive, so much easier to go on line and buy it sometimes amazon or sometimes lovecraft etc

Know what's even cheaper? Not buying shit you don't need. Using library click and collect and swapping stuff.

Oh go away. Personally I like to shop in real shops, where I can see, touch, try. But if shops don't have what I want exactly , then hello Amazon.