Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to give up on Amazon Prime

113 replies

whiterabbitsweets · 04/12/2020 12:12

Don't get me wrong. Amazon customer service is excellent so I've no complaints there.

However, it's clear that they've boomed during the covid-19 pandemic whilst smaller businesses have suffered really badly.

These are the same small businesses that can't avoid tax on the scale that Amazon do. As a result, come payback time Amazon will continue to pay the bare minimum while any remaining SME's will likely face increases to help reduce the deficit.

Irrespective of opinions on tax avoidance I think we'd all be better off if business was done with smaller suppliers/shops. I may end up paying a bit more and waiting an extra day or so for delivery but my money will go to real people.

One thing that's come from this year has been the need to support local businesses, which I'm trying to do more of. Amazon just seems like an obvious company to drop completely.

OP posts:
sst1234 · 04/12/2020 12:15

Where do you think viable small businesses have moved to instead? To online and Amazon.
The world isn’t a simplistic guardian column. The entire economy is interwoven and small businesses with a plan are also moving online to Amazon to take advantage of the delivery infrastructure.

CoffeeSTAT · 04/12/2020 12:17

I've voted YABU purely because I think there is a place in the market for Amazon and for local, high street, hand made etc. I'm trying my best to buy local/small businesses wherever I can, and I always have done before covid. For anything else I would and have used Amazon. Some of the ethics very much concern me but it is a huge employer round these parts (local warehouse) and of delivery people.

BrumBoo · 04/12/2020 12:19

Amazon isn't just some big warehouse stocking everything you ever dreamed you needed. They are often the middleman, smaller stores sell their wares through Amazon and (I assume) pay their tax accordingly.

Their business model works for the times we live in. I'm not condoning tax evasion through loopholes, but if we want quick service for (usually) decent products then it seems at the moment that's the price to pay. Quite honestly, if you want to go down the route to stop using unethical companies, you'll probably find yourself extremely limited.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 04/12/2020 12:21

Sorry for the double link. That was supposed to be a different one! Nvm

BrumBoo · 04/12/2020 12:22

may end up paying a bit more and waiting an extra day or so for delivery but my money will go to real people.

This is also a line I hear a lot from the smug 'I shop better than thou' people. Many people aren't in a position to 'pay that bit more' on items, especially when buying for Christmas. Buying from Amazon means you can buy cheaper, and have the items delivered in bulk (much better for the environment than 200 little boxes of niche artesian crap turning up).

Lockheart · 04/12/2020 12:24

Do what you like, it's your money. Why do you think you're being unreasonable?

Grenlei · 04/12/2020 12:31

As has been said there are loads of small retailers who sell through Amazon.

Equally there are other companies who sell directly and offer an excellent service; I had to order something recently from a plumbing supplier and it arrived next day, Amazon couldn't deliver for several days and the item was more expensive. That supplier will get my business again given the level of service.

At least with Amazon even the low value items arrive well packed; my DS has bought a few things recently for his GF from small businesses on Etsy; in every case they have been poorly packed, and arrived with packing torn/ ripped/ half open. Luckily none of the items were fragile so have not broken, but they could easily have been damaged or lost.

Mustreadabook · 04/12/2020 12:32

This is a great alternative for books, it's run with lots of independent book stores and the local bookshop gets a cut. uk.bookshop.org/shop/brooks

kwiksavenofrillsusername · 04/12/2020 12:33

I'm trying to strike a balance. I don't like to buy all my stuff from Amazon, but I think they are useful if I'm in a hurry.

I'm not sure why in Amazon threads people always argue that Amazon is cheaper. Yes, delivery is free and very fast, but I often find that I can get the same products cheaper elsewhere if I'm able to wait.

Kazzyhoward · 04/12/2020 12:38

Most of what Amazon sells on their platform is actually being sold by small businesses using their "fulfilled by Amazon" or Amazon marketplace systems. The customer generally doesn't know because the stock comes straight from Amazon warehouses but behind the scenes, the small businesses deliver their stock to Amazon, who store and despatch it on their behalf. So, in reality, by buying on Amazon, you ARE probably buying from a small business who is paying the VAT, corporation tax, payroll taxes etc as required.

Chloemol · 04/12/2020 13:06

Lots of small businesses sell via Amazon though, and I am more likely to buy direct via them than search the internet in the hope I find what I want

halcyondays · 04/12/2020 13:18

The delivery drivers who drop off my Amazon parcels look pretty real to me. I am not going to pay more to buy the same thing somewhere else.

Happy to support local businesses if they have something I actually want/need but there are lots of things I can’t get from them so use Amazon or other online sellers.

Annabellesdad · 04/12/2020 13:21

I used to administer sales through amazon for our small cycling distribution company.
Amazon would buy from me, pay the invoice (minus a load of "chargebacks" that we couldn't stop, and if they paid the invoice even one day early they could deduct an early payment percentage)
Then every so often, they'd get the product slightly cheaper elsewhere, and send everything they'd ordered from us back to us all at once. (even if they'd sold it already, they would find the items to send back from other suppliers)

This once happened with £30000 worth of bicycle tyres, the best bit is, they also invoiced us for the shipping, packaging and a penalty for having to return it!! It was a dismal time for the company and fighting Amazon over the invoices was absolutely horrible, there is no come back and the T's and C's are heavily weighted in there favour. we were lucky to come through the other side of it if I am honest!

Sorry for the rant, but they almost cost me my job - I depsise them.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 04/12/2020 13:31

Interesting that everyone is going on about amazon, but I bet that same people are using likes of Deliveroo. As if deliveroo doesn't pay smart accountants AND on top of that it charges 30% fee to your LOCAL restaurant on each order. Less if you let them be exclusive (so no Ubereats and just eat) or you have selling power like maccies. I never see anyone calling for using restaurants and takeaways directly. Is it just shops we are supposed to care about?

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 04/12/2020 13:38

I’m certainly not stopping using Amazon, quick delivery, small sellers on there too and they employ a huge number of people and have taken on extra during covid.

Do you plan to boycott every business unless you have seen their accounts and are happy with their tax contribution. I imagine lots of businesses and self employed people will use legal ways to pay less tax,

diplodocusinermine · 04/12/2020 13:44

Annabellesdad, have heard many similar stories. Many reasons why I won’t use Amazon, but obviously swimming against an ever increasing tide - find it really worrying.

diplodocusinermine · 04/12/2020 13:46

And no, we don’t use deliveroo, just eats, booking.com etc either....... businesses who use their platforms have to pay ridiculous commissions and the contractual obligations can be draconian.

BigCityLife · 04/12/2020 13:50

I have read a lot of stories about Amazon recently that make me feel very uncomfortable about where they are heading in the world of technology. I don't use them.

Thisisworsethananticpated · 04/12/2020 13:54

Why are small and local business so important ? More
Important than my time
My health
My finances

I work for an Sme and we are also struggling
I’m not seeing threads about small professional services firms

Disclaimer I do shop locally , but sometimes Amazon saves me

Poppingnostopping · 04/12/2020 13:55

To stop using Amazon would be quite inconvenient for me, I source a lot of products there very easily, such as Boots/Superdrug type things, that otherwise I'd have to go into town (£4 bus ticket, for me and two teens= £12) and then they often don't have the full stock. I know a lot of the products I already want these days and I want to just get those and not to browse at all.

I buy school supplies through them, pens, paper etc

I don't do in person supermarket shops at all any more, though, so if I went to a large Tescos/Sainsburys then I think some of that need would be fulfilled there.

My days of spending Sat going from shop to shop finding they haven't got the right size/colour/shop is crowded are over. As are my days of going on separate websites for every thing and paying delivery charges for each (I do pay for pet food delivery separately though as that's a specialist product).

So, I don't mind if you don't use Amazon but for me, it's cut down my shopping stress by about half!

awwkkwwaard · 04/12/2020 13:56

The problem I have is that I would love to buy in my high street but I simply can't get the stuff that I want. It's a catch-22 but that is the way it is now, so I end up having to use online stores (usually Amazon tbh) - and when stores (i.e. The Works) sell stuff cheaper on line than they do in the shops what are you meant to do?

SmudgeButt · 04/12/2020 14:05

The title of the thread is "to give up on Amazon Prime". I thought it was going to be a penny drop moment where someone realised paying a monthly subscription for delivery was a waste of money. Which in my opinion it is. What you are paying for is something that is forcing you to use a service instead of going directly to the producer/supplier.

Tanith · 04/12/2020 14:08

A friend runs a local small business and tried selling on Amazon a few years ago.
Not long before Christmas, they wanted her to pay extra for a "Premium" listing. When she didn't, they marked her stuff as out of stock.
Amazon is no friend of small businesses and has far too much control for one business.

Also, they don't check their marketplace sellers and their feedback system is easily manipulated. You don't know what you're buying, where it's coming from or even if it's safe.

Swipe left for the next trending thread