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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:
Original poster
whiterabbitsweets · 05/12/2020 12:22

@emilyfrost

I'm not being sanctimonious about it but it's well known that Amazon's tax contributions are minimal, they treat sellers terribly and are a bad employer. I guess Amazon is an easy one due to the sheer diversity of what they sell.

Amazon’s taxes are legal. Do you have any evidence for your other ridiculous claims about poor treatment and a bad employer? Something substantial, not anecdotal 🙄

Roll your eyes all you like but there's been TV exposés, countless newspaper investigations etc etc. You only need to spend 5 mins on Google. Is that substantial enough Biscuit

If you actually read, you'll find that I said their taxes are legal, just minimal.

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emilyfrost · 05/12/2020 12:22

Yohoheaveho Still New York.

Yohoheaveho · 05/12/2020 12:23

@emilyfrost

Yohoheaveho That’s in America. We’re in the UK.
Yes, and?
emilyfrost · 05/12/2020 12:24

Roll your eyes all you like but there's been TV exposés, countless newspaper investigations etc etc. You only need to spend 5 mins on Google. Is that substantial enough

Ahh, so no you haven’t got any then. This thread is just you being bitter about nobody buying from small business owners because you are one.

Up your game and people might start buying.

Yohoheaveho · 05/12/2020 12:24

@emilyfrost

Yohoheaveho Still New York.
Is Jeff paying you to do some whitewashing?
emilyfrost · 05/12/2020 12:25

Yes, and?

Yohoheaveho The OP has repeatedly stated she is talking about Amazon’s effects on the UK.

Original poster
whiterabbitsweets · 05/12/2020 12:29

@emilyfrost

Yohoheaveho Still New York.
Have you even searched on Google? I couldn't possibly post all the links. UK, US, mainland Europe. There's countless info available.

He'll there was even a TV program on this week about them.

Are you blind or willfully ignorant?

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Original poster
whiterabbitsweets · 05/12/2020 12:31

@emilyfrost

Roll your eyes all you like but there's been TV exposés, countless newspaper investigations etc etc. You only need to spend 5 mins on Google. Is that substantial enough

Ahh, so no you haven’t got any then. This thread is just you being bitter about nobody buying from small business owners because you are one.

Up your game and people might start buying.

Nope. I'm a small business that's irrelevant to my post because I don't sell anything to the public.

Don't tell me, you've shares in the companyGrin

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emilyfrost · 05/12/2020 12:32

As I said, your problem is why people aren’t buying from you, not trying to blame your lack of business on Amazon and other big retailers.

Address that and you won’t need to spend time trying (and failing) to discourage others from using big business.

emilyfrost · 05/12/2020 12:33

Okay, you don’t sell anything to the public. But your small business is still failing and you’re trying to blame that on Amazon instead of addressing the reason why.

Original poster
whiterabbitsweets · 05/12/2020 12:38

@emilyfrost

Okay, you don’t sell anything to the public. But your small business is still failing and you’re trying to blame that on Amazon instead of addressing the reason why.
Nope. Thankfully business is fine so you really are clutching at straws.

It's not about my personal business but my use of big vs small businesses for my shopping habits.

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Yohoheaveho · 05/12/2020 12:38

@emilyfrost

As I said, your problem is why people aren’t buying from you, not trying to blame your lack of business on Amazon and other big retailers.

Address that and you won’t need to spend time trying (and failing) to discourage others from using big business.

You are reminding me of trump's press secretaries! Spin spin spin deflect deflect deflect
Yohoheaveho · 05/12/2020 12:40

PoorJeff🎻
He must be feeling very threatened if he's recruiting people to try and control the narrative on forums like Mumsnet!

Yohoheaveho · 05/12/2020 12:41

Then again Mumsnet makes money everytime we link to Amazon.....
Hmmmm🤔

Charleyhorses · 05/12/2020 12:42

Good luck with that.
I always shop local where I can. For example I use the local bookshop .
But there are loads of things I can't get locally. Any type of electronic stuff, home brew to name but a few.
So I shop local and use Amazon prime for other things.

MangoFeverDream · 05/12/2020 12:43

So Amazon is actually paying what it is legally obligated to pay in tax. Right then.

I’m not the biggest fan of Amazon (they don’t do enough to discourage Chinese fakes imo) but saying they don’t pay their fair share is just your opinion and doesn’t seem based on fact.

US companies base themselves in Europe wherever the tax rates are favourable—if it’s not the UK, maybe it’s because the corporate tax rates are actually too high. Someplace like Ireland is usually a better bet for European operations (although in this case it’s Luxembourg)

SchrodingersImmigrant · 05/12/2020 12:44

Moaning about company paying only it's legal tax instead of diverting that anger towards law makers who are not making adequate tax laws is lame.
Amazon is doing absolutely nothing wrong by paying the tax they are due and not more🤷🏻 Same eay like I am not doing anything wrong by paying only my PAYE and not more.
If you want them to pay more stop moaning about them on forums and start pursuing your mps to change the taxes.

MangoFeverDream · 05/12/2020 12:45

@Yohoheaveho

PoorJeff🎻 He must be feeling very threatened if he's recruiting people to try and control the narrative on forums like Mumsnet!
People use the service and seem to be happy with it, Bezos doesn’t need PR goons to sell it. Not his fault the high street can’t compete 🤷‍♀️ a few bleeding hearts paying higher prices in local shops isn’t gonna change that
TooTrueToBeGood · 05/12/2020 12:46

It's an interesting moral debate. I'm not happy with a number of things Amazon do and yet I continue to use them. I could switch to giving my business to local retailers I guess but then how many of them don't pay their fair share of tax or exploit their workforce in some way? How would I even know? I can't. So I'll stick to using whatever supplier offers me the best mix of value, choice and service. I do feel sorry for small businesses sometimes but at the end of the day they need to either adapt to changes or fail. That sounds brutal but it's ultimately what business is all about.

Yohoheaveho · 05/12/2020 12:49

If you want Amazon to pay its fair share of tax then absolutely we should discuss it on forums to raise awareness, make sure people understand the arguments!

Original poster
whiterabbitsweets · 05/12/2020 12:58

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Moaning about company paying only it's legal tax instead of diverting that anger towards law makers who are not making adequate tax laws is lame. Amazon is doing absolutely nothing wrong by paying the tax they are due and not more🤷🏻 Same eay like I am not doing anything wrong by paying only my PAYE and not more. If you want them to pay more stop moaning about them on forums and start pursuing your mps to change the taxes.
Not lame at all.

Many things are done within the confines of law but are not right. By your logic Philip Green has done nothing wrong with people's pensions so no worries there I guess.

We all know governments do the least amount possible so is really quite useless trying to appeal to their senses. The real power lies with individuals as we're the ones that make people rich in the first place (as consumers). I'm not moaning, just pointing out what I believe to be preferable.

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Original poster
whiterabbitsweets · 05/12/2020 13:02

@Yohoheaveho

If you want Amazon to pay its fair share of tax then absolutely we should discuss it on forums to raise awareness, make sure people understand the arguments!
Absolutely agree with this. It's good to discuss.
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Yohoheaveho · 05/12/2020 13:04

government's do the least amount possible
Large companies also have money and resources to lobby governments into making laws which favour them
In many ways the tech giants have more power than governments, this is not a good thing, at least governments can be voted out

SchrodingersImmigrant · 05/12/2020 13:21

Many things are done within the confines of law but are not right. By your logic Philip Green has done nothing wrong with people's pensions so no worries there I guess.

That's not what I said. I said onstead go and pester MPs to change the law so this can't happen within the law.

Original poster
whiterabbitsweets · 05/12/2020 13:23

Good point @Yohoheaveho

As we've seen with Mancock giving a £30m contract to his ex neighbor, the gov paying £millions to middlemen and Rishi Sunak having financial interests in the UK vaccine, it's all a crooked pile of excrement.

Better to make informed choices and vote with your wallet/purse.

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