Should we feel guilty about using Amazon?

[Tierne]

I order about once a week, I've read the arguments for and against. I just feel like a lazy cow!

YABU = Dont feel guilty
YANBU = Feel guilty

Got to say if there was a war on the government could totally get Amazon to handle all the supplies and logistics!

I don’t feel guilt at all

There are plenty of small businesses on Amazon. Why should anyone feel guilty about using a service?

You haven't given us a brief rundown of the for and against?

No as an individual consumer I no longer feel any guilt for my consumption.

I don't think we should. I think all of the governments of the world should be setting better boundaries around production and labour. I am not responsible for that.

The issue with Amazon is not that it exists in the first place, but that people think it should pay tax and a fair wage. Consumer boycotts are not the only way to achieve that.

For: small businesses, local jobs for people who need flexibility, better for the environment than multiple cars driving to shops

Against: too much packaging a lot of the time, not everything is ordered from small businesses, and... I just feel like a lazy consumerist bint when the guy shows up!!!

I’m not sure why I should be feeling guilty, or even lazy.

Oh and also against: tax issues

Yeah, I do.

I dont want to fund bezo

There are small businesses on Amazon if you want to feel less guilty. Going to the shops isn't exactly a guilt free experience either-driving is bad for the environment etc and I wouldn't say that going to say Tesco is any more ethical than shopping from Amazon.

I use Amazon and don't feel guilty. I buy what I need.

I don't use them anymore, upside is that I buy much less 'stuff'.

I don’t, I can’t always get to the shop so why would I feel guilty

I'd also definitely feel guilty about ordering stuff every week.

How much stuff can you need?!

I don't buy from Amazon because of the tax issues.

It hasn't really negatively affected my life at all. They aren't the only retailer selling online.

I run a small business and they have been BRILLIANT for us. They support us, featured us in an ad, helped us set up our listings, helped us export.
without Amazon my small business wouldn’t have survived covid.

The government use the army and the air force for logistics when there is a war on. Not Amazon.

I don't use them because of how much information they collect for such a basic transaction.

@GyozaGuiting
That's good to know!

@Applebark
What information? I get asked quite basic stuff

Why should you feel guilty?

My husband and I went to a local motorcycle clothing shop to buy a new crash helmet on Thursday, the one my husband wanted was £349 in the shop, which he said was overpriced.
Want home, found identical helmet online for £239...and it arrived on Saturday.

I get support local business, but support yourself is my attitude with mark ups like that.

Use smile.Amazon instead and choose a charity for then to donate to. Same as Amazon.

Like what?

psyment details (kind of important when you buy things!!)

delivery address (kind of important when you want things delivered)

@Tierne I do feel a bit guilty, but I'm not entirely sure why? I'm CEV and still avoiding shops wherever possible. The delivery to my doorstep, but given how many drop offs they do they're probably going to one if my neighbours anyway. Buying in the shops doesn't mean much when they're mostly chain shops anyway, bringing in stuff from overseas.

packaging is probably the biggest difference & I do try to reuse wherever possible & always recycle.

I don't order stuff I don't actually need, I'm trying to reduce what I have in my house, not end up with more stuff.

so yeah, I do feel guilty I'm just not too sure why exactly.

No, I buy stuff from Amazon like I buy stuff from Tesco, they provide a service.

You provide Amazon with basic information like card details, name address etc but it's also collecting information about what your looking at, when, how often and where from. With that it can build a picture of your profile, where you work, what you do, what programs you watch, and who your friends are.

Add in the information it's collecting whilst listening to you whilst you talk to Alexa or watching you with the Ring camera, Amazon knows you better than you know yourself.

You may consider it to be a benifit so you get the personalised ads shown to you but personally I don't want to be pushed into a box with my purchases or media.

I agree, you're a lazy cow...but so am I 😞

You provide Amazon with basic information like card details, name address etc but it's also collecting information about what your looking at, when, how often and where from. With that it can build a picture of your profile, where you work, what you do, what programs you watch, and who your friends are.

This is true for pretty much any app or large website now. If it concerns you, there are apps you can get to help anonymise yourself online, and you can do your searches while you are not logged in.