How to avoid buying stuff online from Amazon - a list of alternative retailers

[Saul Goodman]

People often say well tesco are just as bad when I say boycott asda, but are they? are they union busters? do their parent company sell guns? If someone can show they are as bad i'll boycott tesco too.

Zero hour contracts.
Nailing their suppliers' bollocks to the table.

 

[ddraig]

Zero hour contracts.
Nailing their suppliers' bollocks to the table.

thanks
Do they union bust? Does their parent company sell guns?
Are asda contract better than zero hours? And are asda better with suppliers?

 

[Saul Goodman]

thanks
Do they union bust? Does their parent company sell guns?
Are asda contract better than zero hours?

I don't think Tesco are allowed to sell guns, but if it makes you feel better about yourself, boycott whoever you like, just know that they're all as bad as each other. That's how they make lots of money.

 

[ddraig]

I don't think Tesco are allowed to sell guns, but if it makes you feel better about yourself, boycott whoever you like, just know that they're all as bad as each other. That's how they make lots of money.

How are tesco as bad as asda if they don't union bust? I know I may be a bit too black and white about it but would like to know.
And if asda have better employment terms (which I doubt but happy to be corrected on) I would reconsider, thanks

e2a- otherwise this means that tesco are "not as bad" asda

 

[Saul Goodman]

How are tesco as bad as asda if they don't union bust? I know I may be a bit too black and white about it but would like to know.
And if asda have better employment terms (which I doubt but happy to be corrected on) I would reconsider, thanks

e2a- otherwise this means that tesco are "not as bad" asda

Asda make better jam doughnuts.

 

[8ball]

Yes but as others have said, if they less utter shites then better to use them no?
I boycott/avoid/don't give money to asda as they are owned by wallmart and shit on workers rights and union busters
Also Wilko due to their prison labour
People often say well tesco are just as bad when I say boycott asda, but are they? are they union busters? do their parent company sell guns? If someone can show they are as bad i'll boycott tesco too.
Boycotts can and have worked.

Also about giving the money to someone else, a smaller local independent business where possible
I needed a lead this week and would have got it now if ordered from amazon but haven't and hope it might be here by end of the week.
Think the only time I have ordered from amazon was for a wedding wishlist thing a long long time ago

Agreed. I get books from a company (Wordery) that pays their taxes and is usually cheaper than Amazon.
Win-win.

 

[Spymaster]

e2a- otherwise this means that tesco are "not as bad" asda

Tesco's poor labout relations overseas

Dennis Skinner's not a fan of Tesco

Tesco age and gender discrimination

Tesco race discrimination

Tesco's terrible chicken welfare

Tesco negligence towards customers (there are lots of these)

.... and on, and on, and on ...

But they don't strikebreak and their parent company don't sell guns in the US.

They are however, headed up by John Allan, also boss of the CBI and Chairman of property developers Barrat Homes. A charming fellow who he thinks that "white males are an endangered species" in British business.

Nice company you prefer to keep.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Tesco's poor labout relations overseas

Dennis Skinner's not a fan of Tesco

Tesco age and gender discrimination

Tesco race discrimination

Tesco's shit chicken welfare

Tesco negligence towards customers (there are lots of these)

.... and on, and on, and on ...

But they don't strikebreak and their parent company don't sell guns in the US.

They are however, headed up by John Allan, also boss of the CBI and Chairman of property developers Barrat Homes. A charming fellow who he thinks that white males are "an endangered species" in British business.

Nice company you prefer to keep.

Firing employees who applied to form a trade union. I can't work out whether that's worse than strike busting or not.
What about "Maltreatment of disabled workers"?

But at least they don't sell guns, in a country where it's legal to sell guns.
Although Asda's jam doughnuts are definitely better.

 

[Sprocket.]

I need a new cooker so thanks for this recommendation!

We have bought our washing machine, fridge/freezer and tumble dryer from AO over the years. Excellent service and usually best prices. Thoroughly recommend.
ETA: They are keen on you buying extended warranties. Just say no.

 

[Big Bertha]

We have bought our washing machine, fridge/freezer and tumble dryer from AO over the years. Excellent service and usually best prices. Thoroughly recommend.
ETA: They are keen on you buying extended warranties. Just say no.

Working at ao.com: 178 Reviews | Indeed.co.uk

178 reviews from ao.com employees about ao.com culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more.

www.indeed.co.uk

doesn’t sound like a happy place to work though

 

[Spymaster]

Firing employees who applied to form a trade union. I can't work out whether that's worse than strike busting or not.
What about "Maltreatment of disabled workers"?

But at least they don't sell guns, in a country where it's legal to sell guns.
Although Asda's jam doughnuts are definitely better.

Well yes. The point being that when you're talking about corporate boycots you're almost always pissing in the wind. Scratch the surface of any large corporate and you'll likely find a littany of nastiness. So whilst kalidarkone's reasoning makes sense, this type of nonsense (substituting one bunch of cunts for another) very rarely does.

You may as well go by the respective qualities of their doughnuts.

 

[editor]

Working at ao.com: 178 Reviews | Indeed.co.uk

178 reviews from ao.com employees about ao.com culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more.

www.indeed.co.uk

doesn’t sound like a happy place to work though

Who would you recommend?

 

[Sprocket.]

Working at ao.com: 178 Reviews | Indeed.co.uk

178 reviews from ao.com employees about ao.com culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more.

www.indeed.co.uk

doesn’t sound like a happy place to work though

Having worked in engineering in several warehouses over the last dozen years, I know I have witnessed that warehouses do not always, shall we say, offer the highest level of concerns regarding their workforces.
Amazon and ASOS in particular.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Well yes. The point being that when you're talking about corporate boycots you're almost always pissing into the wind. Scratch the surface of any large corporate and you'll likely find a littany of nastiness. So whilst kalidarkone's reasoning makes sense, this type of nonsense (substituting one bunch of cunts for another) very rarely does.

You may as well go by the respective quality of their doughnuts.

Exactly. Choosing one set of cunts over another, based on whether their parent company sells guns, in a country where every second shop is a gun shop, is more than a little silly.

I prefer the doughnut test.

 

[kebabking]

BAES make face visors and ventilators for the NHS, but they also make ballistic missile submarines - so does that mean you should refuse one of their ventilators (if you can splutter out the words)?...

I don't particularly care what Walmart does in the US because, a) it's legal in the US and they are still (broadly) a democracy, and b) I'm not an American, or have any plans to live there.

I do care that Amazon is a large employer in the UK, and that they treat their employees (both direct and indirect) like shit, and they make a specific point of structuring their business in order for the whole to pay as little tax as possible - so I don't buy anything from, or through, them.

 

[ddraig]

Firing employees who applied to form a trade union. I can't work out whether that's worse than strike busting or not.
What about "Maltreatment of disabled workers"?

But at least they don't sell guns, in a country where it's legal to sell guns.
Although Asda's jam doughnuts are definitely better.

Are you on about tesco? if you've got a link to them firing employees who applied to form a trade union i'd be interested in finding out more, thanks

 

[ddraig]

BAES make face visors and ventilators for the NHS, but they also make ballistic missile submarines - so does that mean you should refuse one of their ventilators (if you can splutter out the words)?...

I don't particularly care what Walmart does in the US because, a) it's legal in the US and they are still (broadly) a democracy, and b) I'm not an American, or have any plans to live there.

I do care that Amazon is a large employer in the UK, and that they treat their employees (both direct and indirect) like shit, and they make a specific point of structuring their business in order for the whole to pay as little tax as possible - so I don't buy anything from, or through, them.

so if there were 2 companies that were mostly the same but one whose parent company sold guns and one that didn't you don't think the one that didn't was even a smidgen better??

 

[Saul Goodman]

they make a specific point of structuring their business in order for the whole to pay as little tax as possible - so I don't buy anything from, or through, them.

They all do this. Ebay paid less than £10M tax (in the UK) in 2018. How does that make them any better than Amazon? If Ebay were to take over Amazon tomorrow, they'd run the business in exactly the same way. Maximise profits, at any cost, so long as someone else bears that cost.

 

[Big Bertha]

Who would you recommend?

I have bought white goods secondhand from the shop in Brixton hill for years

They’re cheap, nice.
Personally I like to support local businesses.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Are you on about tesco? if you've got a link to them firing employees who applied to form a trade union i'd be interested in finding out more, thanks

Spymaster posted links.

so if there were 2 companies that were mostly the same but one whose parent company sold guns and one that didn't you don't think the one that didn't was even a smidgen better??

No. They're selling guns in a country where it's legal to sell guns.

 

[Spymaster]

I do care that Amazon is a large employer in the UK, and that they treat their employees (both direct and indirect) like shit, and they make a specific point of structuring their business in order for the whole to pay as little tax as possible ...

But so do eBay and Paypal, along with many others (see Microsoft, Apple, et al) ...

 

[clicker]

Also - if people want to support local - try Euronics. A network of independent electrical/electronics retailers - tell it where you you live - Bob's your whassname.

Stores near brixton | Euronics Site

Euronics Site store Locations near to brixton

www.euronics.co.uk

Yes to this . My local shop on there has been going at least 40 years. You can go in there in the morning and new appliance will be delivered, fitted and old one removed by afternoon. No hassle ever.

 

[ddraig]

.
No. They're selling guns in a country where it's legal to sell guns.

What about if they sold landmines where it was legal to sell them? still don't care? where's your line?
Should none of us give a shit at all about what any companies do then?

 

[Saul Goodman]

What about if they sold landmines where it was legal to sell them? still don't care? where's your line?
Should none of us give a shit at all about what any companies do then?

What if Tesco sold heroin to children? They don't, and Asda don't sell land mines.

 

[kebabking]

But so do eBay and Paypal, along with many others (see Microsoft, Apple, et al) ...

Neither eBay nor PayPal are large employers in the UK (or anywhere I suspect), so their employment practices are somewhat epherimal, Amazon however is a large employer in the UK, so it's employment practices do matter.

 

[ddraig]

What if Tesco sold heroin to children? They don't, and Asda don't sell land mines.

Is there any point carrying on then?
It's simple in my eyes, again if there are 2 companies mostly the same but the parent company of one sells guns (whether legal or not) and the other doesn't, I'll choose the one that doesn't, if you don't give a shit and just want to keep posting stupid non comparisons there's no point asking you for clarification or where your line is, is there

 

[Spymaster]

Neither eBay nor PayPal are large employers in the UK (or anywhere I suspect), so their employment practices are somewhat epherimal, Amazon however is a large employer in the UK, so it's employment practices do matter.

eBay are, and Paypal are in Ireland but you could substitute Amazon with any US multi that you're probably not boycotting. The point is that any line you draw is totally arbitrary. The fact that Amazon have more employees in the UK works for you but others here would be critical of your prioritising UK employees over those elsewhere, particularly third world ones. This is what I mean. People make up reasons to satisfy themselves. That's fine, but let's realise it.

 

[Spymaster]

Is there any point carrying on then?
It's simple in my eyes, again if there are 2 companies mostly the same but the parent company of one sells guns (whether legal or not) and the other doesn't, I'll choose the one that doesn't

Even if the one that doesn't is run by a racist, sexist, property developing, Tory shitbag.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Is there any point carrying on then?
It's simple in my eyes, again if there are 2 companies mostly the same but the parent company of one sells guns (whether legal or not) and the other doesn't, I'll choose the one that doesn't, if you don't give a shit and just want to keep posting stupid non comparisons there's no point asking you for clarification or where your line is, is there

In my eyes it's simple. If your moral compass is so finely honed, don't shop at either. Shop at independent stores, who may or may not treat their employees better. But choosing Tesco over Asda is like choosing Mao Zedong over Pol Pot.

 

[editor]

Personally I like to support local businesses.

So do I. That's why I run free Brixton websites that are used and appreciated by many, many local businesses.