The Amazon Ogre

Bezos Won't Quit Breitbart
So far, more than 2,300 companies and organizations have stopped advertising on Breitbart in response to the Sleeping Giants campaign, including well-known brands like Campbell's Soup, Kellogg's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé, Hallmark, Squarespace, and BMW. ---- Yet as other major companies abandon Breitbart advertising, Amazon remains a stubborn, silent holdout.
Click to expand...

As if I didn't detest Amazon enough already.... I am thoroughly repulsed. :mad:


upload_2017-7-28_15-53-49.jpeg
amazon-boycott.jpg
 
Last edited:
I still have the habit of browsing there, I love that whatever i could think of I can find there with multiple choices, and reviews from people who actually use them. I hate to shop. I like stores with minimal quality choices, like Aldi or Trader Joes, but when I want something like an electric kettle, shoes I can try and return, a battery, a cell phone case, furnace filter, central a/c capacitor, a bidet, whole wheat gluten case at half price one day sale, Muir Glen case of organic canned tomatoes at half price one day sale. I listed things I've bought this year to be able to fully decide how I feel about amazon. I totally disagree with many of their business practices- but are they really that worse than others? I would have spent far more money and time buying these items anywhere else with far more hassle of returns.
All in all I won't stop buying from them.
I work 53 hours a week. I buy little, I save, I'm close to debt free. Amazon plays a small but important part in my purchases. I've know people who've worked for amazon, two in product fulfillment at their warehouses. they dismiss the stories of horrible working conditions.
Would I be any better searching store to store to find these products at affordable prices? I don't believe I would
 
The opposite point then needs to be made - aren't those companies pulling their ads from Breitbart just making a hollow PR move? Are they any less capitalist and destructive than Amazon?

Amazon and every other megacorporation hellbent on profit at the expense of human lives are one and the same. To each their own, but honestly, I can't imagine myself insisting on boycotting Amazon unless I also decided to try and remove myself from global capitalism (and, subsequently, end up homeless and then dead because of that choice).
 
I need to add this- I used to obsess-about everything. every ethical decision would trigger other questions, until as Fortytwo suggests, I would be left with nothing.
I try to avoid amazon, and walmart and others, but the compromise of only purchasing things that they are absolutely the best at providing me is a better recourse for me. I went to bed bath and beyond, which I know @MadamSarcastra go to, and found similar kettles at similar prices--but from outside sellers they don't even disclose. Rather than obsess about my decision I'm leaving it at amazon. I'm not cancelling it, worrying whether or not I should spend $40. on a kettle, or am patronizing an evil business. I could go on and on that downward spiral till I worry where my lentils are grown, and I can't afford the organics, and on and on and on. I would not be near vegan if I did, and I don't call myself vegan because I take D3. I take D3 because I find that decision is better for my mental health than others.
That is all.
I certainly respect your decision to boycott. You gotta pick and choose your battles.
Like the people who've boycotted Silk because of their parent company. I get it- but that product has made non dairy milks available to the masses--and I mean masses! Without those larger mega businesses the dairy industry would not have flinched!
That. is. all
 
silva said:
I need to add this- I used to obsess-about everything. every ethical decision would trigger other questions, until as Fortytwo suggests, I would be left with nothing.
I try to avoid amazon, and walmart and others, but the compromise of only purchasing things that they are absolutely the best at providing me is a better recourse for me. I went to bed bath and beyond, which I know @MadamSarcastra go to, and found similar kettles at similar prices--but from outside sellers they don't even disclose. Rather than obsess about my decision I'm leaving it at amazon. I'm not cancelling it, worrying whether or not I should spend $40. on a kettle, or am patronizing an evil business. I could go on and on that downward spiral till I worry where my lentils are grown, and I can't afford the organics, and on and on and on. I would not be near vegan if I did, and I don't call myself vegan because I take D3. I take D3 because I find that decision is better for my mental health than others.
That is all.
I certainly respect your decision to boycott. You gotta pick and choose your battles.
Like the people who've boycotted Silk because of their parent company. I get it- but that product has made non dairy milks available to the masses--and I mean masses! Without those larger mega businesses the dairy industry would not have flinched!
That. is. all
Click to expand...
Actually, I've never been to Bed Bath & Beyond. It's in Saginaw... I haven't visited Saginaw in four & a half years (except to unlock my dad's car at Barnes & Noble).... LOL :rolleyes:

Oh, and don't go tellin' me about Silk! I can't take it! :p

Nah, I guess I just don't understand the need for online shopping... I never have. I'm gettin' along just fine without any of it. ;) I think the only things I've bought "online" in the last 7-8 years have been games (from Steam or BigFish).... LOL

I really do enjoy shopping at & supporting the smaller stores, especially my local health food store (where I get my nooch), party store (owned by a very cool Indian couple).... I'll have to make it to the new City Market sometime... dozens of kiosks, all locally produced stuff. :)
I take after my father quite a bit... I avoid Walmart like the friggin' plague, we've got lists on our fridge of brands/products to try to avoid (Monsanto, Koch brothers, etc.).... I can't wait for the co-op market to open up here! Places like that are much more my speed... small, intimate, locally sourced stuff, people helping people... not one giant conglomerate hell bent on trampling everything in its path.

I do try to choose my battles. I'm happy to say don't need Amazon for a damn thing. :D And I hope to f*ck I never do. LMAO
 
Last edited:
Re the second link: All I get is sponsored financial content at the top of the page and then the rest of the page is blank.
 
Amy SF said:
Re the second link: All I get is sponsored financial content at the top of the page and then the rest of the page is blank.
Click to expand...
Weird. It's shows up for me. Of course, I have an ad blocker....

It's essentially the same info, just a different article.
 
Amazon's return policy is one of the things I found most attractive about it, and would often buy from them rather than a seller not offering the same policy.

A Christmas gift I ordered for my daughter one year arrived damaged, and they overnighted a new one to her, and gave us two weeks to return the first one. They also gave me a refund when after 11 months I tried to return something that had a year's warranty by the manufacturer, but the manufacturer said the seller I bought it from on Amazon wasn't an authorized seller, so the warranty wasn't valid.

I can see the pros and cons of making the sellers honor the same return policy. The sellers claim people will use it to scam them, but quite a few sellers send out damaged/faulty items and charge the buyer to exchange it for a new one, so it goes both ways. I like the idea, it'll weed out the scammy sellers and fly by night operations.

ETA: I just read where it only affects those selling more than 50,000 items. All sellers need to be included, it's the smaller ones that are ripping people off.
 
Last edited:
Last edited:
Top Bottom