I know it’s a bit pathetic but I have tried very hard not to buy from Amazon. I know my efforts will not make a difference to the inexorable creep of the company’s global influence yet I am reluctant to give up. If many people did the same then there would be an effect and so I keep on, or rather I don’t keep on. It is just one of a growing (unfortunately) list of businesses I try to avoid.
Why, you may ask? There are several reasons, some around its working practices, some around Bezos’ political allegiances yet the main one is that they are killing the high street. OK, there are many pressures on our town centres and there are many other online shopping sites yet, for me at least, Amazon represents the worst and most successful of the lot.
My mantra, therefore, is to shop local if I can, using independents over chains if possible. If I can’t buy locally then I try and get items delivered to a local shop and, if not, will use online as a last resort.
This led me to buy an item from eBay that I could have bought considerably cheaper from Amazon. Yes, I know eBay is an online platform but it is mainly made up of small independent businesses. Imagine my disappointment when the parcel duly arrived but delivered by Amazon!
I complained to the company, explaining my position. They replied ‘In terms of the Amazon delivery service, our business uses a network of multiple couriers to deliver our product – we ‘piggyback’ onto other delivery services depending on which is closest to your location. This does mean sometimes it is sent with Amazon vehicles, as one of the largest delivery operators.’
To me they had missed the point and I responded by saying that ‘By using them you are feeding the hand that is biting you.’ to which came the response ‘I fully take your point about the juxtaposition that we find ourselves in, unfortunately we cannot compete with the giants of Amazon etc on all fronts, if we operated our own fleet our prices would be much higher and our delivery timetable would be a lot slower. We already struggle on staying competitive as we don’t have the same buying power/economies of scale as the big businesses, using the shared delivery network helps us on our deliveries, even if it occasionally means our products arrive via an Amazon van.’
At this point I had got as far as I could. I appreciate their position and understand that the cost of delivery is a vital component of any logistical exercise and I am all for collaboration yet paying a company that is directly trying to undercut you and providing them with free advertising goes against the grain. Mine at least.
In future I will ask before pressing the ‘Buy Now’ button.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 