People love online shopping. It’s become one of the most convenient ways to make sure you’re taken care of. The most popular place to online shop is Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). The offers they have for Prime members and even nonmembers make it seem like the perfect place to shop. However, you might want to think twice before you go shopping at Amazon. This is why you should shop elsewhere.
The Way They Treat Their Warehouse Workers
It’s no secret that Amazon warehouse workers have to endure some of the worst working conditions of anyone. You’re supposed to be on your feet for up to 12 hours per day in a dark room. You can’t take bathroom breaks. The conditions have led people to need therapy after working there. Why would you want to support a company that hates its employees? Whenever you purchase something off Amazon, you’re putting the mental health of someone in jeopardy. Not shopping there shows you stand together with the employees until they get proper working conditions.
You Can Shop Local Instead
One of the worst things Amazon has done is kill small businesses that are just trying to survive. Instead of feeding the pockets of a corporation that doesn’t care if you shop there or not, why not go somewhere you’ll be valued? Odds are, you’re going to get a much better experience and quality product. These local shops are going to be what truly keeps the economy going and the community vibrant. Taking your money away from Amazon will only help you feel better.
Issues With Companies Stealing Credit Card Information
Whenever you put your information online, it can lead to it being stolen. Because Amazon has products from numerous different companies, some are bound to steal the information you put in. The more you shop on Amazon, the more likely you are to find yourself in a situation where someone you don’t want has your credit card. If you want to try to ensure this doesn’t happen, then you’re not going to want to shop at Amazon.
They Have a Poor History When it Comes to the Climate
One of the biggest issues surrounding the world and the future of it is climate change. There are a lot of companies that do their part to try to minimize what they put into the climate. Amazon isn’t one of those companies, sadly. They have shown time and time again that they don’t care about what happens to the environment, as long as they’re making money.
Their carbon emissions rose by 18% recently in one year, even though their sales only rose 1%. There’s no excuse for a company to sit back and only care about profits when serious issues are going around. Supporting Amazon means that you support companies putting themselves above all else.
You Might Not Get Your Item When You Need It
People like to use Amazon for gifts, especially Christmas and birthday ones. Whenever you order online, no matter how great of a track record they might have in the past, you’re risking not getting what you ordered in time. While this might not seem like a huge deal, it can hurt whoever you’re purchasing the gifts for. The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen is by shopping in person. Online shopping always has its risks, especially when it comes to the timely nature of getting whatever it is you ordered. Don’t put the happiness of someone you love in the hands of a company that doesn’t realize how serious it is.
They Have Avoided Paying Taxes
The fact that this is even a conversation is ridiculous. Regular people have to pay taxes and always do so. A trillion-dollar corporation like Amazon should pay its fair share in taxes, like everyone else. However, there are plenty of examples of Amazon doing whatever it takes to avoid paying their taxes. It would be one thing if they were investing this extra money in the company, like how it’s supposed to be. However, Amazon doesn’t do this, and only pockets the extra money. Buying things from Amazon is telling the world you are fine with the richest not paying their fair share in taxes.
Delivery Workers Are Subject to Dangerous Conditions
The warehouse workers aren’t the only ones who are put in risky situations. The delivery drivers for Amazon have to put themselves in difficult scenarios every day they drive. Some of the packages for Amazon are incredibly difficult to deliver. The sheer size makes it hard to carry up multiple flights of stairs. There are also tons of times when the weather isn’t safe to drive in. However, Amazon doesn’t care and is willing to put the bottom line ahead of the safety of those who deliver these packages to shoppers. Companies who don’t care about their employees shouldn’t be shopped from. Amazon has shown over and over they don’t care about employees at all.
They’ve Been Accused of Racism
The fact that there are multiple confirmed issues with racism within Amazon should be enough to make anyone not want to shop there. In 2021, it was proven racial bias went into the hiring of many different Amazon executives. There was also a walkout of warehouse workers in 2022 to stand together in the face of racial issues that took place inside every warehouse. The technology at Amazon allows for racial bias to happen. Amazon hasn’t learned its lesson from the past when it comes to racial issues, as these incidents continue to come out. Supporting Amazon means you’re supporting a company that doesn’t care about race and equality.
The Items Might Be Damaged When You Get Them
Whenever you shop online, you run the risk of your items being damaged during shipping. Because Amazon is only an online company, there’s no way to be certain your items will be safe after delivery. While they do allow returns and refunds, it can be a hassle to get these done and set you back from what your plan was. This can also be detrimental for those who order things for a sickness to help them. Countless people who have cancer rely on Amazon to get things like a cold cap for chemotherapy. The best way to make sure your purchase is safe is to buy it in person.
They Don’t Allow Unions
Another way Amazon has shown us they don’t care about their employees or their rights’ is by not allowing unions. A union allows the employees to get rights and band together if the scenario were to ever come up. Amazon doesn’t want their employees, especially their lower-level ones, to be able to band together. Doing so would mean that they’d have to acknowledge the harsh working conditions and fix them. They would also have to pay their employees a much more livable wage than what they do now, which theoretically shouldn’t matter to their billionaire owner. But it does.
Their Owner is Known to Be Sleazy
Building off of the last point, Jeff Bezos is known to be someone whose morals are kind of shaky. Up until recently when he announced his desire to offer affordable healthcare, Bezos has been known for cheating on his wife. The fact that he wasn’t able to buy an NFL team a few years ago shows how little even his fellow billionaires feel about him. Jeff Bezos has a shaky past that we shouldn’t look past. Amazon might feel like the easy way to get different things you want but think twice before you visit them. They’re not the company we’ve painted them out to be in our minds. They’re almost the exact opposite.
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