Is there an alternative to Amazon that is as good as Amazon?

www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/18/amazon-regime-making-british-staff-physically-and-mentally-ill-says-union

Yesterday's article was about the US Amazon. This is about the UK.
I'm with you, Luckylegs.

Did you see the article in the newspapers yesterday about how they treat their staff. I have refused to use them for a long time now because of the tax thing and I had ordered one item which was delivered almost before I switched the computer off, that was a one off nearly two years ago as it was an item my son wanted for Christmas and I couldn't find it anywhere else, so the service is brilliant. However, I will continue with my efforts to buy elsewhere and I always do track what I want down.

If you're signed up for Amazon Prime you've done it yourself, by not being careful enough to click 'no thanks' - I know it's easily done, but you have to be aware of the tricks of the marketing trade!

It's Seven Stories tenth anniversary on Wednesday. Time to buy from Hive again, and donate.

There are only 3 small food shops where I live, so I buy from amazon a lot, every thing from food, clothes, toiletries, DIY goods I have never had a problem with any delivery, most of which are free without using prime.

I use Amazon for buying Kindle books and for things I cannot find easily here - I use the UK, French and USA sites. They are all linked to the same cards so very easy. I can have things delivered to the family in USA or UK and it is cheaper to pay in dollars if on the USA site than for the sterling option - cheaper here to pay in Euros if the supermarket gives you the option for sterling or Euros.
I bought a new charger for my IPad and had done my best to actually get an Apple one and the one I ordered said it was Apple but it was not and when it came would not fit - it was not actually Amazon but another seller - I complained on the French site and immediately I had the link to print the labels to send it back.
As to the Prime - my son in USA has been able to add me to his family Prime and I need to pay nothing but can use the service.

I was also caught out re Prime. I do not buy so much from Amazon nowadays except ebooks but I have never had a problem with delivery- next day means next day.

I do like to read the reviews on books and any item that I fancy buying and I have found them to be genuine and helpful.

If I am having trouble locating a specific item, I have found ioffer sometimes has what I require. I have never had any problem with paying or receiving goods, although they are mostly international sellers. Unfortunately they don't always offer Paypal.

I like Amazon.
I have never had a problem with it's service.

But the flip side is how it treats its workers.

I need to cut down how much I get from Amazon I think.
I am not going to eliminate it, as there are some things that are so much easier to get from there than elsewhere. [I live ruraly]

But I am thinking that if less was spent on the whole at Amazon in the following months, they might take notice and listen.

I use Amazon. Their .com site covers the USA and I can have items ordered from UK and delivered in USA for free within the week.
Most recent was a balance bike and a pop up tent for dgs birthday. ordered Tuesday and delivered FOC on the Friday.

I did once use Prime free trial by choice. We were looking for a leather office chair, after searching local without success we found the perfect one on Amazon. There was an alert to say they also had one (the same) in their warehouse clearance at £60 cheaper.. with secure but damaged packing.
That'll do me !!
When it arrived the only damage was a hole the size of an eggcup in the cardboard. Item perfect and arrived next day.
Just made sure to cancel the Prime in time before charges commenced which was quite straightforward.

Just ordered 4 books from Hive. Checked up on Amazon. The difference was pennies. They arrived within two days, and part of the profit goes to Seven Stories in Newcastle.
Much rather they had the profit than Amazon.

Kelloggs do not pay their taxes. They also own Pringles, so I will not be buying those again.

Yes there are, Falcon, and you can find out about them on www.ethicalconsumer.org

I was signed up for Amazon Prime as well. I kept it because it is handy especially for books I want and birthday presents.

I think you can easily cancel it if you want to. I try to use my local library but nowadays they don't have much in stock and you often have to order a book, which is no good if you belong (as I do) to a Book-group.

Also books are very expensive now and I can often buy a book for a penny with postage it comes to about a fiver and where can you find a book of choice for that.

I have a friend who boycotts Amazon because of their tax position but I love it.

I have mild agoraphobia and shopping for hours is just not possible. Amazon has been a godsend for me. I have bought lovely birthday presents for my Gks which I couldn't have done otherwise.

Other companies have a dodgy tax position I'm sure.

That is a problem with www.hive.co.uk, their ebooks does not support kindle.
I have a Kindle because we bought my husband one before he died and put a lot of books on for him. I have just started using it.
It is possible to download from a lot of the genealogy websites.

Amazon is amazingly good, we use it lots, their service and after service is good too.We still use shops in nearby towns as well, especially book shops and clothes/shoes, but books for my Kindle and all dvds and cds are bought on Amazon.

I use Amazon as others might use, markets or the High Street, latest buys which came today, a Bra Extender and Wireless Door Bell, neither of which I can buy were I live, I use their "Subscribe and Save" which saves me 15% on my monthly orders including free deliveries.
Most of the "stuff" I have filled my home with, from Apps to Kayak Trolleys has been delivered by Amazon, I have never had a problem with any deliveries and I have never found any better alternative shopping website

www.amazonanonymous.org

I use www.hive.co.uk
For books, games, DVDs,etc. It uses your local bookshop for free delivery, but if you do not have a local bookshop it delivers free to your home. I have found some of their books are cheaper than on Amazon or the Book People.
That does not matter to me because, like GrannyTwice, I stopped using Amazon ages ago.
I think there is a website called Amazonfree. Have to check.

I use Rakuten (used to be Play.com). I usually buy DVD's and find the prices are similar to Amazon and the postage is normally free. If I do buy from Amazon I always change the delivery option from 1st class to free delivery - it means waiting a bit longer but that isn't really a problem for me. Not been caught out by the Prime system (yet!)

So ebooks = OK?

I can't boycott Amazon - my books are on there. In mitigation their huge sales of e-books does incur VAT (unlike print books which don't ) - so they do generate a wodge of £££ to the economy in that form.

I use Amazon, and I also support local businesses when I shop. It just depends on what I'm looking for and the mood I'm in .

Number - it's nothing to do with conscience is it? It's more a political ( small p) statement I'm making. I think conscience would come into it if you knew small children were working 12 hour days to pack the Amazon parcels.

I have been using Amazon for a long time, mainly for books, but I have had other things as well. The service is good, as are the prices, my conscience is clear. And you CAN spend less than £10, it`s just that under that amount you are charged postage, £10 and over it`s free delivery.