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March 19, 2024, 09:04:33 AM

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Amazon

Started by bgmnts, April 03, 2021, 12:22:35 AM

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bgmnts

All the stuff about workers having to piss in bottles and constantly monitored and punished for any sort of infraction. One guy actually suffered a heart attack and was on the floor for like 20 minutes. Its surely one of the most morally bankrupt companies in history, isnt it, and is single-handedly leading us into a really shit dystopian future that we see in films but never imagine happening.

They've actually gone a bit batshit on their twitter feed recently.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV32ZPe6ZLo&ab_channel=HasanAbi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxqaMDyhAfw&t=532s&ab_channel=ThoughtSlime

Is anyone here ever going to stop using Amazon?

PlanktonSideburns

At least the Elon musk dufuses have a slightly glamorous vision. Normalising hyperfordist hellscapes for the gift of having things slightly sooner is tragic



Worked for them in two different countries. They're a lead weight attached to employment human rights

And all their no tax is going to be no help against an epidemic of lower back damage that their ill conceived SMART work practices are brewing up

buttgammon

They've recently built a massive data centre on an industrial estate near me and it looks terrifying. If you look it up, it's all people talking about how wonderful it is that they're letting local houses and business use some of the energy generated, but there were concerns when they first applied to build it that some of the land used was zoned for housing; this is in an a city with an exponential housing and homeless crisis.

The scale of abuse from the company is awful, and a rare example of a case where the word dystopian is actually appropriate. Amazon is a rogue state in business form.

Chedney Honks

I've stopped ordering from Amazon and now get all my Blu-rays direct from Eureka, Arrow, 88 Films or Powerhouse because it puts me closer to the Director's vision on some level.

BlodwynPig

Remember when HmV had a decent esoteric DVD section?

steveh

The poor treatment of staff seems to be endemic throughout the company. I know someone who works for Amazon Web Services and another who used to work there and they have a really high turnover of staff even compared to the typical higher level in the tech industry. It's apparently just not a pleasant working environment with targets giving a level of stress that most people can't survive for long and for a salary that's not especially competitive.

idunnosomename

I havent used amazon for a year now

An tSaoi

I keep trying to quit it, but it's just so handy. I know that's not much of an excuse, but it's a pain in the hole to go round loads of different sites and order things, set up an account, type your address, put in card details etc. If you google any product you end up on Amazon.

TrenterPercenter

It's a tricky one as Amazon is really just a logistics company for lots of other retailers (I know they make a bit of crap tech also); in essence that could be a good thing.

Regardless the most useful area to apply pressure would be to unionise the workforce; which could actually turn a giant loss into a giant win; just imagine a having a massive global union spanning across continents, how much influence it would have.

it's perhaps complicated but boycotting things like Amazon doesn't really work; these places are too big and diversified to make any difference[nb]also look at past targets Shell & Nescafe[/nb]; it's the same as recycling in the grand scheme of things it does little more than make you feel better about yourself.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, I recycle and feel good about it but I know it ultimately does nothing. There has rightly imo been quite a few green folk like Monbiot coming out and saying it can be harmful to think in these ways as problem that are large and systemic, need to be approached from a large and systemic angle i.e. voting; unionising; policy and of course collectivising (the stopping of which is of course the prime focus of the government and corporations in their pursuit of culture wars).

Individual "sacrifice" or whatever was co-opted by companies as a useful modern day repentance quite some time ago.

bgmnts

Quote from: An tSaoi on April 03, 2021, 10:49:47 AM
I keep trying to quit it, but it's just so handy. I know that's not much of an excuse, but it's a pain in the hole to go round loads of different sites and order things, set up an account, type your address, put in card details etc.

Do you buy anything you actually need on Amazon? I honestly can't think of anything I have ever.

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: An tSaoi on April 03, 2021, 10:49:47 AM
I keep trying to quit it, but it's just so handy. I know that's not much of an excuse, but it's a pain in the hole to go round loads of different sites and order things, set up an account, type your address, put in card details etc. If you google any product you end up on Amazon.

Getting a PayPal[nb]Musk though they are everywhere[/nb] or similar account will solve a lot of these problems for you.

bgmnts

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on April 03, 2021, 10:50:10 AM
It's a tricky one as Amazon is really just a logistics company for lots of other retailers (I know they make a bit of crap tech also); in essence that could be a good thing.

Regardless the most useful area to apply pressure would be to unionise the workforce; which could actually turn a giant loss into a giant win; just imagine a having a massive global union spanning across continents, how much influence it would have.

Well yeah but amazon are virulently anti union and even actually recently ran anti-union ad campaigns.

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: bgmnts on April 03, 2021, 10:51:50 AM
Well yeah but amazon are virulently anti union and even actually recently ran anti-union ad campaigns.

Yes they would be wouldn't they; that tells you something; about their practices, organisational economy and how utterly terrified they are of unions due to what would be at stake.

An tSaoi

Quote from: bgmnts on April 03, 2021, 10:50:34 AM
Do you buy anything you actually need on Amazon? I honestly can't think of anything I have ever.

Not a damn thing, just stuff. Blu-rays, books, camera stuff, backpacks, tents, bike helmets, kettles, gloves, hats, chopping boards, whatever. I could get them elsewhere, but it's great to have them in one place, like a Netflix for real things. Also, a lot of Irish retail websites honestly look like they're from 20 years ago, and you can never get what you want, so I'm going to order from the UK anyway.

I find basic life stuff like going to the shops or comparing prices or registering for websites extremely tiring and head-ache inducing, so convenience is king for me.

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on April 03, 2021, 10:51:35 AM
Getting a PayPal or similar account will solve a lot of these problems for you.

Right, I'll look into that.

No, actually I just know I won't, but thanks.

bgmnts

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on April 03, 2021, 10:54:41 AM
Yes they would be wouldn't they; that tells you something; about their practices, organisational economy and how utterly terrified they are of unions due to what would be at stake.

Well yeah but forming a union would be nigh on impossible there. I think boycotting is a valid response anyway.

TrenterPercenter

Effectively telling a load of people we are going to make you unemployed by boycotting the person that pays your wages hasn't historically gone down well with employees; who often in fact end with worse terms and conditions due effectively handing companies more power (less jobs, less money means more pressure on staff to prove their worth).


seepage

I try to buy direct from the manufacturer if there's free postage. Often cheaper than Amazon and you often get a discount on your first order (e.g. 25% yesterday) for signing up to a newsletter or whatever.

An tSaoi

See I couldn't be arsed with that, even though I should. I am the problem.

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: bgmnts on April 03, 2021, 11:00:25 AM
Well yeah but forming a union would be nigh on impossible there. I think boycotting is a valid response anyway.

Oh right sorry; I hadn't realised you had decided on this.  OK yes boycotting will end Amazons abuse of workers rights.

Great another issue solved.  Close the thread.

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: An tSaoi on April 03, 2021, 10:57:58 AM
No, actually I just know I won't, but thanks.

Well you should it's a piece of piss and you will have lots more access to much better things than there are on Amazon.   I was a bit like you didn't really understand or trust e-wallets but trust me it takes as long as took to setup your amazon account and then you don't have to do it again and you literally click a button and it fills in all your details etc... you effectively make every store like using Amazon.

bgmnts

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on April 03, 2021, 11:04:19 AM
Oh right sorry; I hadn't realised you had decided on this.  OK yes boycotting will end Amazons abuse of workers rights.

Great another issue solved.  Close the thread.

Listen if buying shit you dont need from Amazon is more important to you than worker abuse and mega monopolies existing then cool keep doing it, its just a valid response, it wont end anything. Lots of things have to change.

Sherringford Hovis

Quote from: idunnosomename on April 03, 2021, 10:41:46 AM
I havent used amazon for a year now

What really boils my piss is when I try dodging Amazon by ordering something on eBay and it arrives in Amazon packaging delivered by Amazon.

And my brother werks as some sort of ad-tech account manager for Amazon, catering to every unfeasibly ridiculous foible of some hideous household chemicals company, so he's the twat that's responsible for the constant repeat ads you get for products you've just bought. He still listens to The Levellers despite being personally responsible for murdering polar bears with unnecessary toxic table polish and drain cleaner, the veiny fuckstick.

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: bgmnts on April 03, 2021, 11:09:40 AM
Listen if buying shit you dont need from Amazon is more important to you than worker abuse and mega monopolies existing

It isn't.

Quotethen cool keep doing it, its just a valid response, it wont end anything. Lots of things have to change.

I'm pointing out that your valid response (and it is valid; live your life bro) can have the opposite impact and is pissing in the wind; it won't end anything as you say so you are in agreement but clearly you also see boycotting as some moral cudgel to flash at people; people will just switch off.

bgmnts

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on April 03, 2021, 11:18:25 AM
I'm pointing out that your valid response (and it is valid; live your life bro) can have the opposite impact and is pissing in the wind; it won't end anything as you say so you are in agreement but clearly you also see boycotting as some moral cudgel to flash at people; people will just switch off.

Its not a moral cudgel its just the only thing you can do isnt it? Obviously you can advocate for unions, which I think everyone here does for the most part in every job. But surely the only thing you can actually do is boycott or reduce your spending?

BlodwynPig

Quote from: bgmnts on April 03, 2021, 10:50:34 AM
Do you buy anything you actually need on Amazon? I honestly can't think of anything I have ever.

Diet A&W Root beer

ZoyzaSorris

Another set of bad trenter takes, this is becoming a bit predictable

metaltax

I lost a lot of interest in shopping with Amazon when they became an enabler for any twat who wanted to start a drop-shipping company on the side. The amount of dodgy-looking unbranded or branded-but-possibly-fake stuff that you have to wade through takes away all the convenience that they once had. I know that's not the morally worst aspect of shopping with Amazon but it's the thing that made me back away from using them as much as I did (same with eBay).

BlodwynPig

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on April 03, 2021, 11:00:57 AM
Effectively telling a load of people we are going to make you unemployed by boycotting the person that pays your wages hasn't historically gone down well with employees; who often in fact end with worse terms and conditions due effectively handing companies more power (less jobs, less money means more pressure on staff to prove their worth).

I've boycotted Amazon.

Butchers Blind

Those drop boxes are handy so you don't have to wait around for it to be delivered.

Make and grow your own shit if want to be 100% sure you're being ethical.

Quote from: Sherringford Hovis on April 03, 2021, 11:16:47 AM
What really boils my piss is when I try dodging Amazon by ordering something on eBay and it arrives in Amazon packaging delivered by Amazon.

Amazon to Ebay dropshippers/retail arbitrage.