How to Stop Giving Amazon Your Money

No corporation is more deserving of your rage than Amazon. With a long list of human rights violation and a soulless CEO, Amazon is the epitome of everything that is wrong with capitalism. The only way to fight it is to cut off its blood supply: you need to stop giving Amazon your money. 

What’s wrong with giving Amazon your money?

Jeff Bezos is on track to become the first trillionaire. Which means he’ll have $1,000,000,000,000 or one million millions. His wealth is currently growing at 34% per year, which means he’ll keep getting richer.

Billionaires are bad people to begin with, so a trillionaire is certainly the antichrist. Bezos, who is a true comic book villain personified, is the perfect candidate. He has made his wealth the only way you can get that disgustingly wealthy: by exploiting people, destroying local economies, and circumventing the law.

Amazon exploits workers

Amazon has a history of abusing its workforce. From unsafe working conditions to forcing workers to clock out for bathroom breaks (if they allow them at all), Amazon doesn’t see its staff as people. Workplace injuries are seen as necessary for efficiency, and sick leave simply isn’t a thing.

More than 55% of workers have suffered depression since working at Amazon, and 80% of workers said they would not apply for a job there again. 

Amazon destroys local brick & mortar stores

Few small businesses can compete with Amazon’s rock-bottom prices, or the convenience of having product delivered directly to a customer’s home in 48 hours as less. As a result, many local retail stores have been forced to shutter their doors in the wake of Amazon. 

If you love your local mom & pop shops, the best thing you can do to ensure their survival is purchase from them. Even if it costs you a few extra dollars, paying a local business instead of Amazon ensures the money stays in your local economy and goes directly people who need it, ie. anyone who is not Jeff Bezos. 

Amazon doesn’t pay taxes

Amazon didn’t pay any federal income tax until 2018. How did a multi-billion dollar global conglomerate avoid paying their due share? Because capitalism subsidizes rich corporations, not people. Amazon uses a myriad of tax credits and deductions to lower their corporate tax bill. Even when it finally came in, they paid $162 million which only amounted to 1.2% for their gross revenue.

When companies fail to pay adequate income taxes, governments are left with less revenue to put into social services and citizens suffer. If Amazon paid the income taxes they should, Americans would enjoy more accessible affordable healthcare, better public education, and more. 

Furthermore, do you feel good paying a higher percentage of income tax than Amazon? Didn’t think so. 

Here’s how to stop giving Amazon your money

This is obvious, but the easiest way to stop giving Amazon your money is to… stop giving Amazon your money! 

If you need anything, make the effort to visit a local store first. There’s little good that came out of the global COVID-19 pandemic, but one of the great things that did is many stores moved online and started offering better shipping options or curbside pickup.

Up until now, Amazon’s competitive advantage was getting you anything you wanted in 48 hours or less, with no shipping costs. Now, almost everyone is doing that. Support local businesses, or even simply corporations that are not Amazon, by taking advantage of their new switch to online shopping and easier pickups. 

Buy books from local bookstores or Chapters Indigo

If you’re Canadian, Chapters Indigo is a great alternative to Amazon when it comes to buying books, as well as household decor, kid’s toys, and more. With their Plum Plus rewards program, you’ll get 10% off all purchases and free shipping. Since Canada Post typically can ship things across the country in 2 to 3 business days, you won’t even notice the difference from switching from Amazon. 

Rakuten will give you 1% to 4% cash back on all your online Chapters-Indigo purchases. Amazon is no longer giving any cash back on Rakuten!

Buy directly from brands

If you genuinely need to purchase the item online, look to buy directly from the brand. Many companies sell their products on their own website, but also on Amazon to make it visible to more consumers. Even if you find something you want on Amazon, make the effort to seek out the brand’s own website, and buy directly. 

Cancel your Amazon Prime membership

Amazon Prime costs you $79 per year or $7.99 per month and gives you free 2-day shipping, and access to Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Books. Amazon Prime is, unfortunately, awesome. However, you shouldn’t pay companies to hurt people, which is what you’re doing when you subscribe to Amazon Prime. 

How to cancel your Amazon Prime membership

1. Log into Amazon
2. Click on “Your Account”
3. Click on “Prime”
4. Click on “Manage Prime Membership”
5. Select “End Membership”
6. Confirm that you want to end your Amazon Prime membership

Sell your Amazon stock

If you hold any individual shares of AMZN in your investment portfolio, now is the time to cut them loose. It can be sad to part with what has been a stellar performer over the past decade but holding on to stock that profits from hurting people is bad for your soul even if it’s good for your portfolio.

If you invest primarily in ETFs, it’s more likely than not that Amazon is somewhere in your portfolio. You can remedy this by switching to socially responsible ETFs. If you invest using a robo-advisor like Wealthsimple, you can opt for a socially responsible or Halal portfolio. 

Tell your friends and family to stop giving money to Amazon

Finally, become an anti-Amazon evangelist and get your friends and family to stop giving money to Amazon. Explain to them that enabling a company to commit extreme human rights violations and tax fraud isn’t worth it for convenience. 

Kicking your Amazon habit can be hard, but who can put a price on a clear conscience?