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Is It Ethical To Use Amazon?

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
I don't use it because it's usually ridiculously expensive.

They want $30 for the exact same brand and size of wild rice I get at the supermarket for $5
One has to pick and choose. For somethings, like wild rice, I can do much better locally. I like Trader Joe's where it is still $5.00 a pound. But the pickings for some spices can be very sparse where I live and Amazon has some very good prices on spices. 'But for food in general, no way.
 

Dan From Smithville

Monsters! Monsters from the id! Forbidden Planet
Staff member
Premium Member
Capitalism thrives and relies on exploitation of the working class. It doesn't matter the company, someone is getting abused. For anything to get better, Capitalism has to be reigned in with restrictions and regulations.
That seems to be true of any system involving people. Someone will always find a way to exploit the system or others to their own gain. Some systems seem more vulnerable to that than others.
 

John53

I go leaps and bounds
Premium Member
Wow, that's surprising. Amazon is usually the cheapest option for a great number of things in my corner of the world.

The only things I've found cheaper on Amazon Australia are Chinese electrical and electronic products, and Ebay Aus is still usually cheaper. I did however get a gas burner for my Weber BBQ from Amazon much cheaper than I could get from Weber.
 

John53

I go leaps and bounds
Premium Member
That may be the problem. The rice is just too wild. It can't even settle on a name for itself.

It is interesting that you can buy it cheaper from a local store than on Amazon. Usually, they are often the cheapest source of something or at least competitive on price.

Amazon Australia must be a different beast to Amazon USA. My daughter uses it a fair bit so maybe it's just the stuff I shop for.
 

Dan From Smithville

Monsters! Monsters from the id! Forbidden Planet
Staff member
Premium Member
The only things I've found cheaper on Amazon Australia are Chinese electrical and electronic products, and Ebay Aus is still usually cheaper. I did however get a gas burner for my Weber BBQ from Amazon much cheaper than I could get from Weber.
No charcoal? Is that too old school or too big a carbon footprint? Something else I haven't thought about. I prefer charcoal, but it occurs to me I don't know the carbon comparison for either.
 

Dan From Smithville

Monsters! Monsters from the id! Forbidden Planet
Staff member
Premium Member
Amazon Australia must be a different beast to Amazon USA. My daughter uses it a fair bit so maybe it's just the stuff I shop for.
I don't know. Perhaps. I know things cost differently in other countries due to many factors including the value of the dollar, access and availability, etc.
 

John53

I go leaps and bounds
Premium Member
No charcoal? Is that to old school or to big a carbon footprint? Something else I haven't thought about. I prefer charcoal, but it occurs to me I don't know the carbon comparison for either.

Never used a charcoal one, always seemed too much like hard work.
 

Dan From Smithville

Monsters! Monsters from the id! Forbidden Planet
Staff member
Premium Member
Amazon Australia must be a different beast to Amazon USA. My daughter uses it a fair bit so maybe it's just the stuff I shop for.
I would say that if you can get what you want locally for less money, that is the way to go. The impact of your dollars are kept more closely in your community then.
 

John53

I go leaps and bounds
Premium Member
I don't know. Perhaps. I know things cost differently in other countries due to many factors including the value of the dollar, access and availability, etc.

That's true but some overseas companies tend to rip us off. I remember one glaring example was the apple store charging more for apps in Australia. There's no delivery or supply costs associated with an app. I don't know if they ever rectified it after they were caught out.
 

Dan From Smithville

Monsters! Monsters from the id! Forbidden Planet
Staff member
Premium Member
Never used a charcoal one, always seemed too much like hard work.
I had some flippant, but humorous of course, response typical of me, but then I got to thinking about the carbon footprint of both and how I had no idea what it is. That I felt compelled to be more serious about.

Yeah, there is some different work, but it is what I'm used to more than any valid comparison of the two.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Amazon Australia must be a different beast to Amazon USA. My daughter uses it a fair bit so maybe it's just the stuff I shop for.
No, I think that you were right the first time. I looked up Wild Rice Amazon and one brand that they sell is Trader Joe's. It was $5.00 a pound there, on Amazon it is priced at $13.69! Almost three times as much for the exact same product.
 

Misunderstood

Active Member
Well that's quite a tease!

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a tease. Does that mean I am young and pretty? I just don't know where to start.

The reason I did quit using them was during covid, so I guess I will go with that. During Covid Hand Sanitizer was very hard to get. Amazon had it at a very inflated price, (I am OK with that part, if you have something that is in short supply and everyone wants it, well the price goes up.) Amazon also had third party sellers selling hand sanitizer. The government became upset with price gouging and said they would go after people price gouging.

Amazon says they would not tolerate price gouging and turned in over 50,000 3rd party resellers to the Department of Justice. Amazon kept their price high over $20 a bottle but eliminated anyone else from competing against them. Whereas local stores would run out, but when it did come in it would be sold at the same price as before ($1.99) Covid started.

Disclaimer: I have never sold on Amazon, and never sold hand sanitizer. I just needed to buy it to stay open and in business. Our county required us to have it if we were open to use after dealing with a customer and for customer use. We were also allowed to use portable hand washing stations in place of hand sanitizer since it was almost impossible to get. That is what we had to do, but they were difficult to get from the rental places. But some areas they would not work and hand sanitized was needed.
 

Dan From Smithville

Monsters! Monsters from the id! Forbidden Planet
Staff member
Premium Member
That's true but some overseas companies tend to rip us off. I remember one glaring example was the apple store charging more for apps in Australia. There's no delivery or supply costs associated with an app. I don't know if they ever rectified it after they were caught out.
I hope it is, there shouldn't be any substantial difference I can think of.

I buy CD's on Amazon, since they often have stuff I can't find anywhere else. You get a free digital download of the albums with purchase. I bought an uncommon Rush CD of covers that would not play. I returned it an asked about the download. They didn't seem to care that I had it or had anyway purge it other than my willfully removing it. They told me it was mine, no big deal.

I can't think of any reason apps would cost more to deliver in one country than another. Unless there is some taxes or other fees associated that I don't know about.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
Sorry, I didn't mean to be a tease. Does that mean I am young and pretty? I just don't know where to start.

The reason I did quit using them was during covid, so I guess I will go with that. During Covid Hand Sanitizer was very hard to get. Amazon had it at a very inflated price, (I am OK with that part, if you have something that is in short supply and everyone wants it, well the price goes up.) Amazon also had third party sellers selling hand sanitizer. The government became upset with price gouging and said they would go after people price gouging.

Amazon says they would not tolerate price gouging and turned in over 50,000 3rd party resellers to the Department of Justice. Amazon kept their price high over $20 a bottle but eliminated anyone else from competing against them. Whereas local stores would run out, but when it did come in it would be sold at the same price as before ($1.99) Covid started.

Disclaimer: I have never sold on Amazon, and never sold hand sanitizer. I just needed to buy it to stay open and in business. Our county required us to have it if we were open to use after dealing with a customer and for customer use. We were also allowed to use portable hand washing stations in place of hand sanitizer since it was almost impossible to get. That is what we had to do, but they were difficult to get from the rental places. But some areas they would not work and hand sanitized was needed.

What country are you in?

Edit: sorry, I misread county as country. Are you in the US?
 

Dan From Smithville

Monsters! Monsters from the id! Forbidden Planet
Staff member
Premium Member
No, I think that you were right the first time. I looked up Wild Rice Amazon and one brand that they sell is Trader Joe's. It was $5.00 a pound there, on Amazon it is priced at $13.69! Almost three times as much for the exact same product.
Interesting. Something to keep in mind when shopping online.

It's sort of like Sam's, where some things are a bargain and others are not when you compare them. I often don't need a pallet of toilet paper, so buying some things in bulk is also not a savings.
 
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