Amazon

It would have been the high street ExD but as things stand regardlees of ethics i will stick with Amazon.
And tbh i question the ethics of most large companys.

I’m afraid it’s been Amazon all the way for me from plant plugs to bathroom plugs. I haven’t been to a shop in four months and I’m not keen to go now.

Ebay sellers have more or less the same things as amazon; it's not all second hand stuff on there. I don't know the ethics though of those who advertise on there. Argos is good for household goods and Smyths for toys.

Well as our lockdown they’ve been great but yesterday I’d needed stamps and ordered them off amazon just to realise I was paying nearly £2 more so cancelled the order don’t mind paying for postage ( which was said was free) but that’s taking the mick! Otherwise they have been a lifeline when I could not get out. Won’t be Saturday browsing in shops for a very long time. Christmas might be online too. Not keen on wearing masks And have asthma so really shouldn’t be wearing one but can you imagine explaining that in a shop!

I use Amazon but am uncomfortable about it. I usually google the item and see what's on offer, places like Viking have a lot of every day items and are quick. I try and use small online companies for gifts.

Yes quizqueen about eBay I work between the two and have been equally impressed.

Please try Etsy for nice gifts I’ve had some lovely things from them.

It was Amazon before and it's Amazon now more than ever. During the lockdown it has been a lifesaver, now I haven't the time or inclination to go to shops, which I realise it's a shame, as they rely on shoppers to go back in order for things to pick up. Hopefully it'll change eventually, but I think a lot of us at the moment are suffering from Stockholm syndrome.

I have never used Amazon. I like to see and feel the quality of what I am buying and dont feel comfortable with how Amazon etc work.
So far this year I have bought little but look firward to feeling safe enough to venture out soon-ish.
If we dont use shops they will close and I for one think that is a massive shame.

Harris I also have Asthma, but I went for a walk with a mask on and I was absolutely fine, try it and see?
I would think that if you are in the middle of an Asthma attack then you couldn’t wear a mask, but then you would be unlikely to go out anyway.
I will wear a mask if I ever go back to a real shop, until then Amazon has been a real help.ditto the click and collect shopping from the major supermarkets.
I do try to buy stuff from Amazon that is made in the UK.

I live in the country and can't just pop into town to get the odds and sods I get from Amazon. At the moment I'm wary of anything coming from China too, and lots of their stuff seems to come from there. Cheapness is the first thing that comes to mind of course - but at what cost to the workers.
Then when I think about underpaid workers I think 'sell a rubbish job is better than no job at all', and I'm back where I started.
Ebay is good, but then I've the hassle of paying and entering card numbers, unless I resort to Pay Pal where I understand you don't have the same protection and you do from cards.

I pay on Ebay using my credit card which is stored just as on Amazon. Ebay is mostly individuals but I am wary about how complaints are handled on Ebay.

I too use Amazon on a regular basis. It saves all that trampsing around shops which i just cant do nowadays. Useful too at Xmas as i get family to add a wish list so i can pick something they really want. If they dont then it is cash, apart from my daughter who loves surprises and says 'Mum i never know what you are going to get me and i love it'

Harris27
Re asmtha./masks. No I will not be wearing one.
As a fellow sufferer and although take a preventer always carry a 'reliever'.Should I be challenged, no doubt will, then the 'challenger' is free to speak to my GP.

I've used Amazon for a few years, and even more so this year. I've had something every week - flower bulbs, cat food in bulk, a steam mop, bedding, iron, all sorts of things. I much prefer that to going to shops.

I use both Amazon and Ebay. It may not be generally known that Ebay is good for plants. I have found that the plants I order are well grown and very securely packed. But beware of products that at marked as made in the UK. I bought a long navy cardigan a few weeks ago and was very pleased with it. However, when I heard about the scandal of the Leicester sweat shops, I realised that it was more than likely that my cardigan came from one of those.

I've reluctantly used Amazon quite a bit since the lockdown and quite honestly they are hard to fault for sheer convenience, I wish it wasn't so. I have also ordered direct from some companies. I think many of us are getting used to living our lives like this, I'm not missing the traipsing around looking for stuff.

I use Amazon a lot but I have also tried eBay and it has been excellent. Recently I ordered tomato plants, my money was taken but the plants never came. I was told by eBay to wait a week to give the seller more time and then on the date, eBay took over and within 48 hours my money was in my bank account. I was impressed. It was under a tenner which I thought I had lost, but no, they were superb.

I did everything "by the book" and did not contact the seller personally.

I use Amazon a lot. I am shielding and can’t go out, apart from my daily walk.

I mentioned on another thread about Amazon Smile. I have nominated a local charity and they receive a small % of the cost of my purchases. It is only a small percentage, however I receive a quarterly email, outlining the amount donated to my nominated charity via Smile, each quarter. The donations are c£2k per quarter, thus the charity receives an additional £8k per annum.

There were some critical comments from other GNs, of course.

I do all of my shopping on line - JL, M&S, EBay, Etsy, online grocery shopping and butcher. Amazon is certainly part of my on line purchasing.
Harris I buy stamps with my grocery order and the price seems acceptable.

I prefer eBay because you can pay through PayPal. With Paypal, if there is a problem with whatever you buy, it is very easy to get a refund, even months later.

I bought a tap off eBay which broke 9 months later. The seller ignored me but PayPal refunded me very easily.

For some reason I'd got the idea that PayPal didn't honour refunds, I'm relieved to hear they're ok about this.
But
I was horrified to read (ok, in the daily mail) yesterday that seeds had been sent from China to customers who had previously bought seeds. I did buy seeds from them in April, although they came from Holland.
This has made me even more wary of Amazon.

I have been very anti Amazon since it’s inception...........however since lockdown it has been my saviour, I am constantly amazed by how it is possible to order something at 6m and it is being delivered the following morning. (AC reckon the delivery man will be invited for Christmas lunch as I have seen more of him than I gave AC and GC?)

M & S, a John Lewis, White Co. and Boots (Boots have gone down hill rapidly during lockdown in my opinion) have also been stars in my lockdown world ??

Nortsat thanks I bought stamps via royal mail online and really begrudged paying the postage. I cant believe I didnt think of putting them on the tesco order

Oops Not on the High Street has been good for GC and personalised gifts and Moonpig for cards although Moonpig is a frustrating experience ?