'I will boycott Amazon this Christmas'

Pledge “Boycott-Amazon”

"I will boycott Amazon this Christmas but only if 50,000 other people will do the same."

— Stephen Reid, UK Uncut (contact)

Deadline to sign up by: 22^nd December 2012
1,002 people signed up, 48998 more were needed

Country: United Kingdom

More details
In 2005, Amazon rented a five-storey building in Luxembourg's historic Grund quarter. The reason? To minimize the amount of tax it pays in the UK and other European countries by channelling sales through a Luxembourg holding company.

Last year, Britain's biggest online retailer generated sales of more than £3.3bn in the UK but paid no corporation tax. British businesses that do pay tax here have warned they simply can't compete.

Amazon was originally a American company, so some claim as long as it's paying tax in the US, we can't get too upset. Well, guess what? A Reuters examination showed the company has also managed to avoid paying tax in the States.

Whilst Amazon vans drive on taxpayer-funded roads, Amazon staff are kept healthy by our taxpayer-funded NHS and Amazon buildings are protected by taxpayer-funded police and fire services, the company is ruthlessly exploiting its multinational status with the goal of not giving anything back to society, anywhere.

We're not going to be mugged off like this any more. If enough of us pledge to boycott Amazon, not only will they sit up and take notice, but the extra pounds we spend in local shops this Christmas will have a real positive impact on British businesses that do pay tax. Pledge now!

Sources:
Guardian: Amazon: £7bn sales, no UK corporation tax http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/201...
Reuters: Amazon's billion-dollar tax shield http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/0...

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Comments on this pledge

I've never used Amazon and this gives me all the more reason not to shop there.
David Mullen, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Already done! I haven't even bought an e-book! Keep up the good work, these people only speak in greed and money; well they're getting none of mine!
Angela Rolfe, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I have been boycotting Amazon since there shameful treatment of Wikileaks.
Mark Prettyman, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Amazon is a monster we all helped create. Now we have to make them contribute to society, environment infrastructure etc. I appreciate that they are a large employer, but they need to contribute a portion of their profits towards the greater good.
Andrei Woodgate, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Boycott already started!
Beverly Smart, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I'm going to support local bookshops, toy shops and music stores until Amazon coughs up.
Rob Gayton, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I've been boycotting Amazon since April this year, not just over tax but over a range of business practices which I've outlined here:

http://infoism.co.uk/blog/2012/04/is-it-...

I urge others to do the same.
Ian Clark, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I'm not waiting for 50,000 people - my money has been going to quality independent bookshops for some time.
Brian Simpson, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Time to end the real 'something for nothing' culture.
Izzy Green, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Doesn't seem quite the right spirit to take action only if others do it first! Will you go ahead and use Amazon if you don't get 50,000 pledges?
Leslie, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I love shopping on Amazon, I really do. The service, prices and selection of products are all amazing. But I will NOT support a company using immoral practices to screw the nation out of tax.
Jordan Turner, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Frankly the government should be dealing with this immoral behavior. But if they won't, then we all should.
Mike Hodgson, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I usually order hundreds of pounds worth of items from Amazon every Xmas. This year I have bought nothing. I am using small independent retailers from now on until the multinationals start contributing.
Kath Vallance, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I've already been actively boycotting Amazon. It's not that much effort to find alternative suppliers offering similar prices. I'm also happy to spend a little extra to support local business.
Rob, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I decided to start boycotting Amazon about 6 months ago due to their tax avoidance schemes, and I'm glad others are starting to do the same. My housemate wrote an article for the Independent blog on this subject, you all may find it interesting:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comm...

Happy Boycotting
Joe London, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Don't forget, Amazon is also PayPal. If you aren't also boycotting PayPal, then you are feeding the monster even more! Amazon has destroyed the free market of booksellers and many other niche markets. Stop the madness!
James Randall, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Take out the "only if 50,000" but and I'll sign your petition. You make out as if it is hard to avoid Amazon when anyone with a conscience or who shops around has found better alternatives already.
Sean O'Conor, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Boycotting Amazon, Google and Starbucks. Use alternatives and buy from local shops and individuals wherever possible -- they contribute to your local economy, these companies steal from it.
Janice Duke, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I'm going to find it quite difficult to boycott amazon this Christmas having just moved away from my family, but I will if they don't start paying their taxes.
Caroline Holding, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Already done! I'm trying to buy from companies who pay their FARE SHARE like us ordinary people have to.
Penny Johnson, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Paying taxes, however unpopular, is a way of investing in the people of the country, the NHS, the roads etc. It's not just for lining bankers pockets.

If the poor have to invest their wages and purchases in the nation, why should the rich not have to. It's not like they can't afford it.
Dave Harrison, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
When I e-mailed Amazon to say that I was boycotting them they sent me an acknowledgement with the tag line: "Your feedback is helping us build Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company."

Lets see if they put their money (or their taxes) where their big corporate mouth is, on this one.
Jeff Buck, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Have been boycotting Amazon since the tax news broke... still research what I want on the site, then order from local shops.
rose allwork, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Got £0 of my Christmas shopping either for UK family of my US family. They've been my first stop for the last 5 years.
Gary Bauer, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
There are many online sales sites to turn to. I'll boycott Amazon until they pay up & look big!
Chris McCabe, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I have used Amazon a lot in the past but not at all since I became more aware. Bought all my recent books local!!
Philip Leech, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I have used Amazon a lot recently, but since I became aware of what they are doing avoiding tax's, That has just blown me back!!! No more custom from me :S
carol firth, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
I used to buy from Amazon all the time, but not anymore! I tossed my kindle into a drawer and I'm now buying books from my local high street stores, can't believe a company would behave in such a disgraceful way. By the way, Amazon also own Lovefilm AND Book Depository - so I'm also boycotting those sites too! Keep pledging and amazon will have to take notice sometime. God bless.
Emma Jane Brown, 5 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
Owwww, we'll have to leave Lovefilm! Well, too many of their DVDs jammed anyway...MUBI have some good ones.
Graham Askew, 4 months ago. Abusive? Report it!