Not Boycotting Jeff Bezo's companies entirely, just putting more work into looking for better options...(A long rant)

[Grumpy Old Woman]

I confess I was an Amazon junky - it has been so easy to order something and get it delivered. But my enthusiasm about Amazon has been changing after numerous bad deliveries, impossible customer service, and Bezos' current political support for Trump. The last two 'editiorials' I've read on the Washington Post praising destroying the East Wing and supporting that Argentinian have made my stomach hurt.

In the past year problems with Amazon have included delayed deliveries, a box of baking soda apparently damaged inside of a combined shipment (that was a mess), acrylic paint shipped in a flimsy envelope that opened and squirted paint inside the package (that was a bigger mess), a t-shirt whose design disappeared in the first wash, and two DVDs that were not playable.

Customer service is relatively non-existent. They don't seem to want to know that products were defective. I've gone to write reviews and found that the companies are no longer selling on Amazon, but suspiciously there is a new company selling the same or an almost identical product. I even went so far as to write a letter to Amazon but the letter was returned unopened with a note to contact customer service. Apparently they don't trust me, and I am starting to not trust them, either.

Sure, Amazon has lenient return policies, but my nearest return location is miles away, and I'm thinking if I have to make a trip anyway, why not go to a brick-and-mortar store? More seriously, do I want to support a business that is supporting Trump and his policies?

Finding my way out of the box:

When I needed more paint I started to research my options. Turns out the nearest store selling my product is a 'Christian Nationalist' company that supports Trump. I found a store farther away which appears to be apolitical and even has a DEI program.

Groceries are a more frequent purchase - but I can walk to a small local mom-and-pop grocery and a weekly farmer's market, and I can get public transportation to a larger grocery store that I trust.

I'll still order some things from Amazon, but I've marked my calendar for the day my current subscription ends. I've set my Washington Post subscription to end when that subscription ends. I'll continue to look for alternate sources for things, and I've found websites that tell you what political contributions and political actions different companies have made.

These are the businesses important to me that the internet says Bezos owns

Amazon
Washington Post (Alexi Petri, Ann Telnaes, and Jennifer Rubin are only a few of the excellent writers who have left).
Whole Foods
Audible
IMDb
MGM
Abe Books (no, not Abe books!)
Woot
Goodreads
Invests in Airbnb
Nextdoor
Business Insider

I've also started focusing on other news sources than mainstream medium. I read and (support when I can) sites like the Bulwark, Contrarian, TPM, DU, Guardian, etc....I'm also going to try to ask myself "do I need this?" for non-essential purchases and use any discretionary income for things like contributing to the local Food Bank.

Anyway, writing mainly for myself to try to hold myself to keeping my promise to cure my Amazon and mainstream medium addiction.

Wish me luck