How to buy books & E-Readers without supporting Amazon
As anger grows over the recent revelations of Amazon's tax dodge Ethical Consumer's latest product guide provides shoppers with everything they need to know about buying books and e-readers without giving Amazon a penny.
Ethical Consumer editor Rob Harrison said: “Many people are rightly angry about the scale of Amazon's latest tax dodge. The good news though is that you don't have to get mad, you can get even by boycotting Amazon. Boycotting a company hits a company where it hurts, in their profits and makes them sit up and take notice.”
“Our product guide to bookshops shows that there are ethical alternatives to Amazon. As consumers we've got the power to force companies to change the way they operate now. This why we're calling on shoppers to stop shopping online at Amazon.”
Ethical Consumer recommends the following:
Online Bookshops: www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/books, betterworldbooks.co.uk Guardian Bookshop:
www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/home.do www.greenmetropolis.com
However our recommendation is that you should always try and buy second-hand books.
E-readers: Despite containing hundreds of books in one small device, Ethical Consumer was unable to find any ethical or environmental argument in favour of e-readers.
If you already have an e-reader or a Kindle Ethical Consumer recommends that consumers make use of free websites such as www.booksonboard.com and www.ebooks.com
New Books: Ethical Consumer recommends that shoppers support their local independent bookshop. This can be found at www.localbookshops.co.uk. In the High Street the national chains of Books etc, Foyles and John Smiths are recommended.
Last December Ethical Consumer launched the world's first organised boycott of Amazon in response to Amazon's business model which appears to be built around using tax avoidance as a way to help make their prices among the cheapest online:
www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycottamazon.aspx
ENDSThe product guides to bookshops and e-readers bookshop are available here:
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/miscellaneous/booksellers.aspx
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/computing/ereaders.aspx
Launched in 1989 Ethical Consumer is the UK's leading ethical and environmental magazine. In each issue Ethical Consumer examines the ethical and environmental record of the companies behind everyday products and services from bread to banks. For more information visit the Ethical Consumer website: www.ethicalconsumer.org
Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.
