Companies you don't like to buy from, and why

[py_megapixel]

What’s Brexit got to do with sending a parcel with Yodel?

People don't want to pour money into people who support it, given that it's basically been (in my opinion) a screwed up execution of an already terrible idea... it's similar to not buying factory farmed eggs, in that the eggs won't actually taste any different but people don't want to support cramming eggs into cages and forcing them to lay.

It's a more indirect from of "vote with your wallet."

 

[SteveM70]

What’s Brexit got to do with sending a parcel with Yodel?

The same as it has with drinking a pint of beer in a barn. Some people choose not to spend money with companies whose owners’ ideals don’t match their own. Personal choice, that’s all

 

[ValentaFan1974]

People don't want to pour money into people who support it, given that it's basically been (in my opinion) a screwed up execution of an already terrible idea... it's similar to not buying factory farmed eggs, in that the eggs won't actually taste any different but people don't want to support cramming eggs into cages and forcing them to lay.

It's a more indirect from of "vote with your wallet."

I didn’t know eggs laid eggs lol

Ok fair enough, but if that company was the best value and delivered the best service ever for example, would you still cut your nose off to spite your face? I know I wouldn’t. But that’s also the benefit of free choice.

 

[maniacmartin]

I tried avoiding Amazon for a while, but went back to using them. They might use lots of tax loopholes and treat their employees badly, but from a customer service point of view, they are much better than smaller (and some large) competitors. Accurate stock levels on the website, fully tracked cheap fast delivery, big range of products, hassle-free returns.

When I buy from Amazon direct (not some marketplace sellers) I can be confident that the item will turn up on time. Unlike smaller retailers, where it feels like you're taking a gamble nowadays - will they dispatch it today, or just wait 2 days? Will they use Royal Mail (hopelessly slow here at the moment)? Will it be a load of hassle to get a return or refund it if arrives broken? So whilst my heart wants to avoid Amazon, I often use them if there is no other vendor that I haven't used before and trust. Smaller retailers need to get much better before that will change.

Large companies I avoid:

Royal Mail: Since COVID, their delivery times seem to have gone up to about 1-2 weeks here. Sometimes up to 6 weeks. Not that useful to have one's credit card statements arrive after the due date. I'm using Hermes for things I care about arriving on time, until they sort this out, and am avoiding online sellers who only offer RM.

Currys/PC World: Every interaction with them has been a total nightmare. Hard pressure selling for upgrades, insurance etc. Appalling stock control (if something is "in stock" on the website, don't take my money and then declare it out of stock), unknowledgable staff who often flat out lie to secure an upsell

Vodafone: Lying salespeople who sign you up to contracts you didn't agree to, and customer services who couldn't care less.

EE: Changed my partner's Orange contract unilaterally in their favour when Orange and T-Mobile merged and refused to accept the old terms. Had to threaten court action after they sold the "debt" for this fictitious new contract and refused to back down.

Tesco: Their fruit and veg goes off real quick. Whilst staff at some stores are good, some stores have awful staff and management who have zero customer service skills.

Any small electricity or gas supplier: They all seem to go bust and then you get trapped on an expensive contract with your money in limbo for weeks whilst Ofgem transfer you to whoever the new deemed supplier is.

 

[Daniel740]

I tried avoiding Amazon for a while, but went back to using them. They might use lots of tax loopholes and treat their employees badly, but from a customer service point of view, they are much better than smaller (and some large) competitors. Accurate stock levels on the website, fully tracked cheap fast delivery, big range of products, hassle-free returns.

When I buy from Amazon direct (not some marketplace sellers) I can be confident that the item will turn up on time. Unlike smaller retailers, where it feels like you're taking a gamble nowadays - will they dispatch it today, or just wait 2 days? Will they use Royal Mail (hopelessly slow here at the moment)? Will it be a load of hassle to get a return or refund it if arrives broken? So whilst my heart wants to avoid Amazon, I often use them if there is no other vendor that I haven't used before and trust. Smaller retailers need to get much better before that will change.

Large companies I avoid:

Royal Mail: Since COVID, their delivery times seem to have gone up to about 1-2 weeks here. Sometimes up to 6 weeks. Not that useful to have one's credit card statements arrive after the due date. I'm using Hermes for things I care about arriving on time, until they sort this out, and am avoiding online sellers who only offer RM.

Currys/PC World: Every interaction with them has been a total nightmare. Hard pressure selling for upgrades, insurance etc. Appalling stock control (if something is "in stock" on the website, don't take my money and then declare it out of stock), unknowledgable staff who often flat out lie to secure an upsell

Vodafone: Lying salespeople who sign you up to contracts you didn't agree to, and customer services who couldn't care less.

EE: Changed my partner's Orange contract unilaterally in their favour when Orange and T-Mobile merged and refused to accept the old terms. Had to threaten court action after they sold the "debt" for this fictitious new contract and refused to back down.

Tesco: Their fruit and veg goes off real quick. Whilst staff at some stores are good, some stores have awful staff and management who have zero customer service skills.

Any small electricity or gas supplier: They all seem to go bust and then you get trapped on an expensive contract with your money in limbo for weeks whilst Ofgem transfer you to whoever the new deemed supplier is.

You won’t use Royal Mail, but you will use Hermes, the company with the worst reputation of all?

 

[Bletchleyite]

You won’t use Royal Mail, but you will use Hermes, the company with the worst reputation of all?

Hermes is very much dependent on your local courier. I haven't had a problem with them recently. Indeed, the only one I've had a real problem with recently is Parcelfarce - with RM, once it gets too big for the local postie to deliver it, you end up in a world of pain.

 

[maniacmartin]

Hermes is very much dependent on your local courier. I haven't had a problem with them recently. Indeed, the only one I've had a real problem with recently is Parcelfarce - with RM, once it gets too big for the local postie to deliver it, you end up in a world of pain.

Agreed. Like all couriers, it all comes down to if your local delivery person is any good. Also RM are usually very good, but COVID appears to have hit them harder than other couriers around here.

 

[t_star2001uk]

I tried avoiding Amazon for a while, but went back to using them. They might use lots of tax loopholes and treat their employees badly....

Just out of curiosity. In what way do they treat their employees badly.....

 

[superjohn]

Just out of curiosity. In what way do they treat their employees badly.....

They actually treat their own employees reasonably well, certainly on a level with comparable large employers. The problem is a large proportion of their workforce is agency provided or ‘self employed’. For those guys the deal isn’t so great; short notice shift cancellations, random changes of hours etc. As they are not directly employed Amazon can wash their hands of responsibility for any of that.

This approach is becoming increasingly common among companies with variable workloads.

 

[t_star2001uk]

Just out of curiosity. In what way do they treat their employees badly.....

The problem is a large proportion of their workforce is agency provided or ‘self employed’. For those guys the deal isn’t so great; short notice shift cancellations, random changes of hours etc. As they are not directly employed Amazon can wash their hands of responsibility for any of that.

So its more the employment agency than Amazon then...

 

[Trackman]

Hermes is very much dependent on your local courier. I haven't had a problem with them recently. Indeed, the only one I've had a real problem with recently is Parcelfarce - with RM, once it gets too big for the local postie to deliver it, you end up in a world of pain.

I use Hermes all the time, way cheaper than RM/PF and I don't have to trudge to the Post Office in the rain or snow as they will come and pick it up.
Proof of delivery is a photo if you don't want a signature.
Actually used them last week, a seamless hassle-free process (unlike RM).

 

[Swanny200]

I use Hermes all the time, way cheaper than RM/PF and I don't have to trudge to the Post Office in the rain or snow as they will come and pick it up.
Proof of delivery is a photo if you don't want a signature.
Actually used them last week, a seamless hassle-free process (unlike RM).

Since RM upped their prices so that large parcels have to go with PF we would rather use another provider, our old Hermes courier was a heavy smoker so everything came stinking of roll ups, new guy is OK, but a bit of a grumpy sod. Yodel is an absolute nightmare, although DPD round here are really good including running around in zero emissions vehicles

 

[Trackman]

Since RM upped their prices so that large parcels have to go with PF we would rather use another provider, our old Hermes courier was a heavy smoker so everything came stinking of roll ups, new guy is OK, but a bit of a grumpy sod. Yodel is an absolute nightmare, although DPD round here are really good including running around in zero emissions vehicles

My local Hermes lad is great, can't fault him.
Even got his mobile number in case I'm late for a next day pick-up.

 

[py_megapixel]

So its more the employment agency than Amazon then...

Well if Amazon truly cared then they'd stop contracting employment agencies that engage in this practice

 

[t_star2001uk]

....

 

[Bletchleyite]

Since RM upped their prices so that large parcels have to go with PF we would rather use another provider, our old Hermes courier was a heavy smoker so everything came stinking of roll ups, new guy is OK, but a bit of a grumpy sod. Yodel is an absolute nightmare, although DPD round here are really good including running around in zero emissions vehicles

DPD are definitely the premium choice.

Yodel I suspect will die off fairly soon, they are no cheaper than Hermes but seem to be several orders of magnitude worse. I've not come across them for a while - I only seem to see DPD, Royal Mail, Amazon's own lot (which is pretty good these days - GPS tracking for example) and Hermes these days.

 

[cactustwirly]

DPD are definitely the premium choice.

Yodel I suspect will die off fairly soon, they are no cheaper than Hermes but seem to be several orders of magnitude worse. I've not come across them for a while - I only seem to see DPD, Royal Mail, Amazon's own lot (which is pretty good these days - GPS tracking for example) and Hermes these days.

I wouldn't call Amazon really good though, they don't even bother to give their employees a uniform or a decent van.
They're basically like Hermes tbh

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wouldn't call Amazon really good though, they don't even bother to give their employees a uniform or a decent van.
They're basically like Hermes tbh

The enhanced tracking feature makes them far better than Hermes in my view.

 

[trebor79]

When I buy from Amazon direct (not some marketplace sellers) I can be confident that the item will turn up on time.

I find it almost impossible to work out what is sold by Amazon and what is sold by some dodgy third party. I know it's there on the page, but the Amazon site design is a bit poor TBH, looks like a relic from the early 2000's.
I avoid Amazon anyway. I don't like their tax avoidance, and crushing competition. I also end up with absolute junk a lot of the time. Lens wipes that are a brand I've never heard of, aren't CE marked, the ingredients list is non-compliant and a total joke "Water, cleaning agent, nano technology agent". A kids toy that was completely different to what was described (and took WEEKS to arrive from China).

 

[Bletchleyite]

It does seem that it's often hard to avoid the Chinese tripe on Amazon, certainly compared with the past. It does put me off when purchasing some things. Argos, which is in many ways not dissimilar, has a better "curated" collection (and I'm not only saying that because I know one of their buyers ).

 

[trebor79]

Yes Argos is OK. I have banned my wife from buying furniture from Argos though. Lot's of it is OK for the price, but a lot is complete and utter junk and you just can't tell until you've opened the boxes. We once bought a bed, it was fine for the price. The "matching" bedside cabinets we absolute junk, really bad chipboard with a plastic film stuck on top. Surfaces weren't even smooth and were a completely different colour and finish from the bed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes Argos is OK. I have banned my wife from buying furniture from Argos though. Lot's of it is OK for the price, but a lot is complete and utter junk and you just can't tell until you've opened the boxes. We once bought a bed, it was fine for the price. The "matching" bedside cabinets we absolute junk, really bad chipboard with a plastic film stuck on top. Surfaces weren't even smooth and were a completely different colour and finish from the bed.

I find it a reasonable guide that if a given piece of furniture is cheaper than a similar thing from Ikea then it's going to be rubbish.

 

[318266]

Hermes and MyHermes only delivered to our old house once and then refused to serve us at that location as apparently the driveway couldn't fit the van! A few months later they came for the people who lived above us, because now it can magically fit? We still weren't allowed to order stuff there and for unrelated reasons we moved out later but still don't use them.

 

[Swanny200]

DPD are definitely the premium choice.

Yodel I suspect will die off fairly soon, they are no cheaper than Hermes but seem to be several orders of magnitude worse. I've not come across them for a while - I only seem to see DPD, Royal Mail, Amazon's own lot (which is pretty good these days - GPS tracking for example) and Hermes these days.

Amazon and DPD are really good with live tracking, one amazon delivery recently was stuck at 2 stops away for about an hour, the guy had been run into by a car and he told his depot that he had 5 stops within 500 yards of the accident (mine included), they were only small packages that were already on his front seat ready to deliver so he did them by foot while waiting for recovery.

 

[Daniel740]

Amazon and DPD are really good with live tracking, one amazon delivery recently was stuck at 2 stops away for about an hour, the guy had been run into by a car and he told his depot that he had 5 stops within 500 yards of the accident (mine included), they were only small packages that were already on his front seat ready to deliver so he did them by foot while waiting for recovery.

Whereas a Hermes driver would just leave them in a bin or by the side of the road...

 

[Bevan Price]

There is nobody that I entirely boycott, but there are some that I dislike for various reasons.

1. Anyone who bombards me with spam or junk mail.
2. Companies with TV adverts consisting of some loudmouth wally SHOUTING at me, especially if said wally is pretending to be an animal. This usually suggests that what they are trying to sell is probably just as rubbishy as their adverts.

Other comments refer mainly to the pre-Covid situation.
Amazon -- Use them mainly to things I cannot easily obtain elsewhere. That includes CDs by obscure rock bands which rarely (or never) can be found in nearby shops.

Apple -- too expensive for what they do (in my opinion), and they try to restrict what external software can be installed / used.

Google -- Right or wrong, I always suspect they might be trying to snoop on some of the things I do. Have changed to "Duck Duck Go" as my preferred search engine, which seems just as effective, and claims not to intrude on privacy. I use Google's Android on my ageing mobile phone, but I dislike that it stops you deinstalling some Google Apps that just sit there wasting space and are never likely to be used by me.

WH Smith -- Hardly ever use now; poor, very restricted range of non-fiction books . They seem more interested in selling snacks and unhealthy (over-sugared) drinks than in selling books.

Currys /PC World. - No real alternative locally, but I must irritate staff by always resisting attempts to sell me product insurance. If there are any major faults, these should mostly (but not always) appear in the guarantee period.

Microsoft. I use Windows for ease of compatibility with non-Microsoft software, but I don't like their automatic upgrades policy, which always leaves multi-millions of bytes of unwanted trash files after each upgrade. A recent upgrade also corrupted my copy of "Office" with adverts urging me to swap to the on-line "365" version, which would "qualify" me to pay a subscription for no useful (to me) extra functionality.

 

[Peter Sarf]

..........

Microsoft. I use Windows for ease of compatibility with non-Microsoft software, but I don't like their automatic upgrades policy, which always leaves multi-millions of bytes of unwanted trash files after each upgrade. A recent upgrade also corrupted my copy of "Office" with adverts urging me to swap to the on-line "365" version, which would "qualify" me to pay a subscription for no useful (to me) extra functionality.

Yes I take the cowards way out and use Windows. Version 7 at the moment until I can find the time, energy and nerve to migrate to 10 - I briefly installed it back in 2016 to get the FOC.

I am still saving as many of my office files as possible as version 97. Using Office 2003.

I nearly went to open office - is that still around ?.

 

[nlogax]

I nearly went to open office - is that still around ?.

Yes, try Libre Office 7.0. You can find a feature comparison here.

https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Feature_Comparison:_LibreOffice_-_Microsoft_Office

 

[Tracked]

On the subject of parcel companies; After a bad experience with UPS earlier in the year I'd avoid buying from anyone using them;

First attempt had them damage the parcel, it was sat at their local delivery office for 3 days and their Track & Trace didn't change to show the item was damaged until the sender contacted them.

Second attempt the parcel came while I was out, they just left it in the front yard. They'd almost managed to put it behind my recycling bin, but despite there being space there they'd managed to leave most of it visible to anyone walking by (luckily I wasn't far away, got home about half an hour after they dropped it off). Had an Amazon driver do this to my neighbour, a big parcel in a cardboard box left on their doorstep on an afternoon where heavy rain was due, I'd been shopping and just got home before it started (took the parcel in until they got home).

Had something sent by DHL the other week; track and trace really good, ETA of delivery given, could see where the driver was on his rounds in relation to my delivery, Fragile stickers on the item respected, etc.

 

[Energy]

TalkTalk - Had loads of issues with them, their support is a pain and even if I know the problem is at their end you have to go through the pain of "is the router connected properly?". Had no issues with Virgin Media who are much faster.

Mike Ashley - Hate the person, he was the one who wanted an online shopping tax because House of Fraser is going down the drain so instead of actually fixing the stores which are horrible inside and don't have the things you want he wants Amazon and others to be forced to charge more.

Any card shop which isn't Card Factory - I personally see cards as completely pointless, they are just a piece of card with a picture and a message saying Happy Birthday, why are they so expensive? Card Factory is reasonably priced although I wouldn't mind if cards become a thing of the past, they have just as much meaning as a note or text to me.

Currys PC World - I just find them irritating, most of the people at computer shops have little idea on what they are talking about so stop saying how the staff will get the right laptop for you, also why do you always recommend the HP Pavilion in your ads? It's not a particularly special laptop. Instead I buy laptops from John Lewis and PC components from Scan.co.uk.

Huawei make excellent stuff, shame they are getting caught up in the spying thing which the US also does.