to ask if anyone has boycotted stores etc

[spence82]

Have any of you boycotted any shops or particular brands because you don't agree with some of there policies?

I often see on things like fb or twitter people saying this. For example people boycotting tesco due to the bad taste 'mental' patient Halloween costume.

I will be honest and say I've never even thought about boycotting somewhere.

[QueenofallIsee]

Yes but slightly different to the scenario you describe. I refuse to shop at Wyevale garden centres after the shocking way a farmshop was treated by them locally. I thought it was a disgusting example of how chains behave toward independents and therefore refuse to give them my money

[spence82]

Good for you

I just ask as I get the impression alot of the "I'm going to boycott" brigade are just jumping on the bandwagon.

[Staywithme]

I and many of my friends no longer shop at Harry Currys (local curtains, bedding and household shop) because of their disgusting treatment of my husband. He has terminal prostate cancer and as a result needs to use the toilet a lot. We were in their store when he needed to go so I explained his situation to a staff member but she refused to allow him to use the staff toilets. I asked 'nicely' to speak to the manager who refused to speak to me, instead telling her over the phone that it was against 'health and safety'. I was told he should go to the local fast food cafe which we would have to drive to. My husband was left feeling embarrassed and stressed. He barely made it to the toilet. This is a reasonably big store yet has NO customer toilets. I get angry thinking about it. I did express my disgust but also told the staff that I didn't blame them but felt that their manager was cruel. Rant over.

[NotNewButNameChanged]

I lived in a small town/large village. We had a good range of independent shops when I was growing up. Two bakers, two butchers, three greengrocers, a small Spar, a small Co-op. Lovely place to grow up. Then Tesco put in an application. Loads of people said "great". I didn't and I was only 21 then! Older people said "great, it'll bring prices down and we can get everything in one place". "Yes," said I, "but it's on the outskirts of town, as far away from the main residential areas as possible and many of you don't have cars"

They got their store. There is now one baker, one butcher and the Co-op struggles on. I always said I would never shop there and I never did.

Since then, I have learned more about Tesco's business practices and I won't shop at ANY of their stores.

[DoJo]

I boycott a cab company who left me stranded when I was really ill and then accused me of lying when I said that the cab hadn't turned up.
I also avoid Nestle and Coke products because of their business models.

Boycotting Tesco because of an image and content supplied by a third party seems largely pointless.

[DoJo]

NotNewButNameChanged

Not sure I understand - people wanted a Tesco and they built a Tesco and now people use that Tesco. What did Tesco do wrong?

[TheEnchantedForest]

Nestlé-for obvious reasons.

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

Barclays for many years. Nestlé forever. Produce from Israel. Stagecoach buses weirdly (owner supported teaching of creationism instead of evolution)
Dm on grounds of taste.

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

Ds boycotts all coke products after seeing mark Thomas programme about their practices.

[chesterberry]

I haven't boycotted any stores but I do refuse to buy any products made by Nestle and their various brands (eg: Rowntrees, Munch Bunch, Felix, L'Oreal). I also won't buy Iams pet food after it came out that they test on animals.

I have a friend who won't buy anything from Israel (eg: fruit/ vegetables where it is printed as the country of origin) and won't shop in Asda as it's part of the Walmart family.

[wightjellybaby]

We avoid kraft and kraft owned companies products like the plague after what they did to Cadbury.

[Nocomet]

I try and avoid two local shops, one for giving DD a riddiculos run around over works experience, befire decuding to say no.

The other because it's stupidly expensive and the woman is miserable.

[pineapplecrush]

Had a handful of bad experiences at B & Q, as have a couple of my friends. Won't go in there again ever if I can help it.

[HazelBite]

I boycotted M&S for poor customer service, and rudeness by their staff in the Central London (ie flagship stores)

[HayDayQueen]

I don't boycott Tesco, but I avoid them if I have an alternative because I don't like their practices.

I avoid Asda because of their Walmart connection. I loathe the way Walmart treat their staff.

[Nocomet]

I'd love to boycott this stupid kindle (by sticking it on eBay), but it was a gift and I suspect DDs Nexus may also have a grotty spell checker, but she can spell.

[spence82]

I know nestle is a popular one but this may reflect bad on me but I love a kit kat chunky

[sillymillyb]

I boycott Halifax bank after they refused to give me a debit card even though I had £30k in the current account (I was taking a year off and going travelling) I didn't want an overdraft or anything, just access to my money. They were so rude and aloof I have been a one woman protest ever since!

I'm sorry to the pp whose husband was refused to use the loo. That's awful!

[NotNewButNameChanged]

DoJo because the population of the town is predominantly aged. The Tesco is, as I said, as far out from the main residential areas as it is possible to be. The elderly people without cars cannot walk there, there are no buses, and it is a mile and a half to two miles for the majority of them. Whereas they were able to walk to the town centre. Now those same people moan that the town centre is dying, the shops aren't there any more and they can't get to the Tesco. Which is precisely what we said would happen. They thought it would simply drive prices down in the local shops. No, it closes them down because they can't compete and don't get enough trade. All the younger people use it and people travel in from other villages.

[NotNewButNameChanged]

DoJo as I also said, since then, I have learned how Tesco treat a lot of it suppliers and they are appalling. Some producers refused to bow down to them, which is why you couldn't get Tyrells Crisps for a long time in a Tesco store. I know a huge fruit retailer who now no longer deal with them because of what they expected.

[growl3th]

I boycott our local McDonalds purely and simply because they kept getting my order wrong. No problem using any other McDs but not the one 400 yds from home.

[DoJo]

But that is surely the fault of the people who supported the application to build? If the older people didn't anticipate their own needs, then Tesco can't be expected to, or be held accountable for it.

I am often baffled by these sorts of stories - surely this demonstrates that people would rather shop at a supermarket than independent stores, which is a shame, but is hardly Tesco's fault.

[Andrewofgg]

What matters is that boycotting is a personal and not a collective decision. Not taken by government, the council, even if you work for it, or a union. And if a work colleague comes to work with goods which you would choose not to buy, don't have a go; it's not your business.

[MinesAPintOfTea]

I avoid Nestle and Kraft for their business ethics. I also haven't shopped in Morrisons since I got pushed by a security guard running to stop a shoplifter. Morrisons always made me feel like they consider people coming into the shop to be thieves who will only pay if they are forced to anyway.

[Runesigil]

All Monsanto products, we never hear about the ongoing worldwide marches and protests in the UK press, odd that.