Which companies have you or do you boycott & why?

[Deleted]

The only business I've ever felt the need to boycott is any pet store that sells puppies/dogs due to the puppy mill connection. I buy dog stuff all. the. time. but I can't tell you the last time I was in 'one of those stores'.

I really haven't felt that strongly about anything else.

[mrsw101109]

My job asks me to boycott companies all the time due to labor disputes. I work for the Teamsters Union. The only ones I really listen to them is the A&P stores. They laid off 3,000 of our members sat February and sent the work out of state. Eventually the work will be done by machines. And they just really didn't care about the employees and negotiating fair severance packages for their employees.

[Deleted]

I have been boycotting Starbucks for about 3 years now due to the fact that Howard Schultz sold the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City investors who moved the team there. I have issue with someone who builds their empire on the backs of a city and then sells them out.

[7costanza]

Aug 4, 2012 8:47:31 GMT -5 @sirsleepsalot said:

I have been boycotting Starbucks for about 3 years now due to the fact that Howard Schultz sold the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City investors who moved the team there. I have issue with someone who builds their empire on the backs of a city and then sells them out.

My H won't go to Starbucks for this reason.

I won't go to or donate to the Salvation Army (not that I go to that many thrift stores), because of their views on gays/gay marriage.

[DaisyCakes]

Same as OP, I don't shop in pet stores that sell puppies. I also stay away from Walmart, mostly just because I hate it there and love Target.

[geneg]

Dominos Pizza because the founder contributes to Operation Rescue and other very right wing christian groups.

[Deleted]

Wal-Mart, primarily because I don't like how they push out local businesses.

The Salvation Army because of their anti-gay stance.

[Norticprincess]

Sears, no political reason, just bad customer service.

[bqbride]

The usual:

CFA: have boycotted them for years
Wal-Mart: general suckiness, labor abuse, ruining local businesses, nasty stores. Why WOULD I shop there?
Dominoes & Carl's Jr: support of right-wing hate groups/anti-gay
Salvation Army: anti-gay
Red Cross: won't donate due to repeated mismanagement of donated funds during large disasters

[mbcdefg]

Pet stores that sell cats and dogs.

I don't have CFA close to me so ive never eaten there before, but I wouldn't feel right eating there if I ever get the opportunity.

I never knew about Domino's supporting such causes, but it's a moot point anyway since I don't order their pizza because it's gross.

[rubytue]

Pet stores that sell dogs.

I try to boycott walmart b/c of how they drive out local buisness and drive down the price of everything, resulting in crappy products that have no lifespan. But I find myself there once or twice a year. Especially when I visit my parents b/c it really is the only place to get a lot of things.

Bob Evans. That's a 10+ year old boycott. I think it was for their views on gay issues. Honestly, I don't recall why I stopped, just that there was a really good reason at the time and I haven't been back. Even when it was the closest restaurant to my house.

Pepsi - because it sucks.

[Deleted]

I forgot my other one: I refuse to donate ever to the United Way. I DESPISE their tactics of using corporations to strong-arm their employees into giving.

[arterr0]

Walmart, Lowes, Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-a, and a few others I can't recall off the top of my head.

[Deleted]

I don't think I've ever completely boycotted anything, but there are a handful of places I'd rather not shop if there are other options.

Such as Walmart, I dislike them in theory and I REALLY dislike our store in particular. I used to shop there because it was cheaper and I can be morally swayed when I'm a broke college kid and can't get the same stuff for the same price elsewhere - but now that I make more money and have other reasonably priced options I've shopped there less and less. I'd be lying if I said I never went there, but I try to shop elsewhere most of the time.

I won't be eating at CFA but I've had it probably 2x before in my life so that's hardly a boycott. There are plenty of other places to get a fast food chicken sandwich and I eat fast food rarely anyway.

Other than that, I have a preference for supporting local businesses but I by no means am willing to pay much higher prices to do so. I wish I could, but we don't have that extra money currently.

In regards to the article posted - I think it is probably true that if we dug into every business's records, we'd find many places to boycott for many reasons. And I'm not going to do that, so to a point being upset by CFA is a little hypocritical. HOWEVER while ignorance may be bliss, actually knowing now that CFA gives a lot of their proceeds to something I absolutely do not support, I can't in good conscience eat there. I guess it is the old "what you don't know doesn't hurt you" and since I do know this, I can't ignore it.

Oh - and I won't buy tomatoes that are from Florida. I read the book "Tomatoeland" and was so appalled by the way the workers there are treated that I just can't do it. I prefer locally grown but since that's not always possible, I try to get them from anywhere but Florida. I suspect that other places have poor practices too, but since I don't know that for sure I figure I'm better off buying from somewhere that MAYBE is ok than buying from somewhere I know is not.

[Dusky]

I boycott Sears/K-Mart due to a combination of some major shenanigans with a credit card I had through them and consistently poor customer service.

[sillygoosegirl]

I used to boycott eBay after hearing they gave a lot to the Bush campaign, but I shop there again now, though still not as much as I used to.

[thatgirl2478]

Pet stores that sell puppies / kittens because I don't want to support puppy mills and Best Buy because their customer service policies are atrocious. Seriously have not shopped there in at least 4 years.

[jennysmitten]

I have boycotted a local pizza place for the past seven years because the guy that owns it was my first landlord in this town and he is a crook. It sucked to learn that fist hand so he will never get another cent from me.

[winecat]

GoDaddy. The founder shot and killed an elephant (and I'm sure other defenseless creatures) for no other reason than 'sport.'

[seventeen]

Most all of the ones stated above - especially CFA, Wal-mart, and pet stores. I also won't use Avon products now because they took back their "no animal testing" stance and allow their products sold in China to be tested on animals.

[phoenixrising]

I think that there are some people listing things that are not really a "boycott." Choosing not to shop somewhere because you don't like their customer service is not a boycott...that is just choosing not to shop there. If there is a moral or political reason you don't support a place, that is a true boycott.

And regarding that Avon thing, they are still against animal testing, but laws in China require some products to go through animal testing. Boycotting Avon is not going to change China's laws.

FTR, I choose to support the local franchisees of Chick-fil-a, who do NOT share the founder's viewpoints, because I do feel it is just a chicken sandwich and not a political statement. And I have friends who are gay who continue to eat there as well.

[seventeen]

Aug 5, 2012 4:44:34 GMT -5 phoenixrising said:

And regarding that Avon thing, they are still against animal testing, but laws in China require some products to go through animal testing. Boycotting Avon is not going to change China's laws.

Of course it's not, and I don't expect it to. But if they were truly against animal testing, they would pull out of the Chinese market. They wont because it means a big $$$ loss for them. So you're either totally against animal testing, or against it unless it means it will make you a lot of money.

[GailGoldie]

I won't go to pet stores that sell pets from puppy mills... only pet stores that do adoptions, etc.

I stopped donating to Komen b/c I'm not happy with how they have run their charity and how they spend their money now.

other than that - i can't think of anything else. No other stores/org's do anything that upset me so much to boycott - at least none that I have frequented anyway. I don't feel boycotting does much at all - i'd rather just donate to charity that does good that I like, instead of spending time thinking about negative stuff and who I should stay away from. If a store/org benefits me in some way, even if I don't believe with their practices in some way - I'll keep getting the benefit from them if I like/need it.

[Becca]

A local car rental place

I had to rent a car while mine was being replaced (due to an accident where I had no fault)

They had a deal with the auto body shop, and I could just leave the car in auto body's parking lot when I picked my own car up. I spoke to the rental car place, and a guy (who was obviously new) told me to lock the car keys inside the car, and they would pick it up the next day.

He called me back 20 minutes later with a "oops, I meant leave the keys inside the auto body shop". Too late, they were already locked in the car.

It took them three days to get the car unlocked (not sure why) and they charged my cc for a full price rental for all three days. I argued with them because 1. I did what their employee told me to (he denied it of course) and 2. The rental came with free 'lock out assistance' so they should have applied that and got into the stupid car.

They refused to refund the charges, so I had to appeal the charge with my cc company, and the cc company ultimately sided against me.

I was fresh out of college and broke, and the $300+ of undeserved charges hurt a lot. I am still bitter.

[macmars45]

I boycott Wal-Mart because of how they cause other (locally owned) businesses to go out of business and because they treat their employees like crap.

[mayflowers22]

ChickFillA due to their homophobic tendencies.