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DerekP · 09-17-2009, 04:33 AM

I used to boycott entire chains based on principle, but I find myself now more angered by their local representations.

I have boycotted Exxon for as long as I have been driving (close to 10 years now) because of their active resistance to any and all environmental initiatives. Improved automobile mileage, investments in clean energy, and basic environmental protections have all found Exxon's dagger in their backs. Luckily they make this easy as their gas stations are generally more expensive anyway.

I used to try to avoid Walmart, however that changed when my wife worked there for a year. I have a good friend who worked at Target at the same time, and was able to compare their treatments. Walmart (at least the local one here) does right by their employees, while Target plays all the games that people attribute to Walmart. However, I still cringe at the constant loop of Tracphone commercials blaring everywhere when I go into Walmart.

The local Econolodge for botching my wedding booking and charging me 700 dollars for rooms I never wanted booked in my name and refusing to deal with me.

Best Buy is a practical boycott - I will go to them for emergency computer parts, only after exhausting all other local sources. Mainly, I just don't bother checking them for prices anymore because they're always close to or the most expensive.

Verizon I had on the list for a while for selling my number to a host of telemarketers the day I got my phone. They are about to be on the list again because I've just moved and they've taken over 3 weeks and still don't have my DSL running, and all they can tell me is it was an order glitch (which they somehow couldn't figure out the first 5 times I called) and that there is a rush on the order. I told them they're going to have to race Time Warner to get my service now - whoever connects me first is who I'm sticking with.

Time Warner was on my list, both for trying to make me pay $500 for the previous tenants when I moved into my previous apartment and for the recent silliness they tried with their internet services. However, at this point I'm willing to settle for the lesser of two evils. There's not a whole lot of practical choice where I live.

Edit: Oh, and I forgot the Kirby Pyramid scheme of vacuum selling, but that probably goes without saying.

09-17-2009, 04:33 AM	#98 (permalink)
DerekP Upright	I used to boycott entire chains based on principle, but I find myself now more angered by their local representations. I have boycotted Exxon for as long as I have been driving (close to 10 years now) because of their active resistance to any and all environmental initiatives. Improved automobile mileage, investments in clean energy, and basic environmental protections have all found Exxon's dagger in their backs. Luckily they make this easy as their gas stations are generally more expensive anyway. I used to try to avoid Walmart, however that changed when my wife worked there for a year. I have a good friend who worked at Target at the same time, and was able to compare their treatments. Walmart (at least the local one here) does right by their employees, while Target plays all the games that people attribute to Walmart. However, I still cringe at the constant loop of Tracphone commercials blaring everywhere when I go into Walmart. The local Econolodge for botching my wedding booking and charging me 700 dollars for rooms I never wanted booked in my name and refusing to deal with me. Best Buy is a practical boycott - I will go to them for emergency computer parts, only after exhausting all other local sources. Mainly, I just don't bother checking them for prices anymore because they're always close to or the most expensive. Verizon I had on the list for a while for selling my number to a host of telemarketers the day I got my phone. They are about to be on the list again because I've just moved and they've taken over 3 weeks and still don't have my DSL running, and all they can tell me is it was an order glitch (which they somehow couldn't figure out the first 5 times I called) and that there is a rush on the order. I told them they're going to have to race Time Warner to get my service now - whoever connects me first is who I'm sticking with. Time Warner was on my list, both for trying to make me pay $500 for the previous tenants when I moved into my previous apartment and for the recent silliness they tried with their internet services. However, at this point I'm willing to settle for the lesser of two evils. There's not a whole lot of practical choice where I live. Edit: Oh, and I forgot the Kirby Pyramid scheme of vacuum selling, but that probably goes without saying.