I really don't understand why people have such a hard time weening themselves off Amazon products.

It's not even like a physical constraint like having to drive a little further to a different store. Just visit a different website it's the bare minimum of effort needed.

It amazes me how Best Buy, Staples and other physical retailers refuse to compete.

For instance you can't buy a quality headset from Plantronics or get a USB NFC reader from either of those firms. Best Buy will sell you a Sony Alpha 7 camera but forget about any lenses other than the kit lens.

Don't get me started about how Dick's Sporting Goods sells mostly men's athletic shirts that will show your nipples which would be fine if I wore a bra but I don't know many men that do. I asked the people there, "Do you want to sell any clothes or do you want to make excuses for why you aren't selling any?"

> I asked the people there, "Do you want to sell any clothes or do you want to make excuses for why you aren't selling any?"

They probably just want to be left alone. They get shipped the stuff someone higher in the chain of command ordered. Why are you bothering the sales staff with things outside their control?

Funny I wrote wegmans supermarket asking if a product packed in type 7 plastic could be packed in 1, 2, or 5 (recyclable) and got a nice reply in 30 min.

Does Amazon really care what answers people give? Would dicks sporting goods? Wegmans at least wants to look as if they care.

Planet fitness once told the NYT that they’d never gotten customer feedback on an issue but they make it so hard to find the form that they obviously don’t want you to use it.

If you're writing to a corporate office, that's different. But the people at an individual store have no real control and can only forward your objections up the line.

I just wrote to Dick's about it.

Ah, sorry. I originally read your message as harassing the poor retail employees (or managers).

It's quite possible that the stuff you're complaining about sells to other people. If so, I can see keeping their customers that purchase happy.

To be frank, it all counts. Avoiding their services is one way, educating the public is another, speaking out is yet another, it all matters.

There is cutting back on their services while still using them. If your sales on the site halve as you complain, that also sends a message.

My prime subscription runs out in April. I have a ways to go before reaching the natural point to not renew it.

Here's what I learned when I cancelled mine: when you cancel, you will still have full use of Prime benefits for the time remaining until the subscription runs out. So if you really want to cancel, there's no reason not to just do it now. You'll still be able to use Prime until April regardless.

In other words, you can cancel the renewal without cancelling the current year

Yes. I have a problem with verbosity, and you said it with much greater clarity and brevity than I managed. Thank you!

I have the same problem. It's far easier to summarize what someone else than to do it yourself.

You're quite welcome!

> If you honestly don't like it though you should stop using their services

Agreed. That's what I did.

What I found amusing is that when I cancelled the services, Amazon (unlike pretty much every other company) didn't ask me to tell them why. It seems that they want to know everything about everybody -- except for why someone would want out.