--- title: "It’s Amazon Prime Day. Don’t Buy Anything." description: "Yes, it's Amazon Prime Day. But between protests, bad deals, and awful working conditions, I'm here to encourage you to spend your money elsewhere." date: "2018-07-16" modified: "2018-07-16" authors: - name: "Sarah Marquart" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/sarah_fqtq" url: "https://futurism.com/dont-buy-anything-amazon-prime-day" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "Amazon" - "jeff bezos" - "prime day" - "workers' rights" --- # It’s Amazon Prime Day. Don’t Buy Anything. ![]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* Happy Prime Day – that once-a-year, 36-hour, global spending extravaganza *exclusively* for Prime members. Last year, Amazon said Prime Day was its "[biggest day ever]()" – bigger than Black Friday, bigger than Cyber Monday. Yes, there's a lot of hoopla to celebrate these *epic* deals (Krill oil pills for only $22.36? *Kidz Bop 37* for $8.15? What a steal!). Even [Ariana Grande]() is promoting the bonanza with a concert. And, yes, [basically]() [every]() [digital]() [publication]() is trying to hook you into a too-tempting-to-resist deal, probably so they can scrape a little profit (gotta get that[ sweet, sweet affiliate money]()). And yet: You shouldn't give in. Here's to encourage and empowering you, the user: *Resist*. For a few good reasons: 1. **Amazon's workers are on strike...** On Monday, Amazon employees worldwide didn't show up to work. In [Spain and Germany](), for example, the strike is slated to last until Wednesday. Their primary complaint: horrible working conditions. "The message is clear — while the online giant gets rich, it is saving money on the health of its workers,” Stefanie Nutzenberger, a spokesperson for the German union Verdi, said in a statement on the organization's website. And it seems to be working — "Amazon En Lucha," a workers' group in Spain, [tweeted a photo]() of the empty warehouse parking lot. 2. **...Because Amazon treats them terribly.** Remember when [Amazon patented tracking wristbands]() that spy on warehouse workers? What about the claims of exhaustion, dehydration, and injuries, as reported by *[Minnesota Public Radio]()*? In addition to sub-par working conditions, they're not getting paid enough to survive (the [median salary was $28,446]() in 2017), which leaves many workers turning to food stamps to get by, according to *[The Daily Beast.]()* Jeff Bezos just became [the richest person]() in modern day history, with a net worth of $150 billion. Do the timed bathroom breaks and less-than-minimum-wage pay still feel worth that epic deal? 3. **Your dollars matter.** The Spanish group Amazon En Lucha is also calling for a customer boycott. It may not have a huge effect on Amazon's bottom line, but we're in an age in which "[voting with your wallet"]() is a frequent form of activism. Plus, as one former Amazon employee [told *Vox*](), every little bit of activism helps. 4. **Prime Day isn't even that good of a deal.** And that's not just us—it's by Amazon's own admission. Amazon said customers could see for themselves whether they were getting a bargain, [according to the ]()*[BBC]().* "One of the great things about shopping online is that customers can quickly and easily compare prices," Amazon told the *BBC*. And customers did. The *BBC* article outlines price hikes alongside the deals that suck us all in. Luckily for you would-be consumers out there, at the time of writing, Prime Day shoppers have swarmed so intensely that [the Amazon website crashed. ]()“There is no doubt that this will erode sales and deter some customers from buying,” Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData Retail told *[The Washington Post]()* (which, we should note, is owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos). “The outage is especially problematic as many of Amazon’s Prime deals are promoted for a set window of time – something that could cause a great deal of frustration for potential customers.” Something else that makes it easier not to buy from Amazon today? LOTS of other companies, including[ at Walmart and Best Buy](), are having sales of their own. But in case you're able to get through, of *course* it's tempting to ignore all these reasons and just go whole-hog on a deliciously dangling deal. To that end, [just make sure to use our affiliate code, and go to town](). We'll make money. Bezos will make more. Enjoy that new mattress. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()