What brands/companies do you boycott?

[the_only_turek_fan]

Originally posted by Incinerator@Feb 7 2005, 04:48 PM
Telus: Worse customer service ever

They have a hard time returning phone calls.

I agree. They are very bad.

This one is not a brand or company, but since someone brought up poor customer service, I think calf and I should both put down Shanks North.

Just horrible is all I can say about that place.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Telus. After a calamity with us old Clearnet subscribers forcing us to flash handsets at 1 of 2 places in the city during business hours. Hour long waits to get customer service. Zero gratutide for $250 monthly cell bills. And now forcing some old Clearnet subscribers to change numbers.

I'm happy to say my place is a Telus free environment.

[Bertuzzied]

If good commercials make you buy a product than bad commercials should drive you away.

Boycotting just due to their horrible commercials.
Boston Pizza
McCains

Boycotting the Herald until Bruce Dohboy is fired. I actually read the herald today because someone left it in the lunchroom and stupid dohboy is talking about getting Bill Belichek to write songs for Paul MacCartney because he sucks. Why the hell would crap like that ever get printed?

Boycotting any new Star Wars movie and merchandise for Lucas making me waste my time on his last 2 movies. utter crap and disappointment.

[Looger]

dowbiggen is bad but try reading the swill that is called fair and balanced journalism out of the left coast.

makes the calgary sun look like the national post. and the sports is terrible, tony gallagher, my. god.

i boycott the major newspapers news, it is starting to all look like trash to me. i just skip past it all to sports.

goes double for tv too. as soon as there is 1 minute spent on trivial crap, i am gone from that channel forever. and anything with ben mulroney.

what chills me to the core are the stories aboot brittany spears or how much ben affleck sucks ahead of stories involving life and death. i'd love to be able to generalize and say that the US media is worse than ours but canada is no world leader in the news quality either.

which as tv goes pretty much leaves me with the BBC. not too sensationalist, at least in comparison tio the trash on this side of the atlantic. i imagine the brits have their tabloid culture as well, in fact they're famous for it. but that local peculiarity seems to not invade EVERY SINGLE NEWS OUTLET like our crap seeps into. just a foot in the door, everywhere.

hey i guess they're just chasing the buck. not my buck.

[Cowperson]

I was going to come up with the unique answer that I boycott nothing but someone mentioned Noam Chomsky and even though I'll read Chomsky so I can bash him it reminded me that I suppose I really do have a boycott of Michael Moore going on.

I boycotted People Magazine for a year - even though my wife bought it and left it on the coffee table every week - as a modest protest over the tabloid press hypocritical exploitation of the Princess Diana tragedy. But . . . . I gave that up and I pick it up off the coffee table now.

Other than that, I boycott nothing that I can think of. Let freedom rain . . . . er, reign!!

Cowperson

[8 Ball]

Petro Canada- I will run out of gas rather than buy any from them.
G.M.- I have had nothing but problems with thier vehicles.

[KowOfLang]

Originally posted by fotze@Feb 7 2005, 02:42 PM
Oh ya, because of knowing people that had worked there.

Sunterra market, cafe - Pay recent immigrants less then required by law then threaten them if questioned on it.

Community natural foods - They take rotting crap from the market and make food out of it, other things like taking food out of the trash to save every possible cent.

I worked in a Coast hotel and they do that BIG TIME with recent East Indian immigrants. There was a houseman working at the Coast Terrace Inn in Edmonton when I was working there, and he was 53 or something, and gets a pension when he's 55...but he's been working there for over 20 years, and he started out at 6 dollars and he was making like 8.90 when I was there...AFTER 20 YEARS! With a family, and grandchildren to boot...

He didn't get his required 2 weeks vacation per year, and his boss often made him work 6 days a week instead of 5...but since his English is not that good, and because he doesn't want to get fired jsut before he gets his pension...I tried to convince him to do something but he was too scared...

Anyway, the laundry ladies were also East Indian and had all sorts of scars and burns on their hands and NASTY arthritis in their hands and wrists and were often overworked as well...

I could tell you all some more horror stories about how poorly the immigrant staff was treated, but what's the point, really...You either get it or you don't...

Needless to say, I'll never stay at a Coast Hotel Again

[calf]

Originally posted by the_only_turek_fan@Feb 7 2005, 04:18 PM
This one is not a brand or company, but since someone brought up poor customer service, I think calf and I should both put down Shanks North.

Just horrible is all I can say about that place.

Damn rights! We never learn though.

The past few times it's taken 15-20 minutes for them to approach to get us drinks (should be 5ish?)...even longer when empty, and they're never friendly.

This gives me an idea for a thread...

[Table 5]

I don't want anything to do with the following companies, places or people for various reasons (although sometimes I have no choice):

- Kinkos
- Sunny Delite
- Oprah Winfrey
- McDonalds
- NHLPA
- Martha Stewart
- Microsoft
- Black and Decker
- Monica Crowley
- CJAY 92
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Pontiac
- People who put maple leafs on their backpacks
- Cowboys Nightclub
- "light" beer
- People Magazine
- Sun Media
- The state of Texas
- Air Canada
- New Years Eve
- Pearson International

[4X4]

Telus - they can afford a million animal commercials, but lay off service poeple. I ask you, if they cannot handle the customers they have, why advertise for more?

Michael Moore - anyone recall that episode of the simpsons when Homer was accused of sexual harassment? Yeah, the Rock Bottom part with the clock in the background... Michael Moore.

CJAY92 - I just can't stand that station & the 7 songs they play over & over.

Reality TV - except for Apprentice

Utensil organizers - I just dump the dishwasher tray right in the drawer

those little paper cups designed to hold ketchup at fast food joints - I just squirt a big blob right on the paper tray liner

Lawnmower bags - mulch all the way, baby...

The Liquor Depot - at Heritage & Fairmount. I forgot my ID (26 years old), and they wouldn't sell me beer. I said 'No problem' & sent in my girlfriend. They wouldn't sell her the beer either because she got out of the same car I got into.


Centex - worst gas ever

Soundsaround - greasy high pressure salespeople who won't take "I really don't need a big screen, I'm here to buy cd player" for an answer. (Well, probably not all of them, just the guy named Ferozus).

Sherwood hockey sticks - One slapshot, & the blade almost decapitates the goalie.

The garbage man - actually, my hands are tied as to wether I can boycott him or not, but I can sure hate him for sucking at his job. Really, how can you suck at being a garbage man? All you do, is grab the trash & throw it in the truck. Not this guy, our alley looks like a war-zone every Tuesday. Apparently, the gigantic opening on the back of the truck is not large enough.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally posted by Mean Mr. Mustard@Feb 7 2005, 02:57 PM

Smitties/Dennys - sh*t food, worse service.

I was once approached by a waitress in Denny's and was asked if I was having a "Dennyriffic time". After that there is nothing bad I can say about Denny's, they own me for life.

[Yellefan]

Originally posted by Jiggy_12+Feb 7 2005, 09:33 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Jiggy_12 @ Feb 7 2005, 09:33 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Mean Mr. Mustard@Feb 7 2005, 02:57 PM

Smitties/Dennys - sh*t food, worse service.

I was once approached by a waitress in Denny's and was asked if I was having a "Dennyriffic time". After that there is nothing bad I can say about Denny's, they own me for life. [/b][/quote]
A Dennyriffic time-- oh man you just made my day! (And it was a very sh*tty day at that!) Thanks!

[Wookie]

Reality TV
Celebrity Trash shows/media.. ET, ummm, not sure what else.
Wannabe Hippies
Anything I deem "trendy" at some point.. lol
Tommy Hillfiger
I have boycotted certain bars in calgary for periods of time..
WWF/WWE (whatever whichever it is) "wrastling"
Ipods
fast food
bling
rings


there is more.. but I'll have to remember..

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Oh those livestrong bracelet things, good cause, but do people really know the cause or do they see some celebrity wearing one.

[moon]

I have never had a problem with Telus. In fact the only problem that I have found with their customer servie is that they call too often and bug me with question about my satisfaction.


As for things I boycott can't really think of any that I specifically use for reasons other than they suck and there are a ton of those products/companies.

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Ro+Feb 7 2005, 03:53 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ro @ Feb 7 2005, 03:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-fotze@Feb 7 2005, 02:21 PM
Oh ya and you should really boycott every major gas retailer because every big company be it exxonmobil (esso), Shell, Chevron has overseas plays much like the Nigeria situation.

Also the gas in your tank from Esso probably has some Shell oil in it too because refineries and gathering systems accept product from many suppliers depending on geography and anti-proliferation deals.

Well, it may be true that other major oil companies have similar track records and are also abusing the environment, the Shell situation is well-documented and has been publicized quite a bit. To be honest, I haven't read as much about other oil companies, and I'm sure if I did, and found their practices equally awful, I would boycott them as well, like you suggest. I do know that Shell provides about half of the Nigerian dictatorship's money, and that that very gov't hanged 9 environmental activists in 1995 for speaking out against Shell. The other companies you listed have probably done some awful things overseas, but again, I would be surprised to find out they were a part of something that atrocious.

I really don't know enough about the industry to comment on your second statement, and I have no reason to believe you're incorrect. That's why this kind of discussion is good, and boycotting is sometimes a tricky thing- you think you might be doing a noble thing, but you're still supporting a company you don't want to in a roundabout way you're unaware of.

For the record, I try and buy my gas from Mom and Pop places whenever I can, and Petro-Can when I can't.[/b][/quote]
Go ahead. Admit it. You dislike the Queen of the Netherlands who owns Shell and you can't stand being in the same room as a Dutchman because they're causing Global warming with all those dikes they're building.

[Sammie]

I'm boycotting the CBC and the Liberal Party of Canada. It's become very apparent they believe Communism is a right-wing conspiracy and a dangerous threat to social engineering and the creation of a new, more tolerant Canada.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally posted by Sammie@Feb 8 2005, 01:15 AM
I'm boycotting the CBC and the Liberal Party of Canada. It's become very apparent they believe Communism is a right-wing conspiracy and a dangerous threat to social engineering and the creation of a new, more tolerant Canada.

How do you boycott a political party?

Yeah - you don't vote for them sure. But how else?

Actually now that I look at it I don't really understand anything in your post so I'll just move on.

[Gravitykillr]

Capital One - stupid jerk wouldn't let me hang up the phone even though I told him I didn't want a credit card about 10 times, finally swore at him till he stopped talking then said a few more choice swear words then hung up, they haven't called since


edited out the main swear word

[Ro]

Originally posted by Sammie@Feb 7 2005, 11:57 PM
Go ahead. Admit it. You dislike the Queen of the Netherlands who owns Shell and you can't stand being in the same room as a Dutchman because they're causing Global warming with all those dikes they're building.

Are you being facetious? Because I have no idea what you're talking about.