Have you ever boycotted a product due to a moral issue?

[BavarianPrincess]

We absolutely won't shop at Wal-Mart either.

 

[tar heel]

The owner of Dole Pineapple, David Murdock, is probably a lot more conservative than Bob Dole. He also owns a good bit of the county where I live.

 

[mickeyfan2]

There was a time when my Mom wanted to boycott Dole pineapple - but then we reminded her that Bob wasn't one of those Doles!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

yes - a few, especially when I was younger....Nestle for example, because of their promoting infant formula in third world countries......but now I am older I feel there is USUALLY more to be gained by putting my money to products/companies I believe in....I will, however, email companies and express my dissatisfaction and let them know I am considering a boycott...in the case of American Girl ...I saw the news report earlier and emailed them to ask them not to bow to these radicals and that I support them...my DD has a Disney doll - we but the AG outfits every holiday...I am inspired to increase my purchase this Xmas!

 

[Saphire]

Have you ever boycotted a product or company because of some moral issue?

Yes, in the late 70's and early 80's, I boycotted all Nestle products. They had a big campain in third world countries to coax young mothers into using their baby formula. They would give free formula out at first, only to hook these mothers into having to buy formula for the first year of the baby's life. It made me so mad that they would convince mothers that formula is better than breast milk, while taking away much needed money that could have gone for real needs in the household. I still stay away from their products, but feel somewhat differently than I did as a teen and young woman. Barb D summed it up well...

It can get to the point of ridiculousness pretty quickly: "You can't buy from Company A because it is owned by the same Company C which also owns Company B, and Company B does thus and so which is evil...and if Company C won't stop Company B from doing that evil thing, we should boycott ALL companies that Company C owns..."

__________________

 

[Saphire]

Wow, pansmermaidzlagoon, guess we were posting at the same time! We both had similar thoughts on that awful campain by Nestle.

 

[russtwinsmom]

We boycott Proctor and Gamble (among others) for testing their products, or the ingredients in them on animals .

 

[jacksonsmom]

Can I ask why not? I remember a P+G boycott many years ago and wonder if it's for the same reason

Because of their testing on animals. Yes, I know other companies do it too and I also try to avoid them. Most of my products I buy are animal testing free.
If there is a product that I can not find animal tested free (like some over the counter medicines) then I will buy it, but I refuse P&G products because they are a biggie on animal testing. I will buy a product from Johnson and Johnson before I buy one from P&G.

Just something I feel strongly about. I know some testing may be necessary but I feel P&G does a lot of unnecessary testing and inhumanly.
So no P&G at this house

 

[chell]

Because of their testing on animals. Yes, I know other companies do it too and I also try to avoid them. Most of my products I buy are animal testing free.
If there is a product that I can not find animal tested free (like some over the counter medicines) then I will buy it, but I refuse P&G products because they are a biggie on animal testing. I will buy a product from Johnson and Johnson before I buy one from P&G.

Just something I feel strongly about. I know some testing may be necessary but I feel P&G does a lot of unnecessary testing and inhumanly.
So no P&G at this house

Really? I didn't know that. Guess I need to do a better job at keeping up with these things.

 

[Microcell]

Mine is from an old grudge- I won't buy a Mercedes because, of course they stopped production of cars in WWII and started making weapons, for Germany. They also threw lots of money into Nazi projects.

 

[N.Bailey]

Really? I didn't know that. Guess I need to do a better job at keeping up with these things.

This is one I hadn't heard either. I'm glad it was for something they're guilty of though and not something that was just rumor gotten out of hand. I take it, these two posters know what they're talking about.

 

[chell]

This is one I hadn't heard either. I'm glad it was for something they're guilty of though and not something that was just rumor gotten out of hand. I take it, these two posters know what they're talking about.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who didn't know.

It also sounds to me like they do know what they are talking about. The DIS is great for learning every thing!

 

[Kermit]

Hope the other company isn't Disney.

LOL! No, it's Nestle. I just didn't want to be the first breastfeeding freak to say it.

 

[MizBlu]

Just reading about the potential American Girl doll boycott makes me curious. Have you ever boycotted a product or company because of some moral issue? Proctor and Gamble? Disney? I never had personally, but I know a few people who are quite adament about that type of thing.

I refuse to go to Cracker Barrel after the stunt they pulled a few years ago. Because of the AIDS hysteria, they fired every employee they thought was gay. That did it for me. I figured they didn't need my money.

 

[N.Bailey]

Mine is from an old grudge- I won't buy a Mercedes because, of course they stopped production of cars in WWII and started making weapons, for Germany. They also threw lots of money into Nazi projects.

I refuse to buy a Ford too (not that they have anything I want anyway) because a Ford dealership wrecked my car (before I bought it) and had the entire frame straightened. Of course, then all the body work. Hubby was sitting at home one night when a service tech called to inform us that it had happened. We bought the car with 2000 miles on it, so it wasn't used. The service tech also said there were several others suing the dealership because it had happened to them too. We had our car checked by 3 different mechanics after that call, and all of them said it had been wrecked and the frame was bent; meaning it should have been totaled right then. Ford did close the dealership down for their faulty practices, but they refused to back their product up. I know it wasn't their fault really, but that dealership represented them and they wouldn't even buy the new tires that needed replaced shortly after we bought it.

As long as I'm alive, not a dime of the money my husband and I make will ever go into another of their products.

Oh well, I hate their automobiles anyway, so it's not really any great loss.

It's a personal vendetta though, not a moral issue for me.

OH, and I talked 2 friends out of Ford Mustangs since that's happened too.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

Saphire - "great minds think alike"!!....I think what really got me about the whole thing was they did stop after bowing to the pressure and admitting it was wrong - but not long after, when the pressure and attention was off, they went right back to it - that sealed it for me....that and the thought of 50 million babies a year! ...and I came from a Nestle town, my grandmother retired from there....the hard thing is Nestle owns so many other companies...like I said now I mainly try to focus on supporting companies I believe in.

and the P&G thing is corrrect - it wasn't just that they tested on animals - it was that, at that time many companies were realizing their errors and finding alternatives...P&G refused to even consider the pain they were inflicting and refused to even consider that there were viable alternatives. That is what made them a target.

 

[N.Bailey]

I refuse to go to Cracker Barrel after the stunt they pulled a few years ago. Because of the AIDS hysteria, they fired every employee they thought was gay. That did it for me. I figured they didn't need my money.

No Cracker Barrel's around here, but it would have done it for me too.

 

[mrsltg]

I boycott Ben and Jerry's due to their support of Mumia (cop killer). This cop's wife is happy to get ice cream elsewhere. I'm sure I could think of others if I gave it a minute...

Erin

 

[chell]

I refuse to go to Cracker Barrel after the stunt they pulled a few years ago. Because of the AIDS hysteria, they fired every employee they thought was gay. That did it for me. I figured they didn't need my money.

Can I pretend like I didn't see that? Have I been living in a box all these years? Man, I love Cracker Barrel, especially on Saturday. ::cry:: Guess I'll have to find something else for lunch tomorrow.

 

[Planogirl]

I joined in on the tuna boycott some years back and that was nice because it was a boycott that actually seemed to make a difference. I currently boycott Sears and have for many years.

As for boycotts that I don't agree with, I have been known to make sure that I buy only from a company that's being boycotted and then two of each item. I figure that I can wipe out the effects of at least one boycotter that way.

One thing: I urge everyone to do their own research into why some companies might need boycotting. I also assume that DIS posters are knowledgeable but sometimes you may on your own discover logical reasons why some companies do what they do. You just never know.