Dominos Pizza for the multiply mentioned support of anti-choice groups.
Chik-Fil-A for support of Focus on the Family
Old Navy for the advertising
And the occasional local business that rams their particular religious/political based dislike for friends of mine into my face. Fortunately where I live now, a business that is openly anti-gay isn’t going to stay around long (previously in central PA, not so lucky).
Research in Motion because the design of the Blackberry pretty much guarantees that in the normal course of use, the moisture sensor will activate thus voiding your warranty.
This happened to me when I left my Blackberry on a counter near a wet sponge for about fifteen minutes. My company will actually buy me a brand new Blackberry to replace the crappy flip-phone that I currently endure, but I refuse to get one because any company that designs something so that normal use voids the warranty is unethical and should not be supported.
And I refuse to buy anything from Apple because of their closed architecture.
Don’t get me started on the iPhone and the damned AppStore!
Grrrrrrrrr.
**Dicks (sic) Sporting Goods **
Years ago I went to Dicks (sic) to purchase a last minute xmas gift. I wrote a check to pay. Their check verification service turned me down, even though the account had a large balance. I was pissed. When I researched the situation, I saw that they were using Certegy, a company that had recently (at the time) been nailed for releasing people’s personal info.
Based on their declining to accept my check, their choice of companies they did business with, and their lack of response to my complaint, I have refused to spend money there. In fact, I have purposely driven further and spent more, rather than giving Dicks my money.
Domino’s Pizza and Chik Fila for reasons others have stated.
Another Walmart here, I worked there for about a year and a half, I won’t set foot in one now let alone spend any money there. I will barely walk into a Sam’s, but I won’t spend anything there either. They treated me like dirt. Screw 'em. My mother thinks I’m overreacting. :rolleyes: She wasn’t there.
And I’m hundreds of miles from Chik-fil-a now, but when I was in their territory I very rarely ate there, and should I be near one again I won’t go there, for aforementioned reasons. Occasionally, though, their chicken strips won over my integrity. I believe Satan is involved in making those things so damn delicious.
Microsoft.
They use their dominate position in the market to let them release crap, and expect people to use it joyfully. My Dad got a brand new laptop with Windows 7 on it last week - he got a BSOD within 24 hours. I mean, I just can’t bring myself to buy from a company whose big advertising campaign is “Our old stuff was shit - this new stuff is really so much better.”
I’m not falling for this one again! Last time there was a thread like this, people posted just to say that they were going to make it a point to spend more money anywhere I boycotted.
I live in suburban Cleveland where there are a number of little fiefdoms, I mean, little suburbs. I know the mayor of one suburb nearby me (not where I live), and he is an annoying, braying jackass. (Maybe all the mayors are like this but I only have first hand knowledge of this particular one.) The mayor makes it a point to say that everyone in the area should patronize businesses in his particular little suburb to boost his town’s tax revenues, and I make it a point not to patronize any businesses in that suburb.
Toshiba for their illegal selling of CNC milling machines to Russia, which made Russian submarines much much quieter. Wiki link (under history)
I didn’t know that about Chik Fila. I always just hated their name. I honestly thought it was pronounced “chik fill-ah”
Chinese goods. (poisoned dog food, lead paint on children’s toys, etc, etc.)
Nike. (11 yr olds working 14hr shifts for a pittance, in wretched conditions, with the support of a corrupt Indonesian government, paid off, for their cooperation, by - Nike.)
Wal-Mart, for reasons mentioned upthread. Even though I happen to know that my local Wal-Mart carries an ice cream treat that has disappeared from the shelves of my regular grocery store, I won’t buy it there.
Chick-fil-a. Focus on your own damn family!
Crown and Citgo gasoline…both brands cause engine knocking, in my experience.
A Jiffy Lube on Western Boulevard in Raleigh wanted me to leave my Jeep unlocked and unattended with the key in the ignition while waiting for service. No way! Since then I either go out of my way to visit my family’s mechanic, or I head to the dealership. (I’ve since heard many, many stories about Jiffy Lubes that failed to replace the oil in a car during an oil change.)
United Airlines: After a horrible trip and horrible experience dealing with customer service.
Citgo: Chavez
Too Big To Fail Banks: I disagree with the banks’ behavior and the way the government is handling the whole thing. I’ve moved my money to institutions that didn’t receive any government funds.
:DYeah. I thought it was “chik feel-ah” and had something to do with shoes.
USAir for sending my brother from Cincinnati to Paris via Washington (after they delayed his flight 24 hours), except the DC-Paris flight did not exist and they would do nothing… he had to rent a car and drive all night back to Cincinnati to start over and no compensation was given.
Any company based in Israel or any product made there as I strongly disagree with their occupation of Palestinian territories. In Prague (where I live part time) I make sure to buy avocados from Chile which cost a bit more than the ones from Israel.
I try not to buy anything from China if I can help it because of their product contamination and because of their human rights record, especially toward ethnic minorities.
ETA: Also Air France because of horrible service received and also because they broke my indestructible Samsonite luggage. But that’s not exactly what the OP was looking for.
Chick-fil-a, Hobby Lobby–(“the day’s worth more than the dollar!”) Ugh! Also Citgo. I think I saw somewhere that In-and-Out puts bible verses on their packaging. Is that true? We don’t have those here, but I’ll be sure to boycott them when I’m out west, if so.
Another vote for WalMart. In addition to the reasons mentioned, they push suppliers and contractors to pare every penny, and then say “you hired undocumented workers? You use slave labor? How were we to know?” But even if they have improved their stores make me sick. They remind me of New Orleans after Katrina - perhaps a bit drier, but not as well picked up.
And another vote for Apple - New things are overpriced with an attitude of screwing the early adopters, since they are buying to be cool. In six months you can get something just as good or better for half the price pats Droid in pocket. As for Macs, I’ve tried them once or twice, but I find them less intuitive than a UNIX command line.
I’ve also given up on Ford. My family always bought Fords, and I had them up to my Pinto. But now every For dealer I’ve been to in the past 20 years has been an asshole. I went to one place trying to buy a Taurus, but the manager was far more interested in selling this car on his lot than anything I actually wanted - then also tried to sell me a very bad lease package. The salesman, who was a lot better, actually got fired as I was making up my mind, clearly for not being a jerk. So I bought a Saturn. Then out here I tried again, but I had a crappy car as a loaner when mine was totaled, and the people at this Ford dealership clearly thought that I was not worth their attention. raindog’s post makes me feel better about dumping them.
Just FYI as to Domino’s: Tom Monaghan left the company and sold his shares in 1998. No Domino’s money flows to him or, by extension, his anti-abortion activities anymore.
So I don’t get seen as a religion-basher here, I don’t boycott Chick-fil-a because they don’t open on Sundays (for Labor reasons I kind of like that in fact), but because they give money to causes I dislike, and don’t want any of my money to go there. Similarly with Dominos - the owner’s beliefs are his own deal, but I have no intention of funding Operation Rescue.
I don’t mind Bible verses on packaging. Be as religious as you want. But when a company funds policies I find reprehensible, I choose not to finance it.
I’ve also told both companies why I don’t frequent them (as well as the small local businesses who had anti-gay signs etc displayed).
David Brandon replaced him although an improvement, he has been vocal about his opposition to gay marriage Dominos remains on my boycott list.
Admittedly I’m not very good at boycotting things and have tried their new pizza, better then before, not good enough to make me want to do business with them.