I'm Mad at Amazon.com

Perhaps you've heard/read the news that Borders bookstores filed for bankruptcy, that half of the stores will close, after putting many locally owned bookstores out of business over the years. I love books, and hate to see bookstores go out of business. I normally check Book People and my neighborhood Half Price Books before ordering books or DVDs from Amazon.com, because I want to support the local economy. I acknowledge that Amazon.com is much cheaper than Book People, and usually even cheaper than Half Price Books. I find the items I want from Amazon.com in stock 95% of the time. I take advantage of the free shipping from Amazon.com that automatically comes with $25 purchase.

BUT, Amazon.com doesn't charge sales taxes in Texas, despite the fact that they have a processing facility in Irving, Texas, and by law should charge sales tax in the state of Texas. The state of Texas sent Amazon.com a bill for $269 million dollars in back sales taxes that Amazon.com should have been charging customers, and paying to the state of Texas since 2006. Amazon.com's response: basically act like a big bully. Deny the bill. Deny any wrongdoing. Close the Irving processing center and eliminate 119 jobs in a terrible economy. Click *here* to read a comprehensive article on the whole debacle.

As much as I've loved Amazon.com in the past, I think we have to break-up now. The corporation is acting like a big-old-butthead. Amazon.com and their amoral lawyers act with no regard for the law, rules or ethics. I don't want Amazon.com to have such a monopoly over book sales that even more local book and media stores close. Just as Borders is now declaring bankruptcy and closing stores, after forcing others out of business in their wake, so could Amazon.com someday go belly-up and leave us with the sad, very limited offerings on the book aisle at Target.

Next time you need a book or magazine, go support your local bookstore. Or at least support a chain bookstore that pays local and state sales taxes.

Goodbye, Amazon.com. It was great while it lasted, but I've outgrown you and your petty ways. You're like the girl with the curl. When you're good, you're very good, but when you're bad, you're horrid.