Forum Topic

Alternative to Amazon

I've just started using hive.co.uk as opposed to Amazon for cd's. Hive supports local shops and I always hear about Amazon's bad employment policies and most recently that they destroy unwanted goods. It seems to me a straightforward case of hive good, amazon bad. Anyone had any experience with hive.co.uk?

Katrina Black ● 2712d12 Comments

If you are so interested in reducing everything to good and bad in as few uninformed steps as possible, then maybe you could consider streaming rather than buying cds which are made of plastic which is destroying the environment?

Rose Compton ● 2711d

Ouch! Perhaps she enjoys the better quality of music on CDs to that of streaming.I also believe that musician's earn more money from the selling of CDs than they do by the practice of streaming. Happy to be corrected if someone cares to show me the figures.There are plenty of other ways to help save the planet. My personal favourite would be the  delivery of milk in glass bottles again!

Lucille Grant ● 2711d

This is a genuine question, as I'm interested in them. Their website says "we give them a cut from every single order on Hive." Does anyone know how much this cut is?

Richard Carter ● 2711d

"My personal favourite would be the  delivery of milk in glass bottles again!"I agree. It tastes terrible when it is downloaded from the web. There's no cream.

David Ainsworth ● 2711d

I would question your use of the term uninformed in relation  to what I say. I am rather better informed than might come across here.I don't use streaming because I buy perhaps 2 cd's a year if that and streaming would be more expensive and I don't use a smart phone or wish to have music plugged into my ear as I move around. I listen on fixed equipment - radio, cd player, record deck, old tape machine and the internet.In addition I've been recycling everything possible to be recycled in excess of 35 years or more.

Katrina Black ● 2711d

Thank you for another alternative that we can look at using instead of Amazon whose vast amounts cardboard although biodegradable can prove a challenge (bag within a box within a box).  They do have a feedback facility which we should use and probably don't get around to.  Several companies also offer Click and Collect eg John Lewis/Waitrose which is a way of avoiding the increase in large vans which race around often driving over pavements damaging them.  It is good to have and use different options.  And yes I miss the milkman with his x12 reusable glass bottles delivered and collected by electric float in all weathers who noticed when customers hadn't taken their milk in!

Philippa Bond ● 2710d

I am old enough to remember the days when we had a milkman but, if I can possibly help it, those days will never return for my household.  Milk on the doorstep, going off early during hot weather because it had been out all day whilst I was at work, and having to leave notes to cancel a delivery or because I wanted to change a delivery.  Also I don’t want the milkman noticing whether I have taken the milk in.  If people want milk delivered again by a milkman that’s up to them, but leave me out.

Martine Guy ● 2710d

Wow! As I remember it Martine we could always opt-out of having milk delivered. So hard to leave a note out for a milkman, really?! I rmember  little attachments where you turned the arrow to the number of pints you wanted ;-)I particularly liked the fact that milkmen did take notice if milk wasn't taken in by older people and checked that they were ok.

Lucille Grant ● 2710d

Lucille, WOW!, where did I say it was hard to put out a note for a milkman?  Don’t remember writing that?  I never used the attachment with the arrow, but left a note.  If you want to let the milkman know that you want the milk cancelled for 2 weeks that’s up to you but I don’t.I don’t remember the days of being able to buy milk at the supermarket until the end of the 1970s, and I thought it was great that I didn’t have to have it left on my doorstep.  I could buy what I needed, when I needed it,  however, it wasn’t as convenient as nowadays with shops having longer opening hours.

Martine Guy ● 2710d

I couldn't find the answer on their site so I used the contact form to ask them and they came back with thisThank you for contacting Hive today. We are very pleased to hear this. Of course we are able to send you the percentages and we will do so below. Please do note that this will depend on the weight and price of each item so we could not give you a specific however we do hope that these details do help you out with your query to us today.  Orders collected from a store:Books - 5% - 25%DVDs, music, stationery - 3%Direct to Consumer Orders:Books - 5%Ebooks - 8%DVDs, music, stationery - 3%

Katrina Black ● 2710d

Yes, David. I'm also having problems with IPA: Internet Protocol for Ale

Michael Ixer ● 2710d

It all depends whether you have a milkman doing a round near you nowadays.  You can deal with them online and can cancel or order (they do some food as well) up until the night before.  Ours visited 3xweek but I avoided weekends.  It meant that we only had to top up (sometimes by shopping) sometimes with a frozen litre defrosted overnight).  You can buy insulated boxes for them to put the milk in - in fact they may sell them.  We were never online with them.  Very useful option if you are at home and aren't mobile.  www.milkandmore.co.uk

Philippa Bond ● 2710d