Hyperbole or no, wages and working conditions in the supply industry are pretty horrendous at the best of times. I know because I've worked in it, and for one or two other barbary coast employers.

The fact is that the minimum wage falls a long way short of a living wage, and similar can be said of minimum employment rights. And that's before we get on to the subject of what the present government is doing to said employment rights. So if Amazon refuses to recognise trade unions, and generally treats its employees like shit, then I feel a moral duty not to trade with them.

Having said that, and re. the "shop front" aspect, I have bought a lot of books and CDs from legitimate traders selling on Amazon for as little as 1p. I don't understand the economics. However, I imagine it's stuff that said traders want to get rid of, and would rather it went to a good home than get dumped.

The point is that, although these transactions go through Amazon's books, they don't usually involve Amazon employees, and cannot be any financial advantage to Amazon. Therefore, at the moment, I think I can continue to use the "shop front" with a clear conscience. But I would like to know if other people know otherwise.