Which businesses to you avoid on moral grounds?

[unicorn]

In another string, some members say they avoid doing business with Amazon on moral grounds. We had planned to cancel a visit to Disneyland after Jimmy Kimmel was suspended, although it looks as though he's back on the air, so I guess we'll go to see Mickey and friends after all. I avoid Chick Fil-A since they donate big $$ to anti-gay causes. Basically, I'll avoid businesses I know which spread hate/intolerance. How about you?

[KeepItReal]

2 hours ago, unicorn said:

In another string, some members say they avoid doing business with Amazon on moral grounds. We had planned to cancel a visit to Disneyland after Jimmy Kimmel was suspended, although it looks as though he's back on the air, so I guess we'll go to see Mickey and friends after all. I avoid Chick Fil-A since they donate big $$ to anti-gay causes. Basically, I'll avoid businesses I know which spread hate/intolerance. How about you?

I do the same - no to Chick Fil-A. Disney also made it onto my list last week. Pepsi and Target are on there as well. My money, my choice. Vote with your wallet. 

[jimmie50]

If I am aware of the hate and intolerance, in general I will avoid doing business with them.  I avoid Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby.  I recently have cut back on the amount of shopping I do at places like Target and Lowes that have basically caved in to the pressure from the current regime in Washington regarding DEI.  Same thing for Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch products.  Because of backing down to pressure from the conservatives, they no longer sponsor Pride events.  Why should I give these businesses my hard earned money!  

[Pete1111]

When I visited my MAGA brother back in fly-over country, we stopped at Chic-Fil-A, coming from the airport. 

Not my choice, but didn't want to be disagreeable.  From that one and only visit, I don't understand what people are raving about.

I can think of better options for chicken.  Popeyes?   I now have an additional argument beyond moral grounds not to dine there.  

 

Others I avoid include Denny's and Cracker Barrel on historical grounds.  I know they claim to have cleaned up their act, but I still won't.

 

I have been boycotting Target since January.  I may never to back.

I canceled my Washington Post subscription.  

 

[vinapu]

I generally avoid all  big corpo and chain like businesses preferring to shop , dine and  sleep in local , mom and pop type of establishments. 7/11 and Foodland in Thailand seem to be noble exceptions but just there

[floridarob]

On 9/22/2025 at 10:39 PM, vinapu said:

mom and pop type of establishments.

I think you do that with airlines too 😏

[TMax]

Not so much on moral grounds and more on bad experiences but I avoid Qantas and Jetstar like the plague, Jetstar because they are a part of Qantas and are just a crap airline all up. Also avoid MacDonald's, mostly because it's grossly overrated and in my view not very appetising.

[jimmie50]

47 minutes ago, TMax said:

Not so much on moral grounds and more on bad experiences but I avoid Qantas and Jetstar like the plague, Jetstar because they are a part of Qantas and are just a crap airline all up. Also avoid MacDonald's, mostly because it's grossly overrated and in my view not very appetising.

That is one of the reasons I have for avoiding American Airlines...repeatedly bad experiences...in addition to their DEI stance.  As for McDonald's, I try to avoid fast food in general.  I don't find any of the fast food restaurants that appealing.  I think they are all grossly overrated.  

[FunFifties]

I try to avoid international brand stores altogether, be they fast food, clothing or other businesses. I think it is sad how the High Streets of every major Europeean city has turned into the same wish-wash of international retailers, fast food shops and cafes.  

[vinapu]

6 hours ago, floridarob said:

I think you do that with airlines too 😏

I don't preach any ideology here. With airlines in most cases our choices are limited due to price and connections time but certainly I'm not loyal to any airline and  my  41 landings in and departures from Thailand  was done on probably at least 25 if not more different airlines.

Speaking about mom and pop airlines I once flew Air Taznania (not to Thailand ) at time when they had only one jet. Probably the same on now defunct Paraguayan airlines  , forgot the name.

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, TMax said:

 Also avoid MacDonald's, mostly because it's grossly overrated and in my view not very appetising.

add KFC and you are my best friend.

But it needs to be said they at least offer consistent menu and travellers unfamiliar with local palates may resort to patronizing them out of concern for food safety.

I have a boy in Bangkok who is big fan of KFC food and whenever we meet I resign to buy some of that stuff just to treat him 

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, FunFifties said:

I think it is sad how the High Streets of every major Europeean city has turned into the same wish-wash of international retailers, fast food shops and cafes.  

I agree it's sad but they are there because obviously people like to shop and dine at them to their own peril

[FunFifties]

4 minutes ago, vinapu said:

I agree it's sad but they are there because obviously people like to shop and dine at them to their own peril

And because it requires economies of scale to pay the increasingly exorbitant rents that High Street land lords charge 

[KeepItReal]

2 hours ago, vinapu said:

add KFC and you are my best friend.

But it needs to be said they at least offer consistent menu and travellers unfamiliar with local palates may resort to patronizing them out of concern for food safety.

I have a boy in Bangkok who is big fan of KFC food and whenever we meet I resign to buy some of that stuff just to treat him 

That is funny! One of my regular companions in South Africa is also fond of KFC so I indulge him whenever we hang out.  I am resigned too!

[KeepItReal]

By the way, I read in the paper yesterday that 26% of European (EU) consumers indicates they are avoiding USA products due to tensions between the Trump administration and Europe (terrible tariffs). No wonder the US dollar is weakening against the Euro. 🫤

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, KeepItReal said:

By the way, I read in the paper yesterday that 26% of European (EU) consumers indicates they are avoiding USA products due to tensions between the Trump administration and Europe (terrible tariffs). No wonder the US dollar is weakening against the Euro. 🫤

Same in Canada, I gather.

[Keithambrose]

8 hours ago, TMax said:

Not so much on moral grounds and more on bad experiences but I avoid Qantas and Jetstar like the plague, Jetstar because they are a part of Qantas and are just a crap airline all up. Also avoid MacDonald's, mostly because it's grossly overrated and in my view not very appetising.

You should try Ryanair!

[Keithambrose]

3 hours ago, vinapu said:

I don't preach any ideology here. With airlines in most cases our choices are limited due to price and connections time but certainly I'm not loyal to any airline and  my  41 landings in and departures from Thailand  was done on probably at least 25 if not more different airlines.

Speaking about mom and pop airlines I once flew Air Taznania (not to Thailand ) at time when they had only one jet. Probably the same on now defunct Paraguayan airlines  , forgot the name.

Air Taznania sounds like something  from Tintin!

[Keithambrose]

3 hours ago, FunFifties said:

And because it requires economies of scale to pay the increasingly exorbitant rents that High Street land lords charge 

Yes, indeed. 

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, KeepItReal said:

That is funny! One of my regular companions in South Africa is also fond of KFC so I indulge him whenever we hang out.  I am resigned too!

it's not that surprising when one considers that KFC  offerings are prepared in very different way that common Thai , and I guess South African food is done 

[jimmie50]

My friends in Bangkok enjoy going to KFC, especially their teenage daughter.  When they were going to school in the US they went to a KFC here and hated it.  Said it was totally different.  

[PeterRS]

The posts at the start of the thread all deal with American brands and products available basically only in the USA. Frankly I don't know of any brands outside the US which donate to anti-gay causes. If I did, I would do my best to avoid them. I try more to avoid businesses with unethical business practices, like coffee distributors who pay the local growers a pittance even when raising consumer prices. And as others have written, any business with lousy service. But this is surely more a personal thing. With one company I worked for, we had to fly Northwest across the Pacific at a time when it was generally called Northworst. No doubt being in business class helped, but I actually liked the airline. For 2 or 3 years business class transpacific entitled passengers to free helicopter trips between JFK and Manhattan's East Side Heliport. I even took it between Hong Kong and Tokyo quite a few times. If not on business I sometimes took Pan Am between these two cities but only because it was the cheapet fare. After one transpacific business return flight, though, I vowed "never again"! Little wonder it sold off its Pacific routes to United a few years later.

[thaiophilus]

10 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

You should try Ryanair!

There's another airline (which I'd better not name!) which I've seen described as "like Ryanair, but without the Irish charm".

[Zipper]

Interesting that I would come across this topic today. My subscription to Express VPN expired and I’m hesitant to renew it after finding out it’s owned by an Israli billionaire. On the other hand it has worked well when I’m in Asia. Does anybody have experience with other VPN’s ? There’s numerous reviews in the internet but it’s difficult to distinguish between a legitimate review and fake reviews or paid advertising. 

[unicorn]

9 hours ago, thaiophilus said:

There's another airline (which I'd better not name!) which I've seen described as "like Ryanair, but without the Irish charm".

Ryanair, yikes! I've heard rumors they may introduce standing up "seats"...