Have you personally every suceeded at boycotting anything?

[SextusMaximus]

I've successfully boycotted Brussels sprouts and asparagus. Take that, Brussels.

Ooooh, that's gonna piss off the French!

OT: No, there's nothing I've cared enough about to bother boycotting in the first place.

French!!?? Brussels is in Belgium, and Asparagus comes mostly from China, but the top producer in Europe is Germany! - However, I would like to piss off the French! Darn those cheese-eating surrender monkeys! (As a Brit I am required by law to say that...)

Personally I have never consumed a product of Starbucks. Out of sheer principle. Based on the facts that:

-They make up italian sounding words, and expect people to use them (I hate those smug scrotum-lickers that talk about their favourite drinks or new lines from starbuck, and expect everyone to know what they mean! THEY MAKE THE WORDS UP! I don't talk to them about Tamriel, or The Patriots Conspiricy without explaining what they mean!!)

-They say they promote and support the militry, and they are more than happy to pitch up on an overseas base and flog their ware, but do they offer any kind of militry discount/support for troops...? Hell no.

-They are god-damn overpriced.

-And finally; my town used to have loads of coffee shops. All quaint privately owned, one of a kind, family run joints. We had plenty of choice and it made visiting town peasent. We then got a Boswells, small chain at the time, but didn't do much to effect the ballance as they focused on take-away's. Then, without any of the former stores going, Costa pitched up, closely followed by a Starbucks... One by one the family joints closed up leaving only a couple (ones that are attached to other establishments, ie Churches or the town hall) and the chain stores! Now everybody piles into the 2 big-shots, with there overpriced goods. I will go to Costa, as they have a lot of authentic Italien goods, and I had been to one before they came to my town, but Starbucks I have never been to. Ever. In any town...

These are all based on experience. They say know your enemy, so I have seen prices, and names of drinks, even though I have never entered a cafe. (They have them on boards outside, and advertised in the windows!)

I have the geographical capabilities of a dead polar bear, I'm sorry! (but cheese eating surrender monkeys was said first by Willie from the Simpsons, an American cartoon)

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I have the geographical capabilities of a dead polar bear, I'm sorry! (but cheese eating surrender monkeys was said first by Willie from the Simpsons, an American cartoon)

Lol! Good factoid! I like it! I didn't realise that! I hear it quite often, but didn't know it came from the Simpsons! I love the phrase!

 

[KelsieKatt]

I'm very stubborn when it comes to most things and if I say I'm definitely going to do something, I follow through with it to the end. I never bluff.

So, I've refused to buy plenty of games over the years for various reasons. That said, it probably hasn't made a huge difference in terms of how publishers do things, but it doesn't matter too much, as I don't want their shit on my computer.

As it is, right now I'm refusing to buy Battlefield 3 because of Origin and unless a different option is offered at some point, it's going to stay that way, even though I'm a fan of the multiplayer of previous entries.

 

[thylasos]

Boycotting something without giving in?

Well, meat for the last 9 years, I guess. That's about it.

I've successfully boycotted Brussels sprouts and asparagus. Take that, Brussels.

Ooooh, that's gonna piss off the French!

You're aware that Brussels (Bruxelles) is the capital of Belgium?

 

[bakan]

Additionally I also don't buy stuff from Nestlé and some other food giants (which includes never visiting any fast food chains).

Just out of curriousity, how do you avoid buying all the multitude of producted branded in names other than Nestle where Nestle is the owner?

[...]

I buy a lot from a local farmers' market, as I live in a somewhat rural area, and I avoid buying premade stuff as much as possible, except for stuff like some mixed herbs (e.g. I love Shichimi-Togarashi).

My main concern are the additional substances in a lot of food and some practices which became public.
Now that I mention this, I also try to avoid buying stuff which is known to be produced in sweatshops - though a lot of electronics can't be avoided as I need it.
But I don't buy any Apple products, like the IPhone with its ridiculous profit margin and at the same time no safety regulations in their chinese factories.

I understand that some people are dependent on specific products from some concerns, but at the moment it doesn't affect me (food-wise).

 

[RuralGamer]

There are a good number of fast food franchises I've steered clear off for a good few years, especially since watching Supersize Me. McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and a few other of the big ones; I think their food is rank, overpriced and they treat their staff like shit, so yeah, they won't get my money.

I have successfully boycotted my local public buses, as they were constitutionally unable to stick to a schedule, they charge a ridiculous amount that doesnt decrease even if you walk a mile and a half along the route, they were prone to not showing up at all, and the drivers were rude.

In doing so I have saved myself £15 a week (which I used to justify treating myself to a shiny new copy of Skyrim yesterday) as well as getting a little fitter walking to work every night

I wish I could do that, but unfortunately it would entail a two hour walk to Uni; I've managed to hitch lifts or use a family car to drive myself in since this semester started, but I don't think that'll last long sadly; buses where I live are extortionate, mainly because one company has a virtual monopoly, save a few crappy routes they don't bother on. Buses are often late (not usually their fault, the roads where I live are just bad) or the drivers take their sweet time leaving the bus station and end up five minutes late.
Edit: Actually I forgot my Uni's cafeteria; the food is overpriced and the staff are often rude; been boycotting it since I started and probably saved quite a bit taking food from home.

Do it dude, my walk took me 107 minutes originally, now its down to just under 90...

It's at least seven miles across country (well, not quite; its along a cycle path that runs vaguely parallel to the road); my campus is in the next town and it gets pretty darn icy and cold soon...

 

[Baby Tea]

The restaurant known as East Side Mario's.
I went there with friends for my 8th Grade graduation. All I ordered was a plate of fries. It took 3.5 hours. They were not busy. I've vowed to never go back, and at the age 27: I haven't. I'll never go again. Customer service is a huge deal for me, having worked in food service AND retail. They dropped the ball, and so I'll never go back.

 

[Whateveralot]

There's a difference between boycotting something and just not being bothered. By boycotting something, you generally still really want it.

That has never been the case. Why would I? I hate the privacy policy of Origin, but it never got me to not buy Battlefield 3 for my PC anyway. F*ck that, what're they gonna do? Exactly. Nothing.

I never bought a Call of Duty game any more after CoD4:MW. But that's just not being bothered, for I know it is no longer the game I wanted to play. I don't "boycott".

 

[robot slipper]

A friend and I made a pact to never ever watch an episode of Ally McBeal because it's crap. Does that count? So far its been about 15 years.