Why the Girl Scouts don’t want you buying their cookies from Amazon

The convenience of Amazon has contributed to difficulties for several businesses, and its latest venture involves the popular Girl Scout cookies.

Normally, you have to wait for a coworker to announce their daughter is selling them, or for that day when a troop will be stationed in a booth outside your grocery store. The Girl Scouts organization offers an online buying option, but since they still want you to buy directly from a young lady in a local troop it’s a little complicated and only available in certain areas.

In moves Amazon. The online giant now lists popular Girl Scout cookies such as Samoas, Thin Mints, Tagalongs and more, and they’re available for quick Prime shipping. But rather than praise for Amazon’s business ingenuity, critics came out in droves, many pleading with others not to buy the cookies through the site.

The Girl Scouts organization also called out the sales on their Frequently Asked Questions page, asking customers to refrain from buying from Amazon specifically.

“We caution against purchases of Girl Scout Cookies found for sale online at auction and via community list sites, such as eBay and Amazon, because GSUSA, your local Girl Scout council, and our licensed cookie bakers cannot guarantee the freshness or integrity of these cookies. In many instances, these cookies are actually expired,” the website says. “Further, purchasing cookies in this way does not support Girl Scouts participating in the cookie program.”

The organization’s Twitter account also pointed out that 100 percent of the profits of Girl Scout cookies goes back to the local troop when you actually buy from Girl Scouts.

“All of the net revenue raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program — 100 percent of it — stays with the local council and troops,” the website reads. “Or they may use the money earned to fund a project that will improve their community, or donate the money to a worthy cause.”

If those appeals don’t motivate you to forego the Amazon route, then the price might. Girl Scout cookie prices vary by location because 112 different Girl Scout councils set the prices for their respective areas, but boxes typically cost between $4 and $5 in 2017, according to Bustle. Amazon prices could run you more than double that, at between $9 and $12 per box. Buying in bulk makes the cost a little lower, such as four boxes of Thin Mints selling for $30.99, but is still more expensive than buying from your local troop.

This story was originally published April 4, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Why the Girl Scouts don’t want you buying their cookies from Amazon."