You should probably think twice about buying Girl Scout cookies on Amazon

Winter, spring, summer, and fall are nice, but for many, Girl Scout cookie season is the best season of all. But there's an important question: where do you buy your cookies?

If you're got a tendency for Tagalongs or you can't help savoring Samoas, listen up, we've got some good and bad news: Girl Scout cookies are now available on Amazon.

This is not a drill, but there is a catch.

The good news, of course, is you can now online shop for Girl Scout cookies at your leisure, in bulk, without having any actual connection to a Girl Scout or going out of your way to try to find cookie tables outside of grocery stores.

But wait! A press representative with the Girl Scouts of the USA informed us of the negatives, and there are some major negatives: "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."

Those cookies sold online might not be the real deal, and furthermore they could even be stale. Not so Toffee-tastic, huh?

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If that tidbit of information didn't make you reconsider buying the cookies on Amazon, what about the thought of sad little Girl Scouts put out of business?

"Further," the rep explained, "purchasing cookies in this way does not support Girl Scouts participating in the cookie program... It’s important to remember that, when you buy cookies from a Girl Scout, you are doing so much more than scoring a box of treats—you are investing in her future, and the future leadership of our country. And it doesn’t stop there—Girl Scouts take their cookie proceeds and use them to make their communities better places for everyone."

Think about it: Girl Scouts love selling these cookies. They earn badges and gain important experience and life skills like goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. You're just going to take all of that away because it's easier to buy the cookies online?

Not to mention, the cookies sold on Amazon are more expensive—around $10 per box—so it's really a lose-lose.

"Buying the cookies through Amazon is giving people access to cookies without access to Girl Scouts, which undercuts the programmatic element," a spokesperson for the Girl Scouts of the USA told New York Magazine.

Is convenience really worth sacrificing the beloved taste, freshness, and authenticity of your favorite treats and upsetting the entrepreneurial spirits of young Girl Scouts? Do-si-don't think so.

And hey, if you just sit tight and wait for Girl Scout cookie season to come around, you'll probably appreciate the treats much more. Or, according to the Girl Scouts of the USA, "visit www.girlscoutcookies.org to find Girl Scouts selling cookies at booth sales near them."