6 ms·
Amazon is unusable at this point, and I don’t get how they have so many customers. Free and fast shipping is no longer exclusive to them, and there are others o
by aslilac 4y ago
Amazon is unusable at this point, and I don’t get how they have so many customers. Free and fast shipping is no longer exclusive to them, and there are others out there with far nicer websites and no shitty ad listings.
- secondcoming 4y agoYes, the proliferation of stuff being sold by six letter Chinese sellers is incredible. It’s basically Ali Express but with faster shipping.
- mynameisvlad 4y agoWhy is that a problem if the items work for their intended purpose?
- astura 4y agoPoor quality and potentially unsafe.
- smolder 4y agoThey often don't, like the extension cord I bought that flips my breaker when I plug it in. I don't want garbage products that were sourced from the dumpster next to a Chinese factory after they make a defective batch.
- mynameisvlad 4y ago"Six letter Chinese sellers" does not automatically mean cheap shitty defective rejects. If anything, that's just stereotyping and xenophobia. For every one of you, I'm sure there's a dozen who have had no issues with the product. And I'm sure there's been plenty of people who have had the same issue with a name brand product that was made in the same factory by the same process and people.
- smolder 4y agoI'm not bagging on Chinese manufacturing in general, they build the worlds stuff, including super high quality+value items. Yet throwaway brands peddling junk that wouldn't have realistically made it onto the shelves of a big box store is a real problem on Amazon's marketplace, and other similar ones.
- mynameisvlad 4y ago> I don't want garbage products that were sourced from the dumpster next to a Chinese factory after they make a defective batch. > Yet throwaway brands peddling junk that wouldn't have realistically made it onto the shelves of a big box store is a real problem on Amazon's marketplace, and other similar ones. Either it's a defective batch of products that would have been sold under a brand name or its junk that would have never been sold at all. Both of these can't be true of the same product. I'd also argue that being sold at a big box store is not really indicative of much in the 21st century.
- kyleplum 4y ago> I'd also argue that being sold at a big box store is not really indicative of much in the 21st century. If you haven't already, I'd recommend spending some time reading about what it takes to get a product on the shelf at Wal-Mart/Target/Costco. When a companies reputation relies on what it is selling, the bar becomes a lot higher.
- YurgenJurgensen 4y agoAdmitting that there's around a 1/13 chance of these products being garbage isn't really a defence. Those are really bad odds.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago> "Six letter Chinese sellers" does not automatically mean cheap shitty defective rejects. If anything, that's just stereotyping and xenophobia. I've seen people complain that the vendor contact info is obfuscated and untraceable when it's obviously the business owner's personal home address. People will say anything about Chinese vendors.
- shellfishgene 4y agoAs I mentioned above, Amazon now also lists products that are shipped directly from China and take weeks. They have the tracking info from Yanwen shipping on the site, so this must be officially supported.
- xadhominemx 4y agoWhat are your preferred alternatives?
- imglorp 4y agoYes. The alternative is track down the original, individual vendor and deal with their custom sign up, shopping cart, shipping, and support on their site. Repeat with each different vendor for next purchase. As much as Amazon hates its customers and vendors, it's got a consistent experience.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago> The alternative is track down the original, individual vendor and deal with their custom sign up Where are these vendors that require you to sign up before you can buy their stuff? If you don't want to sign up... don't.
- astura 4y agoWhat's wrong with target.com?
- imglorp 4y agoI try to patronize the original vendors. The large markets like Walmart and Target squeeze their suppliers hard to widen their margins. So if everything's about equal, I'd rather go to the source, especially if it's a mom and pop so they get a larger cut of the same money.
- thewebcount 4y agoWhile actually doing the signup is a pain, I just use a “hide-my-email” address and cut it off after I receive the item. And I’d personally prefer to enter my credit card info every time. I once accidentally clicked on the “Yes, sign me up for Amazon Prime today, even though I’ve turned it down literally hundreds of times,” button and they immediately charged my credit card without even an “Are you sure?” Alert. Luckily I was able to cancel and get it refunded relatively easily (after 5 screens of “are you sure?” And “do you want to just pause it for a few months?”).
- socialismisok 4y agoIt's easy. It's easier to buy there than elsewhere because it's habit. I stopped prime a couple years ago, I buy from other stores when I can, but sometimes you just need protein powder, spray bottles, stove gaskets, a 300 piece puzzle, and a cello stand. Amazon makes it possible to just buy one spot.
- lotsofpulp 4y agoAnything I ingest would not come from Amazon, or rather one of its numerous anonymous, unvetted sellers.
- bloopernova 4y agoAgreed. Anything health or pet related is a dangerous gamble with amazon.
- 10729287 4y agoI quit Amazon one year ago and this also made my buying habits healthier. No more impulse buying. Eveything's connected.
- bumby 4y agoMy shipping has deteriorated massively in the last couple of years. What used to be 2 day shipping as a prime member is now often as much as 10 days. That, plus all the knock-offs and bad product quality, has made me stop using Amazon for much.
- chrsig 4y agoanecdotally, it seems really bimodal for me. Either I can get something same day/overnight, or it'll take a week or more
- ceejayoz 4y agoThey've built out small, local distribution centers that stock the more commonly ordered items. When you're in an area with one and pick the right item, it comes same or next day.
- chrsig 4y agoone account to buy anything, quickly. having to sign up at a million independent stores sucks
- ceejayoz 4y agoShopify and Apple Pay make it a lot easier than it used to be.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago> Free and fast shipping is no longer exclusive to them It's much worse than that. They no longer offer fast shipping; you're not allowed to pay for it even if you want it.
- savanaly 4y agoI only need to buy something online every couple months, maybe once a month at most. I hate shopping so I'll be damned if I will spend 1 more second thinking about the process than I have to. Amazon always has the thing, ships it in 2 days, I can be relatively sure I'm not getting ripped off by more than +/- 25% and that's good enough for me. I've never had any issues with fakes that HN complains about all the time. I think Amazon lives off the backs of folks like me, or maybe people that shop slightly more than me but not much. If I was the type of person shopping for things everyday I'd imagine I would branch out. But for the vast majority of folks consistency is king.
- d23 4y ago> I can be relatively sure I'm not getting ripped off by more than +/- 25% I think this is the only thing keeping them afloat. How are you so sure you’re not getting ripped off? Did you know counterfeits can be sold under the “sold by anazon.com” branding because of co-mingling? I used to have the same view as you until I started getting shoddy products consistently from brands that were otherwise high quality if I purchased in store. Then I realized I had no way to tell if what I was purchasing was real, and I started questioning why the lack of toothpaste I bought tasted different than normal and had off-color printing. I’m just increasingly finding it not worth the worry, especially for things I put I my body.
- groestl 4y ago> How are you so sure you’re not getting ripped off? If you do not _feel_ you've been ripped off, does it matter?
- up2isomorphism 4y agoAre you sure? I tried at least 4 other online shopping recently, the experience is horrible compared to amazon. There are bunch issues about return that eventually easily cost me more than what prime cost me for one year.
- DoingIsLearning 4y agoAre you sure? I tried at least 7 other online shops recently, the experience is amazing compared to amazon. Returns are as easy as scanning a barcode at the post office. Product reviews are meaningful and don't have bi-modal distributions. Spam and knocks offs are non-existing. The only downside is that I pay slightly more for shipping but arguably I am biased to believe that logistics couriers should have a living wage.
- JohnFen 4y agoAmazon is the worst of the places I've tried. They were even terrible when I had to return an item that arrived broken. I ended up without the item and without a refund. I can't think of a single reason to recommend Amazon to anybody.
- justapassenger 4y agoMain reason I still use them is 100% hassle free return policy. I don’t stress about buying something crappy, as I know I can return it, in very convenient ways.
- d23 4y agoFor some reason that changed for me lately and they no longer do free UPS pickup for returns. I have to go mail them myself, which tips the balance of the return convenience scale for me.
- markbnj 4y agoI rarely have to return things, but when I do have to return something purchased on Amazon it's basically: couple of clicks, get a QR in email, walk into the local UPS store with the item and hand it over, quick scan of the QR and done. Yeah it would be nice if they just sent someone to the house to get the item, but it doesn't surprise me that the economics of that don't work out.
- bombcar 4y agoIt’s annoying because they used to give you a UPS label you could use, now they make me drive 30 miles to a UPS store. I was able to get a label for one item and shove all the others in the same box and it worked. For now.
- justapassenger 4y agoI have Whole Foods, UPS drop off points, Amazon locker and Kohls all on the routes I frequent. And TBH, I prefer those over UPS pickup as making sure I’m home and running to the door when they arrive is not convenient for me. YMMV.
- Tempest1981 4y agoI heard that if you return too many items, they threaten to prevent future purchases. Has anyone hit this? What is the return/purchase ratio?
- lr4444lr 4y agoStill worth it to me to avoid the spam of a hundred small companies giving my personal data to SEO and marketing experts to spam me, and despite the improvement in time and cost for individual merchant shipping, I have not seen the reliability of that speed approach anywhere near Amazon or Walmart level. Returns and fraud resolution are also extremely streamlined.
- verdverm 4y agotbh, just used Newegg this week... 2 day shipping costs more, they didn't even get it here in 2 days, they split my order into 8 orders, each tracked and emailed separately. I've been boycotting Amazon almost 5 years, but their competition really sucks to the point I'm thinking of going back. At least I've been able to avoid a lot of frivolous purchases for a while...
- anon7725 4y agoTry B&H next time. AFAIK they still ship everything themselves and don’t have marketplace sellers like Newegg or Amazon.
- epage 4y agoNot like I always get two day shipping anyways. They now shuffle things between warehouses so they can say it shipped in two days (from the closest warehouse) but the effective shipping time can be longer.
- CPLX 4y agoNewegg has cloned the Amazon strategy. They also do marketplace stuff. It’s really just another example of the same thing.
- dehrmann 4y agoI look down on Newegg more for its marketplace strategy because it distracted from a niche it served well. By the time Amazon was doing its marketplace, it was already selling everything, so I didn't notice.
- r0fl 4y agoNothing comes close to matching the ease of using amazon. In Canada if I need Kleenex I search kleenex, click buy now and it arrives to my house the same day! Sometimes I have to wait until the next day. The total time spent on the purchase is way under 1 minute. To use costco I have to buy at least $75 or shipping is not free. Walmart I have to fill out all my personal info and credit card info, and it's never same day shipping and sometimes there is a minimum amount I need to spend. Driving to a store to pick up an item like this is just a giant waste of my time, gas, increases the chance of someone denting my side door in a parking lot from 0% to more than 0%. There is no alternative that even comes close for simple items.
- Symbiote 4y agoDon't you consider how wasteful this is? Packaging and transport for a box of tissues, then the packaging to dispose of. Write yourself a note if necessary (post-it, phone app, whatever) and buy Kleenex the next time you're at the supermarket.
- r0fl 4y agoI have the complete opposite logic. I have to drive my gas guzzling suv to get Kleenex and a few other items OR the person delivering Amazon packages can drive a few minutes from the house down the street that is getting an Amazon package. Amazon is not driving the Kleenex from the warehouse to my house in an empty car! My delivery is an incremental carbon footprint. Going to the supermarket is significantly worse.
- skinnymuch 4y agoThe person said to buy it the next time you happened to be at the supermarket. Not to order a few items at a time. I believe they were specifically talking about going out of your way to be environmentally conscious.
- marcinzm 4y ago- I get items in 1-2 days including fairly niche items. Some items take longer but it's clear which ones and those are just as slow elsewhere. - I see reviews for the items and some of them aren't fake. The negative reviews with specific issues are particularly important (weak hinge, plastic parts, noisy, difficult warranty support, etc.). I know some other marketplaces either don't have reviews (ebay) or can trivially remove negative reviews (shopify sites). - I can return items without too much hassle.
- dvngnt_ 4y agowhat sites?
- wpietri 4y agoYeah, I've been weaning myself off Amazon for a while. Now if I'm shopping for something my general approach is to a) look for neutral reviews (e.g. Wirecutter and Consumer Reports), b) see if I can buy it from whoever makes it, and c) search on shopping.google.com to look for reasonable prices from some other vendor. This is undeniably a little more work that just searching on Amazon and buying the first option. But it's about the same amount of work as using Amazon properly (skipping the sponsored listings, filtering out the dubious non-Amazon sellers, figuring out which reviews are fake, trying to tell whether the nominal maker is a real company versus some weird algorithm cloner or re-reseller, worrying over whether Amazon's inventory-mixing means I'll get a fake, etc). I still end up buying some things from Amazon, but it's fewer and fewer, and I'm usually happier with the total outcome now.
- fhd2 4y agoI started doing the same 1-2 years ago! Felt bad about giving Jeff Bezos so much money. At first I thought it was gonna be an impossible effort, but since I'd take Google over Amazon any day (although also not super happily), I do a lot of the last mile (finding a good/non-shady offer for a specific product I've already decided to buy through reviews) there. And usually I find it cheaper with equally fast shipping. For stuff I commonly buy, there are really strong competitors (at least in Germany) that I buy from by going directly to their website. Had to first realise that a lot of the stuff Amazon was at first unique for, is now pretty much a commodity. And their offering certainly hasn't improved in the last years in my eyes.
- wpietri 4y agoFor sure. Other places have gotten better, and Amazon has gotten worse for me. The way I interpret it is that Amazon started out with a really strong customer focus, but they've shifted more and more toward revenue maximization at my expense.
- TacticalCoder 4y ago> Amazon is unusable at this point, and I don’t get how they have so many customers. Free and fast shipping is no longer exclusive to them, and there are others out there with far nicer websites and no shitty ad listings. I only started using them in 2017 and I still do use them sparingly. But typically only for stuff I buy directly from the brand's store on Amazon. There are a few brands I still trust. They may all be going downhill at some point and the "official store" may actually be some front for cheap copies that stole the brand name, I don't know... But so far it looks okay to me. Anker, Osram, Makita, S.T. Dupont (for refills), etc. Last thing I bought from Amazon from some random brand was a box of 200 firelighters, supposedly ecological. I don't know if the brand is "true" or not, I don't know if they're actually ecological or not (they look like but it may all be a scam) but... They were cheap and they do actually help greatly lighting the fireplace. So far Anker stuff looks like it's actually Anker stuff. Makita tools do look and feels like Makita tools, etc. That's why I keep using them. Now I do find the experience painful and I'm 100% sure that all these identical products but branded different when I search on Amazon for, say, 316L stainless steel are stuff that are going to rust in six months. So I'd say that people using it because even if Amazon broken, it's still convenient to find all your usual brands in one place.
- thewebcount 4y ago> I only started using them in 2017 and I still do use them sparingly. But typically only for stuff I buy directly from the brand's store on Amazon. Does this work? My spouse recently purchased some 3M N-95 masks directly from 3M’s Amazon store. They’re supposed to arrive in a box that has a code on it which you can enter into 3M’s website to verify it’s real and not a counterfeit. Instead they arrived in a clear plastic bag with no printing on it. There’s no code so I can only assume they’re either fakes or were pull from a larger box (which means potentially handled inappropriately). Given my spouse’s immune condition, that’s not a chance we really want to take so we’re going to throw them out.
- pm215 4y agoIf you have the time/effort (which I appreciate you may well not -- there's a limit to how much it feels worth trying to tilt against megacorp windmills) it would be better to return them to Amazon, because otherwise it looks to Amazon like a successful purchase. Amazon do at least make returns less hassle than some other e-commerce places I've used.
- q-big 4y ago> Amazon is unusable at this point, and I don’t get how they have so many customers. At least in Germany, using Amazon is often the easiest way to buy copies of foreign-language (often, but not always English) textbooks about scientific topics.
- albert180 4y agoLiterally every other Bookstore has them listed too, with overnight delivery
- q-big 4y agoMy experience differs. Perhaps the reason is that the scientific textbooks that I love to buy are often "long-tail business", i.e. textbooks about very specialized topics. The situation is even more biased towards Amazon if we are talking about used obscure textbooks in good condition for a fair price.
- Finnucane 4y agoI haven’t ordered anything from Amazon in several years and don’t miss it. Have stopped going to Whole Foods too. Fortunately I live in an area where I don’t need to buy everything online, I can still get most of the things I need locally, and if I don’t there’s a reputable specialty dealer, or ordering directly from the maker may be possible.