Does anyone these days NOT use Amazon for shopping?
Discussion
It is very hard, yes. The convenience of next day delivery and ease of returns is super appealing.
It also seems to be THE place for you to get the most mundane of adapters and widgets, without hoping and praying a shop in your town centre has a place that sells it.
However, you do need to be careful, and its always worth checking to see if an item is cheaper direct from the supplier. I found this last week when I bought a cleaning kit from furniture clinic - £32 on Amazon delivered next day, or £24 direct, and they use amazon to ship!
Also, some items are priced up to hell simply for the convenience of buying off amazon, usually by 3rd party sellers. Went to buy a cleaning item once, £1.5 in a shop, £6 on Amazon.
It also seems to be THE place for you to get the most mundane of adapters and widgets, without hoping and praying a shop in your town centre has a place that sells it.
However, you do need to be careful, and its always worth checking to see if an item is cheaper direct from the supplier. I found this last week when I bought a cleaning kit from furniture clinic - £32 on Amazon delivered next day, or £24 direct, and they use amazon to ship!
Also, some items are priced up to hell simply for the convenience of buying off amazon, usually by 3rd party sellers. Went to buy a cleaning item once, £1.5 in a shop, £6 on Amazon.
The last two big items I purchased, I bought them direct from Samsung and Lenovo as they offered the cheapest price and I assumed the best service if anything went wrong.
Amazon to me just seems to be a glorified eBay and often the prices are more expensive. However, the Amazon customer service seems to be excellent, I ordered a cheap dash cam it was complete rubbish when it arrived so I just returned it for a full refund.
I tend to buy from whichever is cheaper, which more often than not is eBay.
Amazon to me just seems to be a glorified eBay and often the prices are more expensive. However, the Amazon customer service seems to be excellent, I ordered a cheap dash cam it was complete rubbish when it arrived so I just returned it for a full refund.
I tend to buy from whichever is cheaper, which more often than not is eBay.
Almost everything on Amazon can be bought elsewhere. Granted, it takes a bit more effort to find that obscure bit of Chinese tat that you desperately need (In my case, a 2.5mm to 3.5mm male to male headphone cable that didn't cost more than half of what the headphones cost) but almost anything from capacitors to cheese graters can be bought from a reputable online retailer that specialises tin the field, and half the time it actually works out cheaper!
As others have said their pricing is sometimes optimistic. I prefer to use the likes of Argos, as although I go pick it up they're quick at sorting out any issues. An Xbox controller started having issues shortly after purchasing it and they swapped it within minutes of me entering a different store.
On the other hand I bought a motion camera through Amazon recently and after a few uses the buttons started rattling all through the videos. It just so happens the seller disappeared about the same time and Amazon kept directing me to the seller that was no longer listed. I gave up as I can still make some use of the camera (with the mic turned off).
On the other hand I bought a motion camera through Amazon recently and after a few uses the buttons started rattling all through the videos. It just so happens the seller disappeared about the same time and Amazon kept directing me to the seller that was no longer listed. I gave up as I can still make some use of the camera (with the mic turned off).
I use Amazon quite a lot for all manner of day to day stuff, but as others have mentioned, it is always with checking to see if it isn't cheaper from somewhere else first if it is anything significant or expensive.
Amazon, Ebay, and buying direct online, are all places I use on a regular basis.
I just find it all so incredibly fast and convenient. Which is, I suppose, the whole reason that Amazon are the size they are.
Amazon, Ebay, and buying direct online, are all places I use on a regular basis.
I just find it all so incredibly fast and convenient. Which is, I suppose, the whole reason that Amazon are the size they are.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 24th August 15:03
My business used have an Amazon store, we'd generally sell at +20% to 25% over and above our website prices. Fundamentally to cover the fees and items "not delivered".
Amazon talked us into going Prime. We did for 3 months. The level of fraud (openly assisted by Amazon) was such that it very quickly became non viable and we shut it down immediately.
I avoid buying on there unless there are no viable alternatives.
Amazon talked us into going Prime. We did for 3 months. The level of fraud (openly assisted by Amazon) was such that it very quickly became non viable and we shut it down immediately.
I avoid buying on there unless there are no viable alternatives.
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