287
  • The author canceled their Amazon Prime subscription on a whim and realized they didn't really need it.
  • Leaving Prime meant slower shipping but the author was happy to wait and still found the selection and delivery speed satisfactory.
  • Many people love Prime for its fast shipping and convenience, but some readers expressed ambivalence and considered canceling.

Archive link: https://archive.ph/3M27c

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] GenderNeutralBro 108 points 11 months ago

Buying anything on Amazon hardly seems viable anymore. There's so much counterfeit crap there, and a million low-effort rebrandings of the same stuff you can get on AliExpress for cheaper.

Shop local when you can, and at least shop not-Amazon for the rest.

[-] cm0002@lemmy.world 36 points 11 months ago

Shop local when you can

Not sustainable for me, I price it from time to time and local stores are usually, at best, double what Amazon or even Walmart has it for and that's if the local store even has what I'm looking for to begin with

So my choices are Amazon or Walmart (or similar big name stores) and going to Walmart....yea fuck that it's a last resort for everything but groceries...

There's so much counterfeit crap there, and a million low-effort rebrandings of the same stuff you can get on AliExpress for cheaper.

I keep seeing this over and over, but I order a lot off Amazon and I've never had a problem with it. Don't know if I'm just incredibly lucky or what, but the only times I get counterfeit / cheap Chinese crap is when I order it on purpose.

Ofc, those things I can just get off AliExpress too and sometimes I do when I don't mind waiting which is the biggest issue with AliExpress, the waiting

I, and probably millions of others, are shopping where the best price/value is and nothing else because we can't afford not to. I wouldn't mind shopping locally owned and paying the premium...if I could afford it. Stop pushing for expensive alternatives people can't afford and push for regulations instead.

[-] PlantObserver@lemmy.world 19 points 11 months ago

Ya simple solution: don't buy no-name chinesium crap regardless of the storefront and you won't be disappointed

[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 8 points 11 months ago

I can't say that I have ever gotten anything counterfeit from Amazon. What I have been victim to is no name garbage that has 4.5 stars due to thousands of fake reviews. Generally it is stuff that is difficult to research good brands and the review websites often simply redirect back to Amazon. It's also very little use leaving a bad review because Amazon will remove it. For an example, Louis Rossman bought some fuses on Amazon. The 2A fuse did not blow until 10A was passed through it. That was not a fluke either. He left bad ratings which were removed and those products continue to be sold on Amazon. That is shit easily that can start a fire. If there actually was blow back, the manufacturer would simply stop selling that named version but keep the half a dozen other identical ones up they use to flood the results. So while this may not have ever been an issue for you, it can easily get someone killed. Your conclusion is spot on. We need regulation for this garbage. While Walmart is generally seen as garbage, there is at least someone responsible for purchasing shit to put in the stores and they generally have it tested. That is not the case for Amazon or Walmart's online marketplace or AliBaba.

[-] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

If I see something on Amazon that I want, I just go to the manufacturer's website and order it directly from them. If they don't have a site that sells it, then I try other online stores besides Amazon. If they only sell on Amazon, then I decide I just don't need it.

[-] Itsamelemmy@lemmy.zip -1 points 11 months ago

Except a lot of times it's cheaper on Amazon, with faster shipping, even without prime. Most recent example I ran into.

$75 direct

$65 Amazon

[-] Calcium5332@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Cheap items/electronics can be more expensive on Amazon than direct, though.

Amazon:

Direct:

[-] SeducingCamel@lemm.ee -1 points 11 months ago

Doubt that site has free shipping tho

[-] _number8_@lemmy.world 0 points 11 months ago

damn right

every time i've intentionally picked the ASNDSZYY brand i've been disappointed in the thing and in myself. now i'd rather just spend up front for something actually good rather than waste time and effort going back and forth returning things

[-] Magrath@lemmy.ca -1 points 11 months ago

I think people who see countfeit stuff don't know what they are buying before they go on Amazon and order from Chinese brands. I know what I'm going to buy before I go on Amazon so I never have the issue. I just use it to check prices and buy if it's a good enough discount.

[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago

It's getting to the point where even searching for specific products is almost pointless. I did a search for a specific phone model recently and the phone showed up as the fifth result after four prompted results and several ads. When it becomes a chore to even track down a very specific thing you want, why would I keep going back?

[-] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

The only search worse than Amazon is probably Wayfair.

[-] KpntAutismus@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

plus i have gotten several obviously used items when it wasn't even available as used and cost full price.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 points 11 months ago

Shop local when you can,

So local strangers working to support some local guy's Maui beach house need our support instead of local strangers working to support some faraway guy's Maui Beach House?

It's all local business when their main cost is the employment of locals. Don't be a snob.

[-] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 months ago

Anybody know more about this?:

I’ve heard the following sentiment & a similar stat over the years:

When you spend money locally, those dollars don’t just evaporate to some corporate headquarters across the country or around the world. Instead, they tend to stay in the community, where they’re reinvested between three and six more times. When consumers spend $100 at a chain store, only $13 stays in the local community, on average. At a local business, that number rises to a healthier $48.

I can imagine a local shop owner sponsoring the local little league team… and I know the average hole-in-the-wall donut or phở restaurant owner won’t have a beach home, and I like they have the potential to make a decent bit of dough without college degrees… but perhaps somebody’s actually analyzed this?

[-] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Plus their search algorithm, which used to be amazing, now pushes so much crap because the companies pay them to be at the top that the results are horrible now.

[-] TheBat@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Amazon hardly seems viable anymore. There's so much counterfeit crap there, and a million low-effort rebrandings of the same stuff you can get on AliExpress for cheaper.

What do you mean? You don't want to buy PRAZO USB-C CABLE FOR DATA TRANSFER AND CHARGING, 3M LENGHTH, COMPATIBLE WITH LAPTOP, DESKTOP, IPHONE, ANDROID?

[-] fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 11 months ago

I love these.

EXTRA HIGH QUALITY PREMIUM KNIFE AND FORK AND SPOON CUTLERY EATING SET COMPATIBLE WITH RICE DISHES, ASIAN FOOD, CHIPS, SAUSAGES, CHICKEN, GALAXY S24+, SALAD.

[-] AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago

Every trip to Amazon overwhelms me with choice, then I realize it's all from Ali, then I close the tab.

I really only buy things from it now if I know what I'm looking for already

this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
287 points (93.6% liked)

Technology

60281 readers
4372 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS