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Post by trailboss on Jun 24, 2021 17:30:30 GMT -5
When I first started using Amazon, I eagerly became a customer, and when prime shipping came into play I was glad to use their services. During the course of the last year though I saw how big box stores and online retailers never faced what mom and pop stores faced. Mom and Pop stores selling shoes per say were not considered "essential" forcing them to close their doors and end up bankrupt. I saw legions of stores across the southwest in the last year suffering that fate while Walmart was able to keep selling shoes. And Amazon became wildly wealthy at the expense of any brick and mortar stores during the pandemic for obvious reasons. In the past I relied on Amazon reviews to inform me on the value of a product that they are selling, but digging deeper, I would find that something that had 35,000 reviews and 4 1/2 to 5 star ratings would have reviews listing common problems that seemed consistent on problems with that product. As time when on, I have seen shady actions regarding negative reviews in regards to a particular product. Some of what I know has to deal with Amazon regarding practices to sellers has only reinforced what I saw happening, but I don't want to be specific because in the cyberworld, all of this is out there and I cannot challenge Amazon Lawyers. Anyway, I was looking to replace my Maverick remote grill thermometer, I love Thermoworks, Thermapen...the unit is rock solid and I decided to go with their brand...when I did a search on Amazon using Thermowerks, I get all of Thermopro's products listed on the page. They are all less than half the price of Thermoworks, but there is a reason for that...you are buying a sub-standard product. "buy once, cry once" blog.thermoworks.com/thermometer/new-warning-thermoworks-website-2/I am paying more for some stuff, but buying locally or online from the manufacturer is in our best interests...at least in my opinion. |
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Post by Plainsman on Jun 24, 2021 17:46:30 GMT -5
I have a love/hate relationship with Amazon. The love is low-key and intermittent and the hate is likewise low-key but pretty steady and ominous. But I live pretty remotely and Amazon has become a kind of life-style augmenter for me. Shopping is a long way away and not all that promising when I get there. It's a conundrum I don't have the answers for. I doubt I am alone.
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Post by trailboss on Jun 24, 2021 18:13:16 GMT -5
I have a love/hate relationship with Amazon. The love is low-key and intermittent and the hate is likewise low-key but pretty steady and ominous. But I live pretty remotely and Amazon has become a kind of life-style augmenter for me. Shopping is a long way away and not all that promising when I get there. It's a conundrum I don't have the answers for. I doubt I am alone. I hear you bro...living remotely, it certainly is hugely beneficial. Do the homework on products though, don't depend on Amazon's reviews....Chinese products especially. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jun 24, 2021 18:51:26 GMT -5
We mostly just buy things from Amazon that we can't get locally, at least without an unreasonable amount of effort/money. Plus, Prime has Bosch!. Other than that I hate them.
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Post by fadingdaylight on Jun 24, 2021 20:55:10 GMT -5
I used to like them, years ago. These days though, most of what they are selling strikes me as knock off junk, and that really irritates me.
Not to mention the whole "Big Brother (Alexa) is Watching" thing.
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Post by toshtego on Jun 24, 2021 21:08:40 GMT -5
I shop Amazon frequently. It is hard to get most anything hereabouts from local stores. I try other online vendors and there are usually problems with inventory or delivery. Amazon is well stocked, efficient and fast moving. Sadly, too many others are not. My second go to is Ebay. For example, remember the "Bug-a-Salt" I posted about long ago? I am still waiting for the maker to send it. Amazon moves way faster.
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Post by urbino on Jun 24, 2021 22:47:41 GMT -5
I used to like them, years ago. These days though, most of what they are selling strikes me as knock off junk, and that really irritates me. Not to mention the whole "Big Brother (Alexa) is Watching" thing. Yeah. I was a very early Amazon-adopter, back when they just sold books. I was a reader in a small rural town with no bookstores worth the name within a hundred miles. Amazon was a godsend. Then they expanded. Then Prime. Then they just kept expanding. And now, yeah, whenever I search for a product, 90% of what I find is made by some Chinese pop-up company with no history and a name generated by a random character generator. |
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Post by trailboss on Jun 25, 2021 7:14:32 GMT -5
I used to like them, years ago. These days though, most of what they are selling strikes me as knock off junk, and that really irritates me. Not to mention the whole "Big Brother (Alexa) is Watching" thing. Yeah. I was a very early Amazon-adopter, back when they just sold books. I was a reader in a small rural town with no bookstores worth the name within a hundred miles. Amazon was a godsend. Then they expanded. Then Prime. Then they just kept expanding. And now, yeah, whenever I search for a product, 90% of what I find is made by some Chinese pop-up company with no history and a name generated by a random character generator.It is also Amazing how many of the Chinese products can get tens of thousands of positive reviews seemingly overnight. As for Alexa and "hey Google", they are spying on people. www.consumerwatchdog.org/privacy-technology/how-google-and-amazon-are-spying-you |
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Post by fadingdaylight on Jun 25, 2021 7:32:20 GMT -5
Yeah. I was a very early Amazon-adopter, back when they just sold books. I was a reader in a small rural town with no bookstores worth the name within a hundred miles. Amazon was a godsend. Then they expanded. Then Prime. Then they just kept expanding. And now, yeah, whenever I search for a product, 90% of what I find is made by some Chinese pop-up company with no history and a name generated by a random character generator.It is also Amazing how many of the Chinese products can get tens of thousands of positive reviews seemingly overnight. As for Alexa and "hey Google", they are spying on people. www.consumerwatchdog.org/privacy-technology/how-google-and-amazon-are-spying-youYep, we live in a society where corporate giants are listening to everything we say, all to try some more unnecessary products down our throats. Not that I'm complaining about all of the bourbon articles in my news feed though.🤪 |
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Post by toshtego on Jun 25, 2021 8:04:53 GMT -5
Most of what I buy from Amazon is food related and certainly not made in China. LOL!
Other orders are clothing with long established American brand names like Munsingwear. That it may now be made in China is not Amazon's fault.
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briarbuck
Full Member
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Post by briarbuck on Jun 25, 2021 9:26:19 GMT -5
Amazon is turning into Alibaba, a dumping ground for cheap Chinese shite. I just hope that there will be competition at some point to the Amazon monster.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jun 25, 2021 10:02:33 GMT -5
Yeah. I was a very early Amazon-adopter, back when they just sold books. I was a reader in a small rural town with no bookstores worth the name within a hundred miles. Amazon was a godsend. Then they expanded. Then Prime. Then they just kept expanding. And now, yeah, whenever I search for a product, 90% of what I find is made by some Chinese pop-up company with no history and a name generated by a random character generator.It is also Amazing how many of the Chinese products can get tens of thousands of positive reviews seemingly overnight. As for Alexa and "hey Google", they are spying on people. www.consumerwatchdog.org/privacy-technology/how-google-and-amazon-are-spying-youI won't have any of those things in the house. I say things every day in my home that would have every law enforcement agency in the world descending on my house and I would have to shoot them. |
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Post by fadingdaylight on Jun 25, 2021 11:19:12 GMT -5
But you're so mild mannered here...🤪😂
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Post by Ronv69 on Jun 25, 2021 14:10:25 GMT -5
But you're so mild mannered here...🤪😂 You have no idea. Especially after the president said he was going to nuke us. 🤬 |
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Post by CrustyCat on Jun 30, 2021 1:28:37 GMT -5
We mostly just buy things from Amazon that we can't get locally, at least without an unreasonable amount of effort/money. Plus, Prime has Bosch!. Other than that I hate them. love the show Bosch. The final season is now available. I only have one episode left to watch. I used to work for Amazon at the distribution center they used to have here in fernley, horrible company to work for. But I still buy stuff from them. |
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Post by Legend Lover on Jun 30, 2021 3:15:23 GMT -5
Yeah. I was a very early Amazon-adopter, back when they just sold books. I was a reader in a small rural town with no bookstores worth the name within a hundred miles. Amazon was a godsend. Then they expanded. Then Prime. Then they just kept expanding. And now, yeah, whenever I search for a product, 90% of what I find is made by some Chinese pop-up company with no history and a name generated by a random character generator.It is also Amazing how many of the Chinese products can get tens of thousands of positive reviews seemingly overnight. At the price some of these go at, I wonder how they even make money from the manufacture. |
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Post by Plainsman on Jun 30, 2021 6:11:11 GMT -5
It is also Amazing how many of the Chinese products can get tens of thousands of positive reviews seemingly overnight. At the price some of these go at, I wonder how they even make money from the manufacture. Part of the plan to run us into the ground on all fronts. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jun 30, 2021 10:20:34 GMT -5
At the price some of these go at, I wonder how they even make money from the manufacture. Part of the plan to run us into the ground on all fronts. This^^^^^ |
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Post by sperrytops on Jun 30, 2021 12:45:27 GMT -5
It's clear Amazon plays their own tricks with ratings and pricing. I use Amazon, but I usually investigate quality of brands and models on sites other than Amazon first. When I've finally settled on the product I want to buy, I compare prices on a variety of sites including Amazon. I'll generally go for the best deal from a reliable site. Sometimes it's Amazon,and you have to take shipping costs into consideration as Amazon Prime is zero shipping cost. So sometimes they're the best place to buy, sometimes they're not. As for local businesses, well so often they simply don't carry the item I want. It's a problem and that's what sets the online retailers apart form the local businesses. They have warehouse space to carry a greater variety and make it available when you need it. I feel bad for the local businesses, but our retail landscape is changing dramatically in the 21st century and perhaps the local B&M model just won't survive. Keep in mind that many online retailers are also local businesses that do most of their sales out of their warehouse and not their storefront. So they are adapting.
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bulldog44
New Member
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Post by bulldog44 on Jul 13, 2021 6:08:13 GMT -5
I do 95% of all shopping on amazon,and why not? Usually the best prices,best variety and selection,reviews to help you decide.I can get anything I need without fighting traffic congestion to get to a store which may not have what i`m looking for.I buy lots of books,and amazon has used books for a fraction of the price. I expect amazon and wal mart to put everyone else out of business.
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Post by trailboss on Jul 13, 2021 21:14:25 GMT -5
Wow.
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Post by toshtego on Jul 13, 2021 21:17:49 GMT -5
Once again, Amazon is low hassle and fast service. Most everyone else I deal with takes ten days to two weeks to complete an order.
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Post by fadingdaylight on Jul 14, 2021 5:13:03 GMT -5
I expect amazon and wal mart to put everyone else out of business. And this is exactly what scares me. |
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Post by fadingdaylight on Jul 14, 2021 5:15:27 GMT -5
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Post by Legend Lover on Jul 14, 2021 5:28:23 GMT -5
I like the way that's on a Kindle. |
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Post by Plainsman on Jul 14, 2021 12:08:19 GMT -5
Spending our money out here on the slowly de-populating High Plains involves both thought and strategy. If I can get it locally, I will. Even if I have to wait for THEM to get it. But there’s no denying that Amazon offers a level of convenience (and sometimes economy) that is almost impossible to resist. Plus variety and selection. We have a great hardware store with an excellent selection of goods and friendly, reliable service. (I bought a pull-behind seeder which they had to order for me. One of those DIY put-together jobbies. But when I arrived to pick it up, they had already assembled it for me. No extra charge and they loaded it into my truck for me, too. That’s kinda the way it is out here.) Downside— the only “convenience store” we have is at a local café. I’ve seen the owners at Walmart stocking up. They have a simple formula— they double the Walmart price. I won’t shop there unless it’s a dire emergency and that just about NEVER happens. Dogfood, electronics, reloading supplies, books, etc.— it all comes by Mr Brown.
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Hand of Glory
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Post by Hand of Glory on Jul 15, 2021 8:45:03 GMT -5
Year over year amazon has become less trustworthy. To me it seems that their products become of a lower quality each year while their prices climb, I understand that some of this price is due to inflation, but it seems like amazons premium is growing as well.
I have begun to purchase directly from manufacturers I trust and have gone back to purchasing from brick and mortar businesses whenever possible, especially independent businesses that are more focused on quality goods and customer service.
Our world is evolving into a world of cheap and disposable goods. It’s sad that quality and the life of a product has been sacrificed to such a point.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 15, 2021 8:54:43 GMT -5
I am worried about all of the packaging waste. I burn a big pile of boxes every week, but the disposable appliances and small packaging, cans, and just trash is going to overwhelm the environment sooner rather than later. Most places don't have recycling because there isn't any profit in it. Products are going to have to have a recycling tax applied at time of purchase.
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Hand of Glory
Junior Member
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Post by Hand of Glory on Jul 15, 2021 9:35:57 GMT -5
I am worried about all of the packaging waste. I burn a big pile of boxes every week, but the disposable appliances and small packaging, cans, and just trash is going to overwhelm the environment sooner rather than later. Most places don't have recycling because there isn't any profit in it. Products are going to have to have a recycling tax applied at time of purchase. The waste is a big thing for me too. The amount of packaging amazon uses is ridiculous. Boxes within boxes. |
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Post by trailboss on Jul 15, 2021 9:43:31 GMT -5
They need to use pipes and cigar packaging…. Thin walled and it is in decomposition when it hits your mailbox.
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