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I feel like we're already starting to see the effects of Amazon's attempts to become profitable. Their customer service has certainly gone down the drain, and

I feel like we're already starting to see the effects of Amazon's attempts to become profitable. Their customer service has certainly gone down the drain, and their whole website is littered with cheap garbage from Alibaba. To me, it looks like they pulled the typical bait-and-switch we see every day with mobile apps: Offer something great for free. Then, once you've cornered the market, start squeezing every penny out of your users and cutting corners everywhere.

gdulli 10y ago
Since I don't have Prime I'm not locked into Amazon. I've noticed in the last few years that the assumption that Amazon will have the best deal is no longer a safe one. I'm not surprised they push Prime so aggressively. The fewer people paying attention, the better.
- rootusrootus 10y ago
  I have Prime and I don't feel the list bit locked in. I get enough value from the streaming video to justify the cost, free 2-day-ish shipping is just a nice bonus now. I'm also definitely aware of how their prices are no longer automatically the lowest. I shop around, factor in 'how soon do I want it', and sometimes I buy from Amazon, sometimes not.
gowld 10y ago
Alibaba garbage exists because the modern manufacturing and logistics economy makes it easy to deploy that stuff, and it overwhelms very similar looking quality stuff. You can shop sold-by-Amazon.com only if you only want highly reputatable stuff
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- mattpavelle 10y ago
  Actually, "sold-by-Amazon.com only" doesn't help avoid knock-offs. "For Faster Shipping, Items Are Commingled at Warehouses, Opening the Door to Knockoffs" (https://www.wsj.com/articles/on-amazon-pooled-merchandise-opens-door-to-knockoffs-1399852852 https://www.wsj.com/articles/on-amazon-pooled-merchandise-op...). Basically if a third party seller says it's a "Genuine Apple iPhone Charger" (whether it is or not) and the packaging looks real enough, it gets thrown in with all the other sellers (including Amazon) who have genuine chargers. Thus "sold by Amazon.com" means just what it says - "sold" by. Not "sourced" by...
  - gozur88 10y ago
    I've never had that happen to me, and if it does I'll send the item back. This isn't something that should keep you up at night.
    - troisx 10y ago
      Over the past 6 months I've had to return over half of the 40 items I've purchased from amazon for reasons ranging from being fake to damaged in shipping. The guy who took most of my returns at the UPS store said he's has a large increase in returns to Amazon. Could be that more people are ordering, and I know antecdotes aren't great evidence. But I do think that if Amazon keeps selling fake merchandise and inconveniencing consumers, they're going to suffer in the long term. I'm also waiting to see if I get banned for "abusing" their return policy which legitimate customers have reported happening.
      - manyxcxi 10y ago
        I'll second this. I checked my order history, I've got about a 40% return rate over the last 12 months. Most are things I bought that looked okay and were just junk when I got them. Some were standard "it didn't quite fit/whatever" returns, and then the ones that really get me mad are the ones that are supposed to be a brand name and holding it up next to a known genuine article they're not even a good fake. Trendy brands of clothes or accessories don't even bother. Supposedly real brand name ICs and small electrical components, completely hopeless. Throw in the fact that they don't notify you when your shipping times changes and it almost always seems to push out a day or two as soon as you purchase it and I've practically quit shopping on Amazon unless I can't find it anywhere else or I don't care about the quality that I'm getting.
bduerst 10y ago
Or what about how they refuse to carry competitor electronic products, like Apple TV or Chromecast?
- bb611 10y ago
  Is that a real problem? Genuinely curious why that bothers you

gdulli 10y ago

Since I don't have Prime I'm not locked into Amazon. I've noticed in the last few years that the assumption that Amazon will have the best deal is no longer a safe one. I'm not surprised they push Prime so aggressively. The fewer people paying attention, the better.

rootusrootus 10y ago
I have Prime and I don't feel the list bit locked in. I get enough value from the streaming video to justify the cost, free 2-day-ish shipping is just a nice bonus now. I'm also definitely aware of how their prices are no longer automatically the lowest. I shop around, factor in 'how soon do I want it', and sometimes I buy from Amazon, sometimes not.

gowld 10y ago

Alibaba garbage exists because the modern manufacturing and logistics economy makes it easy to deploy that stuff, and it overwhelms very similar looking quality stuff. You can shop sold-by-Amazon.com only if you only want highly reputatable stuff

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
mattpavelle 10y ago
Actually, "sold-by-Amazon.com only" doesn't help avoid knock-offs. "For Faster Shipping, Items Are Commingled at Warehouses, Opening the Door to Knockoffs" (https://www.wsj.com/articles/on-amazon-pooled-merchandise-opens-door-to-knockoffs-1399852852 https://www.wsj.com/articles/on-amazon-pooled-merchandise-op...). Basically if a third party seller says it's a "Genuine Apple iPhone Charger" (whether it is or not) and the packaging looks real enough, it gets thrown in with all the other sellers (including Amazon) who have genuine chargers. Thus "sold by Amazon.com" means just what it says - "sold" by. Not "sourced" by...
- gozur88 10y ago
  I've never had that happen to me, and if it does I'll send the item back. This isn't something that should keep you up at night.
  - troisx 10y ago
    Over the past 6 months I've had to return over half of the 40 items I've purchased from amazon for reasons ranging from being fake to damaged in shipping. The guy who took most of my returns at the UPS store said he's has a large increase in returns to Amazon. Could be that more people are ordering, and I know antecdotes aren't great evidence. But I do think that if Amazon keeps selling fake merchandise and inconveniencing consumers, they're going to suffer in the long term. I'm also waiting to see if I get banned for "abusing" their return policy which legitimate customers have reported happening.
    - manyxcxi 10y ago
      I'll second this. I checked my order history, I've got about a 40% return rate over the last 12 months. Most are things I bought that looked okay and were just junk when I got them. Some were standard "it didn't quite fit/whatever" returns, and then the ones that really get me mad are the ones that are supposed to be a brand name and holding it up next to a known genuine article they're not even a good fake. Trendy brands of clothes or accessories don't even bother. Supposedly real brand name ICs and small electrical components, completely hopeless. Throw in the fact that they don't notify you when your shipping times changes and it almost always seems to push out a day or two as soon as you purchase it and I've practically quit shopping on Amazon unless I can't find it anywhere else or I don't care about the quality that I'm getting.

bduerst 10y ago

Or what about how they refuse to carry competitor electronic products, like Apple TV or Chromecast?

bb611 10y ago
Is that a real problem? Genuinely curious why that bothers you