3 ms·

Amazon's reputation is pretty damaged in my eyes. I have rarely used them for electronics anymore as you can't trust anything. Even at work we used prime to buy

Amazon's reputation is pretty damaged in my eyes. I have rarely used them for electronics anymore as you can't trust anything. Even at work we used prime to buy certain items and I stopped it. Example: Last week two symbol barcode scanners used in the erp system died. I look up the same model on newegg and see that sold and shipped by newegg it was about $120. Amazon had multiple listing in the $60 range and checking reviews I see things like "died in two weeks", FAKE, "died and returned to symbol only for them to say it was a fake and they were refused service or replacement". How do you build trust with shenanigans like that? No thanks, Newegg got my money. Amazon seems to be playing oblivious to all this mainly because people are STILL using them. So as long as they are making money they can afford to lose a few "picky" customers here and there. The rest are happy to buy trash because they save a buck. Capitalism at its finest.

cptskippy 7y ago
Sadly Newegg is following in Amazon's footsteps with it's affiliate program. You have to choose Newegg as the seller or you run into the same issues. As soon as Newegg starts mingling stock like Amazon does, then we'll have to go back to big box retailers to ensure we're getting the item we're paying for.
- toasterlovin 7y ago
  Small nitpick, but what you are referring to is not an affiliate program. An affiliate program is where a website gets a cut of the sales for providing links to a retailer's site. So, The Wirecutter makes money by using affiliate links to Amazon and other retailers on their product review articles.
  - cptskippy 7y ago
    Yeah you're right. I'm not sure what the correct term is.
    - toasterlovin 7y ago
      I'm not sure either, tbh. Perhaps 'marketplace' or 'platform'.
    - papln 7y ago
      "3rd-party" or "3P" sellers.
- LegitShady 7y ago
  In 2016 a company called Liason Interactive bought a majority stake in Newegg, personally I think to try to turn newegg into an electronics version of amazon. Since around then Newegg has been garbage, and continues to become worse. I think any seller like amazon or newegg that turns into a marketplace/platform is trading their reputation for the potential of a cut from a much larger market, and they probably do this knowingly.
  - sk5t 7y ago
    At least B&H and Adorama are still clean, right?
    - LegitShady 7y ago
      Pretty sure they're actual giant brick and mortar stores in NYC. Not proof against buying out but different. I dont buy enough from either to know.
jshowa3 7y ago
I don't buy from Amazon simply because they've become a dump of all things crap for years. Their UI is horrid an tricks you into clicking on ads by putting them in product listings. And they treat their employees like dirt.

cptskippy 7y ago

Sadly Newegg is following in Amazon's footsteps with it's affiliate program. You have to choose Newegg as the seller or you run into the same issues. As soon as Newegg starts mingling stock like Amazon does, then we'll have to go back to big box retailers to ensure we're getting the item we're paying for.

toasterlovin 7y ago
Small nitpick, but what you are referring to is not an affiliate program. An affiliate program is where a website gets a cut of the sales for providing links to a retailer's site. So, The Wirecutter makes money by using affiliate links to Amazon and other retailers on their product review articles.
- cptskippy 7y ago
  Yeah you're right. I'm not sure what the correct term is.
  - toasterlovin 7y ago
    I'm not sure either, tbh. Perhaps 'marketplace' or 'platform'.
  - papln 7y ago
    "3rd-party" or "3P" sellers.
LegitShady 7y ago
In 2016 a company called Liason Interactive bought a majority stake in Newegg, personally I think to try to turn newegg into an electronics version of amazon. Since around then Newegg has been garbage, and continues to become worse. I think any seller like amazon or newegg that turns into a marketplace/platform is trading their reputation for the potential of a cut from a much larger market, and they probably do this knowingly.
- sk5t 7y ago
  At least B&H and Adorama are still clean, right?
  - LegitShady 7y ago
    Pretty sure they're actual giant brick and mortar stores in NYC. Not proof against buying out but different. I dont buy enough from either to know.

jshowa3 7y ago

I don't buy from Amazon simply because they've become a dump of all things crap for years. Their UI is horrid an tricks you into clicking on ads by putting them in product listings. And they treat their employees like dirt.