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I was a heavy Amazon customer 8-10 years ago. I only bought stuff sold directly by Amazon, and that was not hard to do, since +90% of the products had that opti

I was a heavy Amazon customer 8-10 years ago. I only bought stuff sold directly by Amazon, and that was not hard to do, since +90% of the products had that option. The other day I was just checking the price of an article for my mom and I was shocked how different is now, the proportion has totally changed, +90% of the articles are not sold by Amazon and by the "stores" name it looks they are barely better than random dropshippers. So if you buy 3-4 articles instead of dealing with a single established company you are dealing with many unknown vendors. The probability of getting lemons rises up dramatically. Amazon has gotten complacent due to its quasi-monopoly. I think now it is the time for a serious competition to take business out from them. One of those brick-and-mortar ex-giants, the ones who were displaced could make a comeback. If I buy online I want to deal with recognized companies who have a track record of shipping real products and honoring the warranties, not with some randoms hidden behind not recognizable names.

bombcar 6y ago
The same thing happened to Ebay and Etsy - once they reached a certain level of popularity based on the original premise it turned into a outlet for cheap junk. I've taken to finding as much as I can at places that DO NOT have a "marketplace" such as Target or Home Depot.
- s0rce 6y ago
  Ebay has lots of junk (the worst being the people who drop ship items from Amazon marked up or just outright scams) but its also a source of really good deals that you really can't find elsewhere. Refurbished PCs, obscure electronics, mechanical and pneumatic fittings, lots of stuff I order for work to test/prototype which can save $100s-$1000s. I also use ebay for various antique/vintage stuff (only <$100). Seems like overall a positive experience and the few times I've had issues I've always got my money back and the scammers account was closed, although I'm sure they just pop up again under a new name.
- birdyrooster 6y ago
  Quick counter: eBay is legit and has so much non-junk that its one of my top 10 visited sites. I've only once received a counterfeit item and it was a Sandisk branded sd card, but everything else in my three-hundred-and-counting auction history has arrived as described by the seller.
- zbrozek 6y ago
  Yup. It's all the same trash everywhere. Costco still curates.
sergiotapia 6y ago
Where do you purchase things from now? I've been using Zappos for clothing and shoes, their filters are dead simple and allow laser-targeting.
- cambalache 6y ago
  I dont buy much stuff these days but my last cell phone for example, I bough it from my regular supermarket!, same price as Amazon (just a Blu phone, nothing fancy), 1 year warranty, and I could check it first for a while so I had a better idea on what I was getting. I liked Newegg too for PC parts and other stuff so I am dismayed to see they are going Amazon's way too.
prepend 6y ago
> I think now it is the time for a serious competition to take business out from them. I think this is Walmart nowadays. They bought Jet in 2016 and seem to have scaled Jet up and everywhere. Jet was the last company I know of to go up against Amazon. I think it’s a real opportunity for a Chinese or Korean brand. Or if Aldi/IKEA want to go into retail space.

bombcar 6y ago

The same thing happened to Ebay and Etsy - once they reached a certain level of popularity based on the original premise it turned into a outlet for cheap junk. I've taken to finding as much as I can at places that DO NOT have a "marketplace" such as Target or Home Depot.

s0rce 6y ago
Ebay has lots of junk (the worst being the people who drop ship items from Amazon marked up or just outright scams) but its also a source of really good deals that you really can't find elsewhere. Refurbished PCs, obscure electronics, mechanical and pneumatic fittings, lots of stuff I order for work to test/prototype which can save $100s-$1000s. I also use ebay for various antique/vintage stuff (only <$100). Seems like overall a positive experience and the few times I've had issues I've always got my money back and the scammers account was closed, although I'm sure they just pop up again under a new name.
birdyrooster 6y ago
Quick counter: eBay is legit and has so much non-junk that its one of my top 10 visited sites. I've only once received a counterfeit item and it was a Sandisk branded sd card, but everything else in my three-hundred-and-counting auction history has arrived as described by the seller.
zbrozek 6y ago
Yup. It's all the same trash everywhere. Costco still curates.

sergiotapia 6y ago

Where do you purchase things from now? I've been using Zappos for clothing and shoes, their filters are dead simple and allow laser-targeting.

cambalache 6y ago
I dont buy much stuff these days but my last cell phone for example, I bough it from my regular supermarket!, same price as Amazon (just a Blu phone, nothing fancy), 1 year warranty, and I could check it first for a while so I had a better idea on what I was getting. I liked Newegg too for PC parts and other stuff so I am dismayed to see they are going Amazon's way too.

prepend 6y ago

> I think now it is the time for a serious competition to take business out from them. I think this is Walmart nowadays. They bought Jet in 2016 and seem to have scaled Jet up and everywhere. Jet was the last company I know of to go up against Amazon. I think it’s a real opportunity for a Chinese or Korean brand. Or if Aldi/IKEA want to go into retail space.