Yes, I buy everything above 50 euros straight from the manufacturer. Nowadays, most companies sell directly to consumers, shipping is fast enough and you gener

Yes, I buy everything above 50 euros straight from the manufacturer. Nowadays, most companies sell directly to consumers, shipping is fast enough and you generally get a genuine, updated and properly stored item. I usually make the following choice: For the item I want, is there a brand I trust, eg that designs and produces a high quality item, if possible locally? For example, I know some companies for speakers, kitchenwares and appliances that produce here in the EU (and I know people working there). I buy from them directly, since I care about not getting a fake. Or, is every product just a rebranding of the same thing from one or two factories in China anyway? If so, I go to amazon and buy one of the dozen identical trashware versions and accept that it will break. This bounds my willingness to spend. This strategy works for me. Only choosing Amazon as seller of last resort has reduced my issues with products to zero.