4 ms·

I mostly get what I order, but I don't order much in the way of electronics or things where scams are common, though I did have to be careful when ordering a si

by Natsu 5y ago

I mostly get what I order, but I don't order much in the way of electronics or things where scams are common, though I did have to be careful when ordering a simple micro SD card as there were many incredibly cheap, off-brand products that were likely to be scams. I have also seen a few deliveries with pictures that went to what was clearly the wrong address, had a box of chocolates arrive totally melted where the ice pack exploded and left me with a wet, melted box of chocolates, and during early Covid, I did end up getting scam toilet paper rolls shipped in from China. Oh, it was actually toilet paper, but the rolls were incredibly tiny and nothing at all like the pictures. So... definitely hit or miss and it depends a lot on what you order.

WalterBright 5y ago
Well, some common sense is needed. Anything at too-good-to-be-true prices are nearly always a scam, for example. I buy about everything from Amazon, since the beginning, and have had nearly zero issues. A screw-up now and then is forgivable.
- Natsu 5y ago
  Yeah, but I can hardly blame non-technical people who don't know the prices of things and who haven't heard about the cheats that off-brand memory cards can pull. I mean, many of them advertise to the computer that they are the listed size. But... when you fill them up, it becomes clear that's a lie. I wish Amazon could randomly test and delist some of those products or whatever. Or maybe do some random testing before listing them for sale, it's not some obscure scam after all.
  - WalterBright 5y ago
    Of course Amazon needs to do better. But the point remains - to-good-to-be-true prices should always arouse suspicions, as they are a tell for scams.
    - Natsu 5y ago
      Oh, I definitely look for those as well, but I'm just saying this is often difficult because people don't know what brands are trustworthy or what a "too good to be true" price is in the first place.
      - WalterBright 5y ago
        When searching for USB sticks, and there are two clusters of prices, one of which is 20% of the other, you don't have to know much to be skeptical.

by Natsu 5y ago

WalterBright 5y ago

Well, some common sense is needed. Anything at too-good-to-be-true prices are nearly always a scam, for example. I buy about everything from Amazon, since the beginning, and have had nearly zero issues. A screw-up now and then is forgivable.

Natsu 5y ago
Yeah, but I can hardly blame non-technical people who don't know the prices of things and who haven't heard about the cheats that off-brand memory cards can pull. I mean, many of them advertise to the computer that they are the listed size. But... when you fill them up, it becomes clear that's a lie. I wish Amazon could randomly test and delist some of those products or whatever. Or maybe do some random testing before listing them for sale, it's not some obscure scam after all.
- WalterBright 5y ago
  Of course Amazon needs to do better. But the point remains - to-good-to-be-true prices should always arouse suspicions, as they are a tell for scams.
  - Natsu 5y ago
    Oh, I definitely look for those as well, but I'm just saying this is often difficult because people don't know what brands are trustworthy or what a "too good to be true" price is in the first place.
    - WalterBright 5y ago
      When searching for USB sticks, and there are two clusters of prices, one of which is 20% of the other, you don't have to know much to be skeptical.