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I no longer buy anything important from Amazon, this especially goes for anything that plugs into the mains, I just don't trust Amazon any more. Amazon is now j

I no longer buy anything important from Amazon, this especially goes for anything that plugs into the mains, I just don't trust Amazon any more. Amazon is now just for those low value items that I might need in a bit of a rush. This is especially true now that more and more retailers have caught up with Amazon's shipping (at least here in the UK). They seem to want it both ways. They have simultaneously tried to argue that they are not responsible for third-party sellers and blame them when fake and/or unsafe goods are sold, but then they work hard to make it appear that everything is coming from one place. It gets particularly annoying when it's a product with lots of variations (colours/sizes etc) where each variant will be a different seller with different shipping.

Applejinx 5y ago
Like books, ironically. As near as I can work out, their business model is now based on your being able to send back completely wrong or broken things they've sent you, so I stick to stuff where I've got the luxury of going through a cumbersome return process if things go terribly wrong. My address has also been used as a target for a scam where, by sending unwanted goods to a real customer, a seller can fabricate a fake review that counts in their system as real. In one case it was a garbage light (shipped directly in its retail packaging so I could see what the thing was) that by a strange coincidence was the top-rated light on Amazon. Clearly an exploit that pays off. I stopped (I think) that behavior by returning some unsolicited packages to sender, at the post office.
scrooched_moose 5y ago
Same. Anything that plugs in, has batteries, or goes in my family's mouths is a no go for me now. I'm pretty much down to a few books, video games, and obscure fasteners/hardware/tools (which annoyingly they're just about the only good source for).
- uberstuber 5y ago
  McMaster-Carr might have a better selection of obscure fasteners/hardware/tools. Pricier, but often faster shipping than Amazon
  - scrooched_moose 5y ago
    Yeah, it depends on what you're looking for. McMaster is great for high quality serious Machine Shop level stuff, not so much for household oddities. Recently I needed some vinyl siding hooks[0], a really oddball size drawer slide, and replacement window springs. I ended up getting all of them on Amazon - even tracking back the manufacturers they seemed to exclusively sell on Amazon. 0) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083TPKJN1/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_7TZD2ZWMZN8A1KDR7SW2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083TPKJN1/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_im...
- caconym_ 5y ago
  Don't forget your family's lungs. I don't really order the right sorts of things, but my wife often orders things that arrive smelling like they were dipped in benzene before leaving the factory. Kind of a good metaphor for how toxic Amazon as a whole is, actually.

Applejinx 5y ago

Like books, ironically. As near as I can work out, their business model is now based on your being able to send back completely wrong or broken things they've sent you, so I stick to stuff where I've got the luxury of going through a cumbersome return process if things go terribly wrong. My address has also been used as a target for a scam where, by sending unwanted goods to a real customer, a seller can fabricate a fake review that counts in their system as real. In one case it was a garbage light (shipped directly in its retail packaging so I could see what the thing was) that by a strange coincidence was the top-rated light on Amazon. Clearly an exploit that pays off. I stopped (I think) that behavior by returning some unsolicited packages to sender, at the post office.

scrooched_moose 5y ago

Same. Anything that plugs in, has batteries, or goes in my family's mouths is a no go for me now. I'm pretty much down to a few books, video games, and obscure fasteners/hardware/tools (which annoyingly they're just about the only good source for).

uberstuber 5y ago
McMaster-Carr might have a better selection of obscure fasteners/hardware/tools. Pricier, but often faster shipping than Amazon
- scrooched_moose 5y ago
  Yeah, it depends on what you're looking for. McMaster is great for high quality serious Machine Shop level stuff, not so much for household oddities. Recently I needed some vinyl siding hooks[0], a really oddball size drawer slide, and replacement window springs. I ended up getting all of them on Amazon - even tracking back the manufacturers they seemed to exclusively sell on Amazon. 0) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083TPKJN1/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_7TZD2ZWMZN8A1KDR7SW2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083TPKJN1/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_im...
caconym_ 5y ago
Don't forget your family's lungs. I don't really order the right sorts of things, but my wife often orders things that arrive smelling like they were dipped in benzene before leaving the factory. Kind of a good metaphor for how toxic Amazon as a whole is, actually.