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Here's my list of things I won't buy on Amazon.com: - Anything which goes in or on my body (foods, medicines, etc.). - Anything which is easily knocked off (S

by blagie 3y ago

Here's my list of things I won't buy on Amazon.com: - Anything which goes in or on my body (foods, medicines, etc.). - Anything which is easily knocked off (SD cards, memory, SSDs, etc.) - Bed sheets (oddly enough, you'll often get lies on materials and fabric) - Thing I need reliably / reliably on-time (I cancelled Prime after several shipping issues) Since I cancelled Prime, things added to this list include: - Most digital content (they added ads to music I paid for as soon as I cancelled Prime, and many newer Kindle books are hard to back up into non-DRMed formats) Most of what I will buy on Amazon are generic gizmos, like kids toys, cables, generic keyboards, battery chargers, basic tools, and basic clothing (kids pyjamas and that sort of thing). However, it's no longer my first source. I'll go Aliexpress, eBay, and Walmart first. I now have Walmart's equivalent of Prime instead. It's not great, but it's better. There is zero customer service, but shipping times are more accurate than Amazon, generally faster, and they'll actually let you know if something is running late or early (which is huge, if you're planning a project). Walmart's selection is worse than Amazons, but I'm hoping it will catch up. I also am starting to go to local stores again.

giarc 3y ago
Hate to break it to you, but Aliexpress is likely less reliable than Amazon (or have the exact same products). eBay is likely the same and Walmart allows 3rd party sellers so it's pretty much the same as Amazon unless you source the products curated by Walmart.
- emayljames 3y ago
  From much experience, AliExpress customer service is 100x better than Amazon. Very prompt refunds and dispute resolutions.
  - blagie 3y ago
    I agree with the math, but not the spirit. 0*100 = 0. Aliexpress is fast, efficient, but completely random and automated in resolution. Products from Aliexpress are great 50% of the time, non-working or not shipped 10% of the time, and somewhere in between 40% of the time. It's cheap and complete roulette. That's okay for a lot of things.
- blagie 3y ago
  I think you misread my comment. I'll go to Aliexpress and eBay first for: "kids toys, cables, generic keyboards, battery chargers, basic tools, and basic clothing." I have the exact same list for them as for Amazon. I'll go there first for those products since Aliexpress has much better prices than Amazon. eBay has better seller reviews. I certainly wouldn't buy food or medicine from them, though, or even bedsheets or SD cards. Walmart is a lot better than Amazon. They do have a search filter to disable marketplace sellers, and if buying from Walmart proper, I do trust them to still get supply chains adequately right. Amazon did okay here too, even a half-decade ago; it crapped out with Covid and never fixed itself. Perhaps Walmart will crap out too, but it hasn't yet.
  - 1905 3y ago
    > I'll go to Aliexpress and eBay first for: "kids toys, cables, generic keyboards, battery chargers, basic tools, and basic clothing." I do too. I don't use Amazon Prime and can usually find the same products for cheaper on ebay with free shipping. The competition among other sellers is greater on ebay so the price will often be lower. It is difficult to do returns though
  - giarc 3y ago
    Yes you are correct. I thought you meant you now go to Ali/eBay/walmart.com as first choice for any purchase. My mistake.
1905 3y ago
> - Bed sheets (oddly enough, you'll often get lies on materials and fabric) It makes you wonder about all those masks people were buying online and wearing 14+ hours a day
- blagie 3y ago
  I don't wonder. Fakes and knock-offs were rampant on Amazon -- for a long time, more common than genuine product. People tested them. That's especially true for brand names like 3M. I only bought through trusted supply chains. My masks were made in South Korea, and I bought directly from the manufacturer's US-based distributor.
  - wozniacki 3y ago
    People tested them. That's especially true for brand names like 3M. Would you link to the tests? My masks were made in South Korea, and I bought directly from the manufacturer's US-based distributor. Also link please!
RobotToaster 3y ago
> Bed sheets (oddly enough, you'll often get lies on materials and fabric) Happens with clothes too, had to return several linen shirts for this reason.
- blagie 3y ago
  I almost never buy fancy clothes with materials like linen. I do buy fancy sheets :) With work-at-home, most of my work day is spent in fluffy cotton pyjamas in the winter and simple underpants in the summer from basic-but-large companies like Hanes, Fruit-of-the-Loom, and similar. I'll put on a plain cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans to go out to the store or whatever. If it's cold, I'll toss on a worn-out long-sleeved t-shirt (the good ones see very little use) and/or a jacket of some kind. I do have fancy clothing for business meetings, as well as for specific types of exercise, but the total number of hours of usage on those is quite low. Post-covid life is good!
jetanoia 3y ago
Agreed with your post – except on the “Kids pajamas” – they should probably be reclassified under the “Anything which goes in or on my body” list you made. Whether it’s undisclosed flame retardants, toxic dyes, or other harmful substances, kids bodies are generally more susceptible to harm via environmental pollutants. Such harms may not be at all obvious in the short term, but could still be very harmful over the long-term. I wish I knew of a vastly superior option (ie, safer option) for buying kids or baby clothes. (Anyone have suggestions on this?) That said, I believe Amazon is probably at the riskier end of this spectrum vs.traditional stores because of their distributor-centric structure. Basically, if a harmful product were to receive any negative press, it would more easily be equated with a single company/seller from another country, and probably one with an odd-sounding name. With a more traditional brick and mortar store, the product may be sourced from the exact same producer, but the reputation hit will be greater to the brick and mortar store, because the customer tends to equate the product more closely with the the store itself. Often, they present themselves to the public as the “seller” of the product whereas Amazon will more give the presentation of “distributor” on behalf of “(_insert_generic_inscrutably-named_foreign_corporation_name)”. Fly-by-night seems an apt description for these companies most the time. This seemingly reduced level of accountability is the biggest problem I have with trusting them but it’s not the only one; it’s just compounded by the often fraudulent reviews, their practice of taking down authentic but critical reviews, and of selling counterfeits – even occasionally when one orders via a “Prime” option, or fulfilled by Amazon, or seemingly buys an item directly via the manufacturer’s Amazon ‘store’. Of course there are many other issues as well but these are a few that have created headaches for me in the past to the point that I now avoid them for most purchases.
- blagie 3y ago
  Can you name any specific instance where people were harmed by toxins in clothing? The skin tends to be a pretty good barrier. Creams and cosmetics are often designed to penetrate it, but clothing fits within my risk profile. I come in contact, skin-ways, with all sorts of nastier things day-to-day, even when working on my house. My concerns around clothing have more to do with durability, comfort, and quality. For example, bad pyjamas can be not very breathable or collect sweat. That's pretty easy to tell, though. So that's shady clothing fits in my risk profile. As a footnote: I'm not implying it should fit into your risk profile; I'd avoid based on hypothetical risks like lead contamination, PFAS, and other hypotheticals if I earned perhaps 50% more than I do today. I'm asking since if there are specific instances (not of contamination but of harm), I might change my risk profile.
Alupis 3y ago
> I'll go Aliexpress, eBay Do you know who sells on Aliexpress, and to a large extent on eBay? The very same shady Chinese/Indian sellers peddling counterfiet products you are seeking to avoid by not shopping on Amazon. Aliexpress was literally set up as a direct-to-US-market Chinese factory marketplace, which results in 99% counterfeit and knock-off products being pushed directly to consumers.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- hunter2_ 3y ago
  Sure, but it's obvious, unlike Amazon where you get duped. So if you want a real name brand product you shop at none of the above, and if you want cheap junk you go to AliExpress. There's not a large reason to roll the dice on something in between (Amazon) unless you want junk with much faster shipping and streamlined returns (at double the price of AE).
  - Alupis 3y ago
    It's just super ironic the parent post said they avoid counterfeits and knock-offs by shopping on Aliexpress. Aliexpress is basically counterfeit and knock-off central... On Amazon, look at who the seller is. If it's Amazon or the actual manufacturer, you'll be fine. For the rest, you need to do some additional research on the seller's business - but it's understandable to not want to do that effort. With that said, you can't actually lose on Amazon. Just return the item for a full refund and select "not as advertised" as the return reason. You'll get a free pre-paid return label, or drop off at a local store. I've bought plenty of expensive electronics on Amazon without reasonable fear.
    - blagie 3y ago
      > It's just super ironic the parent post said they avoid counterfeits and knock-offs by shopping on Aliexpress. Aliexpress is basically counterfeit and knock-off central... It doesn't. You read it wrong. Read it again.
wozniacki 3y ago
Where do you shop for the things that go into or on your body if I may ask?

by blagie 3y ago

giarc 3y ago

Hate to break it to you, but Aliexpress is likely less reliable than Amazon (or have the exact same products). eBay is likely the same and Walmart allows 3rd party sellers so it's pretty much the same as Amazon unless you source the products curated by Walmart.

emayljames 3y ago
From much experience, AliExpress customer service is 100x better than Amazon. Very prompt refunds and dispute resolutions.
- blagie 3y ago
  I agree with the math, but not the spirit. 0*100 = 0. Aliexpress is fast, efficient, but completely random and automated in resolution. Products from Aliexpress are great 50% of the time, non-working or not shipped 10% of the time, and somewhere in between 40% of the time. It's cheap and complete roulette. That's okay for a lot of things.
blagie 3y ago
I think you misread my comment. I'll go to Aliexpress and eBay first for: "kids toys, cables, generic keyboards, battery chargers, basic tools, and basic clothing." I have the exact same list for them as for Amazon. I'll go there first for those products since Aliexpress has much better prices than Amazon. eBay has better seller reviews. I certainly wouldn't buy food or medicine from them, though, or even bedsheets or SD cards. Walmart is a lot better than Amazon. They do have a search filter to disable marketplace sellers, and if buying from Walmart proper, I do trust them to still get supply chains adequately right. Amazon did okay here too, even a half-decade ago; it crapped out with Covid and never fixed itself. Perhaps Walmart will crap out too, but it hasn't yet.
- 1905 3y ago
  > I'll go to Aliexpress and eBay first for: "kids toys, cables, generic keyboards, battery chargers, basic tools, and basic clothing." I do too. I don't use Amazon Prime and can usually find the same products for cheaper on ebay with free shipping. The competition among other sellers is greater on ebay so the price will often be lower. It is difficult to do returns though
- giarc 3y ago
  Yes you are correct. I thought you meant you now go to Ali/eBay/walmart.com as first choice for any purchase. My mistake.

1905 3y ago

> - Bed sheets (oddly enough, you'll often get lies on materials and fabric) It makes you wonder about all those masks people were buying online and wearing 14+ hours a day

blagie 3y ago
I don't wonder. Fakes and knock-offs were rampant on Amazon -- for a long time, more common than genuine product. People tested them. That's especially true for brand names like 3M. I only bought through trusted supply chains. My masks were made in South Korea, and I bought directly from the manufacturer's US-based distributor.
- wozniacki 3y ago
  People tested them. That's especially true for brand names like 3M. Would you link to the tests? My masks were made in South Korea, and I bought directly from the manufacturer's US-based distributor. Also link please!

RobotToaster 3y ago

> Bed sheets (oddly enough, you'll often get lies on materials and fabric) Happens with clothes too, had to return several linen shirts for this reason.

blagie 3y ago
I almost never buy fancy clothes with materials like linen. I do buy fancy sheets :) With work-at-home, most of my work day is spent in fluffy cotton pyjamas in the winter and simple underpants in the summer from basic-but-large companies like Hanes, Fruit-of-the-Loom, and similar. I'll put on a plain cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans to go out to the store or whatever. If it's cold, I'll toss on a worn-out long-sleeved t-shirt (the good ones see very little use) and/or a jacket of some kind. I do have fancy clothing for business meetings, as well as for specific types of exercise, but the total number of hours of usage on those is quite low. Post-covid life is good!

jetanoia 3y ago

Agreed with your post – except on the “Kids pajamas” – they should probably be reclassified under the “Anything which goes in or on my body” list you made. Whether it’s undisclosed flame retardants, toxic dyes, or other harmful substances, kids bodies are generally more susceptible to harm via environmental pollutants. Such harms may not be at all obvious in the short term, but could still be very harmful over the long-term. I wish I knew of a vastly superior option (ie, safer option) for buying kids or baby clothes. (Anyone have suggestions on this?) That said, I believe Amazon is probably at the riskier end of this spectrum vs.traditional stores because of their distributor-centric structure. Basically, if a harmful product were to receive any negative press, it would more easily be equated with a single company/seller from another country, and probably one with an odd-sounding name. With a more traditional brick and mortar store, the product may be sourced from the exact same producer, but the reputation hit will be greater to the brick and mortar store, because the customer tends to equate the product more closely with the the store itself. Often, they present themselves to the public as the “seller” of the product whereas Amazon will more give the presentation of “distributor” on behalf of “(_insert_generic_inscrutably-named_foreign_corporation_name)”. Fly-by-night seems an apt description for these companies most the time. This seemingly reduced level of accountability is the biggest problem I have with trusting them but it’s not the only one; it’s just compounded by the often fraudulent reviews, their practice of taking down authentic but critical reviews, and of selling counterfeits – even occasionally when one orders via a “Prime” option, or fulfilled by Amazon, or seemingly buys an item directly via the manufacturer’s Amazon ‘store’. Of course there are many other issues as well but these are a few that have created headaches for me in the past to the point that I now avoid them for most purchases.

blagie 3y ago
Can you name any specific instance where people were harmed by toxins in clothing? The skin tends to be a pretty good barrier. Creams and cosmetics are often designed to penetrate it, but clothing fits within my risk profile. I come in contact, skin-ways, with all sorts of nastier things day-to-day, even when working on my house. My concerns around clothing have more to do with durability, comfort, and quality. For example, bad pyjamas can be not very breathable or collect sweat. That's pretty easy to tell, though. So that's shady clothing fits in my risk profile. As a footnote: I'm not implying it should fit into your risk profile; I'd avoid based on hypothetical risks like lead contamination, PFAS, and other hypotheticals if I earned perhaps 50% more than I do today. I'm asking since if there are specific instances (not of contamination but of harm), I might change my risk profile.

Alupis 3y ago

> I'll go Aliexpress, eBay Do you know who sells on Aliexpress, and to a large extent on eBay? The very same shady Chinese/Indian sellers peddling counterfiet products you are seeking to avoid by not shopping on Amazon. Aliexpress was literally set up as a direct-to-US-market Chinese factory marketplace, which results in 99% counterfeit and knock-off products being pushed directly to consumers.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
hunter2_ 3y ago
Sure, but it's obvious, unlike Amazon where you get duped. So if you want a real name brand product you shop at none of the above, and if you want cheap junk you go to AliExpress. There's not a large reason to roll the dice on something in between (Amazon) unless you want junk with much faster shipping and streamlined returns (at double the price of AE).
- Alupis 3y ago
  It's just super ironic the parent post said they avoid counterfeits and knock-offs by shopping on Aliexpress. Aliexpress is basically counterfeit and knock-off central... On Amazon, look at who the seller is. If it's Amazon or the actual manufacturer, you'll be fine. For the rest, you need to do some additional research on the seller's business - but it's understandable to not want to do that effort. With that said, you can't actually lose on Amazon. Just return the item for a full refund and select "not as advertised" as the return reason. You'll get a free pre-paid return label, or drop off at a local store. I've bought plenty of expensive electronics on Amazon without reasonable fear.
  - blagie 3y ago
    > It's just super ironic the parent post said they avoid counterfeits and knock-offs by shopping on Aliexpress. Aliexpress is basically counterfeit and knock-off central... It doesn't. You read it wrong. Read it again.

wozniacki 3y ago

Where do you shop for the things that go into or on your body if I may ask?