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I dropped Amazon entirely a couple years ago because they didn't provide any way at all to separate my credit card from my kid's Fire tablet and I didn't want t

I dropped Amazon entirely a couple years ago because they didn't provide any way at all to separate my credit card from my kid's Fire tablet and I didn't want to be on the hook for thousands in charges because he pushed the wrong button. It's remarkably easy! It has made basically no change to my life except that I'm a little smug about not using Amazon.

gxs 14d ago
What do you use instead? My main reason for using Amazon is the shipping which no one else can come close to Same or next day shipping on most things I order is wild, when something goes beyond a 2-3 days on Amazon it even feels odd And the “do you actually need the item/s that fast” isn’t the response I am looking for
- MrDrMcCoy 14d ago
  Shop.App doesn't have everything, but they do have a lot and many merchants have fast shipping options. I always try to search them and Newegg before trying Amazon.
  - sandmn 13d ago
    Newegg marketplace is a funny place. Not only many items are more expensive than elsewhere, I had my orders delivered literally in Amazon or Walmart packaging. There are genuine merchants that made a choice to work with Newegg but there are many resellers from other stores as well.
- jonahhorowitz 14d ago
  Target/Walmart/BestBuy. They both have fast shipping options as well as store pickup. Sometimes (if you live somewhere more rural) they have _faster_ shipping times than Amazon.
  - kps 14d ago
    I'm not in the US, but friends there tell me that Home Depot routinely delivers from the local store within a few hours. (Here, unfortunately, their web site is useless crap.)
    - ethbr1 14d ago
      Walmart / Home Depot / Lowes / Kroger are generally going to beat Amazon on quickest delivery for most people for most items, if they want to, by virtue of their local brick and mortar footprint. One reason I imagine Amazon pushed so hard for short delivery times was knowing eventually their legacy peers would leverage this against them.
      - al_borland 13d ago
        Not to mention a long delivery time gives people more opportunity to simply go to the store and get something, while they’re out running other errands. I live in a well populated suburban area. If I’m willing to actually leave my house, I can get most things much faster than Amazon can deliver them. This also helps keep those local businesses running, so shipping doesn’t become the only option in the future.
- deepsun 14d ago
  Home Depot/Lowes often have faster delivery than Amazon (like literally delivered in a few hours or next day morning).
  - salad-tycoon 14d ago
    I live in the country. Amazon takes days to ship out here, though sometimes it has 1-2 day. Walmart has same day shipping (not delivery, regular shipping) and is cheaper or comparable to Amazon.
screamingninja 14d ago
Could you create a separate account for the tablet without that credit card? Just curious.
- red-iron-pine 14d ago
  but then how do you pay for things if/when you want to buy the little one something? you either add the card then remove it, get a separate card, or find a way to use credits somehow -- but in the case of the latter two, Junior could still slam a few buttons and eat up all available funds on that card -- just without the impact of your regular card.
  - thesuitonym 14d ago
    This is something that Apple really got right. My kids can initiate any kind of purchase they want (At least, those that are allowed based on Screen Time controls) but every purchase stops and waits for approval from me or my wife. Even if the item is free. No faffing about with credits, or extra cards, or setting limits.
  - machomaster 14d ago
    Just use a bank with a decent service (like Revolut), create a separate card number for your kid (10s within the bank app), where you put more money when needed and can easily put the number on hold or activate it whenever you please.
    - Smoosh 14d ago
      Like this Revolut? https://cybernews.com/security/revolut-data-breach-75-million-records/ https://cybernews.com/security/revolut-data-breach-75-millio...
      - machomaster 13d ago
        > After the publication went live, Revolut reassured that the review is still ongoing. "We have so far still found no indications of any breach." > "We have checked the user and card identifiers contained in the alleged records against our systems, and none of them correspond to valid or genuine Revolut identifiers," the spokesperson said.

gxs 14d ago

What do you use instead? My main reason for using Amazon is the shipping which no one else can come close to Same or next day shipping on most things I order is wild, when something goes beyond a 2-3 days on Amazon it even feels odd And the “do you actually need the item/s that fast” isn’t the response I am looking for

MrDrMcCoy 14d ago
Shop.App doesn't have everything, but they do have a lot and many merchants have fast shipping options. I always try to search them and Newegg before trying Amazon.
- sandmn 13d ago
  Newegg marketplace is a funny place. Not only many items are more expensive than elsewhere, I had my orders delivered literally in Amazon or Walmart packaging. There are genuine merchants that made a choice to work with Newegg but there are many resellers from other stores as well.
jonahhorowitz 14d ago
Target/Walmart/BestBuy. They both have fast shipping options as well as store pickup. Sometimes (if you live somewhere more rural) they have _faster_ shipping times than Amazon.
- kps 14d ago
  I'm not in the US, but friends there tell me that Home Depot routinely delivers from the local store within a few hours. (Here, unfortunately, their web site is useless crap.)
  - ethbr1 14d ago
    Walmart / Home Depot / Lowes / Kroger are generally going to beat Amazon on quickest delivery for most people for most items, if they want to, by virtue of their local brick and mortar footprint. One reason I imagine Amazon pushed so hard for short delivery times was knowing eventually their legacy peers would leverage this against them.
    - al_borland 13d ago
      Not to mention a long delivery time gives people more opportunity to simply go to the store and get something, while they’re out running other errands. I live in a well populated suburban area. If I’m willing to actually leave my house, I can get most things much faster than Amazon can deliver them. This also helps keep those local businesses running, so shipping doesn’t become the only option in the future.
deepsun 14d ago
Home Depot/Lowes often have faster delivery than Amazon (like literally delivered in a few hours or next day morning).
- salad-tycoon 14d ago
  I live in the country. Amazon takes days to ship out here, though sometimes it has 1-2 day. Walmart has same day shipping (not delivery, regular shipping) and is cheaper or comparable to Amazon.

screamingninja 14d ago

Could you create a separate account for the tablet without that credit card? Just curious.

red-iron-pine 14d ago
but then how do you pay for things if/when you want to buy the little one something? you either add the card then remove it, get a separate card, or find a way to use credits somehow -- but in the case of the latter two, Junior could still slam a few buttons and eat up all available funds on that card -- just without the impact of your regular card.
- thesuitonym 14d ago
  This is something that Apple really got right. My kids can initiate any kind of purchase they want (At least, those that are allowed based on Screen Time controls) but every purchase stops and waits for approval from me or my wife. Even if the item is free. No faffing about with credits, or extra cards, or setting limits.
- machomaster 14d ago
  Just use a bank with a decent service (like Revolut), create a separate card number for your kid (10s within the bank app), where you put more money when needed and can easily put the number on hold or activate it whenever you please.
  - Smoosh 14d ago
    Like this Revolut? https://cybernews.com/security/revolut-data-breach-75-million-records/ https://cybernews.com/security/revolut-data-breach-75-millio...
    - machomaster 13d ago
      > After the publication went live, Revolut reassured that the review is still ongoing. "We have so far still found no indications of any breach." > "We have checked the user and card identifiers contained in the alleged records against our systems, and none of them correspond to valid or genuine Revolut identifiers," the spokesperson said.