View Full Version : Amazon.com
Just curious to know what you guys think of shopping on Amazon.com. Like? Dislike? Somewhere in between? Or, do you ignore or avoid them?
Prime member, have been for years,
they are a bane to retailers, but often offer up stuff that I cannot get locally,
wife is Celiac, and trying an AIP diet, so some of the ingredients I need to bake with are available online, usually cheaper than other online retailers, and not always available locally,
we also use the TV and music functions
I shop there pretty much every time I need something except groceries or pet food, I get that from Chewy.
I shop there pretty much every time I need something except groceries or pet food, I get that from Chewy.
Chewy (for pets) is a good company. I believe they sell direct and through ebay also.
Amazon I only use as a last resort for gifts that I can not find anywhere else. Amazon tricks buyers into their "prime" subscription and it's difficult to get out of it. For someone who shops a lot with them the monthly fees of the "prime" account may pay for itself with the discounts and free shipping but not in my case.
I don't understand their return policy and don't even know where to begin. They don't make it very user friendly to find.
Before "prime" and maybe still, Amazon would advertise free shipping on orders over $35. Amazon drop ships for many of its items so if you order several things they may come from different places. Several times I ordered auto parts for instance, sometimes buying more than I wanted in order to exceed the free shipping limits. At the close of checkout after payment and not before, I would then find that item "A" would be coming from one company, item"B" another and item "C" yet another so I would end up having to pay shipping for all the items I purchased separately and not get free shipping by any stretch of the imagination. Free shipping would only occur if you bought items within their warehouse like this is something you would know.
In short, I've used them, still have an account with them, have had nothing but problems, got rooked into a mandatory "prime" account that I had to research the web for to find a way to unsubscribe. The prime account auto-bills your credit card every month so they don't want you to end that. Some of the items I purchased were wrong but more trouble than it is worth trying to return them since they came from sellers from all over.
The ONLY thing I will recommend Amazon for is their reviews on items they sell. While I'm sure most of the positive (5 star) reviews are made up they do publish the lower scores also like "one star" or "2 star" reviews that I feel are somewhat believable since many of those I've read agree with some of my experiences. I read their reviews but buy elsewhere.
For someone who lives out in the boonies and doesn't get out much this may be a great convenience for you but personally I use ebay with far fewer problems and headaches. You can also order from Walmart and have it delivered or pick-up at the store.
Additionally Amazon supports illegals, open borders, queers, contributes to the DNC, owns the Washington Post and is anti-Trump.
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/01/12/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-announces-33-million-in-scholarships-for-1000-dreamers/
blackhawknj
04-24-2019, 07:44
Ignore and avoid. Don't like Bezos' politics, don't like using credit cards, don't want things shipped to my home address, like to look things over first. In my case at 69 I pretty much have what I want. Also I am a dedicated thrift shop/rummage-garage-estate sale hound.
m1ashooter
04-24-2019, 08:45
I use Amazon a lot as I work mid shifts and find it easier to just order from home. My children are in different cities so Amazon makes it very easy to send them loot. We watch Amazon Prime TV and use Amazon Kindel Readers.
We use Amazon Kindel Readers.
My wife has a kindle fire 8.9" and she uses it constantly but as a tablet or laptop only. It is connected thru our WiFi or DSL router and it works like any other computer. She watches video's, reads internet news, email and facebook. It has never been used as a book or used with any Amazon resources. She likes it because it is small and light. Like a Samsung Galaxie but far less expensive. By comparison, my heavy Apple 17" MacBook Pro is like having a microwave oven on your lap.
I have used amazon for buying books. But to me the site is too hard to figure out. I get loads of stuff from ebay. Automotive and photography stuff I get lots of that on ebay.
I don't like any of these guyses politics and I think they don't really need to have 100 billion dollars. That's the real number.
I’ve been buying stuff from Amazon for years and recently got tricked into a prime subscription. I also had to look up how to unsubscribe however, I probably buy enough stuff from them to balance out the shipping costs vs subscription fee and the 2nd day delivery is a plus. A major mall not far from my home closed its doors recently (Century 3) largely because of on-line shopping and will be redeveloped.
Mark in Ottawa
04-25-2019, 02:18
I have purchased the odd thing from them with no complaints although the shipping costs were high in comparison to the value of the merchandise - but then the merchandise was not very expensive
On the other hand, I have self published two novels (one bad and one so bad that my wife never got past page 2) using their self publishing service. In theory you can make a few bucks but so much of the self published material is available for zero or near zero price to Prime members that you really can't make any money at all. I have received royalty payments as low as $.01 and $.16 (seriously). Fortunately I wrote the books in response to a joking challenge from my wife and not for money.
We have are family in Amazon Prime you can't beat it free shipping my daughter is an account and buys all her items from amazon she says penny for penny dollar for dollar Amazon is cheaper shipped right to your door i buy all my paper towels toilet paper many items you get several people to go together on Amazon Prime to get the free shipping
JOHN COOK
04-26-2019, 05:28
Just saw on Fox that Amazon is getting ready to announce or has already announced they will have one day shipping to Prime customers. My wife and I purchase regularly on Amazon. She shops for Christmas around July :icon_lol:. I have returned items without any problems. Free return if item was not as described, but if you order wrong then you pay a small amount to return item. Someone mentioned they were tricked into Prime. I don't understand how that happened. It just makes sense to shop Amazon. No getting into car and fight traffic,no waiting in checkout while someone ahead of you has a price check. Just my 2 cents. Buddy of mine (Marine) had a birthday and I got him a "cover" in two days. Never left the house and had it sent ti him...
john in SC
Just saw on Fox that Amazon is getting ready to announce or has already announced they will have one day shipping to Prime customers. My wife and I purchase regularly on Amazon. She shops for Christmas around July :icon_lol:. I have returned items without any problems. Free return if item was not as described, but if you order wrong then you pay a small amount to return item. Someone mentioned they were tricked into Prime. I don't understand how that happened. It just makes sense to shop Amazon. No getting into car and fight traffic,no waiting in checkout while someone ahead of you has a price check. Just my 2 cents. Buddy of mine (Marine) had a birthday and I got him a "cover" in two days. Never left the house and had it sent ti him...
john in SC
Did you ever sign up for something unintentionally on your PC? It doesn’t happen often to me, but I accidentally subscribed to Prime. I have no idea how it happened, so it was a surprise. Maybe trickery isn’t the best way to describe the process, but their sight certainly wasn’t explaining what I did and didn’t give me an opportunity to immediately cancel my subscription. I looked up how to unsubscribe, but thought I’d try it to see how it works out and I now I’m getting stuff delivered several times a week. So, I like Prime and will keep it. If I need something, Amazon is the first place I look. I don’t like the idea of packages being left on my doorstep though.
Someone mentioned they were tricked into Prime. I don't understand how that happened.
They probably have different ways but what happened to me was Amazon has items to buy, some of them have a small "prime" logo beside it. If you purchase that item you are automatically subscribed to prime. After I figured it out I looked to see if they sold the same items w/o the "prime" requirement and they didn't. Prime cost $12.99 a month and it is autobilled to your CC each month whether you use it or not. If you use it enough to pay for itself then great, I'm not trying to start any arguments, I just don't like for companies to conduct business like this and don't care for someone to have control over my CC. As mentioned earlier: It is easy to sign up, sometimes unavoidable but difficult to cancel. By making these purchases there is no mention that your are subscribing. Most of us don't know what the little "prime" logo is for or care. We don't know if it is just advertisement or what.
As mentioned earlier too, Wal Mart makes deliveries. Some items are free shipping to the nearest store, some are with charge but sent to your home. Personally, I see better prices (with or w/o free shipping) and have good service with most of the sellers on ebay.
Also, as mentioned, due to their politics, it is like supporting George Soros.
Reason enough for me.
shadycon
04-26-2019, 06:31
Every time I look at something I need/want and look on Amazon and other places, I go to other places because it's cheaper!
JOHN COOK
04-26-2019, 07:20
If you use it enough to pay for itself then great, I'm not trying to start any arguments, I just don't like for companies to conduct business like this and don't care for someone to have control over my CC. As mentioned earlier: It is easy to sign up, sometimes unavoidable but difficult to cancel. By making these purchases there is no mention that your are subscribing. Most of us don't know what the little "prime" logo is for or care. We don't know if it is just advertisement or what.
Allen, no argument, just didn't understand what happened. At approx. $ 13.00 a month ,you will pay USPS at least $ 6.00 on any small item they deliver. I order all kind of items and more than recoup the prime charge I pay...
john in SC
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Every time I look at something I need/want and look on Amazon and other places, I go to other places because it's cheaper!
Maybe so, try buying ink cartridges that have been re purposed around town. You want find them ...
john in SC
They probably have different ways but what happened to me was Amazon has items to buy, some of them have a small "prime" logo beside it. If you purchase that item you are automatically subscribed to prime. After I figured it out I looked to see if they sold the same items w/o the "prime" requirement and they didn't. Prime cost $12.99 a month and it is autobilled to your CC each month whether you use it or not. If you use it enough to pay for itself then great, I'm not trying to start any arguments, I just don't like for companies to conduct business like this and don't care for someone to have control over my CC. As mentioned earlier: It is easy to sign up, sometimes unavoidable but difficult to cancel. By making these purchases there is no mention that your are subscribing. Most of us don't know what the little "prime" logo is for or care. We don't know if it is just advertisement or what.
As mentioned earlier too, Wal Mart makes deliveries. Some items are free shipping to the nearest store, some are with charge but sent to your home. Personally, I see better prices (with or w/o free shipping) and have good service with most of the sellers on ebay.
Also, as mentioned, due to their politics, it is like supporting George Soros.
Reason enough for me.
That’s probably what happened to me
JOHN COOK
04-26-2019, 01:50
I ordered a cover for the overflow pipe on my bathtub. Plumbing supply house didn't have one in stock. Paid $11.50 polished brass and was told I would pay freight when it arrived. Picked it up today and the damn freight was $13.65. I was handed a plastic bag with part and two bolts. I know I was screwed on the freight and probably the part also. No package so I wouldn't have a part nbr, to see where it came from. Told the wife I probably paid freight for several other parts for someone else.
This was not related to Amazon.. Just wanted to vent:mad:
john in SC
Former Cav
04-26-2019, 03:31
I bought some target centers once from Midway and they charged me more for S&H then the darned product.
I've bought the shootnsee targets from amazon and they were cheaper with the S&H.
I've been a prime member for I don't know how long. But like someone else above said, the "free" S&H seems to only apply if it ALL comes from one source which seems like never. And some of my shipped items take more like a WEEK to get here. Go figure.
It seems EVERYTHING today is a SCAM!
Allen, no argument, just didn't understand what happened. At approx. $ 13.00 a month ,you will pay USPS at least $ 6.00 on any small item they deliver. I order all kind of items and more than recoup the prime charge I pay...
john in SC
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Maybe so, try buying ink cartridges that have been re purposed around town. You want find them ...
john in SC
ditto on the charges, it usually works in my favor each month,
re those cartridges, I gave up on ink jet type printers, since I rarely print photo's or color stuff, I ditched then and went with a Brother all in one (and home) and a Brother Printer (at the shop)
most of what I print is postage labels, or documents,
wife can get the prints done just as cheap, if not cheaper, by taking the thumbdrive up to Target and having them print them
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