I don't like that Amazon has contributed to the disappearance of local stores, as I'm a hands-on shopper, like to try everything out first. Especially shoes and other articles of clothing. As Sears and Monkey Wards went away, I had to get used to buying clothing from LL Bean, then Land's End, and it took a few orders/returns to get sizing right. It still doesn't work with New Balance shoes, since they seem to have a couple rogue shoemakers who can't seem to get it into their heads that there's a difference between size 9-1/2 and size 10.

Having said that, we shop Amazon frequently enough to justify renewing Amazon Prime every year, even though we canceled for a while this year. It didn't work out, dammit! Another $140 we didn't want to spend...

Especially aggravating is their lack of product knowledge, resulting in misleading ads. I bought a DeSantis holster advertised for a G-17 a few months ago, and it's actually for a G-19. Several attempts to get it corrected, including contacting DeSantis, and I finally gave up and shoved my G-17 (actually a G-47MOS) into the G-19 holster and called it good.

Their returns policy works, though, so I returned another holster and got a quick refund from them, no arguments, just told them it was the wrong one. I'm considering doing it again since it's less painful than dealing with a manufacturer and possibly paying shipping both ways if it doesn't work for me.

I guess, like for 220-9er, it Depends (no, not those)!

Mostly yes.

10 mile round trip to the post office (no home delivery) versus 50 mile rt to a good grocery store and 100 mile round trip to Costco.
It’s a couple hour drive to get to a decent bookstore so, all in all, Amazon works for us.

Silent

quote:

Originally posted by Silent:

It’s a couple hour drive to get to a decent bookstore so, all in all, Amazon works for us.

Silent

Which brings up another good point. I get many of my books and books for my elderly mother through the local library and provided by amazon, onto our kindles.
I avoided E-books for a long time and while I value hard copies, if I'm just reading book 14 of a Jim Butcher series, the e-books are great.
I'm on book 3 of the Expanse series from the library and I would not have otherwise bothered to buy them.

As for hard copies, I've gotten many for cheap on amazon listed as used but they most always arrive in like new condition.
They are part of the amazon marketplace but it allows competition which can drive down prices.

I work for UPS.
We still deliver a lot of Amazon stuff, so yes..

I would like to be a "Nay", but they make it so damn hard. I live about 40 mins. from one of their distribution centers and most stuff I order gets delivered early the next morning.

There is a Whole Foods nearby, so returns are incredibly easy. You don't have to repackage the item or print a return label. You walk into Whole Foods, the clerk takes the item, scans it, and you walk out. I usually have the refund posted to my credit card within 24 hours.

I try to buy locally when I’m out and about but working from home much of the time I don’t get out all that much sometimes so Amazon gets a lot of business from us. With my younger daughter getting married later that year, she’s been doing even more business with them in our shared account. The experience has been mostly good, with Amazon generally taking care of problems (usually of their making) without too much hassle.

Amazon is kind of a necessity when living out in the boonies. But, I am not happy with what they have become. Two day shipping has become two week shipping, which wouldn’t be so bad if they even offered an option for faster shipping, but they don’t. “You’ll get it when you get it and you’ll like it” seems to be their new business plan since Covid. And then there’s all of the ads on Prime movies which are a real PITA when we are already inundated with advertising…everywhere…constantly.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Gustofer,

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:


I don't like that Amazon has contributed to the disappearance of local stores

So it's Amazon's fault they provide products that people want for a better price and faster than local stores?

As long as I pay for the membership with free shipping in a year along with the cash back, it's a yay. There's always a car part or faucet stem that's needed but large purchases have decreased.

I love amazon, but heads up - I've found Home Depot's online store to be repeatedly cheaper than Amazon.

I love that the shares of AMZN that I bought in March 20 after the COVID market crash are up 120 percent! As for the service, we use it as much as the average suburban family with two teenagers, which means quite a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:


I don't like that Amazon has contributed to the disappearance of local stores

So it's Amazon's fault they provide products that people want for a better price and faster than local stores?

I remember the local stores gouging their prices, not all of them, but some. I'm glad they are gone.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:


I don't like that Amazon has contributed to the disappearance of local stores

So it's Amazon's fault they provide products that people want for a better price and faster than local stores?

First of all, Amazon is NOT faster than stopping in a store and taking home a product you already know will fit and feels good, whether it's a dress shirt, blue jeans, or an original Craftsman tool. For most of my life, that's how it was.

Second, if I have an overwhelming desire to buy cheap shit, there's a WalMart 15 minutes east of me and another 20 minutes west.

Yes, I've bought cheap shit from both WalMart and Amazon. Just yesterday I got a package of kitchen timers (cheap shit from China, in fact), one of them didn't work, so now I have to drop it off at The UPS Store a half-mile north of WalMart to get a refund, but Amazon's replacement arrived this morning already. I guess that qualifies as my "overwhelming desire."

And no, I haven't found Amazon's pricing to be better than other sources, for the most part.

YVT,
Grumpy Old Guy!

Its always been great but service and delivery has taken a big hit. A lot of delays on deliveries. You now have to watch ads for Prime Video. They halved the music library for Amazon music. I've been contemplating canceling for the first time.

Bookstores, I’m in a county of over 200k,third highest per capita in the state thirty miles or so from Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint/Grand Blanc and Lansing. Two bookstores, one a B&N and the other a liberal leaning foo foo store.

Tool repairs, need to fix the blade Chuck on my 1999 Milwaukee Sawzall. Used to have a tool sales and repair shop here, long gone. My options are go to metro Detroit 60-80 miles round trip probably twice, buy a new one or order parts and do it myself.

Speed shops, forget it, no such thing, well one here but mainly high end cars and off road trucks. Think there is one in Lansing but not sure anymore.

Bearing supply house, forget it. Lansing or Detroit. 80 miles round trip.

But we have plenty of foo foo stores, need the accessories for the house!

It’s a nay from me. I’ve not forgotten what they did to parler and i have a feeling they facilitated the anonymous hacking of epik.com.