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Do you folks use Amazon a lot, and if yes, then why? If no, then what alternatives do you prefer?

I’ll start - I don’t shop a lot, but if I had to buy stuff like hardware parts, I do use Amazon sometimes, but if I can, then I try to use Flipkart. Realizing how it has turned into a monopoly, I try to look for alternative websites, and check if they’re trustworthy.

If I remember correctly, the last three items I’ve bought online were hardware parts from some local websites. The chi-fi IEMs were bought through headphonezone.in, and they were super-fast in delivery - I had to wait for only four days.

HelixDab2 ,

A fair bit, yeah. I usually buy my motorcycle tires through Amazon, because they’re almost always significantly less expensive than better retailers like Revzilla, Dennis Kirk, and so on. My last set of tires was about $100 cheaper after shipping. When I was shopping for shoes (Vibram FiveFingers), Amazon had the widest selection in my size, including prior model years.

But given a real option, I’ll usually prefer to shop pretty much anywhere else.

cRazi_man , (edited )

I have successfully almost completely cut Amazon shopping out. We would spend hundred of £s every month and would buy everything off Amazon. But the company is terrible (mistreating workers, avoiding tax, etc etc). They’ve allowed their site to get flooded with removed trash. Reviews are unreliable. Prices are comparable or more expensive to elsewhere. I do still buy from there once in a while for quick delivery and easy returns.

Alternatives:

eBay - sucks for product reviews, but is good if you know what you’re getting (e.g. something branded). Delivery is through the post rather than mistreated delivery drivers needing to piss in bottles. I managed to help a hospice by buying excess stock it had via eBay.

HotUKDeals - a sales sharing website that links through to other small retailers with good bargains. I find stuff here frequently and always search this site first when I want something.

Overall I’m buying a lot less stuff and I’m really happy with that.

Yor ,
@Yor@hexbear.net avatar

They’ve allowed their site to get flooded with Chinese trash

right, so you checked the country of origin of every product then? smuglord

JimmyBigSausage ,

I like to buy local but when the people in the local stores don’t care or even say hello to me and I have driven there to specifically shop local with them, then I think about saving gas and shopping Amazon with no sales clerk smart attitude.

Blizzard ,

Foreign shopping websites have a hard time settling in Poland as we have a very strong local competition - Allegro.

eBay tried some years ago and failed miserably. It exists but I never thought of shopping there.

When Amazon entered Poland with a dedicated regional store, they had to introduce a very attractive offer to bring customers. Hence I pay an equivalent of about $13 per year and for that I get Prime Video, Prime Delivery and Prime Gaming. However I find Amazon store itself pretty lame. The app UI feels inconsistent and unintuitive, like someone took a different app and decided to build something else on top of it. Offers don’t have regular titles but instead there’s a waterfall of search keywords. Both titles and descriptions seem auto-translated from other languages. Prices are often higher or much higher than in other web stores. Basically a lot of them look scammy.

So to answer the question, I made a few purchases on Amazon but it’s not my go-to place. There’s a lot of online stores and there are websites that compare prices between them so in the end I will buy at a store that gives me the best bargain (good price, fast free delivery to a parcel locker, seller credibility).

user224 ,
@user224@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

Just a bit. I live in Slovakia and we don’t have Amazon. However, I sometimes use UK Amazon to import DVDs. But BluRays are usually cheap too. Especially if you get them used.

aviation_hydrated ,

Local. It builds community and helps keep everyone fed and housed

devtoi , (edited )

I have never ordered something from Amazon. It was introduced in my country a few years back, but it isn’t really that good of a site (at least the few times I have visited it).

Like many here, I do not want to support a monopolistic company like Amazon. Luckily I live in a country where I have better options. I tend to buy things from plenty of well rated sites. Environmentally conscious sites if I can.

I could see myself buying from them if there genuinely isn’t another option and it is something I really need, but that has yet to happen.

flamingo_pinyata ,

Despite trying to avoid it I end up using Amazon occasionally, for maybe 10% of my non-recurring purchases. Small electronics, accessories, and dietary supplements mostly. The convenience of pick-up lockers is hard to beat, and not all delivery companies offer it.

kenoh ,
@kenoh@lemm.ee avatar

B&H if you’re buying tech gear

frightful_hobgoblin ,

I normally try to find a niche site in my country specialising in the thing I’m trying to buy (like OP said in the last paragraph)

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