It’s been ages since I’ve really done some deal hunting online with how ubiquitious Amazon is I’ve realized I’m not up to date with the current ecosystem for finding trustworthy online storefronts. Do you have any sources/tips for finding good quality products (especially with all the AI slop that exists nowadays)?
You could use Amazon as kind of a browser or search and then go directly to the brand’s web site. Any particular thing you’re looking for?
This is what I do. I sleep better at night knowing I costing them a few cents by only using them as a search engine.
You don’t cost them. You benefit them by giving them all the knowlege about what you want, how you search for it, what details are the most interesting for you etc.
Yep, this. Net positive for Amazon and you don’t even need to give them any of your money. Still better than giving them your money on top of it though, I imagine
While also being bombarded by ads by Amazon on their own website, so they even profit off of you. Or did you think those “Promoted” items in the search listings didn’t bring money into Bezos’ coffers?
I have a friend who’s high up at Amazon. He said they don’t actually do anything with the data since the algorithm already just puts ads based on what you’re searching. They don’t sell the data or process it in any way
puts ads based on what you’re searching.
they don’t actually […] process it in any way
Well, this is processing the data, isn’t it?
Back in the days, some decades ago when Amazon “invented” the tracking and processing of every single mouse click in their online shop, it was big news in the IT world. First from a technical point of view, because it needed some serious computing power on their end, and it used up some bandwidth on the user’s end, which was much more limited at that time than today. And from a data privacy point of view, because it was a huge step towards this world of total surveillance, constantly ongoing manipulation, behaviour based advertisement, George Orwell etc.
Today we have gotten used to all that, even so much that such extreme statements have become possible, somewhat…
they don’t actually do anything with the data
Your previous comment said you’re still doing them a favor by searching even if you don’t buy. If all they do is put ads on their site for your searches, then no, you’re not doing them any favors by just searching. If they were selling your data or processing it to use in other ways like market research or investments, then sure. Amazon only needs like four percent of their staff to run the site and push suggested purchases, there’s not a lot to it. Processing data is a very different beast when it comes to research and investments.
If all they do is put ads on their site for your searches
I think we should not believe it in a literal way. I guess this was simply the only kind of processing that this guy and/or his source knows and found worth mentioning.
Yeah, they don’t sell their data because it would be useful for their competition. They do use it internally to push products but if you only use them for window shopping you end up costing them fractions of a cent while still feeding their algorithms which helps them push products to others.
Showrooming Amazon. How Ironic. I love it!
In a few cases I saved over 10% by going straight to the manufacturer. Shipping was slower but rarely do I need stuff next day.
This has also saved me on more than one occasion as I’ve tried to find the same “brand” of something I was going to buy on another site, only to find it was actually an Amazon product they were trying to push. Dodged that bullet for sure
I shop at the bin stores where they have a ton of Amazon and WalMart products. Some are returns but I always test them at the store and have found a ton of stuff for $4 or $10. I just bought a wet suit, 7 head electric shaver, fog machine, 4 smart bulbs, 3 USB plugs, hand warmers, queen sized inflatable mattress, ice bath tub (to wash my dog) and a Dirt Devil all for $72.
A lot of searching. Then I add good alternatives to a “buy Canadian” list I keep at Github. That makes it a lot easier the next time around.
Care to share that list? I may not be Canadian, but want to support people dealing with America’s bullshit if I can.
Hey, yeah, definitely.
It’s https://github.com/Visiblink/CanadianRetailers
I just started it when all the tariffy-goodness began, so it’s bound to see additions whenever I (or anyone who wants to add to it) shop for things.
If it’s a public list, feel free to share it on [email protected] :)
Just did!
eBay
Several times I have purchased an item on email only to have it arrive from Amazon. The sellers were using both sites and there was no way to tell from the eBay listings. Big sad.
i feel like it’s important to note that this is against the ebay seller agreement, and though ebay does nothing about it if you report it after the fact, leaving feedback with a statement like “this seller drop shipped the item via amazon” helps other shoppers.
generally, though, it’s getting easier to tell: higher volume (we’re talking 1k or higher, usually) of feedback with less than ~97% positive feedback, is a good first indication of some kind of reseller/dropshipper.
personally, i started shopping on ebay to avoid amazon, so it’s a supreme annoyance to have something drop-shipped or gift-shipped through them. I get why some sellers do it, but that doesn’t make it right.
Is it delivered via Amazon or just in Amazonian packaging? I guess I don’t mind either as much, since I can’t expect a small seller to keep two separate streamlined processes…
I have actually gotten shipping notifications from Amazon when I placed the order on eBay.
This! I use eBay very often
While I don’t put enough effort into it to really make a difference, I’ve had decent luck using Amazon to narrow down a search, then purchase from a company’s store.
Of course that’s quite possibly Amazon also
Yeah lol a couple of times I’ve tried to do this only to get to the cokpany’s site and see “pay through amazon” in the checkout
For my country there is a price comparison website at geizhals.at which is where I usually start. They also seem to be a thing for Germany, the UK, and Poland. Maybe there are similar services for other countries too?
I like iherb.com for supplements, tea, olive oil, and castile soap. And whatever else you may find there amongst the strange assortment of things they carry. Other than that, I’ve been going right to manufacturers websites, except for mechanical keyboard stuff, where I search a whole bunch of different specialty vendor sites.
I just go directly to the company’s website and go from there. Usually it’s the same price, on rare occasions it’s a few dollars more but to me it’s worth it not to do business with Amazon. I’ve passed up on buying things entirely because they were only available on Amazon.
In fact, over the last couple years I’ve been transitioning from buying online to buying from small-business brick and mortar stores. Sure it’s less convenient but it’s also less wasteful, it keeps resources within my local economy and I’m buying a lot less junk that I don’t really need.
I try small brick and mortar as much as possible but the up charges for the identical product can really hurt, like why is the same brand of pet food twice the cost if I drive 10 miles for it vs if I order it online
Because retailers are middle-men by definition. Large online resellers just have much less overhead, so the cut they take for being a middleman is much smaller. They often also have the bargaining power to reduce their cost price with the supplier. You should look for things that are produced in large quantities locally, and find ways to purchase direct from supplier, if you want to save money buying locally rather than spending more to support local business. Buying from independent local retailers is for indirect social and economic benefit. We should all endeavour to do it as much as we can but it’s also very hard to justify when cost differences are large.
Because retailers are middle-men by definition.
Hell, a large amount of local businesses’ stock is probably bought on Amazon Business.
Usually it’s the same price
Notable exception to this would be the Spigen phone case I recently bought. It’s 20.99 on Amazon, but 39.99 on Spigen’s website.
It’s true for a lot of other things, though, Amazon especially here in Canada hasn’t been the cheapest place to buy stuff in quite some time.
My problem is that so many small businesses in my region are run by shitheads with terrible customer service, or they don’t treat their employees well, or they insult younger people, or they’re straight up broadcasting their politics in their business.
Unlike Amazon and all the other giant tech corporations?
When both sides are dickheads, you go for the one that’s best for you personally which for shopping usually means going for the cheapest depending on your morality stance and how strong it’s compulsion is.
Not a single comment with an ideal alternative, despite best efforts. We need a fediverse Amazon alternative. 😞
Lifes basics are often online at Costco for prices much better than big box or Amazon with same shipping times. eBay is potential alternative. For niche items, directly to the manufacturer. No need giving Amazon a share when it could go directly to the engineers, designers and people who made it.
It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. I find I’m calling a lot of local stores lately, because I hate shopping in person, and selections are limited. I find I am spending about 10% more per item on average, but I’m also buying fewer things in general. I’m still shopping at chains, like Microcenter, Staples, Dick’s, and Lowes, but I’m trying to be intentional about going to local or thrift stores first.
I also shop on AliExpress more now, when I need some cheap garbage, but I’m trying to stop that, too.
Same for me. Im just trying to buy less.
Posted most of this in another thread but I’m glad to help share my tricks. I have managed to nearly eliminate Amazon entirely from our lives for the past two years. I usually find things by searching what I want to buy on DuckDuckGo and then adding “-amazon”, “-etsy”, “-walmart”, “-temu” and “-pinterest” as search modifiers.
A lot of little shops are perfectly legit, but watch out for:
Things being ridiculous bargains. Small shops will almost always be more expensive due to higher overheads and less bulk
Too much variety in product (unless they’re a marketplace with 3rd party vendors). A legit shop will have inventory that makes sense together in its theme. If they sell everything from bubblebath to uranium they’re either probably not actually selling it or drop shipping it.
Pictures that look like they come from lots of different sources, or no consistency in images. If they don’t have their own pictures of products or standards of presentation that’s suspicious
Some general recs:
For anything electronic or computer related: B&H Photo or Microcenter
For music stuff: Sweetwater, but there’s a lot of great small music stores, or you can use a marketplace like Reverb
For clothes: if you have any clothes you already enjoy, go directly to their brand website. If you don’t, go to local secondhand shops and touch, handle and try on some clothes to see them in person. I’ve discovered some brands I like by finding something in a thrift store that was well made but not my size or preferred color.
For house repair and DIY stuff: we order from a local building supply store, but there’s also hardwareandtools.com, 1stoplighting, Waysource, Lightbulbs.com, Timothy’s Toolbox etc.
For food items, local grocery stores often offer online shopping and delivery. If it’s a specialty item or imported the import companies sometimes have their own websites. There’s also Hive or GroveCo for some granola type B Corp goodness
For tea, coffee and spices, Adagio and its sister websites
For super fast, need it now shipping, Target has a lot of the same things Amazon does and even does same day delivery for an extra fee for certain items.
For something hard to find you can’t find another site for, try Ebay.
I do business with all sorts of independent retailers and have only had good experiences with them. These are sites that I’ve personally bought from but there are a lot of smaller sites just trying to make a place for themselves on the internet
This was really helpful. Thank you.
If I need something bad enough, I start within my range of locality and then work outwards. Like for instance, I’m currently looking for a full set of seat covers for my car. If I were to use Amazon, wham bam I’d get the cutest ones by tomorrow. But instead Ive been looking up the availability of the auto goods stores nearby for delivery or pickup. That way i can go see the quality with my own eyes.
If there aren’t any cute or affordable seats covers nearby, Ill end up going straight to the websites of the manufacturer qhile cross referencing whatever reviews i can find online. A lot of times the manufacturer or distributor website will have coupon codes at checkout. And yes, the websites can be seedy, but I have in the past gotten some really high quality products from sus websites that like never sent me a confirmation email.
Sometimes there are really specific or niche things that seemingly almost only are on amazon, (like my damn vaccuum filters that dont exist anymore,) about 99% of the time youll find them on ebay too.
Just go to covercraft.com
Looking for anything via Amazon is always a terrible idea. You figure out what you want exactly, then buy from oem, eBay, second hand etc.
Blows my mind when people browse Amazon for something before knowing what’s a quality product or what they want.
What a great site thanks!
I’ve learned to live with less. I don’t need a new gadget or the latest shiny plastic distraction. I buy food, gas, beer. If I just have to have something, Costco or eBay. Closed my amazon, walmart, target accounts. Don’t miss them.
- Search Amazon for product you want.
- Check reviews
- Throw out reviews because a) they’re for the wrong product or b) they’re bot written.
- Use the product numbers to search for the the same product elsewhere, preferably from the company’s own website or brick and mortar.
- If it’s something you actually need and can’t find it elsewhere, it’s ok to buy Amazon, just don’t pay for a Prime account. No one needs shit that quickly.
