Are you going off Amazon?

[Alan]

As a consumer, I used to think Amazon was the best thing since sliced bread.

I was an early adopter of Prime and it transformed my world (I have a phobia of physical shopping and crowded shops give me panic attacks)

However now, I'm just going off Amazon.

Anyone else thinking that way?

 

[fisicx]

I’m getting better deals and service from independents. I don’t use prime as they no longer do free next day delivery so there is no real benefit in buying from Amazon. In fact (like eBay) many of the sellers are based in China so what you end up doing is hurting UK business.

 

[SEODEV#338055]

There's always seemingly better deals around

I shop with Amazon because for all its flaws it's reliable, trustworthy and gets the job done

Don't assume the grass is always greener on the other side

 

[WaveJumper]

Amazon is ok will only buy if I know its coming the next day as above I find them very reliable

 

[Ozzy]

I have a phobia of physical shopping and crowded shops give me panic attacks

Oh mate, completely the same. If I do need to go shopping in the town, usually with my wife and she needs me there to try on clothes of something like that I need a long run up to get prepared. I tend not to go shopping at all, will only travel first class on trains for no other reason than to avoid being cramped in a crowd which stresses me out, etc.

I’m getting better deals and service from independents.

Whenever I can I do this, and I feel good supporting independents but I have found many independents also trade through Amazon too and hunt them out. Amazon has the convenience factor for me.
You do have to be careful though as you say, many retailers on there are not UK independents and the delivery times can sometimes be a warning signal for that.

Amazon is ok will only buy if I know its coming the next day as above I find them very reliable

Yes, next day delivery from a quick few seconds search, choose and one-click buy does it for me. I don't often have time to spend ages comparing and hunting for a product, so Amazon makes it easy for me.
Just a couple nights ago my wife and I were chatting about our electricity usage. A few seconds later I'd ordered a smart meter monitor for next day delivery using the Amazon App as we were chatting away.
Actually, maybe it's a bit tooooo easy ?

 

[UKSBD]

I still think it is great, just about the only place I buy from Online

I do tend to use the filters more though and for most things don't mind paying a bit more

I tend to only buy from Prime or fulfilled by Amazon unless a lot more expensive.

 

[WaveJumper]

Oh mate, completely the same. If I do need to go shopping in the town, usually with my wife and she needs me there to try on clothes of something like that I need a long run up to get prepared. I tend not to go shopping at all, will only travel first class on trains for no other reason than to avoid being cramped in a crowd which stresses me out, etc.

Whenever I can I do this, and I feel good supporting independents but I have found many independents also trade through Amazon too and hunt them out. Amazon has the convenience factor for me.
You do have to be careful though as you say, many retailers on there are not UK independents and the delivery times can sometimes be a warning signal for that.


Yes, next day delivery from a quick few seconds search, choose and one-click buy does it for me. I don't often have time to spend ages comparing and hunting for a product, so Amazon makes it easy for me.
Just a couple nights ago my wife and I were chatting about our electricity usage. A few seconds later I'd ordered a smart meter monitor for next day delivery using the Amazon App as we were chatting away.
Actually, maybe it's a bit tooooo easy ?

Now thats bloody spooky as I have just done the same buying a "landlord" meter local was £7.00 dearer than Amazon and of course it came the very next day.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I am blessed with a wife who is slick & efficient shopper in real shops - which is my prefered way to buy.

I use Amazon for 'boring' purchases, or stuff I can't find locally.

Pretty muchy never really care about next day.

 

[japancool]

Mostly use Amazon for random household accessories. Bought some smart bulbs the other day.

Right now, I can't go to the shops anyway, but as soon as I get my new leg, off I go!

 

[Fagin2021]

Right now, I can't go to the shops anyway, but as soon as I get my new leg, off I go!

Have you put the comma in the wrong place?

 

[japancool]

Have you put the comma in the wrong place?

I've already had my leg off. Lost it in November.

 

[MBE2017]

Use Amazon all the time, so reliable, fast delivery, fantastic customer service and easy returns.

People might hate them, but they are the company to match and beat for the future.

 

[DontAsk]

Amazon is great for product searches (mainly because the search is pants and you end up with lots of "ooh, that looks interesting" rather than what you wanted to find) but I will always then look for, and often find, a better deal elsewhere. Not always for the identical product but then I don't usually look for a specific brand or model.

I wanted a 2x30litre black kitchen recycling bin. Best price was Dunelm. No Amazon suppliers came anywhere near.

 

[Scottishgifts4u]

I use Amazon quite a lot.

One of the main attractions I’m ashamed to say is the one click order and pay.

So much easier than filling out delivery addresses and card details.

 

[Ian J]

I use Amazon quite a bit for more obscure cooking ingredients that I can't get locally but for larger items I tend to check with Ebay as they are often cheaper plus the manufacturer's own website which is frequently cheaper still.

I bought a kitchen bin last week and a laundry basket this week using t'internet rather than local shops for the simple reason that I drive a two seater and don't have room to transport larger items

 

[Ian J]

Amazon is great for product searches (mainly because the search is pants and you end up with lots of "ooh, that looks interesting" rather than what you wanted to find)

I end up buying quite a lot of the "ooh, that looks interesting" stuff that Amazon thinks that I might like and in the last ten days have bought an electric egg boiler, electric bread slicer and electric panini press.

I'm a salesman's delight

 

[WaveJumper]

I end up buying quite a lot of the "ooh, that looks interesting" stuff that Amazon thinks that I might like and in the last ten days have bought an electric egg boiler, electric bread slicer and electric panini press.

I'm a salesman's delight

lets just hope your power lines don't get blown down ............ you might starve ???

 

[estwig]

I seem to be the only one in the whole World, who has never used Amazon!

Ebay for bits and pieces, then proper websites for other stuff, I've simply never had a reason to use Amazon.

Yes I don't do 'shops' either!

 

[Paul Norman]

I seem to be the only one in the whole World, who has never used Amazon!

Ebay for bits and pieces, then proper websites for other stuff, I've simply never had a reason to use Amazon.

Yes I don't do 'shops' either!

Its just the two of us, I am led to believe.

 

[Paul Norman]

I have yet to create an Amazon account.

I do get online shopping. I do engage in it. But actually, my thinking falls into three things.

1. I don't shop everyday. Or every week, other than for food. In fact, I possibly don't shop every month.

2. If I need, say, a new drill bit to complete a job, I can pop into the nearest DIY shop and be back with that bit in less than an hour. Amazon are good. But not that good.

3. Shopping locally is not, I reckon, as expensive as we all believe. That, of course, depends on where you live.

Even online, I have a few places I have used many times and now trust.

But for me, number 1 is the biggie. What is everyone buying?

 

[UKSBD]

I seem to be the only one in the whole World, who has never used Amazon!

Ebay for bits and pieces, then proper websites for other stuff, I've simply never had a reason to use Amazon.

Yes I don't do 'shops' either!

The 1st sale is the hardest

Once you buy 1 item, fill in your details, fill in card details, fill in delivery address, they get to know you, everything is so simple you end up buying more

Go to site, click item, pay - And most importantly 99.9% of the time receive it when they say you will.

Sometimes you can even go and watch the delivery vehicle driving towards you (on your PC) and be at the door as they turn up.

 

[UKSBD]

But for me, number 1 is the biggie. What is everyone buying?

87 orders in 2021
A few books (half kindle downloads)

Quite a bit of gardening stuff; seed trays, pots, seeds, propagators, etc,

Beanies, T-shirts, hoodies, trainers, slippers, socks (about 30 pairs) and other clothing

A few bits and pieces for house, tap inserts, Allan keys, adjustable spanner, curtain rails (and fittings), bulbs

PC stuff, couple of keyboards, mouse mats, thermal paste/cleaner, compressed air, screen wipes

A few garden ornaments, Christmas tree, lights, other Christmas ornaments and a few Christmas presents

Only expensive things I bought were a Kindle, a TV and a garden bench

Mainly use it for nick nacks

 

[estwig]

The 1st sale is the hardest

Once you buy 1 item, fill in your details, fill in card details, fill in delivery address, they get to know you, everything is so simple you end up buying more

Go to site, click item, pay - And most importantly 99.9% of the time receive it when they say you will.

Sometimes you can even go and watch the delivery vehicle driving towards you (on your PC) and be at the door as they turn up.

Exactly the same as ebay, I have no reason to use Amazon.

 

[UKSBD]

Exactly the same as ebay, I have no reason to use Amazon.

A lot of it is just habit and familiarity.

If you started with eBay and are familiar with it you stick with it

If you started with Amazon and are familiar with it you stick with it

Edit to add - And Trust

 

[fisicx]

Just dropped a load of stuff at the charity shop and came home with two shirts for £8 and a book for 50p. Don’t think Amazon can beat that, especially as door to door was 30 minutes.

 

[Financial-Modeller]

I love Amazon!

Purely for the convenience as whatever I want (usually filtered by best reviews) is a click away, arrives at the right address next day.

I also use Prime for music, films, free books on iPad/Kindle and some storage.

Also, on the occasion that I need to return stuff, its easy, and the refund arrives as soon as I drop it off at the corner shop.

 

[Ozzy]

Also, on the occasion that I need to return stuff, its easy

If you've ever read the book on their business model, this is a key driver and driving force of their business. It does mean as a retailer on there you can get stung, but as a consumer they operate on a zero squabble basis. If the customer says it's not right then the customer can return anything with minimal effort and instant refund.

I also use their Prime TV which is great, not so their music though - still have Spotify as my go to.

 

[japancool]

If the customer says it's not right then the customer can return anything with minimal effort and instant refund.

It's a great business model if you're not the one shouldering the cost.

 

[Mark T Jones]

if you're not the one shouldering the cost.

Which basically defines the business model.

Take the money while others take the risk.

All credit to them for building the brand so well. I'm not anti, just happen to be uninterested in online shopping.

Id does surprise me though, how many people say things along the lines of 'Amazon are great, but they should treat their drivers better'. By subscribing to Amazon, you are subscribing to the low cost environment.

 

[Ozzy]

It's a great business model if you're not the one shouldering the cost.

Which basically defines the business model.

Take the money while others take the risk.

Indeed, and that is why my wife ended up removing her products from Amazon. Not because she had loads of issues as such, but by the time all the fees kicked in and she did have a couple of "no quibble" returns it just didn't work out financially viable for her.

 

[Financial-Modeller]

Id does surprise me though, how many people say things along the lines of 'Amazon are great, but they should treat their drivers better'. By subscribing to Amazon, you are subscribing to the low cost environment.

Agreed.

I also wonder how many of those who complain that Amazon has destroyed the High Street, doesn't pay sufficient tax, treats warehouse staff poorly etc are also avid customers, and haven't figured out that they are causing all of the above!

 

[Ozzy]

how many of those who complain that Amazon has destroyed the High Street

The thing is in reality neither Amazon or the Internet has destroyed the High Street, it was inevitable. Evolution of commerce and business progress did, the world is always changing and twenty years from now it'll look different still.
The invention of paper ruined the slate industry. The railway ruined the canal industry, and so on.

 

[Ian J]

The thing is in reality neither Amazon or the Internet has destroyed the High Street, it was inevitable. Evolution of commerce and business progress did, the world is always changing and twenty years from now it'll look different still.

But the UK and USA are in the lead of this dumbing down process as we are the two major nations that prefer convenience over quality. I live in a small close of 10 houses and there are just three of us who do our food shopping in bricks and mortar shops whilst the rest prefer to have their food handpicked by a minimum wage wallah and the arrival of vans from the major supermarket is a regular feature in the close.

It's the same with clothes as I would no more buy clothes without seeing and feeling the item first than I would buy a joint of beef handpicked by a youngster whose taste in food doesn't extend beyond McDonalds

I used to be a regular on a hifi and AV forum and there were a large number of people who would go to their local hifi shop for a lengthy demo of some equipment and then go and buy it online to save a few quid thus sounding the death knell for the traditional hifi shop

 

[Ozzy]

But the UK and USA are in the lead of this dumbing down process as we are the two major nations that prefer convenience over quality.

Oh I agree with your sentiment, but my point is it’s “progress” whatever we feel about it. It’s the way things were always going, the pandemic accelerated it, and it’s never going backwards.
Pressures on working families needing both to work to pay inflated costs don’t help either. I’d argue there is also a necessity over convenience in some cases.

 

[Ozzy]

Actually @Ian J ive changed my mind, there are some fantastic positives over this progress I missed in my last reply.
30 years ago if you wanted to open a shop you had to find a high street to open on, and had to rely on passing trade, in a local area, and pay the overheads of said shop and staff it. Hoping no one opened a better shop close to you with your products.
Now you can create a website, which is your own high street. You can promote to your passing trade on many different shopping malls (Amazon, Twitter, TikTok, Etsy) all these locations you can work to make yourself stand out. It’s opened opportunities for people who maybe for health reasons, financial reasons, or others couldn’t start their own businesses.
Yes there are edge cases, and there are also victims, but perhaps the case is … it’s just different now. Not worse, just different.

 

[estwig]

I used to be a regular on a hifi and AV forum and there were a large number of people who would go to their local hifi shop for a lengthy demo of some equipment and then go and buy it online to save a few quid thus sounding the death knell for the traditional hifi shop

People who do this are the scum of the Earth, it shows a certain attitude to others, takers who deserve nothing but contempt.

 

[Ozzy]

it shows a certain attitude to others, takers

Absolutely. I wouldn’t maybe use words as strong but yes I agree. If someone has invested in creating a location to demonstrate their goods and spent time in helping you understand the goods…they have earned your business.
It’s like having someone spend time giving you advice on IT, decorating, garden work, whatever. It’s not just about getting a cheap product, it’s about reimbursing someone for the quality time and their knowledge in helping you get the right product for your needs.

This even goes for online stores, the time spent helping on live help, email, on forums like this, on the phone.

 

[japancool]

It’s opened opportunities for people who maybe for health reasons

This. 30 years ago, I wouldn't be able to do what I do, either in my regular job or my own business.

 

[japancool]

Oh I agree with your sentiment, but my point is it’s “progress” whatever we feel about it. It’s the way things were always going, the pandemic accelerated it, and it’s never going backwards.
Pressures on working families needing both to work to pay inflated costs don’t help either. I’d argue there is also a necessity over convenience in some cases.

Well, it is possible to have both quality and convenience, but there's a price to be paid, which the general public isn't willing to pay.

Half the problem is the poor infrastructure in this country. Most of our cities have poor transport links, meaning it's difficult to pop to the shops, especially when the shops are in an out-of-town shopping centre. Pedestrianisation also makes it impractical sometimes to haul your shopping around town.

Take Leeds. There used to be a whole row of butchers in our Corn Exchange. But you can't, in practise, buy a load of meat and take it home on the bus. I mean, you can, but you might get funny looks from people who can smell it. And there's a limit to the amount of stuff you can lug around, if you're on foot and on your own.

If you want to discourage people from using cars but fail to provide an adequate replacement, that's what you get.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

I used to be a regular on a hifi and AV forum and there were a large number of people who would go to their local hifi shop for a lengthy demo of some equipment and then go and buy it online to save a few quid thus sounding the death knell for the traditional hifi shop

The ones that I see browse in Waterstones and then sit in the cafe with a pile of books while they scan the bar codes and order from Amazon. They then leave their pile of books on the table.