Anyone here taking a dislike against Amazon?

jetsonx

Let's face it Amazon are great.

Their selection is great. Their customer service is great (not that you'll ever need it). Their prices can be competitive.

But there is a problem. Amazon seem to want to dominate e-commerce across most consumer product categories. They have become a giant industrial cash sucking vacuum of ecommerce. This cannot be good or fair to other retaillers. The platform that is the internet, in theory at least, should be the most equitable marketplace ever invented. But that's not happening.

Is there anyone else here who now takes a ABA (anyone but Amazon) approach when buying on the internet?

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

jetsonx wrote: »

Let's face it Amazon are great.

Their selection is great. Their customer service is great (not that you'll ever need it). Their prices can be competitive.

But there is a problem. Amazon seem to want to dominate e-commerce across most consumer product categories. They have become a giant industrial cash sucking vacuum of ecommerce. This cannot be good or fair to other retaillers. The platform that is the internet, in theory at least, should be the most equitable marketplace ever invented. But that's not happening.

Is there anyone else here who now takes a ABA (anyone but Amazon) approach when buying on the internet?

I love Amazon too.

It's like having an entire shopping centre in the palm of your own hand.

The only issue I have is that they always delay the dispatch for Irish addresses, but it's not an issue for me as I usually use my UK address parcel Motel.

B.A._Baracus

Sad reality of business is dominate your competition and pound them into submission. When you get up to the top tier you don't care about the little guys as there's a very wide gap. It's business.

antimatterx

I have no issue if they take over every aspect of e-commerce. It's a great service, it's usually the cheapest place to purchase something and 2 say delivery with prime is incredible.

There's some places that expect you to wait up to 10 days for a package.

Greyfox

jetsonx wrote: »

Is there anyone else here who now takes a ABA (anyone but Amazon) approach when buying on the internet?

No, only stupid people would do this.

Ubbquittious

I've bought one thing off amazon ever because I couldn't get it elsewhere but the past 10 years or so I managed to avoid Amazon completely with little bother. It seems to me that people get hooked on Amazon out of convenience but all their stuff is available elsewhere. Lots of Chinese tat being re-sold on there you can also get on ebay or ali express , not that I use those two sites much either

That fcuker Bezos has too much money and there's real risk to giving him too much power. Once the smaller sites start to succumb to the competition we're in trouble but that doesn't seem to be happening yet

jetsonx

Greyfox wrote: »

No, only stupid people would do this.

So do you think in 5 years time if Amazon is the only game in town, do you think that's going to work out well?

CelticRambler

jetsonx wrote: »

Their selection is great. Their customer service is great (not that you'll ever need it). Their prices can be competitive.

But there is a problem. Amazon seem to want to dominate e-commerce across most consumer product categories. ...

Is there anyone else here who now takes a ABA (anyone but Amazon) approach when buying on the internet?

I've placed about a dozen orders online over the last month, four were from Amazon, three from AliExpress, the rest from retailers who either offered products that just aren't available on Amazon (the main reason), or where Amazon wasn't competitive in terms of price or quantity.

I have had to use Amazon's customer service a few times, and it is great, so that's one reason why I'll regularly go there first when looking for something that I need, and especially if I need it in a hurry.

Simon201

They must be great they named a rain forest after them

If 1/10th of what is said about the way,they treat their workers is true,



how could you not dislike them....at a certain point,the wrongdoings outweigh the good benefits/convienece to me anyway

endacl

Since they started doing their own deliveries, I generally have an item arriving within two days, with free shipping, and cheaper than I can find it anywhere else. Any time I’ve had an issue with a lost, damaged or otherwise problematic item, Amazon’s automated resolution system processed a refund after answering a few short questions.

I get the arguments against Amazon, but .... see above.

harr

Nothing stopping Irish shops selling products through Amazon, I use a few and it just me being lazy stopping me ordering on the shops Irish website.
For me Amazon is just handy , prime members have free delivery which often makes the price cheaper.
For example I was ordering a camera part last week €45 both on Amazon and in Irish shops but Irish shops were charging me a tenner for delivery. Better a tenner in my pocket than an post ..

strawdog

Simon201 wrote: »

They must be great they named a rain forest after them

Yep fair they named one after them considering must take a rainforest for all the packaging they create. Our shared bins are always overflowing with cardboard now when I go to put something in them

Fuascailteoir

They are a mess for the last two weeks.

ednwireland

other companies could learn from their returns. had an issue with a av sender unit . return label emailed (freepost) . sent back money returned within a few days.

Hyperbollix

It's hard to argue with Amazon's customer service..........in that you never have to argue with them. Any time there's an issue, you just go on chat, you get a person in under 2 minutes and before you've even described the problem they've either refunded you or issued gift credit for the item.

A couple of years back I ordered the VR headset for PS4 with no intention of keeping it, just wanted to try it out over Christmas. Got it delivered around the 20th December and went about returning it due to a "change of mind" a month later. No qualms, no quibbles, refunded the price of it before I even boxed it up and sent it back.

It's bad but it's so good too!

NSAman

Obviously different situation, but Amazon are not always the best or cheapest option. In the States, coupons, discount codes etc., mean Amazon are not always the best option.

Have to admit though quick delivery is enticing.

Gregor Samsa

The fact is that they do what they do very well, so of course they’re going to be successful.

I was looking to buy something recently, but I specifically needed it in a couple of days. I searched all the Irish online retail outlets for it. All of them were offering delivery “up to 14 days”. There’s no excuse for lead times like that for domestic Irish delivery - it’s an indication of not taking e-commerce seriously. In fairness, there are exceptions. Got next day delivery on a microwave from DID during the spring lockdown - they’d be my go-to for domestic appliances over Amazon, if I wasn’t buying in a local bricks-and-mortar. But their website looks absolutely awful. Same with Power City’s. Not everyone will endure a website that looks like a throwback from 2001.

There’s also plenty of stuff I’d buy straight from the manufacturer - the likes of Apple. Sonos, Adidas and Jack & Jones.

Musical instruments and equipment, I wouldn’t consider Amazon at all - I go straight to Thomann. That’s another area Irish retailers fall down badly in. They all have an online presence, but their range and stock levels are shockingly bad - there’s no way they can complete. Photography equipment I tend to go to specialist online retailers for.

As it happens, I work for a global e-commerce company (that isn’t Amazon, or eBay). We’re doing pretty good. We’re not a billion dollar company, but we power the stores for some pretty big enterprise names, have been around for over 20 years, and are still growing. There’s a good chance you’ve bought something through us at some point without even knowing it. Big and all as Amazon is, there’s plenty of room in the market.

And just wait until Alibaba decide to make a serious move on the European and US markets. While Amazon’s revenue is 4 times that of Alibaba, and their global reach much greater, they’re only ahead in operating profit by just over a billion ($14.1 billion vs $12.9 billion).

corsav6

Had to buy all the Xmas stuff for the kids and seen pictures of large queues outside Smyth's toystore so told the wife to go online and order them. Smyth's weren't taking online orders as they were too busy so went on Amazon and saved €60 for the same stuff.
I wanted to spend more local but Smyth's couldn't handle the surge in orders and Amazon could, and cheaper too.

Gregor Samsa

Yes, Smyths are another good example of an Irish store that just don’t take e-commerce seriously. It takes more than having a website.

Greyfox

jetsonx wrote: »

So do you think in 5 years time if Amazon is the only game in town, do you think that's going to work out well?

eBay will still be around. In 5 years time if they were the only 2 places I'd be happy as both sites are miles better than the competiton. I can't help it if both websites offer a superb experience.

Varik

I ordered a jacket that I wasn't sure size wise about off Amazon, it actually cost more than the same thing in a local shop that's close to me. I bought it entirely as I could be sure they'd make a return as easy as possible rather than fighting with someone in the shop.

Even not limiting it to Amazon, in 2020 and doubly so with all that's going on I don't get why some shop (even larger ones) don't have stock and prices online.

jetsonx

Greyfox wrote: »

eBay will still be around.

You think Ebay is the answer, yeah?

Church on Tuesday

Their delivery charge has shot up over the last couple of years.

never_mind

I try to support Irish businesses as much as I can but I ordered something on Friday night and it arrived this morning. Amazon are amazing, especially if you need something small like headphones. Amazing service and the new swipe to buy service is even better!

Esse85

Customer service is excellent on amazon.

I don't find their prices great to be honest. The convenience is that it's a one stop shop.

Sellers must find it tough selling on Amazon due to their returns policy.

Many of the cheap ear buds they sell are rubbish and I'd question many of the reviews. I'm sure they can be gotten cheaper elsewhere too.

When buying books I've often compared amazon with book depository and the latter wins 90% of the time.

completedit

Competitors are not Bezo's and Amazon's enemy, time is. Look at the old behemoths such as Nokia or Polaroid. Every dog has its day. Amazon force other companies to adapt and do things better. Time is not fixed. Amazon is better as it forces better innovation and practices and in the long run, benefits us as citizens.

I don't know what it means for our society though. It seems like the current forces are pushing us towards an evermore virtual existence. How will society react to this? Will we be happy to retreat or will we want a more real version of life?

AndyBoBandy

I’d buy a fair bit from Amazon, everything from smart lights to coffee beans to toilet paper....

As has been said, their customer service is excellent.

I once bought a pair of Crocs for my brother, and they turned out to be the wrong size, so I got onto Amazon about returning them, and they gave me the refund, and told me to just keep the incorrect size Crocs anyway!!

completedit

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I’d buy a fair bit from Amazon, everything from smart lights to coffee beans to toilet paper....

As has been said, their customer service is excellent.

I once bought a pair of Crocs for my brother, and they turned out to be the wrong size, so I got onto Amazon about returning them, and they gave me the refund, and told me to just keep the incorrect size Crocs anyway!!

Sure what's another pair of ill-fitting crocs when you just have slave labour producing them anyway

Greyfox

jetsonx wrote: »

You think Ebay is the answer, yeah?

Why not, they also offer great prices and protect buyers.

tjhook

There are specific things for which my first port of call wouldn't be Amazon:

Kitchen Appliances: DID/Power City
Books: Book Depository / Kenny's
TV/Video: Richer Sounds
Clothes (I need/want to try them on!)

For most other things, I wouldn't even think to try Irish online stores. I'm too used to the "too expensive/slow / too little choice" situation with Irish retailers. What's sad is I'm not sure how valid those complaints are now (or will be in the future), But my habits are set.