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Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

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Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#181

Post by mikelward »

jeffbee wrote: post #133

This doesn't seem to solve the main problem I have with Amazon: even when I know exactly what I want, it's impossible to find. Amazon hides the thing you want behind the items they want you to buy instead, and they allow fakes and spammers to flourish. They never have the right aspects in their search filters, either. Looks like Google is the same way. I can't find an A19 LED light bulb with 2700K color temperature a…

If I search for Pixel 3 case on Amazon, it will also return Pixel 3 XL cases.

If I search for 1440p IPS monitor, it will mix in some monitors that aren't 1440p, and some that aren't IPS.

I'm not sure if it's because they don't want to solve the problem, because they don't care, or because somehow having customers need to spend more time on Amazon to research their purchases perversely leads to people spending more time on Amazon seeing other items they might also later buy.

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#182

Post by jiggunjer »

Tempest1981 wrote: post #172
AnthonyMouse wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still want a way to pay with "cash" over the internet, e.g. a prepaid card which I can buy with cash and isn't tied to any person's name or address.

That would be cool for donations too. I often would like to compensate software devs or content creators, but I hate having to create an account and/or share credit card info. I think someone mentioned "burner" cards a while back.

Visa and Mastercard have prepaid anonymous debitcards. Then there's cryptocurrencies...

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#183

Post by [deleted] »

stx wrote: post #109
flavor8 wrote: post #101

They need to solve shipping. Partner with Uber (or hey, Waymo) to pick up and drop off packages from shops to consumers. An alternate model would be to make search good enough let consumers find stores within a radius of their current location selling X, and price compare them. E.g. I need a widget - stores a, b and c are selling it. Store a is $14.99 and 5 miles away, store b is $8.99 and 15 miles away, store c is $…

I think for some products on shopping.google.com you can already search within your area. I think it it does not work with all products though I know I have seen it on some. Like electronics at Best Buy. Just search on shopping.google.com and then in the filters on the left side check the box for "Available nearby".

[deleted]

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#184

Post by beenBoutIT »

bhamta wrote: post #14

This is 'The Anti-Amazon Alliance' as Ben Thompson puts it. Curious to see if customers will adopt it. I think it lacks two key value props of Amazon: uniform guarantees (Amazon guarantees regardless of seller) and super fast shipping.

Super-Fast shipping is available now to everyone now via USPS Priority Mail 3 day. It's 3 days at most and unlike Amazon the delivery time is guaranteed. Amazon's shipping time estimates aren't trustworthy enough to rely on for important deadlines, the buyer has no recourse other than a refund if shipping takes longer than it's supposed to.

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#185

Post by jiggunjer »

treis wrote: post #138
gukov wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More specifically they want people to search on Google and stay there. Pretty much everyone starts their search on Google.

Lots of people will start with Amazon when shopping. It's definitely a threat to Google because those are some of the most valuable searches.

You mean a lot of Americans will start with Amazon.

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#186

Post by jiggunjer »

nelaboras wrote: post #123
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #49

Anyone remember when ATMs were free?

EU bank cards will mostly allow free withdrawals across Europe (with some strange exceptions). Some countries like Belgium have fully prohibited national banks from charging customers of rival banks. It's not a technical/financial issue, it's a policy choice... https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/financial-pr...

They still charge you for the privilege of using a card though.

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#187

Post by beenBoutIT »

flavor8 wrote: post #101

They need to solve shipping. Partner with Uber (or hey, Waymo) to pick up and drop off packages from shops to consumers. An alternate model would be to make search good enough let consumers find stores within a radius of their current location selling X, and price compare them. E.g. I need a widget - stores a, b and c are selling it. Store a is $14.99 and 5 miles away, store b is $8.99 and 15 miles away, store c is $…

They need to partner with the US Postal Service and the USPS needs to become the primary delivery method for this type of retail. The USPS has the advantage of already visiting every reltail location 6 days a week for mail delivery. As far as society as a whole is concerned, adding additional postal workers to the workforce is a lot better than adding more temporary gig workers.

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#188

Post by usr1106 »

nelaboras wrote: post #123
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #49

Anyone remember when ATMs were free?

EU bank cards will mostly allow free withdrawals across Europe (with some strange exceptions). Some countries like Belgium have fully prohibited national banks from charging customers of rival banks. It's not a technical/financial issue, it's a policy choice... https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/financial-pr...

Regulation only says it must be the same price as at your own bank. If you have a cheap bank at home you have it in the whole Euro zone. If you have poor bank competetion in your home country and pay more you have the same issue when traveling in the Euro zone.

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#189

Post by usr1106 »

jiggunjer wrote: post #186
nelaboras wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EU bank cards will mostly allow free withdrawals across Europe (with some strange exceptions). Some countries like Belgium have fully prohibited national banks from charging customers of rival banks. It's not a technical/financial issue, it's a policy choice... https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/financial-pr...

They still charge you for the privilege of using a card though.

I have 3 cards that don't cost me a Euro cent. 1 is debit, 1 is de facto debit because the credit limit is nominal so I cannot spend money that I don't have in my account. The 3rd one requires me to pay the bill 2 weeks after its issued to avoid (high) interest. But they are all free if used correctly.

Re: Buy on Google is now open and commission-free

#190

Post by namibj »

nullc wrote: post #179
jeffbee wrote: post #133

This doesn't seem to solve the main problem I have with Amazon: even when I know exactly what I want, it's impossible to find. Amazon hides the thing you want behind the items they want you to buy instead, and they allow fakes and spammers to flourish. They never have the right aspects in their search filters, either. Looks like Google is the same way. I can't find an A19 LED light bulb with 2700K color temperature a…

> I can't find an A19 LED light bulb with 2700K color temperature and CRI 90 or better. https://store.yujiintl.com/collections/residential-lighting-... I am a happy customer of this vendor. I bought all the misdescribed hard to find stuff on amazon first... what worked at all failed quickly. The yuji stuff seems a little pricey, but factoring in defect rate it isn't. Mostly I've purchased 2700k high density strip (no…

I can confirm. The one time I had some of the LEDs die is when I tried to hack a fan-less 150 W LED desk lamp together form 9W COBs thermal-epoxied to a trade fare showpiece from a Chinese streetlight/factory-downlight company, that they used for 200 W. But I had it upside-down and without a heat spreader layer, which I blame the LED's death on.

Other than that, I'm happy with a 100 W, 5 m long, 1800 K, 95 CRI strip with a 15~16 kHz PWM dimmer, and my collection of the high-power remote phosphor bulbs and my share of a box of pseudo-filament bulbs. We're looking at bi-color white+white (flexible CCT) strips on top of the cable trays, illuminating the ceiling, for our renovated hacker space.

For reference: YUJI's "normal" "BC" double-phosphor 95 CRI LEDs are about 1 USD/W, sold in packages typically worth 50~150 USD.

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