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Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

kurtisknodel.com

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Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#241

Post by eyelidlessness »

scarface74 wrote: post #239
eyelidlessness wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could be forgiven for misunderstanding the intent of my first comment, and it could probably have been more artfully phrased to help avoid that misunderstanding. But I’m struggling to see how you’re not now intentionally misrepresenting my second comment. I’m not “clutching my pearls”, about anything. The first sentence of my first comment was meant—and only meant—as context for why my observations in the rest of…

Every place that Amazon has a distribution center, wages go up for unskilled labor as other people are forced to compete. There are plenty of reports of fast food places, retail stores and even child care services not being able to hire because they can’t afford to compete with Amazon wages. In other words, even though many factory workers have alternatives, they are choosing the trade off to make $20/hour. They aren…

Respectfully please stop responding to me now. You get the last substantive word.

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#242

Post by jaclaz »

blagie wrote: post #221
jaclaz wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Excuse me, but do you believe this is "normal"? I mean, if you returned 287/602=48% of the items you ordered, either there is something wrong in what you order or - more likely - your supplier (Amazon) is not reliable. On the other side, if 48% of items (particularly if low value ones) are returned, the costs of shipping/returning/handling must be enormous.

I almost never return, but there are domains with business models build upon massive numbers of returns. This includes some parts of fashion. You buy online. If it doesn't fit, you return and buy another. There are hobbies which are similar. You buy extra parts, and return what you don't use. The price factors in the 50+% return rate. If they didn't allow returns, no one would buy. I don't know if that's what OP is d…

Well for that matter, I have known people who buy fashion items online (that fit perfectly) use them on a dinner out and then return them because they don't fit or are not the expected colour, etc.

Still, since as you say these online sellers must calculate the prices of these goods to cover these return expenses, the other "normal" clients pay more and BTW there are thousands, millions packets going and returning (it is time, money, traffic, etc.).

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#243

Post by skibble »

idontwantthis wrote: post #88

Can anyone tell me if there is a program to verify usb drive size on Mac? F3 requires linux or windows (has instructions for mac but those require running linux in virtualbox). Edit: nvm, enough of it works natively on mac

There’s a GUI app version here: https://github.com/vrunkel/F3XSwift

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#244

Post by rdtwo »

kennend3 wrote: post #171
thatguy0900 wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would imagine the author would rather you just pirate the book than do this. Returns on a book can't be great for recomendation algorithms.

After Amazon's fees, returning books like this COSTS authors money. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/tiktok-trend-authors... .

Nah authors aren’t part of the equation, they got paid and now the publisher is the only party affected

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#245

Post by blagie »

jaclaz wrote: post #242
blagie wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I almost never return, but there are domains with business models build upon massive numbers of returns. This includes some parts of fashion. You buy online. If it doesn't fit, you return and buy another. There are hobbies which are similar. You buy extra parts, and return what you don't use. The price factors in the 50+% return rate. If they didn't allow returns, no one would buy. I don't know if that's what OP is d…

Well for that matter, I have known people who buy fashion items online (that fit perfectly) use them on a dinner out and then return them because they don't fit or are not the expected colour, etc. Still, since as you say these online sellers must calculate the prices of these goods to cover these return expenses, the other "normal" clients pay more and BTW there are thousands, millions packets going and returning (i…

It's a little different. For some of the fashion domains I'm thinking of don't have "normal" consumers, and most goods cost about the same as half of my entire wardrobe. For others, shopping is more like entertainment, and it's about the experience.

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#246

Post by Auracle »

fortran77 wrote: post #178
Auracle wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also bought some toothpaste on Amazon recently and it was the wrong kind. Their return page wouldn’t let me return it for any reason - I needed to get on chat support to get a refund. You’d think “you literally sent me the wrong item” would always be a good reason but apparently not.

I would order things like toothpaste from Walgreens.com or Target.com in the US. Not Amazon!

I order toothpaste with novamin which is only available overseas, so I doubt those other two are an option.

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#247

Post by jbullock35 »

paulryanrogers wrote: post #204
jbullock35 wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment seems too critical. As a practical matter, Amazon has made it extremely easy to avoid these scams. Restrict your search to USB drives that not only "Ship from" Amazon but that are "sold by" Amazon. In doing so, you will be weeding out all of the fraudulent devices that the article describes.

Comingling means your strategy is not guaranteed to ensure you actually get what was described.

> Restrict your search to USB drives that not only "Ship from" Amazon but that are "sold by" Amazon. In doing so, you will be weeding out all of the fraudulent devices that the article describes.

> Comingling means your strategy is not guaranteed to ensure you actually get what was described.

Commingling may be a problem in other contexts. But the article is about super-cheap "1TB" USB drives that don't really have 1TB capacity. If you restrict your search to "sold by Amazon" USB drives, you aren't at risk for buying these drives---because Amazon simply doesn't sell super-cheap 1TB USB drives. That's why commingling isn't a problem in this particular context.

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#248

Post by prvit »

goodpoint wrote: post #200
prvit wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve had no issues with Amazon returns/refunds in multiple countries without their own Amazon store.

Did they pay the full cost of your shipment? If yes, you are very lucky.

“It is very difficult for me to send a return internationally, could you please issue a refund instead?” Works every single time.

If they refuse multiple times, hang up and call again.

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#249

Post by sitkack »

odysseus wrote: post #123
dkjaudyeqooe wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon tracks your returns, but if you're within their model, which is not particularly tight, you don't have anything to worry about. It's mostly targeted toward people who are egregious, and more importantly, lose Amazon money. If you return a few too many DSLRs, Apple laptops or other high end gear you'll quickly find yourself on the rocks, or decide you're going to start a drop-shipping business from your Prime a…

She could have just gotten those Kindle books from the library. I recently dug into my property taxes and found I’m paying over $200/year (!) for the library. A lot more than the cost of Amazon Prime. Since I found this out, I’ve been using the library a lot more .. As for our Amazon “customer score”, wish we could see it. I bet they have merchant scores too - would be interesting to see the number of returns per pro…

> I’m paying over $200/year (!) for the library.

You aren't, you are funding it. Anyone can use the library.

Re: Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

#250

Post by Riseed »

mikequinlan wrote: post #198
Riseed wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did Amazon buy Kohls too? What do Amazon returns have to do with Kohls Cash?

You can return items (after going through the online return process to get a label) at any Kohls. When you do, Kohls will give you a $5 coupon for their store.

oh! I've never had Kohls as an option before--just WF and UPS.
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