Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#281

Post by Sleeep » Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 5:48 PM UTC

Fej wrote: post #98

SwellJoe wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is another big one. Amazon is filled with garbage products. It can be very hard to tell what's quality, anymore, and the reviews aren't trustworthy the way they used to be. I used to read reviews on Amazon religiously even if I was buying somewhere else. That habit has kinda faded, though it's still one of the better sources of real world product knowledge.

The bad reviews are useful. The positive ones are almost universally worthless (excluding Benson's).

Bad reviews are AstroTurfed just like positive ones.

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#282

Post by Sleeep » Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 5:51 PM UTC

threatofrain wrote: post #126

ballenf wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Over and over again I've realized just before or after buying an item from Amazon that I paid way too much. I have finally broken the ingrained habit of leaping before looking. That can't be good for Amazon if too many people do that. On another note, I am beyond tired of the craptacular deals that are >80% fly-by-night products with astroturf reviews. The gold box deals used to be a favorite bookmarked stop.

But where do you look? Everywhere else is ad-hoc market places that you'd have to know about, such as Newegg for tech. But what's the Newegg of other stuff?

Ordering directly from the manufacturer is usually a good option if you know exactly what you want.

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#283

Post by Sleeep » Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 6:07 PM UTC

civilitty wrote: post #145

SwellJoe wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least customers get paid for giving them that information (in the form of the discount that the price-matcher gives). I've done it, too, at Fry's when I needed some hard disks and a laptop on short notice. Saved about $100 in one trip (they were expensive hard disks), just by pulling up Amazon and pointing at the price for the service rep. Competition is good.

I can't believe so few people know about this. Fry's and Best Buy both price match reputable online retailers ("Sold by Amazon" or whatever they say when Amazon is the retailer and distributor) and I just get all of my hardware like that. For the cost of gas, I get it instantly and can instantly return DOAs instead of waiting for RMA or Amazon returns. In the case of lower cost products like USB cables, which have be…

Even if the store didn't price match, you can get the price match from using a credit card that has a good price protection (like Discover) and submitting a claim (very easy in my experience).

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#284

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 6:07 PM UTC

civilitty wrote: post #145

SwellJoe wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least customers get paid for giving them that information (in the form of the discount that the price-matcher gives). I've done it, too, at Fry's when I needed some hard disks and a laptop on short notice. Saved about $100 in one trip (they were expensive hard disks), just by pulling up Amazon and pointing at the price for the service rep. Competition is good.

I can't believe so few people know about this. Fry's and Best Buy both price match reputable online retailers ("Sold by Amazon" or whatever they say when Amazon is the retailer and distributor) and I just get all of my hardware like that. For the cost of gas, I get it instantly and can instantly return DOAs instead of waiting for RMA or Amazon returns. In the case of lower cost products like USB cables, which have be…

[deleted]

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#285

Post by Sleeep » Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 6:11 PM UTC

untog wrote: post #64

illegal_in_ca wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. I also find myself picking up tech from NewEgg more often than Amazon. And I recently ordered most of the supplies for a cocktail party I was having at Walmart and Bed Bad and Beyond. Amazon prices might beat local retail, but they are only sometimes competitive with other (often more specizlized) online retailers at this point. Also, at least for me, shipping New Egg, Walmart and BBAB was faster than Am…

The issue I have with NewEgg is returns. There's always some condition, or expensive fee for return shipping. By comparison, Amazon makes it very easy

If you have an American Express card Newegg participates in ShopRunner and ShopRunner is free if you have an American Express card. ShopRunner provides free two day shipping both ways on eligible items (all items I've ever bought have been eligible).

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#286

Post by Sleeep » Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 6:20 PM UTC

acuozzo wrote: post #263

partiallypro wrote: post #212

My issue with Amazon lately isn't just the prices no longer being the lowest, it's that a big chunk of their products are counterfeits. I honestly have no idea how they haven't tamped down on that. If I shop at Wal-Mart, Target, Footlocker, etc, etc I know the products I buy aren't going to be fakes; no so with Amazon. I have started buying less stuff on there after a number of products have come back as fakes. I use…

> a big chunk of their products are counterfeits The solution is to purchase products shipped and sold by Amazon. Avoid third party sellers unless you either know the seller well or if the seller is the manufacturer of the product. And remember: "SHIPPED by Amazon" isn't enough since Amazon assists third party sellers by storing and shipping products on their behalf under Amazon's fulfillment program. The product has…

Third party sellers get commingled with Amazon inventory so buying sold by Amazon doesn't fix the problem.

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#287

Post by i_cant_speel » Wed, Jul 26, 2017, 9:49 PM UTC

afterburner wrote: post #160

ikurei wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you just helped continue the fraud? Things aren't gonna improve by complaining on HN.

His other option was letting them keep the money. Surely that's worse? The point of the fraud is to make money. He denied them that money.

And allowed them to continue to make future money.

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#288

Post by acuozzo » Thu, Jul 27, 2017, 12:06 AM UTC

Sleeep wrote: post #286

acuozzo wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a big chunk of their products are counterfeits The solution is to purchase products shipped and sold by Amazon. Avoid third party sellers unless you either know the seller well or if the seller is the manufacturer of the product. And remember: "SHIPPED by Amazon" isn't enough since Amazon assists third party sellers by storing and shipping products on their behalf under Amazon's fulfillment program. The product has…

Third party sellers get commingled with Amazon inventory so buying sold by Amazon doesn't fix the problem.

Amazon stores and ships products on behalf of third party sellers under their FBA program, but Amazon isn't listed as the seller in this circumstance.

The SOLD part of "Shipped and sold by Amazon" is just as important as the SHIPPED part when shopping.

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#289

Post by Sleeep » Thu, Jul 27, 2017, 3:56 AM UTC

acuozzo wrote: post #288

Sleeep wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Third party sellers get commingled with Amazon inventory so buying sold by Amazon doesn't fix the problem.

Amazon stores and ships products on behalf of third party sellers under their FBA program, but Amazon isn't listed as the seller in this circumstance. The SOLD part of "Shipped and sold by Amazon" is just as important as the SHIPPED part when shopping.

You're not understanding how comminging works here.

Say I'm shady seller X, I'm sending in fakes to FBA (lol). Yes, I'd like to sell "Product Y."

I'll list Product Y and enable "commingling," and send in fakes.

Now when Amazon sells Product Y, Amazon will choose an item from it's shelves in a warehouse. Since shady seller X said "commingle my inventory" Amazon may choose the product(s) shady seller X's sent from it's shelves.

Re: Amazon raised Prime Day prices, misleading consumers, says vendor

#290

Post by partiallypro » Thu, Jul 27, 2017, 4:09 AM UTC

EADGBE wrote: post #228

partiallypro wrote: post #212

My issue with Amazon lately isn't just the prices no longer being the lowest, it's that a big chunk of their products are counterfeits. I honestly have no idea how they haven't tamped down on that. If I shop at Wal-Mart, Target, Footlocker, etc, etc I know the products I buy aren't going to be fakes; no so with Amazon. I have started buying less stuff on there after a number of products have come back as fakes. I use…

What kinds of things are you buying where counterfeits are a problem? Genuinely intrigued.

Colognes, shoes, and watches, in my experience. I don't care much if a charging cable is a knock off, I usually buy a reputable cheap brand...but if I'm buying a cologne, or shoes they sure as hell better be legit.