The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon • Hacker News Board

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#51

Post by submeta » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:20 PM UTC

Amazon manipulates your product searches. When you search for a product, it will push a few select brands and you won’t get past that, except you deliberately search for a specific brand. So it will limit your options. But it will give you the illusion to show you a large amount of various brands.

Searching for a product category on Google won‘t allow you to find a big number of brands either. Because they will push certain products as well.

So be aware that these platforms will limit your options.

But I admit that Amazon has a very polished UX. It‘s a one-stop shop, returns are handled very generously, and you don’t need to visit a dozen sites to get various products.

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#52

Post by AvAn12 » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:21 PM UTC

It’s like some Soviet-style retailer where everyone is supposed to shop for everything. It’s about as contrary to competitive capitalism as a company can be. I signed off two years ago and haven’t missed it for a minute - though you should make your own decisions, as with everything.

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#53

Post by blibble » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:21 PM UTC

recursive wrote: post #32

SoftTalker wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good rule of thumb is that if it goes on or in your body do not buy it from Amazon.

Or if it's electronic. Fire risk.

the fact legitimate electricians buy fuses/wiring/circuit breakers/crimps off amazon thinking they're as advertised is actually terrifying

all the buildings you enter: houses of friends/family, supermarkets, hospitals, transport, restaurants, offices, all with potentially fatal fake electrics

hopefully the fire door and extinguishers weren't bought from amazon

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#54

Post by deadbabe » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:24 PM UTC

The only standard I hold Amazon to is if they can get me the things I want in the fastest time. Until someone does that better, I have no reasons not to use Amazon.

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#55

Post by kevin_thibedeau » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:24 PM UTC

kristianp wrote: post #40

I wish our local postage carrier was more efficient. Amazon provides next day delivery, whilst other online stores dispatch your purchase within 2-3 days and the package arrives is a further 2-5 days.

How much of your spending requires instant gratification?

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#56

Post by PaulHoule » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:25 PM UTC

ajross wrote: post #37

PaulHoule wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My take is that Walmart.com comes pretty close. When I was driving through Pennsylvania two weeks back I saw a huge Walmart.com warehouse right next to an Amazon warehouse. The last mile delivery service of the two seems close to identical (though Walmart+ disingenuously offers "free" delivery from my local store that expect you to tip the driver. [1]) Amazon often costs 5 cents less and you might find that all the i…

FWIW, my suspicion is that people motivated by "Amazon is full-stop evil and an enemy of Civil Rights, Human Rights, Workers, Small Businesses, and Democracy"[1] would be even less motivated to shop at the temple of Sam Walton. But even so, I just checked and of the last 12 items in my Amazon purchase history, Walmart.com loses on every one of them before shipping is included. They're not really in the game absent ex…

I have my own grievances with Amazon, not least that 2 day shipping became 5 day shipping without warning during the pandemic although I know they had infrastructure in my area because for years I saw their delivery van going around on Sunday. I felt it was really unfair because if I have to wait 5 days for something to arrive I am inclined to go get it at Target or another store in town if I can.

Since then I’ve taken them up on offers of a free month of Prime or a week for $2 which is attractive if it gets me free shipping on a purchase. Now I get the same service as everyone else but if they wanted to be a loyal customer hey should have treated me as if they wanted to impress me as an earlier.

Notably Walmart has a + service which is a little cheaper than Prime but doesn’t have the video and other benefits that I’m indifferent too. I agree with the direction of that guy’s critiques of Amazon but not the magnitude but I’m a strange case in that I’m an amateur political scientist who works as a software dev with real political scientists that I have to be deferential to.

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#57

Post by ______ » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:26 PM UTC

A good first step is not paying for Prime.

It's like $140 annually now... and if you're mostly just buying things and not watching their content, it's a nice speed bump to just accumulate items in the cart until you hit the minimum free shipping and only order then.

When you occasionally do for some reason need an instant item, you can pay the shipping then. It's kinda like for most people, having a second or third car is much more expensive than just renting one when you actually need it.

That said, I am close to a Costco so that's where I get most of my bulk items - the Amazon stuff tends to be more discretionary.

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#58

Post by PaulDavisThe1st » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:26 PM UTC

> Amazon needs to be stopped, and legislation will not do so. Only its loyal consumers – who keep the beast alive – can do that by taking their money elsewhere.

We've (my wife and I) tried to stop using Amazon. But recently, I've run into issues where I need particular specialized bits and pieces (e.g. just today, a low profile 4" HVAC 90 degree elbow) that are only available via Amazon. A variation is where the item is available from one or two other places, but at a 10x markup.

We need to convince vendors to also avoid Amazon, and that may be even more of a difficult sell (no pun intended).

ps. Amazon employee #2, and I approve this message.

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#59

Post by SoftTalker » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:26 PM UTC

blibble wrote: post #53

recursive wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or if it's electronic. Fire risk.

the fact legitimate electricians buy fuses/wiring/circuit breakers/crimps off amazon thinking they're as advertised is actually terrifying all the buildings you enter: houses of friends/family, supermarkets, hospitals, transport, restaurants, offices, all with potentially fatal fake electrics hopefully the fire door and extinguishers weren't bought from amazon

I recall reading about some counterfeit circuit breakers that were basically just toggle switches. They had no "trip" mechanism at all.

The few tradespeople I know don't even shop at Lowes. They have accounts at supply houses that don't even offer public retail sales.

Re: The Prime Reasons to Avoid Amazon

#60

Post by kevin_thibedeau » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:27 PM UTC

tenuousemphasis wrote: post #16

ajross wrote: post #7

I guess, but Amazon gets me stuff tomorrow or the next day, reliably, week in and week out. Yeah, I could find this stuff elsewhere on the internet. But not for Tuesday delivery. And not without opening another account. Also, right now, often only by paying a tariff-adjacent fee to cover the import costs of the vendors that didn't have the foresight to pre-stock imports like Amazon did. People who want to write stuff…

Humans survived up until about 20 years ago without free 2-day shipping. You'll be fine. Or you could compromise your morals for convenience, I guess.

It's not free. It's baked into the price.