I’ll start - I don’t shop a lot, but if I had to buy stuff like hardware parts, I do use Amazon sometimes, but if I can, then I try to use Flipkart. Realizing how it has turned into a monopoly, I try to look for alternative websites, and check if they’re trustworthy.
If I remember correctly, the last three items I’ve bought online were hardware parts from some local websites. The chi-fi IEMs were bought through headphonezone.in, and they were super-fast in delivery - I had to wait for only four days.
Really? I hear people say stuff like this all the time, but I have not experienced it at all. Every time I go to a brick and mortar store, I find that the price is still way cheaper when I look up the product on Amazon. Plus many other online stores still have ridiculously long shipping times whereas with Amazon it will sometimes even arrive in less than 24 hours.
I also have always had great experiences with Amazon support for faulty items or in the ease of returning my items.
I bought an item from a different online retailer recently. Took forever, they sent me the wrong item, and they refused to refund my money until it took snail mail to ship it back to them and for it to be restocked in their warehouse (not even an expensive item…$40). I was absolutely pissed about how difficult they made the situation over their own mistake when Amazon has always made it so easy for me.
Another company I purchased from recently required a signature for an item and customer service flat out refused to allow me to hold it for pickup like I normally do for items like that (I didn’t realize signed delivery at home address only was a thing…never had a product like that before). They made it a headache and a half to actually get my item because I work during the day and wouldn’t allow me to have it held to be signed for at a delivery center. If I order something like that from Amazon, they allow delivery to a secure locker so I don’t have to be home during the day to pick up my purchase like I’m some 1950s housewife.
There are other retailers still that are cheaper than Amazon, but you end up waiting a month or more for your items.
I get that Amazon is a morally shitty company, but I just have not found another company with anywhere remotely near the price point, shipping experience, and customer service as them. If someone is able to step up to the plate and do that, I’ll certainly switch to someone more moral.
I will say that I do not use Amazon for used products because you have absolutely zero idea of the condition for them. eBay has always been a far superior experience for that specific type of item because you can actually see what you’re buying.
