[paxys]

Why on earth are people buying stuff like smoke detectors from Amazon? Across most of the US your fire department will likely hand them out for free, and even if you have to pay you can at least be assured that someone is monitoring the supply chain and product safety. Your life isn't worth the $5 Amazon discount.

[Eisenstein]

Amazon isn't really cheaper for anything (unless you count getting a Duwuu 'brand' cable instead of a reputable brand as a discount).

Why do people (I?) order from amazon?

1. I don't mind taking $8 electronic devices apart and resoldering connections or doing basic troubleshooting

2. Often get a product in a day or three

3. I have no idea where I would buy a sediment filter (or similar specialized thing) that isn't walmart (and I live in a big city)

4. No need to go all around town to get things from different places (drive to the fire department for an alarm and then go to the pet store for a scratching post then go to best buy for an HDMI cable

5. They have all my details so I just click 'buy' and don't have to make a new account and deal with another retailer sending me a newsletter

6. I know that amazon will take my returns with no questions and I can drop it a few blocks away at the UPS store and I don't even have to put it in a box

That said -- there are definitely lists of things I would never order from them. SD cards/thumb drives, any easily 'adulterated' food product like honey or olive oil, cosmetics, anything I want to last that isn't a specific brand that I know for a fact isn't counterfeited and is a seller...etc

[vel0city]

As for buying somewhat specialized parts I usually find retailers I trust and buy from them.

For your example, I usually buy filters from AllFilters.com

https://www.allfilters.com/sedimentfilters

Or, I might buy direct from the manufacturer's parts website

https://www.geapplianceparts.com/store/parts/spec/FTHPM

Expanding on that idea, I often buy electrical components from a retailer like Mouser or Digikey or Adafruit or others before I buy off Amazon.

If I'm lucky there's some nice local retailers and I'll buy from them. There's a few local comic and game stores nearby, I'll practically always buy from them even if they're a few bucks more than Amazon for some particular item.

Amazon is almost always my last retailer I go to. I've had so many bad experiences with Amazon over the last few years. The majority of Amazon orders I've had in the past 5 years ended up involving Amazon support.

[Eisenstein]

I love specialty retailers like digikey and retailers have gotten better about incorporating shipping price into unit price so ordering something small doesn't take as big of a hit, and that has encouraged shopping from them.

I am not trying to give the impression that amazon is a great way to get these things, I was itemizing the reasons I use it when I do.