[everdrive]

I remember when this was first rolled out. You'd go to buy something on Amazon, and the whole page would be a Prime ad, while some tiny little text would say something like "no thanks take me to checkout." This change was when I knew that Amazon had jumped the shark and was certainly no longer "obsessively customer focused." We had actually bought Prime accidentally via this method. Now in my family we make it a specific point that we won't buy anything on Amazon.

[hospitalJail]

Same. This was scary to me.

It means Amazon knows they are kings of online retail and have no problem abusing customers now.

Walmart online is sometimes cheaper, but also sometimes more expensive. Makes it really hard to make the switch. I have refused to give money to bad companies, but with the rest of the world being manipulated into giving them money, I realized I never made a dent.

[z3c0]

I cut out Amazon recently and there's something to be said about specialized online retailers. I used to think the idea of having a different retailer for each category was a bygone relic of the past after Amazon, but I'm starting to enjoy the better selection and customer support I get from companies like Chewy, Sweetwater, Costco, etc. A one-stop retailer is a convenience, but they suffer from the classic "jack of all trades" problem with their selection and only end up being a logistics company for delivering mass mediocrity.

[hospitalJail]

I tried to confirm this with 3D printing filaments. Amazon is somehow cheaper than everywhere I looked.

[z3c0]

I find that Amazon's prices are their trap, and it gives the illusion of having more. I buy lots of cheap components for creating music, and I get far better quality for my dollar from Sweetwater than I ever have on Amazon, even if Amazon's prices were lower.

[hospitalJail]

I think this is fooling ourselves. The cheap 3d Printer filament is fine.

Its weird because a mega corporation would consider the quality and if it meets the qualities, they would buy the cheapest price(with few other considerations, maybe china-US relations might deter).

In this case, the objective right answer is to buy the cheapest when it comes to 3D printer filament, as long as it meets the quality. It does.

I wonder if its some emotional decision to buy a more expensive product that performs equally.

[z3c0]

You come off as condescending to assume that someone who doesn't agree with you must be doing so on an emotional basis. That's like me assuming your response is based in a need to justify being cheap. I'm speaking of a specific area - musical components - where I've seen firsthand myself having to replace parts from the Amazon-featured products, where the parts I buy elsewhere at a marginally higher price have never once needed replacing. Sure, maybe your filaments are serving your needs, but my point flat-out was that approach does not fill mine.

[thewebcount]

> Walmart online is sometimes cheaper, but also sometimes more expensive. Makes it really hard to make the switch.

I respect that you have to make decisions based on your own financial situation. For me, getting a few things for less money with the possibility that you might suddenly get hit with a big charge for something you didn't actually sign up for voluntarily is not worth it. To me it's like putting off fixing a car problem. You're saving money in the short term, but it could cause other much more expensive (or fatal) problems later. It's just too much risk for me. (But I have also been in a position where I had to put off a car fix because I simply didn't have the money. It absolutely sucked.)

[hospitalJail]

>I respect that you have to make decisions based on your own financial situation.

Idk, I worked for a lot of companies, and I'm not sure any would pick the same product when its more expensive elsewhere under the fear of an unexpected charge that has never occurred before.

I suppose I should be preparing for a volcano to emerge in the north east US too. :P