Amazon gives non-Prime members free shipping at $35 or more of eligible items. Instead of simply letting users get the product with free shipping, they’ve added a discount that prices it exactly one cent below the $35 limit, while only subsidizing the price with $3.38, which is about half of what they’ll then charge you for shipping.

  • Carighan Maconar
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    591 month ago

    This must be very different in the US because over here eBay would be like just lighting your money on fire (since you have 0 recourse or reimburse options while Amazon’s primary upside is how trivial replacement and reimbursements are). I mean de-amazon sure, but not for a place that’s as anti-consumer as can be, which of course makes sense for actual second-hand purchases where you have no legal liabilities by the seller anyways.

    • @[email protected]
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      221 month ago

      If you’re buying on ebay and use PayPal, PayPal provides the consumer protection. That’s been my experience anyway.

      • @[email protected]
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        111 month ago

        10000% This. Using Paypal for buying on sites like Ebay is the way to go in terms of consumer protection. If a seller doesn’t take PP then fuck 'em

      • @Limonene
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        11 month ago

        You get more protection from your credit card company than Paypal. If your item doesn’t arrive or doesn’t work, you can file a chargeback and get a full refund. It’s worked for me every time I tried it (Visa card from Royal Credit Union).

    • Ben Hur Horse Race
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      71 month ago

      where are you? Im in Ireland and use eBay all the time, and when there’s been a problem it’s always been rectified

    • @BananaTrifleViolin
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      1 month ago

      Amazon are getting bad about refunds and replacements plus have a major problem with counterfeit goods due to how they mix 3rd party and Amazon sourced goods in their warehouses.

      They can’t refund your house if it burns down because Amazon sold you fake electronics.

      EBay is fine for the smaller cheap Chinese tat that you can find on amazon, and PayPal provides consumer protection. Go to other retailers for electronics - any site or shop that does not use third party sellers.

      • @[email protected]
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        1 month ago

        Yep always got charged for sending back. They are living off of good will they are not what they where. Slower shipping harder to return stuff and full of fake items.

    • @[email protected]
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      11 month ago

      This is such a tired trope. eBay has improved well beyond when it was just the wild west of third party sellers. I’ve not had a single issue on eBay in the last 3-4 years of purchases. Ive actually had extraordinary customer service through eBay. Recently purchased a used $50 coffee grinder and it arrived with cosmetic damage from shipping. Contacted the seller and they refunded the entire purchase while also letting me keep the item.

      • Carighan Maconar
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        61 month ago

        Hey just the last 2 weeks I had two separate friends be ripped off on ebay. Yeah it has improved, but it’s still a ton of scummy shit.

        • @[email protected]
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          21 month ago

          Are your 2 separate friends not checking ebay’s seller ratings and buying scummy shit from scummy sellers without using PayPal’s buyer protections?