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.

    • @d00ery
      link
      English
      463 days ago

      I’ve switched to eBay. The delivery time is often the same and the returns are ok too

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        383 days ago

        A few years ago I mused that we might see the day when eBay becomes a more trustworthy platform to purchase on than Amazon. I’m not sure when exactly the streams crossed but I think we are past it now

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          243 days ago

          That happened years ago. Better search and more trustworthy sellers since products aren’t co-mingled. No way is some seller with years of positive reviews going to send you broken junk and not try to make it right.

          • @GenXLiberal
            link
            English
            193 days ago

            I agree.

            Amazon is difficult to find what you want if you are searching for a specific brand or item. It shows you many options.

            To me it seems like Amazon wants to sell you something as long as the make a sale. Whether it is what you actually wanted is a distant second.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          53 days ago

          Hm, my experiences with e-Bay have been pretty bad (hard to return items or get customer support involved when something is wrong). I’ve had better luck with just random mid-sized buisnesses or directly ordering from the manufacturer.

        • UltraMagnus0001
          link
          English
          33 days ago

          I been going to ebay more recently. What I do is try to decipher the Amazon reviews and then go to ebay, even though I have Prime. My headlamp led was less expensive on ebay by 50%!

      • @TheFeatureCreature
        link
        English
        163 days ago

        I wish I could do more shopping there, but eBay in Canada is extremely expensive which has lead to it being kind of a ghost town compared to the US. $20-$50 shipping fees, even on tiny items, is common.

        So I’ve started to use AliExpress more often. Literally the exact same item on Amazon but without the markup - sometimes even half the price. It’s not a great solution but the online shopping selection here in Canada is awful.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        43 days ago

        Just gotta avoid Amazon drop shippers. Thousands of feedback + free expedited shipping + free returns = maybe a drop shipper.

        • @T00l_shed
          link
          English
          63 days ago

          No, avoid alllll of amazon

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            83 days ago

            Correct but eBay is full of shippers who drop ship from Amazon. You don’t want to go on eBay to accidentally end up ordering from Amazon.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          13 days ago

          You have to offer free returns for top rated seller status. It puts you higher up in searches.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            13 days ago

            Ok but a common indicator of a drop shipper is all of the items I listed not just free returns.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        13 days ago

        I’ve found that a lot of stuff listed on Amazon is about the price of shipping higher than it is on eBay I guess to account for the free Prime shipping. If you don’t have Prime, there really isn’t much reason to not use eBay since you’d be getting doubly screwed without the free shipping on Amazon.

    • @UnderpantsWeevil
      link
      English
      173 days ago

      Start using Amazon, but in an elaborate drop shipping scam where you sell a $.25 item for $38 and have Amazon pay you $3.99 to ship it to yourself as a proxy.

      • 🦄🦄🦄
        link
        fedilink
        English
        273 days ago

        Nahh their workers still get exploited (even more than the average laborer)

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          03 days ago

          Amazon will probably get future tax benifits in Luxembourg because of that loss caused by you.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      03 days ago

      It’s too convenient. Order something Sunday night, I’ll definitely have it by Tuesday afternoon if not earlier. I always wait until I have enough items I need over $50 before I place an order anyway.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        2
        edit-2
        3 days ago

        In my area I can order something popular at midnight and receive it by 10am. If you’re in a major metro area, they can usually do next day, same day, and overnight on a lot of items.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          23 days ago

          Sure but you don’t need it. Yes it’s nice. But once I canceled prime I just order less junk I don’t need. It was like an addiction. Just browse oh that looks cool.

      • qaz
        link
        English
        4
        edit-2
        2 days ago

        90% procent of products on Amazon are from AliExpress dropshippers anyway

          • qaz
            link
            English
            22 days ago

            Yes, I try to buy things second hand but if it’s not possible to get it that way I usually resort to one of the local stores or AliExpress.