Why wouldn't people use Amazon?

[disneysteve]

I often come across people who, when I mention buying something on Amazon, always have some excuse about why they can't be bothered shopping online. We buy lots of stuff on Amazon and save hundreds of dollars every year in the process.

Tonight's example:

I needed padded mailing envelopes and regular large mailing envelopes for ebay and half.com sales.

I checked Staples first.
Padded mailers: 25 for $29.00
9x12 envelopes: 100 for $15.99

Then I went on Amazon where I actually bought the items.
Padded mailers 50 for $14.64 (and I could have gotten 100 for $22.95 but didn't need that many)
9x12 envelopes: 100 for $9.99

So my total was $24.63 vs. $44.99 and I got 25 more padded mailers.

Before you buy almost anything, check Amazon and ebay. Odds are very good that you will find them cheaper there.

[frugalredhead]

I do the vast majority of my shopping on Amazon as well. I will say though, it is worth shopping around because they are not always cheaper. DH wanted one of those zero-gravity camping chairs this past Christmas, and Walmart's regular price was cheaper than Amazon's Lightning Deal. But overall, Amazon is my favorite way to shop! I save on my time and gas money going to the store, and I can shop in my pjs

[97guns]

i use amazon all the time, even some pantry food items are good buys

i especially like to use it for gift giving, have them ship it right to the person you want to gift to, i send stuff to relatives in hawaii all the time. ive even had a few gifts go to thailand, saved me quite a lot

[LittleMissSplendid]

I agree there are some good deals to be found on amazon, but only if I'm planning ahead. If it is something I need right now then I head to a physical store. I used ebay once to buy something that otherwise isn't available in the US and had a fixed price because I'm not really into bidding. I would do that again.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Someone I know needed a book that we found at Amazon, but she was afraid to use her credit card online. She asked me, whether she could give me the cash for it and have me put it on my card! I agreed because I thought witnessing the process and outcome would help her see that is as safe to order online as to use a credit card in person....Well, it did not help. Several times in the next month she wanted me to use my card, telling me she did not want to risk identity theft. (I said no.) It's been years now, and I doubt if she has purchased online since.

[marvholly]

My daughter put me on her prime account seveal months ago. Since then I have found NOTHING I wanted/needed to purchase. This is pretty much because I do NOT have a baby/young child, live in a 1 person household and basically eat things found on the grocery store perimeter.

I, too, have had worries about using my credit card(s) for online shopping. My answer was to dedicate a single card for ALL online purchases. I can tell really quick if something is funny when the bill comes.

[disneysteve]

she was afraid to use her credit card online.

In that case, she should be afraid to use her credit card at all, or even have a credit card for that matter. Has she not heard news stories of security breaches at physical retailers like Target? Heck, I had a fraudulent charge on a credit card that I have never used, not even once. I don't even carry it. I only have it to access certain member-only offers.

It amazes me that there are still people out there who don't think shopping online is safe.

[disneysteve]

My daughter put me on her prime account seveal months ago. Since then I have found NOTHING I wanted/needed to purchase. This is pretty much because I do NOT have a baby/young child, live in a 1 person household and basically eat things found on the grocery store perimeter.

There is little to nothing that you buy that you can't get on Amazon, and probably for less than you currently pay. I haven't found food items to be worthwhile but other than that, pretty much anything is fair game to check Amazon and ebay before making a purchase.

You certainly don't need to have a baby. My daughter is 19 and we shop on Amazon all the time. I just scrolled through recent orders and some examples of things we've bought include envelopes, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes, a 3-hole punch, blank DVDs, printer ink, coffee, sewing machine needles, and a beater for our Kitchen Aid mixer. Pretty varied stuff.

[BuckyBadger]

We buy almost everything except food on Amazon. Clothes we have to try on, I suppose, is something we *don't* buy.

I'm hoping that we can get the same tax refund bonus deal that we did last year. I always go to Amazon first for pretty much everything. There is rarely something I can't find, and I can almost always wait for two day shipping to get it.

No babies here, either.

[disneysteve]

Clothes we have to try on, I suppose, is something we *don't* buy.

I rarely buy clothes anyway and haven't bought any on Amazon but I have bought shoes there. I'm a creature of habit and wear the same model pair after pair so it's easy for me to just order a new pair when it's time. I don't need to try them on. Saves me a trip to the mall and saves me money.

[Eagle]

@disneysteve

We have Amazon Prime and buy a lot through Amazon.

We buy wipes, diapers, puffs, books, movies... Pretty much anything. We have the Amazon Price check App and often compare store prices with Amazon's prices.

My favorite was when we bout our Envy 120. Target matched Amazon's price ($75 off) plus we got a 5% discount using the Target card. Got a $250 printer for $150. Lol.

[Bob B.]

I'll preface this by saying that we buy a lot of things on Amazon. Actually, it's my wife that does almost all of the Amazon shopping. It's especially helpful for us, because our home is very rural, and there's not a lot of good shopping close by.

I have heard that there are groups that complain about Amazon because they find Amazon to be exploitative of their warehouse workers. I've heard stories about how Amazon has the trips from the loading dock to each item timed, and workers race to fill orders, and can never do it fast enough, etc. etc.

I have no idea how many people actually refuse to shop Amazon for these reasons. Probably relatively few, but those attitudes are out there.

[disneysteve]

We have the Amazon Price check App and often compare store prices with Amazon's prices.

We've been guilty of this many times. I know it is bad for business for the physical stores but I'm going to choose the lowest price whenever possible. Quite a few times we've been in a store looking at an item only to buy it online for less.

[ua_guy]

I use Amazon almost to the point of laziness. The big benefit is the selection across multiple retailers for all types of goods. Amazon is not always the cheapest, but it almost always means I can find exactly what I want. So helpful for those weird items

The one thing I haven't latched onto is Amazon Fresh grocery delivery. My s/o is so annoyed that we don't use it, but I still find something satisfying about going to the grocery store.

[rennigade]

I have heard that there are groups that complain about Amazon because they find Amazon to be exploitative of their warehouse workers. I've heard stories about how Amazon has the trips from the loading dock to each item timed, and workers race to fill orders, and can never do it fast enough, etc. etc.

The same people that complain about amazons warehouse practices should also make sure they stop sending/receiving items from fedex/ups. Ive never worked at either...but some of my friends have worked at UPS doing package sorting. Probably the closest thing to slave labor you can get. Thats just the nature of the beast.