re: I’m starting to hate Amazon

"Legit" paid reviews via Amazon Vine where people get free shiat. You know they are super objective, right?
Fake arse reviews created by sending free products to networks of people.
Fake arse reviews created by employees.
Stupid fricking marketplace setup where fake shiat easily gets blended into real stream... so if you are the brand owner, you get fricked and it takes a massive effort to try to correct it.

Look on FB marketplace and similar. You'll start to see the same people always seem to have random things to sell that are barely used. A tent. An air fryer. Automatic pet feeder. And so on. They are selling the free shiat they got, and when they get called out on it, they lash out.

My father in law has a sister that writes reviews for shiat like this. Those items I listed above are items she gave to us after writing reviews. She initially wanted us to take photos using the products, but I told her no thanks.

And don't worry folks, it's every retailer. Walmart mandates you pay for reviews via Bazaarvoice to launch online. Target expects the same, but hasn't mandated it. You've seen these reviews... "product received as part of a promotion." Yeah, super objective reviewers there, they get booted from the program if they don't play by the rules.

Landfill economy

Amazon takes the top rated items from their search results, makes cheap, shitty knockoffs of it in third world countries, and promotes their own crappy products to the top of every search. Consumer get screwed, firms worldwide get screwed, and only Amazon wins. It’s fricking gross.


At it’s origin, Amazon was an amazing innovation that was deeply valuable to the American and global economy. But this shite is the exact reason antitrust legislation exists. There’s almost no better argument for it. It’s bullshite, and the gov needs to get off their arse and do something productive about it for once in their isolated, privileged existence.

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It’s basically an online version of Harbor Freight for everyday items.

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I find Harbor Freight useful for household level tools, especially if it’s one you only use sparingly. Would not go there if I was a mechanic.

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shiat

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It’s 2022 on the internet. You can just say “shite”.

Ive left a few bad reviews on home items I was displeased with. Some random Ann Ming emailed me and offered me 50$ amazon gift card for a 40$ Duvet Cover I reviewed "Material stiffer than denim pants." I got her up to 75$ by stating not only would I delete the review and leave a stellar review. This has not happened a few more times.

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You want to order a couple phone chargers? They’ll will be shite that’s highly rated by bots.

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Cad told y'all about this 10 years ago and everyone on this board laughed in my face.

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China

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found the problem

You have to be specific in your searches or all you will get is shite.

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Stop “shopping” on Amazon. Find the make and model of whatever item you want. Research it and then purchase it wherever you get the best deal. Often times that place will be Amazon.

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FYI: Many places will price match Amazon if it is the same item and it isn't on sale. I got a sizable discount on a pair of Nikon binoculars from Academy that way.

-Figure out exactly what it is you want/need (brand, model, etc.)
-Search for that item specifically
-Read the product description carefully
-Purchase

If you go to Amazon knowing what you need/want you will have a much better experience. If you go "shopping" on Amazon you will get cheap, chinese shite.

I've taken this approach for years. The two biggest purchases I have made on Amazon have been with this method. I bought a Graco pro paint sprayer and a grill/smoker. Both of them I "could" have bought from a big box store. Lowe's was going to take at least ten days to get the sprayer to the store. The grill was bought in the "offseason" and it was a crapshoot everywhere if the store could actually get them at all.

I got both inside of the Prime window, and cheaper than in-store anywhere.

That said, nowadays it is likely that you can find an item comparatively priced (even if paying for shipping) direct from a manufacturer or a dealer, and with Prime shipping generally being a crapshoot in it's own right, get it quicker. Always check.