Ask Lemmy

Lately (no doubt due to getting back into prosumer photography stuff) I've been using B&H Photo and Video. I kinda-sorta forgot I bought my drone from them several years ago and at the time they were cheaper than Amazon and also offered next day shipping for free for an order of that magnitude. Since I'm not using Amazon anymore I've been getting my stuff from there again.

Everything I've been interested in has been the same price as on Amazon or cheaper. I think they're hamstrung by their name by this point since they seem to have a pretty wide swath of general electronics and not just camera gear.

Just don't try to order on the Shabbat (i.e. Saturday), because you can't. Their web site literally disables its checkout during that time.

If you specifically need yum-cha generic Chinese garbage (for instance, if you have a particular brand related to bizarre knockoff knives you need to maintain) I find going straight to the source and just getting that crap from Aliexpress is the best plan. It's the same bullshit that litters most of Amazon and sure, maybe you don't get it quite as fast. But at least they're broadly honest about the inherent crappiness of what you're getting, and the same stuff is significantly less expensive.

I barely buy from Amazon nowadays, quit the subscription 3 years ago. Except for very specific items anywhere else is cheaper, better quality or both. Besides trying to search for something on Amazon has become a nightmare.

Search for real businesses that sell items near you or online. Also, eBay. It has a sort by distance option so you can see if there’s something near you for faster shipping. eBay is full of Amazon dropshippers so if there’s free expedited shipping and free returns and they have thousands of feedback, they may be a dropshipper.

I've always considered Amazon a store that mostly Americans use. Personally I've always just used eBay and Aliexpress myself.

Not perfect but if you can't get it from the company's website or at a local shop, try Target and Walmart they both offer free ship options too. Lastly, something like Google shopping sometimes works.

If you are using Amazon, you can look for products from small businesses. There are many that only sell on Amazon. At least your helping someone else at the same time.

You should research regional and local options! This may not help you specifically, but fun thing about Finland and the other Nordic countries is that we seem to have pretty decent local chains selling stuff. I think the last physical book I ordered from Amazon was a mildly obscure out of print one I couldn't find elsewhere, about 10 years ago. I think the local used book web store situation has gotten better since. All of my recent new physical book purchases have been via AdLibris (a Swedish store). For ebooks it's been harder, I think Google Play is the most feasible place nowadays when the Finnish ebook store I used to use recently shut down (luckily they were DRM free). We have a couple of good options for stuff like electronics. Even the hypermarket chains have good web stores if I can't be bothered to visit them in person.

Where are you? I can recommend idealo.de & check24.de to find low prices over all the retailers with online store (e.g. mediamarkt, otto, etc.)

Check gohug.eu/join

If your search engine allows you to configure your results, you can set it to block any results from amazon.com. I use Kagi and have been pretty happy with that feature.

There are some simple steps:

• Use Amazon as a catalog to find what you want
• Copy the items name/brand and find it elsewhere
• Find out you live in a high cost are for deliveries and buying anywhere but on amazon outright doubles the price of the item.
• Give up and buy on Amazon anyway.

Easy, in Switzerland we don't have amazon (there are only a few sellers that send to Switzerland. We only got Galaxus and other shops.

Easy ... we don't really have Amazon.

Generally I don't buy shit I don't need. Most shit I want but I don't really need I can find it in a brick and mortar shop. For everything else I try to go to the source or a specialised seller as close as possible to where I live.