Amazon dealings

[onetrack]

I don't know if anyone else has much dealings with Amazon, but I don't deal with them much, and now I think I know why. I cancelled my account with them a few years ago due to their scammy behaviour, signing me up to Amazon Prime without asking.

So then I started an account with them again in 2023, after I sighted an item that was good value (a Chinese Greenworks 24V Li-ion electric drill - which I bought, and which has been good). 

 

Then, earlier in Dec 2025, I wanted a couple of sets of Whitco window friction slides. The Big Green Shed wanted $34 for them, but the seller was offering them on Amazon for $14 - so I bought 2 sets. Paid for them, and received them in late December, and I'm quite happy with them - genuine product, exactly as described.

 

Then today, I get an email from Amazon saying the sale has been cancelled by the seller, and I wasn't charged for it! WTF?? I've got the slides and the money is recorded as being paid? I don't know what's going on here, maybe the seller suddenly realised that price was 5 years old, and they never changed it to keep up with the current price? - so now they're trying to can the deal?? I can't make head nor tail of this. The order record has disappeared from my Amazon account.

[red750]

I used Amazon for my three kids Christmas presents, all ordered separately. I was given 3 months free Amazon Prime, cancel at any time. With Prime, I got free delivery. I got an order confirmation email within 10 minutes of ordering, advising that delivery would be in two days. On the second morning after each order, I got an email saying my order was out for delivery. The dog barked when the parcels were dropped on the front porch, and shortly after, an email advising delivery had been completed. Very efficient and professional service. The only complaint I had was that they stuck the delivery label directly onto the box of my younger son's present, a car battery trickle charger, which detracted from it's appearance as a present. It was what he asked for, and didn't affect the present, just didn't look crash hot. 

[octave]

I use Amazon quite a lot, and I have had no problems.  There is an Amazon warehouse nearby, and sometimes items are delivered extremely quickly. The thing with these sales methods are that Amazon represents many small businesses. I usually make sure I read reviews before I buy something. I am a member of Amazon Prime TV, so postage is free.  Many of these sites are pretty sneaky in tricking you into signing up for membership. This happened to me with Kogan recently. There was a charge of around $120 for a premier membership. I was pretty pissed off, however, since I use PayPal they are very good at getting your money back. On this occasion, I was able to send a message directly to Kogan. I said that I did not recall signing up for this and that it should not be so easy to mistakenly do this. I also said that I often shop with Kogan, and how they handle my complaint would determine whether I ever buy from them again. I received a full refund within 24 hours.

[octave]

I did recently purchased a couple of items from Temu. I have always had,I have had a negative vibe towards Temu; however, they had what I needed at a great price, so I gave it a try, being that the risk was low. It turned out well. I bought a 12-volt meter and some Anderson plugs. The items arrived quickly and are definitely genuine, and at a third of the local cost.  Note this is not a recommendation; you need to do your own homework.

 

I do recognise my hypocrisy, - "down with Bezos and other evil billionaires and rights for workers, etc., but it is so cheap and efficient." 

[red750]

The problem with some of these sites is that you have to spend a minimum amount. Say you see something you want for $25. You may have to find something you don't want or need to bring your purchase up to the minimum (say $40).

[octave]

31 minutes ago, red750 said:

The problem with some of these sites is that you have to spend a minimum amount. Say you see something you want for $25. You may have to find something you don't want or need to bring your purchase up to the minimum (say $40).

 I am not sure which sites you mean; however, I have bought ludicrously small purchases from China. I do find it intriguing how it can be profitable for them. I bought a volt meter for $8.72 with free postage. Hell, I spend more than that on a cup of coffee at my favourite cafe.

[onetrack]

I believe a vast amount of Chinese businesses and sales are supported with Govt largesse, it's all about dominating the manufacturing industry.

Just look at their car production, the word is the Chinese Govt spent $350B in automotive manufacturer subsidies to ensure that Chinese cars become dominant around the globe.

 

In most cases, the Chinese purchases are a no-brainer. I wanted a new radiator for my little Cat traxcavator, the genuine Cat radiator was around $7000. It took me ages to find a local radiator repairer who would recondition my radiator - they wanted $5,500 to do the job, and it would take weeks. I got a new radiator off a Chinese supplier, it was $2000 landed at my door.

It's a properly made radiator - copper fins, brass tubes, and a stainless steel heat exchanger for transmission oil cooling, located in the bottom tank. It's not an exact copy of the original, the Chinese modified and improved the design.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I have been an Amazon customer since 1999 or thereabouts. I recall my first purchase. It was for the UK version of MYOB - an Australian accounting software package, which today, seems the easiest and best to use. Aussies do lead the world in practical software design - or did. 

 

 

It was super cheap, but after not receiving it for a week, I logged onto Amazon and used their site to raise a query. They refunded me that same day. A week later, the software arrived (it must have been posted from Aus). I raised a query to say I received it and was happy to pay. The response was their terms have performance agreements, and for this product line, the performance was not met, so even though I eventaully got it, it was on the house. I am sure this costed MYOB whatever revenue they made from it, but it also would have costed amazon the payment transaction fees, etc, unless their terms required MYOB to pay it back. 

 

Regardless, this received an A+ for caring for the consumer from me. And I have used them for most of my shopping since. Not because of the concenience, but because I know if something goes wrong, they are usually going to fix it, which I cannot say the same for other bricks and mortar retailers and other e-tailers. That was their value add. 

 

 

They did go through a period where their customer service fell, but I guess revenue started to decline, because it has picked up since. 

 

Like Octave, I am mindful of not wanting to continute to billionaires fortunes, and these days, because of the decline of the high street, the potential for virtual monopolies to develop, and Amazon's recent bad press on worker treatmnent.  I direct my cash to other businesses as well. I try and buy from the local high street, but in Taunton, it seems daily that options reduce due to closures, unless I want a tattoo, vape, or a Turkish Haircut; none of which interest me. I now use UK e-tailers, but to be honest, they just don't do it as well. My aviation medical examiner sent me a link to Argos (UK bulk retailer now focusing more on online sales). The monitor he suggested was not in stock at my two closest stores, and I would have had to travel about 50kms to get to the nearest one in stock. Instead of saying collect next day at the nearest store or have it delivered (if obviosuly wasn't in a central warehouse). I thought not sending ot between stores was a little lacking as other e-tailers I use (Screwfix for building supplies, for example) will have an item out of stock delivered to the nearest store next day - even when out of stock in the central warehouse. 

 

So, Amazon got the revenue in this case. And I am expecting it today - new years day. 

 

I avoid Temu, Alliexpress and Co.. and anything Chinese where I can. I have for a long time spent my money on, as much as possible, a principalled basis and I try not to support regimes that artifically go for economic domination while at the same time opress human rights. I have seen first hand how these econimies work (think UAE) and it is shocking.  f it means I pay more and have less, so be it.No one's perfect, and as I said, I am uncomfortable with Amazon's bad press lately on worker treatment. But they have made moves to address it at least, and I know someone senior in Amazon in the US who gives me some comfort it is slow progress but real. I can't say the same about China and other places. 

 

We purchased a motorcycle for my son last week (comes end of next week). We rather took a second hand, near new Japanese bike over a new gleamy Chinese bike that was probably 2/3 of the price of the bike we bought. I'll die poorer, but content that I minimised directing resources lagainst my principles. 

 

[edit] Oh, China ius using its clout to force tarrifs on Aussie beef as I type. Another reason to minimise my spend enriching a far more pernicous regime than Chump's..

Edited 18 minutes ago by Jerry_Atrick