Amazon doesn't seem to be at all interested in tackling these issues - it's only a matter of time before it degrades completely into something like AliExpress.
You'll probably pay around the same price, possibly even less. Worst part is that you might not get your package in two days, but you also won't have to pay for Amazon prime. In many, many cases retailers offer free shipping.
For knick-knacks(chinese garbo such as LED lights or whatever), car parts, etc. eBay is pretty good.
I don't shop at Amazon for the same reasons I don't shop at Wal-Mart. They have a history of using shady techniques to put competition out of business. I also don't buy that their treatment of the customer is as good as they claim it to be. Shopping on amazon had become a pain in the ass when I gave it up.
Which is a shame because I can remember a time when both offered amazing customer service.
I'm generally clicking Seller: amazon.com in searches because I don't want to deal with other vendors for delivery issues, which is often a problem.
It's gotten just plain more difficult to use. And I'm finding myself more likely to go to local stores as a result. Not to mention, the 2-day shipping now often means that it'll be delivered 2-days from when it ships, which could be a few days out. Where it used to always ship out the same day for 2 days later for delivery. The increased number of people that are stealing packages left on doorsteps make me more leery.
It's getting close to a point where it just isn't worth it to me.
While I’m no fan of paying more for Prime either, Prime Video is supported on practically everything - Apple TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, desktop browsers, various smart TV vendors, all in addition to their own range of really pretty cheap streaming devices and tablets. Amazon apparently really don’t care what device you use.
It may be a bit better. My other niggle is Hulu's Live TV doesn't work on NVidia Shield TV (their offline kind of works), but that's just an aside from a different company. I got a new 4k fire stick because of Hulu in particular. My GF watches a lot of the stuff in Hulu.
Usually the time saved is more valuable to me that any price saving I might get from going to a physical store.
It happened a few times (1 in 10?) that the product didn't match my expectations, either it wasn't the one advertised or it had clear quality issues.
In that case I returned the product, which was always accepted and refunded, no question asked.
I sincerely hope they get that mess figured out.
What's actually happening is that Amazon wants to be the only seller and is trying to strong arm popular brands selling directly on the platform.
Free shipping to their grocery store (Neighborhood Market) is the best deal for me. I can order my groceries for "pickup" so I just park in a designated spot and someone brings my groceries. While I'm there I pick up my regular packages. And if there's a problem, you can return to a physical Walmart where there's at least a human to talk to.
For electronics, I'm lucky enough to live in a decent size city with a MicroCenter. But, I've also resorted to ordering items like phones and laptops for family members at their local Best Buy, which gives them the opportunity to pick it up same day. (It's also nice to be able to talk to a person when making expensive purchases like these.)
I ordered an InstaPot and some Hue bulbs directly from the respective sites. Wal-Mart's delivery and pick-up options aren't bad, but I try to avoid them and go with Target if buying from that sort of store.
Honestly, it's the weird little things I have most trouble finding, like braille keyboard overlays or specific Halloween decorations.
I recently noticed that all my hobbies and/or niche interests are better served by specialized shops dedicated to the interest in question - whether it's studio equipment, computer hardware, bikes, outdoor equipment, fashion, music, HIFI, furniture...you name it.
What Amazon still does best is delivering common, everyday items. I don't want to register at countless, small third party stores to do one-off purchases of low cost, everyday items that don't really matter to me. Amazon with Prime still shines here. And no, since I live in a rural area going to a brick and mortar store down the street often isn't an option.