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Comment by ipsum2 | Hacker News Reader

> Please consider purchasing things from other stores, where available. Even if you have to pay for the shipping cost.

You haven't given a reason for doing so.

I think he's saying he doesn't want it to become the only store. Lots of other stores are hurting.

That's because they ain't competitive. I'm only using other stores for stuff I can't find on amazon, because I'm trusting amazon to have my back if something goes wrong.

And another big online store like Target just won’t help in the case of an issue? I don’t believe that at all.

My credit card is enough assurance that a seller won’t defraud me.

I actually have found a number of products where Amazon is not price competitive with some other US stores like Target, especially considering everyone’s blind assumption that it makes sense to pay $12.99 a month to be in the Amazon club without even doing the math on how much that increases the price of each item you buy.

I always have people ask me “don’t you have Prime?” as if it’s assumed that the deal is a no-brainer. It’s totally not. You don’t need Prime to buy stuff on Amazon and people are just conditioned.

I don't have Prime, what I meant was that things with amazon are frictionless if stuff goes wrong. Also, I'm from Europe.

Personally, I'll only use Amazon as a last resort for something I can't find elsewhere (and don't feel I can do without, which is of course usually a valid option).

Amazon warehouses carry many essential items, so by taking your non-essential demand some where else you allow more logistics resources to focus on delivering essentials asap.

While it is great Amazon is available it would seem better to spend a little more money and spread it around. Think of the "shop local" movement. Until there is a benefit other than free shipping (i.e. safer deliveries and working conditions) we all need to help the economy any way we can. I don't want to live in a post-pandemic world where Amazon has more market power with fewer businesses to compete with.

The frustrating thing about this is that you don’t even have to “spend a little more” every time. I make a lot of purchases from bigger stores like Target and Home Depot, and smaller local book, speciality food, home and garden stores etc., and back when I used to compare frequently, Amazon rarely had a better price. Eventually I just stopped checking.

Because you want your item faster than 4 weeks from now?

And because it supports a small business, which is more likely to be struggling financially.

The small(er) business probably pays a fair rate of tax, funding the services society is even more dependent upon than usual.

> You haven't given a reason for doing so.

You didn't see that HN thread about Amazon Prime shipments being delayed by as long as a month? :)

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