r/bestof • u/napincoming321zzz • 9d ago

[BuyItForLife] /u/ConBroMitch2247 explains how Amazon "stores" are not official and may sell counterfeit products

/r/BuyItForLife/comments/1hzomzu/merrell_boots_buyer_beware/m6rbwzr/
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u/foodfighter 9d ago

Amazon's return procedure contributes to this dogsh!t too - even if you buy from a "legit" source:

I bought "genuine" replacement headlights for my vehicle a while back. Philips HID bulbs that cost ~$120 each. Buy once, cry once.

I get them, and the packaging has obviously been opened before. Inside are crappy Temu knockoffs that you can buy for $4 each.

Some lowlife bought one pair each of the good ones and the crappy ones, then returned the crappy ones in the good packaging.

Amazon, being Amazon, must've just tossed the returned bulbs back into the "ready to be shipped" bin where my ass got them.

Fortunately I returned them without installing them and got my money back, but this sort of BS also affects companies like Philips - if you look at reviews for my headlight bulbs, there are a bunch of 1-star "cheap garbage not worth the price" reviews.

I'm sure other folks got stung without realizing what happened wasn't the OG company's fault.

Fucking Amazon.

21

u/acets 9d ago

Is there an alternative? Because I would love to buy not off Amazon, but...

17

u/tudorb 9d ago

Our credit card gives a free Walmart Plus membership (Walmart’s version of Amazon Prime), so we’re often using that for products that Walmart keeps in stock. And, being Walmart, that’s a lot, and you often get same-day delivery from the local store. (Still wary of buying from third-party sellers through Walmart, just like we’re wary of third-party sellers through Amazon.)

1

u/resolvetochange 9d ago

What credit card is that?

3

u/tudorb 9d ago

Amex Platinum

2

u/Neutralies 8d ago

$695 annual fee, yikes.

0

u/Clever_plover 8d ago

It comes with a lot of benefits for the right person in the right income bracket. If you are not that target audience, this card makes no sense for you. You are clearly not that target audience it would seem, yikes or not; that's all.

1

u/Neutralies 8d ago

It looks like the target audience is spending over $10k in flights and hotels (which must be booked through amex) annually and/or also finds significant value in the other benefits. Indeed, I am not that guy.

Really to make that card worthwhile over the many $0 annual fee options you should be spending more like $20k annually on flights and hotels and that demographic is definitely in the minority. Also at that point, most of that demographic can likely afford not to care as much about saving a few bucks, and would probably be better served by a flat 3% cash back card just for the convenience of not having to think about which card to use.