• atlasraven31@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    My neighborhood stores have huge markups and bad customer service. I don’t love Amazon but they are a better alternative for most things.

    • MrSqueezles@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I’m sure most people here don’t remember when power strips and HDMI cables were $40 and coin batteries were like $15 each pre inflation because stores wanted to make money on them. We could only read, listen to, and watch what our local stores decided to stock and most things didn’t have reviews. If we needed a new power adapter for that one device with a special shaped connector, too bad. It’s literally impossible to buy it.

    • Che Banana@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Try using them as a reference guide instead of buying from them. I find what I’m looking for rhen loom up the products own website. A couple extra steps but it’s not like I’m out hunting and gathering, I’m in air conditioning and chair or taking a huge dump.

    • SkepticalButOpenMinded@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      People should check again. After I decided to avoid Amazon, I’m surprised by how many things are cheaper and/or better quality at my local stores. I think Amazons reputation for lowest prices is less true every year.

      • AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Amazon was better in 2012, but now it’s all just drop shipped shit that arrives broken. Local stores are surprisingly way better these days

      • RBG@discuss.tchncs.de
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        1 year ago

        How about both arguments are true. You just have to price check constantly and you will find some stores are cheaper and some are pricier than Amazon.

        • doctorskull@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s almost like every single independent store in every single city in every part of every country sets their own prices.

        • SkepticalButOpenMinded@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Yes, sometimes Amazon is cheaper. But one reason I quit amazon was because, even when it’s cheaper, I got so much counterfeit and super low quality disposable junk.

          Seriously, take another look at your local stores. I suspect many people aren’t and are just making assumptions. I was surprised to find my local pet store offers free delivery, and literally everything at my local mom and pop hardware store is cheaper and better quality.

          • NovaPrime@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            Local hardware stores are a must. And if you find a good one where they know what they’re talking about you can get a lot of great advice depending on the project you’re working on.

      • Blastasaurus@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Did they ever have a reputation for lowest price? I assumed I was paying more for the convenience of not having to go to 5 different dollar stores to find the thing I need.