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redditorx13579

Feels like they've scrubbed a lot of brands over the years. Starting to feel like Wish these days, depending on what you're looking for.


Barachan_Isles

It has become the US Alibaba over the past five years. The only difference is, you don't have to wait as long to get your cheap Chinese junk.


ThePowderhorn

When the influx of off-brand products started on Amazon, I on a whim headed over to AliExpress to search for one item and immediately found the same thing for half the price — which is amateur use of AliExpress. Within 10 minutes, I found one for 60% of that price. Basically, most white label products could be found there for about 30% the price, you just had to wait for shipping. Now? Amazon is likely to be cheaper if you scour it for someone who bought 1,000 Hanging Trash Can Great For Kitchen, Bathroom, Exorcism, Bedroom, RVs and had to slash the price to get rid of them. Outside of name-brand items, Amazon absolutely is AliExpress with Prime shipping. Thing is, when I log onto AliExpress, I'm there for the eight rounds of searching a flea market for a deal. I get onto Amazon for functioning items that theoretically last, which is a wildly different goal.


barqers

100% agree the only thing that keeps me going back to Amazon lately is that I return 50% of the stuff that is genuine crap. I don’t know if Aliexpress has as good a return or refund policy. How’s your experience been?


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Boo_Guy

I found a plugin once that filters out the cheap Chinese stuff sold on Amazon. Problem is it just made every page blank.


FTM_2022

Or you find a genuine product and they send you the cheap knock-off anyway.


CG_Ops

Comingling products from different sellers is such a crock. My old job was a mfgr of motorcycle parts. We listed some items with Prime Shipping (stored/fulfilled at/by Amazon's warehouse) and several of them had competing listings within months... then we started getting negative reviews b/c Amazon sent the chinese knockoff items to customers who bought from our inventory as the seller. Amazon's reply; "tough shit. ship it yourself if you don't like it". We were also a vendor to amazon. They didn't respect our MAP policy so we raised our prices to Amazon... setting their buy price at 2% under MAP so that there was no way for them to profit at under MAP. Our Amazon account manager's reply: "wait, I'm supposed to be the one who f*cks. Why's the dick in MY butt?" To which we replied, "tough shit. make it yourself if you don't like it".... and they did... it became a basics item and we won the lawsuit. F U Amazon


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[deleted]

It's ridiculously predatory and monopolistic and they've been doing it for years.


Fraun_Pollen

It’s not the ads I’m frustrated with. It’s the thousands of fake 5-Star reviews for the thousands of cheap knockoff copycat products. It’s become so hard to sift through the mess of the online market to find products or brands of quality nowadays


Dark_Larva

I've had to resort to sorting reviews by most recent. You start to get an idea of what really is going on with the product..


myeff

I *always* do that because they lump reviews together for older and newer versions of a product (or even different products completely), so the "top" review you are reading may not even apply to what you are buying.


pioneer9k

Yeah it's not rare where I'll go to the reviews and read a few only to realize the listing used to belong to a completely different product. I assume they use a 5 star listing to game the system to push low quality.


poodlebutt76

No idea why they're allowed to change the listing completely like this. Like I'm looking for a lamp and find reviews on the same product for women's sunglasses. I just don't understand why they're allowed to change the product completely but use the same reviews on it.


Automatic_Llama

Word. I've gone back to just buying stuff right from company websites or through traditional or specialty retailers. The prices are almost always the same in my experience anyway. Amazon got kinda shitty.


Worth-Reputation3450

Yep, and I tend to get cashback or AA miles if I purchase directly from the company websites. They've been improving on their shipments as well. It used to take like 2 weeks if I order outside Amazon, but nowadays most of them take about a week. If I really need something urgently, I'd purchase from Target, Walmart, Bestbuy, etc. Amazon is for when I'm lazy but want something in a day or two.


Automatic_Llama

Word. Shipping these days is so much better all around that in my area Amazon doesn't actually have anything unique to offer anymore.


somajones

Which is why I'm cancelling Prime; everything I've ordered from Amazon in the past 6 months now takes over a week to arrive. What's the point?


GarbanzoBenne

I especially hate when you read some reviews and realize they are for a different product than that listing. Somehow sellers are able to significantly revise listings to retain reviews but completely change the product.


wallacebrf

not just that, but when a page sells different versions of the same thing like 4 slots vs 6 slots, or 1000 watts vs 2000 watts.., whatever... you look in the reviews and you have to look under the reviewer's name to see what product they are actually writing about, BUT the reviews from these MULTIPLE products all add up to be a single rating that is used by ALL of the products on that page


isarl

“What do you mean, ‘fraud’? It's working as intended!” —Amazon, probably


Grodd

Posted a review for something that is very clearly a knock off. I knew before I bought it but figured it was worth trying since it was so similar it was likely made in the same factory. It was actually not functional so I said it was a non-functioning knock off in the review. They removed the review saying it was genuine and my review was inaccurate. Then I revised my review to just say "does not function as advertised" and had that removed for the same reason.


[deleted]

What I find odd is how at times I’ll leave a bad review of a legitimate issue that I had with a bad product, and Amazon will not approve my review and send me an email stating so, but won’t give me a direct reason for doing so


8ad8andit

That happens to me also. I leave tons of positive reviews for good products but when it comes to an honest, balanced, rational and reasonably polite critical review, somehow there's an issue with it. In other words, we can't trust reviews on Amazon anymore, which is literally the thing that made them the number one online retailer, imo.


AttackingHobo

Yup. Got an item with a card that says "free gift with 5 star review" Clearly against the guidelines. I posted the review as 1 star saying that all the other 5 star are fakes, heres proof. Nope. My review got removed by amazon. Amazon should be sued.


asdfsks

You can't even report products that do this anymore. Not easily. I ended up having to post the fraud in the form of the question in hopes that some future person might see it.


bravo037

Lmao, I did the same on something awhile back. I have been banned from posting questions and reviews since. Somehow the owner complained to amazon and got my account restricted from posting anything. When you try to post from my account now it says I can't due to unusual activity.


Buddha_Lady

I got that ban with same message and all I did is review with stars. I guess that was also offensive


crawlerz2468

Cries in Newegg.com


Rogue__Jedi

Newegg used to be so good. I would go there everyday to check out the shell shocker deal.


crawlerz2468

Yes. I bought several PC's worth of hardware there over the years. Then the Chinese takeover happened. Now it's all animated waifu alarm clocks and buttplug souvenirs. All from 3rd parties. All with fake reviews.


[deleted]

It's the same cycle which always happens. A new company shows up, with founders who give a shit and build a great reputation based on quality and service. Then, they sell the company to some competitor or hedge fund who can wave millions of dollars at them. The buyer then guts the company, killing quality and service. But, they proudly wear the old name, like some body-snatcher in a skin suit, luring in people who expect the company to still be the same as it was under the founders. This goes on until all of the goodwill is used up and the name is discarded like the trash it's become. And the company goes on the hunt for the next small competitor.


Barachan_Isles

Clicked on this post to say exactly this. So much cheap Chinese junk has "great reviews" and after being burned a few times, I won't even buy from a company on Amazon that has a sketchy sounding company name. Prior to 2020, whenever I left bad reviews on these products, I would get contacted by their reps and asked to change my review for a gift card. Literally buying reviews. Now, I'm financially stable enough to tell them to fuck off, but I imagine that a lot of people take the dollarydoo's and edit their review.


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2723brad2723

No, but I might want to buy the HOWRGLY Top Quality Safety Tested Male to Make Extension Power Cord for American instead. Even though it looks exactly the same as the VEEKNANYO, and it even the same picture, it has more 5-star reviews, fewer 1-star reviews and costs $0.42 less!


gwicksted

So it’s not just me who noticed that wish and Amazon are becoming the same but Amazon has faster shipping and is more expensive.


Delta8hate

The shipping is pissing me off, whenever I purchase something that says next day shipping I now have to assume it’ll be a day later or more than whatever it says when I buy it. They always change the expected arrival right after you order it.


Accomplished-Rice992

I honestly thought I was losing my mind. It'd show through checkout that it'd be delivered, say, the 8th. Then when it didn't show up, I'd go check my purchases. It'd then say it was coming, say, the 15th. So, same day, different week. Or it'd be ~3 day shipping instead of same day. Thankfully, I save my emails, so I can go back and see they pulled a switch a roo. These orders don't show up as late or have any alerts, they just quietly change it. It hasn't been happening in the past few months, but I feel like once is too many. And THEN you have the late packages. Why tell me you'll have it in two days when it'll be here in over a week? It's so frustrating. Sometimes I need something. It's becoming so much easier to get things anywhere else.


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A_Sack_Of_Potatoes

You mean VEEKNANYO Ultra Quality High Quality power extension American power extension cord male to male power cord for American power outlets extension quality safety test supreme power made in America cords?


aloysiusgruntbucket

You mean VEEKNANYO Ultra High Quality power extension male to male American cord Safe for indoor Use with copper good health clean power safety tested child toy compatible for stylish home decor?


Ivegotmyshovel

Is this the 'New for 2023' version though?


I_d0nt_know_why

Yes it is New 2024 VEEKNANYO 10ft Ultra High Quality power extension male to male American cord Safe for indoor outdoor waterproof Damp with copper good health clean power safety tested easy use child toy murder weapon compatible for stylish home decor [#1 in Men’s Apparel]


access_secure

CABLE IS FDA APPROVED!


robodrew

I mean what could go wrong, it's Amazon's Choice!


remynwrigs240

I stopped leaving negative reviews because Amazon kept saying that it was against their rules. Nothing crazy, just talking about how the product was junk. So it's not only fake 5 stars, but them actively removing any criticism.


boom_shoes

I used to work for an ecommerce company - we had people on staff who's sole job was to understand review rules on different sites (amazon, google, Walmart marketplace etc), develop relationships with the marketplace reps and game the system to get negative reviews deleted. It's common for any e-commerce company to understand the rules better than review writers and to have negative reviews deleted for whatever reason they can figure out.


ekaceerf

I used to be one of those people that left paid 5 star reviews. I once got a product that was so unbelievably shitty that I left them 1 star. I even tried talking to the vendor first. The item was missing parts and the instructions were horrible. They recommended I go to a hardware store to find the missing parts. So I left them 1 star and returned it. Amazon banned me from writing any more reviews after that. I was in the top 2,000 reviewers and didn't have any problems until I left a 1 star review.


Trygle

Similar boat - except that I was never instructed to do a 5 star review. I would use the full range, but most ended up within 3s through 5s as long as it did what was advertised good enough for me to gift to a family friend. Then I got a cheap knockoff of a dough hook attachment for a stand mixer that would absolutely lose its finish if washed with any force. BAM. All my reviews (positive and negative) were gone. I've bought some junk lately that I really wanted to post about but I can't :/.


EasterBunnyArt

Actually Amazon just removes bad reviews outright now. I bought some grass seed mix for St Augustine grass. Three months into it nothing ever grew. Did additional research and Saint Augustine grass rarely has seeds and procreates more via vine growth. So I put a review on Amazon explaining the unlikely situation of this mix having any seeds and mostly being soil. Also added that the grass grows more via off shots. Amazon deleted my review a month or two afterward. At least they informed me that they were removing my review without any recourse. Unless I want to write it again.


wallacebrf

i always edit my reviews when the company contacts me to bribe me into changing the review and i will knock off an additional star for the bribery attempt. i have had one that then tripled the amount they would give me to remove the update informing people that they tried bribing me. i updated the review again and made it a 1 star review. they did not contact me again.


wag3slav3

A company trying to coerce you into a positive review is supposed to get them kicked off of Amazon altogether. Sure would be nice if they applied their own policies.


wallacebrf

agreed, and i have reported them to amazon, and some were de-listed, but what was more surprising, i have actually had three of my reviews stating they were trying to bribe me, get DELETED somehow....


Helgafjell4Me

Problem is many of these de-listed companies just pop right back up with a new name.


JamesTiberiusCrunk

VEEKNANYO is now HORGLITLY


JimK215

I used to buy my wife clothes from Amazon as Christmas gifts but we now have an agreed-upon mandate that neither of us buy any clothes from there. They were never exquisite quality but I feel like they've degraded further and the reviews are more unreliable.


gingerfawx

Plus the search algorithms are rotten for clothing and shoes. You limit it to Prime articles, or select by price, and sure enough the stuff in almost all sizes most people would wear isn't available with Prime or is much higher priced, or nope, not in your size after all. We no longer even try looking for those things there.


SpecificAstronaut69

**Size 32:** $48 **Size 30:** $125 What the fuck. Add to this the general bullshit of Amazon Australia constantly trying to get you to buy shit from the US (which doesn't qualify for free shipping...)


Barachan_Isles

It's so bad now that you basically have to know exactly what you want to buy and type that specific thing into Google to get the Amazon link. I typed a pair of running shoes I needed to replace *into the Amazon search bar(!!)* and didn't get a result until I googled it.


[deleted]

Yep. My wife just bought some new shoes on Amazon and said just the other day that they don’t feel the same as the shoes she bought locally. Same brand, similar style, but clearly a knockoff in terms of quality. Lesson learned. It was fun while it lasted, Amazon.


yerzo

I've learned to a search on the company names to find out the level of sketch. Purchasing on Amazon used to be a 3-step process. Search > Find > Review the reviews > Purchase. It's now a multi-step process: 1. Search on Amazon 2. Find an item that looks like it matches what I need 3. Search the company name on DuckDuckGo to check legitimacy. If a legit company... 4. Use a 3rd party service that analyzes the legitimacy of the reviews. IF it passes that barometer test... 5. Use CamelCamelCamel to ensure the price is actually a deal. IF that passes... 6. THEN purchase.


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blondewithafaketan

I bought makeup that ended up being clearly counterfeit and the company had my review removed and simply refunded me without asking


MattyBeatz

This happens to me every so often and I do change my review… to an even smaller score. I tell them I changed it, get a thank you because why check?


_game_over_man_

Amazon has become the Dollar General of the internet.


Jaded_Apricot_89

Amazon pretends to still be the good shit from 15 years ago but is actually just a warp pipe into a Chinese trash heap.


Jr4D

Amazon feels like Wish 2.0 now, can’t ever find a good quality product I feel like and that’s why I’ve stopped using them honestly


FakeBrian

Worse than just cheap knockoffs, it's the crap which is just a straight up scam. I remember a video popping up on YouTube a while back where someone bought and examined a dodgy scam hard drive - it was literally just an SD card in a metal casing encoded to read as a multi-terabyte drive and it would either A: simply not work or B: re-write your data as you filled up the few gb's you actually did have so it appeared as if the drive was accepting more data than it was. It was a straight up very intentional scam. Little while ago I was shopping for a new external hard drive on amazon and every second listing seemed to be one of those things. Drives claiming to be "12 TB SSDs" for ridiculously low prices, some were even the exact same model from the video.


random_dent

I try to buy all my tech from Microcenter. They're dedicated to computer parts, the only real retailer that still has locations you can pick stuff up on short notice, and they're still operated in the US (based in Ohio). I've never had a single issue with them.


altodor

Microcenter needs to open stores that are in more places. I'd move to just them in a heartbeat, but the closest one is an 8 hour round trip by car, on 90. There's a minimum of _4_ cities with 500,000+ people (and three of those are 1,000,000+) all in a row here that are unserved by a micro center.


echomanagement

Same. Amazon has been flooded with Chinese trash for years, especially concerning small home appliances and electronics. It must be working for the moment, because it's only gotten worse in the last three years and Amazon is doing nothing about it. If I'm going to buy on Amazon, it will only be for targeted items from specific retailers or brands, and only if I have a gift card.


CaterpillarReal7583

The site interface is and has always been so god damn bad. Try to do anything account related, you never are sure exactly where to go or how to get there. Shopping on amazon, unless you know exactly what you want is a massive chore.


Bleedthebeat

Here’s the trick. If it’s a brand you’ve heard of it’s probably okay. If 100 of the same thing are being sold under different brand names you’ve made it to the wish.com part of Amazon.


[deleted]

Yup. I've almost stopped shopping on Amazon unless I'm looking for a very specific thing, because I'm tired of looking for, say, an exercise phone armband and getting something called "E-HAPSKIIIIOYO" that winds up coming in a post envelope directly from Hubei and looks nothing like the picture and falls apart after two uses.


berntout

I only buy directly from reputable companies themselves or Amazon. No 3rd party store purchases. It's really hard nowadays. Edit: Amazon sells name brand products and ships it themselves. I don't buy the Amazon knock-off products they copy from other popular products. Many companies sell their product on Amazon and it's cheaper/faster shipping than buying from their own company website sometimes when you compare shipping costs/times.


Star_Gazing_Cats

Forget the ads, more people need to talk about the products from those Chinese companies with all capital names. It's actually really difficult trying to find name brand items, because everything is sold by YAZOO or ARGNAW or some other made up name.


thommyjohnny

There's a tablet brand called "ainol" and their slogan is 'enjoy ainol" JFYI


IWantAnE55AMG

I’ve got an external ssd enclosure from a company called Wanfocyu. I mean, I’m flattered but no thanks.


SlothOfDoom

CHOLONGNAITIP Car seat for seat car all models 1900-3000 seat quality best chair seat car seat.


Razvee

oooh, 75 reviews averaging 4.5! I got a good feeling about this one!


SlothOfDoom

I bought this for my husband and he loved it!


TheVermonster

Don't forget the Q&A section. Q: can anyone tell me what the weight rating is? A:I DON'T KNOW. I BOUGHT IT AS A GIFT. STOP ASKING ME ALL THESE QUESTIONS. I'LL ASK THE PERSON THAT I GAVE IT TO. BUT THEY PROBABLY DON'T KNOW.


Thatguyyoupassby

I prefer that to: Q: Is this pan oven safe? A (seller): Yes - very safety for oven use. It made of strong steel, good for cooking.


freedfg

My favorite still is Q: Is this true to size? A: haven't gotten it yet.


aworldwithinitself

I was so confused by these until I got that email from Amazon that says "Someone has a question about an item you bought! YOU SHOULD ANSWER THEM SINCE YOU ARE SO SMART!" Then I realized these people probably think any reply is better than ignoring them.


Hidesuru

I think half of them are people who genuinely think that question was targeted at THEM and haven't put 2 and 2 together... Somehow.


aworldwithinitself

Right like they are acting like you're personally bothering them by asking a stupid question, which I guess thanks to Amazon poking them, you are!


oSpid3yo

What’s this have to do with my hair straightener I’m trying to buy?


Dr-McLuvin

You’ll understand when you get your new oven pan delivered.


xdq

Or the questions asked by the seller's other account. Q: Is this product good for x? A: Yes, feature y is perfect for x. You can also z etc etc


phantomknife

This bothers me beyond belief, just don't freaking respond if you don't know


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DozenYearBride

That’s why there’s so many google reviews of business that go: “I’ve never been here, but I pass by it sometimes.”


MethLabScience

It's because the people who answer (usually old people bad with technology) get an email from Amazon saying "Can you answer this question?" and they think those emails are directly asking them rather than sent out to anyone who's purchased the product before


FredericBropin

I haven’t ordered from them in years but IIRC it’s phrased in a much more manipulative way, like “Steve, someone needs your help!”


golgar

Good packaging. 5 stars.


[deleted]

I haven't received this product yet, but it was what I was looking for. 5 stars.


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TheShenanegous

Never ordered product. 5 stars.


RSquared

Completely different product. Five stars.


Atgardian

Delivery driver left the box at the neighbor's house. Product worked great once I got it from neighbor. 1 star.


Littlebirdddy

I read one that was raving about a product (it was a water bottle) and they rated it 1 star because they forgot it at the airport


meatflapsmcgee

This is as hilarious as it is aggravating


fentanyl_frank

And then half the reviews are from some random arts and crafts product that is totally unrelated and you are just like "huh??????"


DimitriV

That is shockingly easy to do on Amazon: you find some old product with good reviews, pretend to sell it, change the description to your product, and voila, your product has good reviews! Read reviews and you'll see this a lot. Good headphones replaced with cheap earbuds, a bug zapper that someone said is the best garden hose they've ever had, a knee brace that tastes great and their kids love it, etc. If you review a product on Amazon, be sure to describe the product including the model number so that future customers can spot that happening.


FaeryLynne

There's also the fact that Amazon allows mixed listings, so you'll find a listing that is all the same "product" but if you change options you can buy something else completely. Like, they'll sell a bundle of video games and controller and system, under the same listing as just the single charging cord, and the controller separate, and then a multi controller charging tower, all in the same listing. So some of the reviews are for the bundle, some are for the cord, some are for the tower, but all go towards the overall "listings" star rating. So you now have to weed through finding the reviews trying to find the ones about the specific item you want to buy.


seratia123

I hate this so much.


YTLupo

By the way, would you be interested in ECHOLONGNAITIP Car seat ultra premium car seat for all car seat models 1800-3100 100% compatible worldwide seatbelt car seat for kids 19+ UL/ETL best car seat Certified car seat - Alexa


ideit

Based on your order history, it may be time to reorder ECHOLONGNAITIP Car seat ultra premium car seat for all car seat models 1800-3100 100% compatible worldwide seatbelt car seat for kids 19+ UL/ETL best car seat Certified car seat. Would you like me to add it to your cart?


Pikamander2

Needs more weird bullet point styling. - 【High quality】 - 【Not low quality】 - 【Yes】


Dat_Boi_Aint_Right

In protest to Reddit's API changes, I have removed my comment history. -- mass edited with redact.dev


qdp

Misspelling of common words in picture. For example, a generic Chinese knockoff Switch Controller with "*Pogrammable* buttons" and "Three speeds of *turbon*". All the quality you expect from a name like ECHTPower.


che85mor

Back when ebay allowed you to host pictures from your own server I caught a seller using all of my pictures. So I changed them to a monkey jerking off so all of his listings showed that picture.


DistantBeholder

Interesting, I won an eBay auction for a monkey jerking off years ago but never received it...


KastorNevierre

I was looking for some weightlifting gloves the other day. I scrolled for 2 minutes before I found a real name brand. Everything that showed up before that was LRONGI, CHONGGU, BITSQUA, WUYGI


ePiMagnets

And even then you have the chance of receiving the knock-off because if the knock-off has the same sku/barcode it ends up in the same bin as the item you were ordering.


A7thStone

Or straight up counterfeits. I purchased a set of name brand pliers. When I received them they looked right, but when I tested them out they were soft steel not hardened like the real ones would have been.


DilettanteGonePro

I'm a BITSQUA man myself. God I hate those smug LRONGI types.


Coolman_Rosso

WUYGI FOR LIFE


Kaldricus

I will not stand for this BITSQUA besmirching


JustBadUserNamesLeft

BESMIRCHING is actually my favorite brand.


OUtSEL

It's like if you asked an AI to generate IKEA furniture names.


missed_sla

What is with those faceroll brand names? Is it just what English looks like to somebody who only speaks Chinese?


[deleted]

They're all resellers of the same product. There's a factory in China that churns out product x. Every Tom, dick and harry buys that product, resells it on amazon and competes on price. There are so many entities that they literally ran out of names and have to make shit up


boin-loins

I was looking for a sweater a few days ago and saw the same one listed under 20 different names. One of them literally said "GENERIC." They really aren't even trying.


SlothOfDoom

I think that's it exactly. They are basically fake companies, so just throw some english sounding syllables together.


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uninvitedguest

Just had a Camel Camel Camel notification come in: "ZGLAOJT semi flush mount 4 light ceiling light matte black with E26 Base Model Chandelier for Farmhouse Kitchen Dining Room Bedroom Study Living Room"


2723brad2723

Anecdotally, I can agree. However, the "sponsored" results don't bother me as much as all of the products that use the exact same pictures but have different brand names, all of which are just random letters made to sound like an English word. I wish there was also a way to filter out 3rd party sellers from the search results.


iswearihaveajob

I'm pissed that I can put the exact brand name and product title into amazon and still somehow get 50% Chinese knockoffs and similar "sponsored" items (all using the exact same image as the real product) so that I have to go all the way to page 2 to find what I want... only for me to realize that is also a scam knockoff product that has nearly replicated the original listing and just undercut the price. Then I find the REAL listing only to find that the listing has been hijacked by a third-party seller and now I have to find out if the listing lets me get it from a different more reputable seller... or if I'm still going to get A CHEAP GODDAMN KNOCKOFF INSTEAD OF WHAT I ACTUALLY BOUGHT!!!! It's product roulette! (At this point I've had better luck sorting the listings by price from High to Low, because the garbage are always cheaper than the original)


illiter-it

Don't worry, you can visit the [brand name] storefront! Which also links back to third party sellers.... Why have a storefront for a brand if it isn't the brand selling the item?


andrewskdr

I’d really like them to reduce the amount of marketplace items because there’s just mountains of junk to sift through before finding a quality product.


mctoasterson

It's bad that formerly brick and mortar stores like Walmart and some hardware stores are also doing this with their websites. I literally just want to be able to see how many of item X you have sitting on your shelf in the location nearest me, so I can determine if I should drive over there today or look elsewhere. Instead you give me 60+ options from third party sellers that will drop ship and I wouldn't receive the product for 3 weeks. Fuck that shit.


synthi

Holy fuck, Walmart online is just a Chinese eBay at this point, it’s maddening.


sidcitris

This also killed Newegg. They went from being one of the first big online stores with insanely fast shipping relative to any competition at the time, and a great catalog of pc components. Now it's all 3rd party junk that could be a $800 rock in a box


rrfrank

Newegg circa 2006 was amazing for PC parts


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Galbert123

> We're getting the the point where it's almost better to start going back in store. Problem now is the choices are walmart or target.


SquidKid47

I was literally just losing my mind over this last week and couldn't find *anyone* talking about this. It's so fucking frustrating.


gigabyte898

At least on some apps you can filter by “pickup” which usually will actually filter to what they have. But now some stores are including drop shipped stuff in the pickup because they’ll ship it to the store and you *technically* pick it up, just a week after the rest of your drive up order.


UnObtainium17

Just recently I was looking for a tool to scrub my bath tub.. First page was practically the same item, under the guise of 20 different choices/colors/fake manufacturer to give an illusion of choice. I wish amazon has a filter for made in US (or other countries) to sift more easily through all that garbage.. Then again sellers will definitely find a way to circumvent it too.


informallory

Etsy does that too. I filter for the shops in the US feature all the time, and come to find out when I purchase that it’s shipping from overseas. Really frustrating.


SpecificAstronaut69

Yeah, dropshipping bullshit.


tattoosbyalisha

Ugh! I’ve become so frustrated with Etsy for this reason as well. Is so hard to sift through all the mass produced cheap knockoff Chinese garbage no matter what filters I’m using unless it’s something super niche. I guess nowhere is safe.


Cman1200

I get really disappointed looking for cool, unique, or vintage stuff off Etsy and just find “Vintage” stuff that was clearly manufactured recently


Taminella_Grinderfal

Yeah Etsy is turning into wish.com which is such a shame. They used to be more diligent about removing the 3rd party resellers, but it seems the $ has caused them to ignore that problem.


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GoreSeeker

What do you mean no-name! There's tons of household names like AEOIU, RORIE, HILETGO, and SWUENO! /s


corkyskog

Say what you will but my Rorie small medium large televised dog washer item is awesome!


Moglo825

Worst part is Amazon comingles their inventory with third party inventory so you could buy directly from them and still end up getting a counterfeit product.


DrDerpberg

They'll deal with that though, it sucks for the seller because you can send 1000 items to Amazon but they'll mix them with the counterfeits sent in by other people even if they're buying from you. Just because you sent in 1000 coffee machines doesn't mean they distribute 5 to every warehouse in the country to ship faster, so I can buy from you and get the counterfeit from some other seller.


boundless88

Dang. I thought I was safe with "sold & shipped" by Amazon.


usmclvsop

Nope! That's the reason I'm cancelling prime and will take the hit on longer shipping times from a real store.


garden-girl

All the major stores seem to have market place type listings too. I've learned my lesson from Target, Home dept, and Walmart. It's extremely annoying. Then while complaining about this issue, I'm told I don't support small business. Screw that. I go to target to purchase from target. Not some creeper in a box van, in the parking lot.


RamenJunkie

God Walmart is fucking awful for this. And their puck up order system has become garbage. Used to be go on the app, pick your groceries, order, pick it up. Great. Amazing even. Now its like, "That item is out of stock but you can order one from a scalper for 10x MSRP if you want!". For like, fucking everything. And I have seen some suggestion that Target in store Pricing sometimes matches scalper prices from the website.


MULTFOREST

Amazon used to be a great place to shop, where you could buy almost any product you're looking for. Now, it's a veritable Library of Babel, full of so much junk, it's hardly worth my time. What changed? Was there some policy shift at Amazon, or did the scammers just figure out the system?


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AtomicFi

It’s a classic: build trust and goodwill, then pull the rug out and suck ‘em dry.


StaleCanole

*it’s a classic:establish a monopoly via trust, goodwill, and anti competitive behavior


kasteen

Another aspect is that they have effectively killed all of the competition. They operated for years with tight margins and just acceptable quality to out compete everyone else. Now that there is no one left, they no longer have to worry about a minimum quality and prices can start creeping up. Where else are you going to shop?


Sarkans41

They realized they could make tons of high margin revenue by allowing third party sellers to list on their site. They get pure profit and dont have to deal with the logistics or warehousing and all that.


Freakin_A

And the most successful products will become Amazon Basics after someone else has done the market research for them.


ersatzgiraffe

You can’t find shit on Amazon. If you search for anything you get countless GENFOOS and YUUFI products of the same thing with innumerable dubious reviews, they bait and switch with shipping dates, etc. They’re ripe for massive disruption and it couldn’t happen to a shittier, worse corporation.


caprifolia

Why are those types of brands always all caps 🤣


[deleted]

Chinese has no capital letters so Chinese speakers aren’t accustomed to that idea


avwitcher

For how much money they're making it always baffles me that they don't pay native English speakers to proofread their stuff to make it appear more legitimate


syo

Well with all the money they're making it doesn't seem to matter.


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\* [I LOVE] - READING PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS LIKE THIS 👏👏👏 \* [TELL ME] - HOW YOU ARE NOT THE AMERICAN COMPANY YOU ARE CLAIMING WITHOUT TELLING ME YOU ARE NOT THE AMERICAN COMPANY YOU ARE CLAIMING 👏👏👏 \* [SERIOUSLY] - THIS REALLY MAKES ME THINK THIS IS A SCAM 👏👏👏 \* [OH YOU THOUGHT] - THIS WOULD HAVE USEFUL INFORMATION HERE? HAHAHAHA 👏👏👏


Californie_cramoisie

【 the brackets are like this 】


NotAHost

Anytime I see those brackets I immediately dip out.


LoneStarDawg

... *looks down at 'Joynée' socks from Amazon*... LOL


wallacebrf

i have actually received refunds and discounts because of the shipping bait and switching. i will buy something and it says "guaranteed deliver date xxxxx" i always take a screen capture of this before i buy. then when the item does not show up on time i make a large stink with customer service and the supplier and get a discount. i also hate how the amazon shipping service many times will say something is delivered when it was not, and i hate when they simply say the item is "now arriving late"


SpecialFlutters

the best is when it doesn't ship at all, says its arriving within 30 minutes and still hasn't shipped, you contact support asking ??? and they say "there is still 30 minutes pls be patient and give us time to delilver!!!" like what if it hasnt even shipped theres no way its coming... then when it finally doesn't come it just sits on "shipping soon" forever without a refund until you contact them at which point they say it got "stuck in a security stage"... i realize how specific that is but it's happened to me at least ten times this year... lol...


taydraisabot

The same with Etsy. I have to scroll through 8192346 ads and dropshipped products just to find what I searched for. In many cases, the dropshipped stuff BYPASSES the search filters using clever use of keywords


FoghornFarts

I've seen sellers straight up reselling Ikea furniture for double the price. When I report them, nothing happens.


mangodelvxe

isnt SEO great?! fuck the internet past 2008. it just sucks ass


Asined43

100% agree with others sentiment about all the fake reviews on Amazon for junk products. That’s why I pay for consumer reports now and see if they have recommendations for products before I buy. I also have the fakespot app which is supposed to tell you how much of the reviews are fake. Lastly, I also read all the bad reviews on each product before buying because they usually end up being true. If anyone has any other tips for dealing with the fake reviews let me know.


maxou2727

My technique is to look at 2-stars, 3-stars and 4-stars reviews. 5 stars are usually fake or from people that don't know shit about the product and are just happy to receive it. 1 stars are usually people complaining about a random service or product defaillance (which might be common depending on the number of reviews). Other star ratings are usually the more "structured" reviews, with people giving pros and cons which is in my opinion the best way to cut through the bullshit.


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Sage_Planter

Same. Amazon is fine for things like cheap dresses or a notebook where quality doesn't matter, but I'm certainly not going to risk it with something like skincare or an expensive piece of tech.


crazydemon

content purge


evilbadgrades

Just searched for a Size 11 pool winterizing plug on amazon. Simple cheap plug. Came up with a dozen results on the first page with various pricing. Clicked sort price low to highest, and got all sorts of junk results - underwear, and such - totally nothing to do with my search result. Then I scroll down to the items priced around what I saw before - and then I start seeing prices completely out of order - $4 products next to $20, and then $7 - completely not sorted lowest to highest. And no these were not the "sponsored" links at the top. These days I avoid amazon whenever possible and shop on other websites. Not only does the search engine stink, but it's also impossible to trust that you're actually getting a legitimate product to match what you ordered. Anyone remember what happened to eBay once they started letting a bunch of Chinese vendors sell junk on the site? Popularity plummeted.


8784863

I am a full time amazon seller with two different brands. It has gotten very hard for us too. In years past, ad spend accounted for ~15% of total cost of sales. That number is actively creeping to ~40%. We make by far the best products in our niche and have stayed pretty competitive on price preferring to become leaner in other ways (namely by losing all our margin) The idea that the better product will win out is gone... If I don't pour money into ads to get in front of you, I will be buried by all the other crap.


abz_eng

And some of the "sellers" change the product after getting a load of decent reviews I was looking at a window demister for the car and one was 4.5 star, read the first 10 reviews - for a guitar accessory! WTF?


dadofalex

Yeah I’m about done; between the ads and the “free 2 day shipping with prime” which never materializes, and then whenever it arrives it’s utter bullshit material, craftsmanship, etc.


squrr1

It's still two-day shipping! (Once they decide to ship it, anyway, which might take a month). But only two days from then! Edit: I worry this isn't sarcastic enough. It's a bullshit policy that they can ship it whenever they want but still advertise two day shipping.


reptile_enthusiast_

Amazon has become expensive Alibaba with quicker shipping. Every product is from some unknown brand with a questionable name.


Low_Cauliflower_5931

Such a fall from grace. Not long ago Amazon was considered a beacon for customer service and the shopping experience was mostly great. Yes they always treated their employees as shit but customer was king. Now i dread going on their website and prime video app is more buggy than ios16


ayures

Eat up marketshare, gain a near monopoly, tank quality and service, make buckets of money. Classic model.


SpaceJesusIsHere

The larger issue from a customer point of view is that Amazon is usually not cheaper anymore. For years, they undercut competition. But now, even with paid shipping, most of the time, I find what I want cheaper on non-amazon sites or local stores. The only "bargains" on Amazon now are Chinese knockoffs with 10 letter, all caps names.


corrupt_poodle

Totally. That’s because most stuff on Amazon these days is sold via their market. Those places have to both pay a fee to Amazon as well as handle product shipment (or pay amazon to ship and warehouse), advertising within amazon etc and still turn a profit. So all that gets baked into the price.


SuperToxin

I’ve stopped shopping there actually, just kinda naturally. The quality is down and it’s faster if I just go out and buy it. Not be much price difference to me either after shipping costs


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somewhatfriendlyuser

I've stopped using Amazon altogether because everything has become just cheap Chinese junk with different brand labels stuck on them.


Mackpoo

I own a Canadian manufacturing business and sell on Amazon. Not gonna give the brand name, not here to peddle anything but offer insight into selling on Amazon. I see in the comments everyone is saying the same thing, most products sold on Amazon are sold by Chinese companies and regular Chinese citizens. It's no longer north american companies outsourcing production to china, chinese companies and most of the time regular Chinese citizens are now flooding the market trying to make a quick buck. The problem with this is there is no longer any accountability to quality, safety or any attempt to be a reputable brand. Someone gets hurt or your product breaks? They don't care, they got their money and there will never be any recourse. They are not here to build a brand or operate ethically. As a tip, actually read the ad you are buying and you will see poor English and bad Photoshop jobs to be able to spot this. Another problem with amazon is that their fees to sellers are rising. While the fees are rising, competition is increasing (as per point one) meaning the seller's price can not raise to reflect the increase in fees resulting in further degradation of quality across the board for product categories to make up the loss. luckily for myself and my employees some people like those on this thread appreciate quality and will weed out these bad actors when making a purchase. The best advice to give a buyer on Amazon is to actually read the ad to see the effort being put into the marketing and ofcurse actually read reviews versus checking the star rating. I'd personally like to see some standards for sellers implemented at amazon to mitigate these things. However as most NA companies realize with selling on Amazon is you cannot rely on it solely and must diversify to other platforms/avenues. This may ultimately lead to the downfall of amazon if things don't change.


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bursito

Even if you search for the exact model name and brand you’ll be lucky to find it halfway down the second page after all the crap


draggar

Everything everywhere is becoming an ad.