# Alternative to Amazon?



## Alteredstate (Jul 7, 2016)

What are some alternatives to Amazon?


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

Walmart.com


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## danben (Mar 23, 2020)

Alteredstate said:


> What are some alternatives to Amazon?


[Anything other than Amazon].com


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

There used to be this cool thing you could do, where you got off your furniture, got in your means of conveyance (sometimes shanks-mare)transported yourself down to a shop/store/business, and purchased items of value from the proprietors. It was a short-lived system, to be sure. The concept only lasted a few thousand years. Thank God Amazon came along...


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## soyer38301 (Jul 27, 2017)

There are a few of these alternative tech companies that rely on the big boys for the infrastructure. Not good planning if you ask me. Might be cheaper in the short run but this is what happens.

IMHO I think it is a combination of competition and censorship. But the competitor (twitter) aksed Amazon to boot them. So more censor tha competition since parlor doew not compete with Amazon...

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

I must confess, Jeff Bezo's got me hooked. Amazon is just too darned convenient. I get movies, exercise videos, music, "free" shipping and returns at great prices. It makes Christmas shopping sooo much easier. I don't have to leave my house. Ever. I mean it. For the rest my life (besides church, doctors appts and the range.) I don't think the Jeffster can do anything about those places yet. Plus they give a small % to my fave charity.


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

danben said:


> [Anything other than Amazon].com


This ^^^^^


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

stevekozak said:


> There used to be this cool thing you could do, where you got off your furniture, got in your means of conveyance (sometimes shanks-mare)transported yourself down to a shop/store/business, and purchased items of value from the proprietors. It was a short-lived system, to be sure. The concept only lasted a few thousand years. Thank God Amazon came along...


Emphasis on USED TO BE.


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

Annie said:


> I must confess, Jeff Bezo's got me hooked. Amazon is just too darned convenient. I get movies, exercise videos, music, "free" shipping and returns at great prices. It makes Christmas shopping sooo much easier. I don't have to leave my house. Ever. I mean it. For the rest my life (besides church, doctors appts and the range.) I don't think the Jeffster can do anything about those places yet. Plus they give a small % to my fave charity.


I sure cannot disagree with you. Amazon has made it so easy and yes, they give to one of my charities. Shopping is simple, quick and returns are a breeze. Movies and books galore too.

But that's over. Period.

Over dinner I mentioned to my wife that I'd treat amazon like any other vendor. If they have a better price I'd buy from them... that didn't go over so well. I got "the look". Needless to say, we will not be using them for anything.

As an example I ordered the portable radio with HAM frequencies direct from the vendor instead of Amazon. I paid a few bucks more in shipping but it wasn't amazon.


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## Nick (Nov 21, 2020)

As much as I hate pushing Walmart they have free 2 day shipping and great return policies also. I did most of my Xmas shopping on Walmart.com.


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

Nick said:


> As much as I hate pushing Walmart they have free 2 day shipping and great return policies also. I did most of my Xmas shopping on Walmart.com.


Yeah.. have used them in the past. I recently found out that our local Walmart isn't enforcing the mask mandate.

But my wife hates Walmart and I'm not fond of them either given most of what they sell is Chinese crap.


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

Annie said:


> I must confess, Jeff Bezo's got me hooked. Amazon is just too darned convenient. I get movies, exercise videos, music, "free" shipping and returns at great prices. It makes Christmas shopping sooo much easier. I don't have to leave my house. Ever. I mean it. For the rest my life (besides church, doctors appts and the range.) I don't think the Jeffster can do anything about those places yet. Plus they give a small % to my fave charity.


My kingdom for a horse?


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

Piratesailor said:


> I sure cannot disagree with you. Amazon has made it so easy and yes, they give to one of my charities. Shopping is simple, quick and returns are a breeze. Movies and books galore too.
> 
> But that's over. Period.
> 
> ...


I like your wife. Get her signed up here!!


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

My problem with Walmart has been their virtue signaling BS.

What was it, two years ago? They decided they didn't want to potentially contribute to the mass shootings that the media hyped as plaguing the country, so they took the (not so) principled stance of doing away with common calibers of ammunition.
Ok, I can respect a store for taking a stand and taking a hit based on their own ethics.
Oh... but that's not what they did.

They took a stand alright, but took no hit.
Instead of pulling the offending ammunition from their shelves and eating that cost, as an ethical business would do to show their morals, they continued to sell it but stated they would order no more.
They still wanted their money, they didn't care if those last few thousand rounds across the country were possibly going to be used against innocent people in the next shooting, and they sold them anyways.
It was virtue signaling of the highest repugnant order. The drooling masses thought Walmart was saintly for their "stand" against gun violence, all while ignoring the blatant hypocrisy of continuing to sell the death bullets.

I've done my best to avoid that store ever since.
I was solid in my persistence for the first year and a half. I regret to say I've been in at least 4 times since. :-(


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Annie said:


> I must confess, Jeff Bezo's got me hooked. Amazon is just too darned convenient. I get movies, exercise videos, music, "free" shipping and returns at great prices. It makes Christmas shopping sooo much easier. I don't have to leave my house. Ever. I mean it. For the rest my life (besides church, doctors appts and the range.) I don't think the Jeffster can do anything about those places yet. Plus they give a small % to my fave charity.


 Annie this is why we will lose.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Living in the boonies, it is easier and cheaper to buy non perishable food, paper products, and other grocery store items from Walmart online , than cranking up the truck and driving into town.
To the only grocery store in town. To find half empty shelves. And pay 20% more than Walmart.
Plus, FedEx brings it and drops it over the gate. Fire up the mower and cart, drive out to the gate, load up.
Bada bing!!! Done.


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## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

stevekozak said:


> There used to be this cool thing you could do, where you got off your furniture, got in your means of conveyance (sometimes shanks-mare)transported yourself down to a shop/store/business, and purchased items of value from the proprietors. It was a short-lived system, to be sure. The concept only lasted a few thousand years. Thank God Amazon came along...


Easy to say if you live an easy drive from these stores. Not everyone does. In some areas of Washington State, it's an hour and a half to everywhere and when you get "there," your choices may be limited. It's an extra half hour to get to a town where you know you'll be able to find anything you need. Amazon is a godsend in rural areas.


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## Smit974 (Mar 15, 2020)

What about Costco??


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

paulag1955 said:


> Easy to say if you live an easy drive from these stores. Not everyone does. In some areas of Washington State, it's an hour and a half to everywhere and when you get "there," your choices may be limited. It's an extra half hour to get to a town where you know you'll be able to find anything you need. Amazon is a godsend in rural areas.


I highly doubt God has a thing to do with Amazon. Just a guess.


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## Demitri.14 (Nov 21, 2018)

I'm in a conundrum, I have an amazon CC, I watch Prime Video , I use Alexa for internet radio, my wife and I are hooked on Kindle and I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon that I can't get locally.

I would love to tell them to kiss my grits, but it really would not do much anyhow !

The problem is we are too much dependent on Big Tech to simplify our lives, Boycotting Big-tech is not going to work,

There must be a way to financially cripple them or at least put a hurt on .


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## Nick (Nov 21, 2020)

I only got as far as deleting my Twitter account. It's a start......


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Friends, there are certain small businesses I still support, especially if I like their values. Even if it costs more. 


> Hebrews:13 [14] For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come.


Sometimes I think we think too much.


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## CapitalKane49p (Apr 7, 2020)

Don't use crapazon or fallapartamart. Had pretty good success going to the manufacturers sites. They'll price match as they can cut out the middlemen man. It takes some work an patience but their is life after teh above mentioned monopolies. 

Godspeed


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## MountainGirl (Oct 29, 2017)

Demitri.14 said:


> I'm in a conundrum, I have an amazon CC, I watch Prime Video , I use Alexa for internet radio, my wife and I are hooked on Kindle and I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon that I can't get locally.
> 
> I would love to tell them to kiss my grits, but it really would not do much anyhow !
> 
> ...


You mean without having to actually do anything yourself?
Enjoy your electronic heroin.


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## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

Smit974 said:


> What about Costco??


Surprisingly enough, not everyone has access to a Costco, and not all their products are available for purchase online.


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## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

Walmart provides things people need at prices poor people can afford. I don't understand why that's an issue.


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## paulag1955 (Dec 15, 2019)

stevekozak said:


> I highly doubt God has a thing to do with Amazon. Just a guess.


"a desirable or needed thing or event that comes unexpectedly" Nothing to do with God at all.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Smit974 said:


> What about Costco??


Closest one to us is 50 miles.
When it was first built, wife and I gave it a try. Between the time and fuel we weren't saving money.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

paulag1955 said:


> Walmart provides things people need at prices poor people can afford. I don't understand why that's an issue.


I suppose it's the Snob Factor.
Which doesn't mean anything to me, we're Po' Folks.

We do not actualy go to the physical store, it's too far away.
But a few mouse clicks and it's done.
Bad thing is you have to give an email to get the confirmation, and then every day I get I get messages from them about the latest deal.


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

MountainGirl said:


> You mean without having to actually do anything yourself?
> Enjoy your electronic heroin.


Yep, Marx was wrong. Electronic tech is the real opiate of the masses.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I suppose it's the Snob Factor.
> Which doesn't mean anything to me, we're Po' Folks.
> 
> We do not actualy go to the physical store, it's too far away.
> ...


RPD

You should be able to OPT OUT of their promotional emails etc.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

My view on this is simple and I equate it to our quest for total Self Sufficiency;

Its a Journey without a Destination. We realize that we will never get to total Self Sufficiency

So, it boils down to what is the right decision for you and your family. For me and Mrs S;

We DO NOT SUPPORT/USE; NetFlix, Direct TV (or any other cable TV), Facebook, Twitter, Walmart (except for one specific bottle of USA produced Wine that we both enjoy for "medicinal purposes only" and cannot find anywhere else) or generally any Chicom Crap.

At this point it is the right decision for us to UTILIZE Amazon. But we always don't BUY from Amazon. We use it to compare and often buy from the manufacturer direct when we can.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Slippy said:


> RPD
> 
> You should be able to OPT OUT of their promotional emails etc.


I can unsubscribe, sure. It's just as easy to hit delete.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

Alteredstate said:


> What are some alternatives to Amazon?


Your locally owned businesses.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Alternative to Amazon? Absolutely! It's called Amazon Prime. I made the switch years ago and never looked back - lol!


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

Pir8fan said:


> Your locally owned businesses.


Yes! Except the big players have already put many of the locals out of business. And covid shutdowns are finishing off the few remaining holdouts. We are in deep shit.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

Smit974 said:


> What about Costco??


They're a very liberal company. They've actually dropped certain products because they disagreed with the political beliefs of those companies' owners.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

Chiefster23 said:


> Yes! Except the big players have already put many of the locals out of business. And covid shutdowns are finishing off the few remaining holdouts. We are in deep shit.


Sadly, that's right but I always look to them first. Often they can order something they might not carry.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Tried the local businesses. They are WAY overpriced. 

Needed a piece for my boat. Can get it off Amazon for $72. Local dealer #1 wanted $183 and #2 wanted $196. So I wasted half a day running around to get screwed. Plus I had to show the parts guys the part numbers with the $72 price, cause neither could find it. Ordered it off Amazon saved $120 bucks and got the same part in Evinrude packaging in less then a week. Also didn't have to wait 2-3 weeks til the dealers had a big enough order to send in. 

Wanted to spend locally but I'm learning it's a waste of time to even check.


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

As slippy said, you need to make the choice for your family. 

The bottom line is this. No matter who you chose or don’t chose; who you delete or don’t delete; corporate America, the big guys, have more power and control over how our country operates, how we are “suppose to think” and politicians that’s it is now almost impossible to completely disengage from them. At some point you’ll buy from them despite beliefs. 

In the book “Covid-19 and the great reset” this is described in detail and suggests that it will be expanded. Corporate America will join with goverments (it’s called public/private initiatives) and will dictated how Americans behave (masks, covid passports to shop or fly, etc)


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Piratesailor said:


> As slippy said, you need to make the choice for your family.
> 
> The bottom line is this. No matter who you chose or don't chose; who you delete or don't delete; corporate America, the big guys, have more power and control over how our country operates, how we are "suppose to think" and politicians that's it is now almost impossible to completely disengage from them. At some point you'll buy from them despite beliefs.
> 
> In the book "Covid-19 and the great reset" this is described in detail and suggests that it will be expanded. Corporate America will join with goverments (it's called public/private initiatives) and will dictated how Americans behave (masks, covid passports to shop or fly, etc)


Yeah, China has already worked out the kinks in that plan so they have a good model to go by.


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## jasonv (Oct 4, 2020)

Nick said:


> As much as I hate pushing Walmart they have free 2 day shipping and great return policies also. I did most of my Xmas shopping on Walmart.com.


I am in rural south dakota and Walmart delivers everything to my door in 2 days with free shipping.

I pay Amazon for a prime membership and they cannot get ANYTHING to me in less than 7 days.
Screw Amazon.


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## Michael_Js (Dec 4, 2013)

jasonv said:


> I am in rural south dakota and Walmart delivers everything to my door in 2 days with free shipping.
> 
> I pay Amazon for a prime membership and they cannot get ANYTHING to me in less than 7 days.
> Screw Amazon.


Nice 1st post...Check out the new member introductions!! 

Peace,
Michael J.


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## Nick (Nov 21, 2020)

jasonv said:


> Nick said:
> 
> 
> > As much as I hate pushing Walmart they have free 2 day shipping and great return policies also. I did most of my Xmas shopping on Walmart.com.
> ...


Well that alone should be reason enough to cancel your prime membership. I've never paid for prime but have always had it anyway. As long as you buy things they just keep extending your free membership. If enough people would actually stop using Amazon that it would actually hurt them I would happily cancel my free membership and never buy anything from them ever again.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

How did you get your Prime membership free if I can ask?


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

Here is my take on Amazon. Convenience is key. Price, not always the best.
What I do is price what I am looking for, then actually go to that companys site, and see if their price is the same including shipping. I find this to be the case.
Walmart usually is competitive or , I am able to go to the store and curb side pick up.
Choices, lots fo choices. But convenience is one.
I hate how they keep lists on your purchases. I shut down advertisements as much as possible, but knowing they have lists on history, recommendations etc bothers me. Just me, I dont like lists.


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## Nick (Nov 21, 2020)

Robie said:


> How did you get your Prime membership free if I can ask?


They offered me a free 1 month membership. At the end of it when I went to cancel it they extended it for another month. After that they extended it for 2 months, etc. A couple times it did actually run out but by the time I went to buy something from them again they would offer me a free membership again. The one I'm on now I've had for over a year for free.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

Years and years ago, I started getting Playboy magazine for free. It came every month for probably 8 years.
I called (before internet) and asked them if it was a gift someone kept renewing. They said no, they screwed up. I continued getting it for another year or so.


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## jasonv (Oct 4, 2020)

I hate Amazon. I pay for Amazon prime and they cannot get ANYTHING to my door in less than a week. It is often two weeks. 
Walmart.com has everything to me in 2 days and there is no subscription fee. Although I hate Walmart also.

If I cannot find things in stores I will often buy from more obscure websites than amazon and walmart. Even ebay sometimes (which I also hate)


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

jasonv said:


> I hate Amazon. I pay for Amazon prime and they cannot get ANYTHING to my door in less than a week. It is often two weeks.
> Walmart.com has everything to me in 2 days and there is no subscription fee. Although I hate Walmart also.
> 
> If I cannot find things in stores I will often buy from more obscure websites than amazon and walmart. Even ebay sometimes (which I also hate)


Did you post the almost exact same thing in this exact same thread 11 days ago? A lot of us are old here, but I promise we won't have forgotten that quickly. Feel free to post new material. It will keep our minds sharp!! :tango_face_wink:


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## Nick (Nov 21, 2020)

About 7 posts back, lol.


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## jasonv (Oct 4, 2020)

stevekozak said:


> Did you post the almost exact same thing in this exact same thread 11 days ago? A lot of us are old here, but I promise we won't have forgotten that quickly. Feel free to post new material. It will keep our minds sharp!! :tango_face_wink:


Yep that is me. I have CRS!


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## 220subsonic (Jan 24, 2021)

I haven't spent a dime with Walmart since they started virtue signaling about guns/ammo a couple years ago.

I've been trying to stop spending money on Amazon, but it's been harder to get away from. I've canceled my prime membership, but I payed yearly and it won't expire for like 8 months.

Lately I've been comparing prices on Home Depot, eBay, Amazon, and various specialty websites (Adorama, B&H Photo, Rockler, and smaller sites). It's frustrating I usually can't find a cheaper price than on Amazon. If it's within a few dollars, I buy it elsewhere. If it's like $20-50 more everywhere else, I'm not going to pay that much more just to spite Amazon.

I've given up on local stores for most stuff. If you want to experience what the new fecal COVID test is like, walk into a pool supply store and look at their prices.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

220subsonic said:


> If you want to experience what the new fecal COVID test is like, walk into a pool supply store and look at their prices.


What? You mean sticker shock is like getting a fecal exam? lol, I must confess I'd have never thought of it quite that way!


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