this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
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Not sustainable for me, I price it from time to time and local stores are usually, at best, double what Amazon or even Walmart has it for and that's if the local store even has what I'm looking for to begin with
So my choices are Amazon or Walmart (or similar big name stores) and going to Walmart....yea fuck that it's a last resort for everything but groceries...
I keep seeing this over and over, but I order a lot off Amazon and I've never had a problem with it. Don't know if I'm just incredibly lucky or what, but the only times I get counterfeit / cheap Chinese crap is when I order it on purpose.
Ofc, those things I can just get off AliExpress too and sometimes I do when I don't mind waiting which is the biggest issue with AliExpress, the waiting
I, and probably millions of others, are shopping where the best price/value is and nothing else because we can't afford not to. I wouldn't mind shopping locally owned and paying the premium...if I could afford it. Stop pushing for expensive alternatives people can't afford and push for regulations instead.
Ya simple solution: don't buy no-name chinesium crap regardless of the storefront and you won't be disappointed
Search for a desk mounted USB hub. They're all cheap junk and none are to spec. I looked at well over 200 listings and most were white label.
So it like, screws to your desk? I too am in search of a quality high powered fast data transfer USB hub that does not cost a kidney, and have not had any luck yet
Yeah it had little screw holes on the back like a router or power strip
And if you go to Best Buy, staples, Walmart, target… what is different? I’m actually close to a microcenter and they’re also no different.
Where do you go for a desk mounted USB hub?
Best buy had one that met the USB 3.1 spec
I can't say that I have ever gotten anything counterfeit from Amazon. What I have been victim to is no name garbage that has 4.5 stars due to thousands of fake reviews. Generally it is stuff that is difficult to research good brands and the review websites often simply redirect back to Amazon. It's also very little use leaving a bad review because Amazon will remove it. For an example, Louis Rossman bought some fuses on Amazon. The 2A fuse did not blow until 10A was passed through it. That was not a fluke either. He left bad ratings which were removed and those products continue to be sold on Amazon. That is shit easily that can start a fire. If there actually was blow back, the manufacturer would simply stop selling that named version but keep the half a dozen other identical ones up they use to flood the results. So while this may not have ever been an issue for you, it can easily get someone killed. Your conclusion is spot on. We need regulation for this garbage. While Walmart is generally seen as garbage, there is at least someone responsible for purchasing shit to put in the stores and they generally have it tested. That is not the case for Amazon or Walmart's online marketplace or AliBaba.
And not only are there a lot of crappy products with inflated scores because fake reviews, there are also a lot of good products with low scores because of fake negative reviews but competitors. The reviews are pretty much useless now.
If I see something on Amazon that I want, I just go to the manufacturer's website and order it directly from them. If they don't have a site that sells it, then I try other online stores besides Amazon. If they only sell on Amazon, then I decide I just don't need it.
Except a lot of times it's cheaper on Amazon, with faster shipping, even without prime. Most recent example I ran into.
$75 direct
$65 Amazon
Only 50% risk of counterfeits, but you save $10!
Cheap items/electronics can be more expensive on Amazon than direct, though.
Amazon:
Direct:
Doubt that site has free shipping tho
It doesn't, but shipping is $5, still way cheaper.
Also, free shipping only kicks in at $35, so technically this doesn't either.
This is the way
I comparison shop almost religiously. Vendor sites are oftentimes more expensive and add shipping on top of that. BB, Walmart, etc. have similar prices but most times it's actually third party marketplace bullshit using these big name sites as a shittier Amazon.
Prime doesn't matter so much for me, but 5% on all of my purchases with the Amazon credit card is definitely worth it.
damn right
every time i've intentionally picked the ASNDSZYY brand i've been disappointed in the thing and in myself. now i'd rather just spend up front for something actually good rather than waste time and effort going back and forth returning things
I think people who see countfeit stuff don't know what they are buying before they go on Amazon and order from Chinese brands. I know what I'm going to buy before I go on Amazon so I never have the issue. I just use it to check prices and buy if it's a good enough discount.