I suppose I'm just too content

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  • cwsmith
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2005
    • 2737
    • NY Southern Tier, USA.
    • BT3100-1

    #16
    You know, I don't understand the attraction of 'Amazon'. No, I don't use it at all, but on occasion I do go and check out their prices. While I know there are bargains to be had on used stuff, when it comes to New, I just don't get it... Amazon is most always higher priced than local or even the mail-order originator.

    For example, last year we went to buy a rather large Lego set for my neice's little guy. I couldn't find it locally, but did leave our name and number with the local "Toys-R-Us", just in case. My son said to buy it on Amazon, and I looked it up and it was over $50 more! Thankfully, Toys-R-Us called a couple of days later as they received new stock.

    Just a month ago, I went on Amazon to look at a Grizzly wet grinder, which they wanted almost $300 for... yet Grizzly sells it for $200, and their anniversary addition was $259.

    HOW or Why does Amazon sell the same thing for appreciatively more money, and why would anyone buy stuff like that from them?

    Regarding the "self-service" at Home Depot, I do understand why many people like them, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that it cost jobs... AND they certainly don't just turn those jobs back into the store for providing better service in other areas. Service at Home Depot is getting less and less.

    Happy New Year everyone

    CWS
    Think it Through Before You Do!

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    • Cochese
      Veteran Member
      • Jun 2010
      • 1988

      #17
      Originally posted by cwsmith
      You know, I don't understand the attraction of 'Amazon'. No, I don't use it at all, but on occasion I do go and check out their prices. While I know there are bargains to be had on used stuff, when it comes to New, I just don't get it... Amazon is most always higher priced than local or even the mail-order originator.

      For example, last year we went to buy a rather large Lego set for my neice's little guy. I couldn't find it locally, but did leave our name and number with the local "Toys-R-Us", just in case. My son said to buy it on Amazon, and I looked it up and it was over $50 more! Thankfully, Toys-R-Us called a couple of days later as they received new stock.

      Just a month ago, I went on Amazon to look at a Grizzly wet grinder, which they wanted almost $300 for... yet Grizzly sells it for $200, and their anniversary addition was $259.

      HOW or Why does Amazon sell the same thing for appreciatively more money, and why would anyone buy stuff like that from them?

      Regarding the "self-service" at Home Depot, I do understand why many people like them, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that it cost jobs... AND they certainly don't just turn those jobs back into the store for providing better service in other areas. Service at Home Depot is getting less and less.

      Happy New Year everyone

      CWS
      Many different things going on with Amazon.

      First, they use dynamic pricing. That means the price will change hour to hour, day to day depending on a convoluted formula.

      Second, there are Amazon prices, Third party prices shipped by Amazon, and Third party complete pricing and I'm sure a few more. Have to look on who is actually selling it.

      There are items that Amazon sells that don't make sense price-wise. However in my many years of being a Prime member I can tell you that it is a minority by a mile. Most purchases I make are through Amazon, and it's not because I want to pay a higher price.

      I can honestly state I've saved well over a couple thousand dollars by buying through Amazon. Easily, with some of the larger purchases I've made like the planer and a mattress.
      I have a little blog about my shop

      Comment

      • vaking
        Veteran Member
        • Apr 2005
        • 1428
        • Montclair, NJ, USA.
        • Ryobi BT3100-1

        #18
        Originally posted by cwsmith

        It's not that they are complicated or anything, it's just that it replaces someone's job. I grew up in a time when those kinds of jobs were "starters"; a good place to learn the ropes of working, earn a work history of sorts.


        I won't support doing away with people by replacing them with a self-serve robot.

        CWS
        Chris,
        Let me offer another point of view at these things.
        About a hundred years ago the first excavator was created. Before that all ditch digging was manual. Since that time a lot of things got automated and a lot of jobs were outsourced to machines. What effects did it have on our society?
        Huge effects. A hundred years ago typical work week lasted 60 hours - that is 6 days a week, 10 hours a day. Now typical work week is 35-40 hours. Hundred years ago people had neither money nor time for anything but work. Today we have a lot more time and some money to spend so there is now something called "Entertainment industry". Let's look at it closer:
        It begins with obvious Hollywood and Broadway - traditional providers of entertainment content. Add Disney with its amusement parks. Travel agents make a living selling cruise lines and other vacation packages - that is all also a part of entertainment. Nintendo, Xbox - all sorts of games are more recent additions to entertainment. We subscribe to cable TV and buy large screens for our homes - all that is for our entertainment. All of these jobs did not exist a hundred years ago and were not needed. The same process that put out of work ditch diggers created a lot of new jobs.
        I would not worry about jobs like store clerks and cashiers - majority of work involving mundane manual labor had already been automated - there isn't much left to do in this field. Computers and robots had come a long way - we are looking at a new frontier now. Computers can now play chess better than the world champion. What else can computers do better than people?
        When you come to see a doctor - you tell him your symptoms and he gives you a prescription. But before giving you prescription - doctor will type the information into a computer and computer will verify that the new prescription does not have any interactions with other medications you are already taking. In other words - doctor uses computer to verify his actions. In effect big part of doctors work is being an interactive database - computers are very good at it. In the near future I expect number of doctors to shrink a lot.
        Law schools in America keep producing a lot of lawyers but I already hear getting a job as lawyer is getting harder - people with law degrees are beginning to accept paralegal jobs. Sounds like another profession is about to be hit hard.
        Microsoft Office has a feature called "Office assistant" - it is that annoying paper clip that pops on your screen when you click help. I am willing to bet that the next generation of paper clip will put out of work a lot of office secretaries. Microsoft Office is now smart enough to recognize regular operations you do with your computer and do most of it for you.
        I am sure the next round of computer automations will again have profound effect on our society. What will be results? May be we are looking at 20 hour work week instead of 40. May be we are looking at creation of a whole new array of industries and jobs. I am not sure yet what will happen, but something will. If not - we will have unemployment in the range of 40%-70% in the next 20 years.
        Alex V

        Comment

        • lrr
          Established Member
          • Apr 2006
          • 380
          • Fort Collins, Colorado
          • Ryobi BT-3100

          #19
          I shop Amazon a lot. You do have to watch pricing, but it typically is third party selling where I see higher prices (or a decent price and crazy shipping charges).. I shop for the convenience, price, free shipping, and no sales tax.

          And sometimes I shop Amazon because I cannot find what I want locally. I went to both Home Depot and Lowe's looking for a paper towel dispenser. No longer carried in the store. Was told to check their website! If I am going to check a website, it is not going to be the website for the big box store. I'll go to Amazon and buy several items on my want list.

          By the way, Amazon has lots of paper towel dispensers -- from cheap ones to designer ones. I like having choices.
          Lee

          Comment

          • jussi
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 2162

            #20
            When comparing prices I find the products sold by Amazon to often be one of the least expensive. So much so, that I often go to them first to see if a product on sale or a used product on craigslist is a good buy. Just make sure it's actually sold by Amazon and not a third party vendor. I check other places as well, but more often than not, Amazon has one (if not the) best price.
            I reject your reality and substitute my own.

            Comment

            • LCHIEN
              Internet Fact Checker
              • Dec 2002
              • 20914
              • Katy, TX, USA.
              • BT3000 vintage 1999

              #21
              I find Amazon to have the breadth of selection, adequate information to make the pruchase, reasonable prices - often but not always lowest, and the ease of delivery to the door beats fighting traffic.
              Loring in Katy, TX USA
              If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
              BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

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