Why You Should Never Order From Amazon
When it comes to online shopping, Amazon is one of the most popular sites. As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon offers a vast array of products, including everything from books and electronics to clothing and groceries.
While Amazon may be a convenient option for many shoppers, there are several reasons why you should avoid buying from the company. In this article, we’ll explore some of them.
12 reasons why you shouldn’t order from Amazon
1. Poor customer service
If you’ve ever had to contact Amazon’s customer service, you know how frustrating it can be. The representatives are often unhelpful and difficult to understand, and it can take forever to get a resolution to your problem.
This is because Amazon frequently outsources its customer service to other countries, where the representatives are not familiar with the company’s policies, procedures, or sometimes the English language!
2. Slow shipping times
Amazon may boast fast shipping but in reality, its shipping is very slow, unless you’re willing to pay for premium shipping, or you’re a Prime member. In many cases, other retailers such as Walmart or Target can get your purchase to you faster than Amazon.
And if you live on an island like Tenerife, Spain, your shipping options are even more limited, and it can take months for your package to arrive.
Sometimes it’s much easier to simply go to a store and buy what you need, rather than waiting forever for it to be delivered.
3. Reckless delivery drivers
Many Amazon delivery drivers have been caught on camera throwing packages carelessly onto porches or even into dumpsters. In some cases, the contents of the package are broken or damaged as a result.
Others have been known to steal packages outright. If you’re not home to receive your delivery, there’s a good chance your package could end up in the wrong hands – or worse, lost entirely.
4. Subpar products
While Amazon does sell some quality items from genuine brands, it also sells a lot of cheap knockoffs and counterfeit products. This is because anyone can sell on Amazon, regardless of whether they’re a reputable company or not.
As such, it can be difficult to know if you’re buying a good quality product. In many cases, it’s best to buy from a more trusted retailer, even if it means paying a bit more.
5. Geoblocking
If you live outside of the United States, Amazon frequently blocks users from accessing certain products and features. This is because of licensing restrictions and other legal issues.
For example, many TV shows and movies that are available to stream on Amazon in the US are not available in other countries. This can be very frustrating for users who are trying to access content that they’re paying for but are being blocked due to their location.
6. Fake reviews
Since anyone can sell on Amazon, many sellers resort to faking their reviews to make their products seem more popular and trustworthy. They pay for positive reviews or get people they know to write them.
This skews the overall rating of a product, making it appear better than it actually is, and this in turn might lead you to buy a subpar product.
7. Poor employee treatment
Amazon has been criticized in the past for its treatment of employees, both in its warehouses and at its corporate offices. Employees have complained of long hours, low pay, and a hostile work environment.
There have even been reports of workers being given unrealistic targets that they can’t possibly meet, and if they don’t, they’re fired. This doesn’t create a good work environment and can lead to poor treatment of customers as well.
8. Amazon is bad for the environment
Amazon has been criticized for its environmental practices, as it uses a lot of packaging and creates a lot of waste.
For example, when a customer returns a product, Amazon often simply throws it away rather than trying to resell it. This creates a lot of unnecessary waste and is bad for the environment.
Additionally, Amazon’s shipping practices are not very eco-friendly. The company ships a lot of small items in large boxes, which results in more packaging and more fuel being used for transportation.
9. They’re putting small businesses out of business
Amazon is a huge company that can offer lower prices than most small businesses. This makes it very difficult for small businesses to compete, and many have been forced to close their doors as a result.
This is bad for the economy, as small businesses are the backbone of many communities. When they’re gone, it’s hard for people to find jobs and the local economy suffers.
10. It’s not always the cheapest option
Despite what many people think, Amazon isn’t always the cheapest place to buy things. Once upon a time, when the company was just starting out, that may have been true.
Nowadays, though, many other retailers offer just as good of a deal, if not better. So, if you’re looking for the best price, it’s worth checking out other options before settling on Amazon.
11. Seller fees are high
This might not seem like a “you” problem, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless. If you’re a buyer on Amazon, it’s likely that you’re not paying attention to the fees that sellers have to pay.
However, it’s important to note that these fees can be quite high, and they often eat into any profits that a seller might make. This, in turn, will lead to higher prices for buyers.
Many sellers often sell on other platforms that offer low seller fees, so if you want to support them, you might want to purchase on another platform.
12. It has too much power
Monopolies are never a good thing, and Amazon is quickly becoming a monopoly in the e-commerce world. This gives the company too much power and control, which can be bad for both buyers and sellers.
For example, if Amazon decides to change its policies, there’s not much that anyone can do about it. This can lead to frustration and inconvenience for users.
Amazon can also ban users for any reason, and if they do, there’s almost no recourse. This would be very frustrating, especially if you use the platform regularly.
Wrapping up
It’s not all doom and gloom, though we may have made it seem that way.
On the whole, Amazon is a convenient, sometimes cheap place to buy things, and most importantly, it has an exceptional return policy, which solves a few of the problems we listed above.
The downsides are plentiful, but generally speaking, as long as you’re aware of them, you can avoid any major issues. Just be sure to do your research before making any big purchases, and remember that there are other options out there if you’re not satisfied with Amazon.