It’s been ages since I’ve really done some deal hunting online with how ubiquitious Amazon is I’ve realized I’m not up to date with the current ecosystem for finding trustworthy online storefronts. Do you have any sources/tips for finding good quality products (especially with all the AI slop that exists nowadays)?
I personally look to see if the company has their own storefront. And sometimes it pays off in unexpected ways.
For example I was in the market for a soldering iron. I found a solid Hakko one on Amazon, but I decided to check their site first and, lo and behold, they had the exact same one for sale for the exact same price. BUT I could choose what color I wanted; Amazon only had the standard blue/yellow, whereas they had two other color choices.
On top of that they included an extra goodie of my choosing, which I chose their coffee mug (I forget the other options).
So because I took the extra time to look around, I was able to get one in a color I preferred, got an extra item out of it, and cut out the unnecessary middle man. Win-win-win as they say.
Sometimes, though, it’s just not possible. I was in the market for a triple monitor stand as I use a unique configuration (ultrawide as my main, with two regular widescreens side-by-side above it). The only viable stand I found was available either through Amazon or Walmart. They did not sell directly from their site. So I had to choose which devil I wanted to support.
It especially kills me when the vendor DOES have their own website, and it looks like they have their own store. You go to buy it and it redirects you to their Amazon page.
I’m guessing that some manufacturers just don’t want to bother with the setup of their own PoS system, or they find Amazon lands them so many more sales that the alternative upkeep isn’t really worth it.
From what I heard it is the same price because amazon doesn’t allow them to sell cheaper anywhere else.