Trash to Cash: Your Amazon Purchase Could Come From the Garbage

wsj ^ | 12/17/2019 | wsj

[Jamestown1630]

I have found that many things that I can buy in the local department store can be found a LOT cheaper on Amazon, with no reduction in quality.

Last year I bought a particular item of female clothing for over $40 each. Style and fit were perfect for me, so I looked online for more, and found that on Amazon they were less than half the price that I had previously paid.

This certainly won’t happen for everything you want to buy; but it’s very useful if you are used to a particular item and can’t find it anymore in the stores. I assume some people overstock, and when new styles come along they sell the old surplus online. Lots of good deals to be had.

[ZephyrTX]

You also have to watch out for the Chinese stuff on Amazon and on eBay. They have flooded eBay so bad, I rarely go there any more. I've been zapped a few times by that with Amazon - but it's not all that often, thankful to say. Substandard stuff goes back & it's so easy to return. Takes less time to return something thru Amazon than it does say, at Walmart or Target.

[mumblypeg]

I live in a rinky-dink town where it’s impossible to find leather shoes, among many other things.
There are TWO retail stores here—Family Dollar & Dollar General. WalMart is 20 miles in next little town. All offer Chinese-made plastic shoes that blister my feet.
The nearest major city, where there are dozens of malls is 100 miles.
I have neighbors who drive the 100 miles, spend all day shopping, & stay overnight in a motel. Lol.
I’d rather sit in my chair & do Amazon, especially when I can get free shipping & not even buy gas or risk encountering any violence.

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve bought some things that seem to have come from China, through Amazon - occasionally electronics, but mainly women’s clothing. (You have to be very careful of sizing on clothing items that come from other countries, but reading the reviews and attending to the size charts helps.)

If it says that it’s a ‘Prime’ item - and you subscribe to Prime - it comes within the same timeframe that other stuff from Amazon does. If it’s not Prime, it can take weeks. But by carefully choosing, I haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve bought from China. (Have also received some great clothing from India.)

I think ‘Caveat Emptor’ applies all around in these matters. You have to expect do some work for yourself - and be willing to do it.

[susannah59]

I’ve heard some stories on Antiques Roadshow where people have found amazing treasures in dumpsters (as well as thrift stores, garage sales, and so forth). Not everything that someone else has discarded is trash!

[ZephyrTX]

I’m going to agree with you there.

I’ve bought stuff too, that came from China - haven’t been totally disappointed. Speed is everything. If you don’t care about timeliness, then it’s no bother. Ever see Wish.com? It takes a couple-few weeks to get here & so far, so good, but I’m careful about what I buy from there and risk only as much money as I’m willing to “lose”. Haven’t sent anything back yet.

Then again, I’ve bought stuff from China from Amazon & quickly sent it back. That’s generally been by way of electronic things (tablets, etc.). Now I look for an American name (lol except RCA) in those things - even though they might be made in China, the American names will want to keep their reputation - so I reason it out. I may be wrong, but I won’t buy anything electronic from China on purpose.

I have no idea about those here today & gone tomorrow Chinese names even if fulfilled by Amazon.

You’re so right though, we have to do our own due diligence when it comes to these things!

[Jamestown1630]

I used to love going to the malls, and walking around and seeing everything - but I’m getting old, and have very different priorities for my time than I did previously!

About ten years ago, I walked into a local Home Depot for the first time in years, and it was so huge! The ceiling was so high that birds were flying around up there (it seemed to have its own damn upper atmosphere!)

In recent years, even my local grocery store has become like an enormous warehouse - and I just don’t want to do all of that walking. More importantly, I don’t want to waste all of that time. (My husband and I have come to greatly appreciate our local Lidl store.)

If I can avoid navigating all of those huge spaces in order to buy some things, I’m going for it.

I like going to the stores and seeing people. But I don’t want to have to go to Egypt to do it, or have it become a serious Expedition.

Online shopping allows me to keep the forays that I still enjoy into the local stores manageable and enjoyable; and saves me a lot of time for more important *stuff*.

[LeoWindhorse]

Not a penny....

Screw Bezos

[Larry Lucido]

From your neighbor’s porch to yours. Same day. Guaranteed.

[Jamestown1630]

Your choice. Happy New Year!

[RightGeek]

Yes - I believe the returns are well covered by FBA. But nothing else. This is very informative - https://www.wsj.com/video/trash-to-cash-your-amazon-purchase-could-come-from-the-garbage/B575AC90-6AF6-4102-9736-C8DDAA4E7C1B.html

[plain talk]

“I like buying from Amazon. And eBay. It’s easy.”

Same here. Amazon’s delivery network is impressive.

[Drew68]

Easily solved > don’t buy from 3rd party sellers.

Exactly. This isn't about Amazon. This is about third party sellers that pop up on Amazon (and Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and on and on).

[tomkat]

You can say that again.
Walmart’s website has become almost unuseable.
Searches might show a couple things relevant, with 80% of the ‘hits’ having nothing to do with what you were after.
And don’t get me started on their overpriced fly-by-night ‘marketplace’ vendors .. most of whom would be laughable if not so completely irritating.

I’m fortunate to live in a rural area with a big Walmart that stays well-stocked, is clean, employs generally courteous/sane people, and has an excellent grocery section.
So despite frequenting Wally’s weekly for groceries etc, Amazon’s Prime membership buys me great pricing, free 2 day delivery, no hassle returns, and easy ‘browsing’ (for someone who hates shopping/malls/etc).
For a retired guy like me trying to maximize his meager purchasing power, it’s a no-brainer.

/rant (lol)

[roadcat]

Somebody tried that on my on Ebay, too.

Let the buyer beware, unscrupulous scammers are lurking as valid sellers. Long time ago I was checking eBay for items related to my classic car, and found an eBay ad for my car. Well, it was someone else selling a similar car to mine, but using a photo of my car via a link to my website. I had won some awards for my car at car shows, and someone was passing off an inferior car to sellers while using a picture of my pristine car.

I notified eBay of the scam. Meanwhile, I changed the picture on my website to one of a rusted junker car. Guys at my car club had a good laugh about it. Needless to say, the seller got no takers, and eBay banned him.

[DUMBGRUNT]

An email arrived declaring: “Welcome to Fulfillment by Amazon.” The Journal signed up for a $39.99-a-month account and paid additional fees, such as for storage. Late one night several days before the store opened, reporters with flashlights and blue latex gloves visited Clifton, Clark and Paramus, N.J., scouring dumpsters behind outlets such as a Michaels craft store and a Trader Joe’s grocery.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-might-be-buying-trash-on-amazonliterally-11576599910

[SaveFerris]

[I changed the picture on my website to one of a rusted junker car. Guys at my car club had a good laugh about it. Needless to say, the seller got no takers, and eBay banned him.]

I love feel good stories.

[I changed the picture on my website to one of a rusted junker car.]

Awesome.

[PIF]

Ebay where all good third party amazon resellers begin.

[moovova]

I'd seen used things offered when I searched for a product. But the used item was only offered as an alternative, not as the primary result of a search. It was usually shown further down the page for the new item and listed like this: "New & Used (16) from $218.45 + FREE Shipping".

See this Surefire flashlight at Amazon (scroll down a little): https://www.amazon.com/SureFire-M600DF-Weapon-Mounted-Thumbscrew/dp/B07DVPBXZ7?tag=duckduckgo-d-20

[MD Expat in PA]

I’ve bought some things that seem to have come from China, through Amazon - occasionally electronics, but mainly women’s clothing. (You have to be very careful of sizing on clothing items that come from other countries, but reading the reviews and attending to the size charts helps.)

I hate shopping in department stores anymore and hate trying on clothes in the store even more, so I’ve been buying clothes on Amazon and usually go with brand names (Lee, Lands End, etc.) and Prime items. As to the size, yes you have to read the reviews as some sizes are not as advertised especially when not a known brand. For the most part however, even with some of the unknown or less known brands I’ve been very happy with both the quality and the fit. The one exception was a sweater set that I purposely ordered in an XXXL when I only needed a XL as the reviews said that the size runs “very small”. When I got it however, while labeled XXXL it seemed to be more of a “medium” or even “small”. I was going to return it but since I didn’t pay too much for it, I donated it to a local church for their clothing drive for the homeless and poor.