For example, try buying a car fob battery -- in my case, a cr2016. You'll see dozens of such batteries, some name brand, some not. But if you read the comments, you'll find that even the purportedly (from the listing name and image) name brand batteries often aren't. eg [1] After spending 30 minutes trying to find a single listing that actually would send me a bloody name-brand, within expiration date battery, I just gave up. This was far more hassle than just going to my local hardware store.
Another place amazon is very vulnerable is personal / body goods and food. I'm fine buying books and flashlights from them, but for food, deodorant, sunblock, lipsticks, etc, I want real goods not fake ones. Ideally purchased by amazon directly from the originating company. Instead, I'm confident that when you purchase those goods, even if directly from amazon and not one of the marketplace vendors, amazon will look to find the closest warehouse with such an item in it (even listed from one of the marketplace vendors) and send that to you. Amazon also makes it quite difficult to just purchase directly from amazon and not from a marketplace vendor. I think there's going to be a huge scandal when people realize lots of those goods are fake.
For example, try buying a car fob battery -- in my case, a cr2016. You'll see dozens of such batteries, some name brand, some not. But if you read the comments, you'll find that even the purportedly (from the listing name and image) name brand batteries often aren't. eg [1] After spending 30 minutes trying to find a single listing that actually would send me a bloody name-brand, within expiration date battery, I just gave up. This was far more hassle than just going to my local hardware store.
Another place amazon is very vulnerable is personal / body goods and food. I'm fine buying books and flashlights from them, but for food, deodorant, sunblock, lipsticks, etc, I want real goods not fake ones. Ideally purchased by amazon directly from the originating company. Instead, I'm confident that when you purchase those goods, even if directly from amazon and not one of the marketplace vendors, amazon will look to find the closest warehouse with such an item in it (even listed from one of the marketplace vendors) and send that to you. Amazon also makes it quite difficult to just purchase directly from amazon and not from a marketplace vendor. I think there's going to be a huge scandal when people realize lots of those goods are fake.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-CR2016-Lithium-Battery-5-Pk/...