How Do You Go About Buying Stuff Online While Avoiding Amazon?
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)?
You could use Amazon as kind of a browser or search and then go directly to the brand's web site. Any particular thing you're looking for?
This is what I do. I sleep better at night knowing I costing them a few cents by only using them as a search engine.
You don't cost them. You benefit them by giving them all the knowlege about what you want, how you search for it, what details are the most interesting for you etc.
I have a friend who’s high up at Amazon. He said they don’t actually do anything with the data since the algorithm already just puts ads based on what you’re searching. They don’t sell the data or process it in any way
Yeah, they don't sell their data because it would be useful for their competition. They do use it internally to push products but if you only use them for window shopping you end up costing them fractions of a cent while still feeding their algorithms which helps them push products to others.
puts ads based on what you’re searching.
they don’t actually [...] process it in any way
Well, this is processing the data, isn't it?
Back in the days, some decades ago when Amazon "invented" the tracking and processing of every single mouse click in their online shop, it was big news in the IT world. First from a technical point of view, because it needed some serious computing power on their end, and it used up some bandwidth on the user's end, which was much more limited at that time than today. And from a data privacy point of view, because it was a huge step towards this world of total surveillance, constantly ongoing manipulation, behaviour based advertisement, George Orwell etc.
Today we have gotten used to all that, even so much that such extreme statements have become possible, somewhat...
they don’t actually do anything with the data
Your previous comment said you’re still doing them a favor by searching even if you don’t buy. If all they do is put ads on their site for your searches, then no, you’re not doing them any favors by just searching. If they were selling your data or processing it to use in other ways like market research or investments, then sure. Amazon only needs like four percent of their staff to run the site and push suggested purchases, there’s not a lot to it. Processing data is a very different beast when it comes to research and investments.
If all they do is put ads on their site for your searches
I think we should not believe it in a literal way. I guess this was simply the only kind of processing that this guy and/or his source knows and found worth mentioning.
Yep, this. Net positive for Amazon and you don’t even need to give them any of your money. Still better than giving them your money on top of it though, I imagine
While also being bombarded by ads by Amazon on their own website, so they even profit off of you. Or did you think those "Promoted" items in the search listings didn't bring money into Bezos' coffers?
In a few cases I saved over 10% by going straight to the manufacturer. Shipping was slower but rarely do I need stuff next day.
Showrooming Amazon. How Ironic. I love it!
This has also saved me on more than one occasion as I've tried to find the same "brand" of something I was going to buy on another site, only to find it was actually an Amazon product they were trying to push. Dodged that bullet for sure