I decided that $140/yr to pretend I'm getting #free shipping is too much, and canceled my #Amazon #Prime subscription this year.

ishotjr@39C3 ✨💙✨💗✨

I decided that $140/yr to pretend I'm getting #free shipping is too much, and canceled my #Amazon #Prime subscription this year. I have become repulsed by how it's become the "default" for #retail and everyone just lazily links to it for everything and lines #Bezos' pockets further for no apparent reason. Please help me form new #habits by suggesting alternative #retailers for various needs, and share this post for maximum insight from the community.

it's kat! 🇵🇸✊

@ishotjr great post! it expresses everything that i always feel about people who should know better & still link their shit to amazon.
wish i could help you with alternatives, but i don't know about stateside options. i'm sure you're already supporting small, local-ish businesses & creators in any way you can.

I Don't Know

@ishotjr so glad to hear this. The more the merrier!!!!

SlightlyCyberpunk

@ishotjr There's plenty of alternatives, but you gotta get past the idea of having one store to get everything from. You can do a bit of that ordering from whichever big box stores you're still willing to use, and Newegg is a decent option in a pinch because they have a similar marketplace system (although a lot of those folks just end up being Amazon drop-shippers so not always the best choice.) But mostly you probably wanna look for more specific suppliers.

L.Y.D.I.A. Cyborg Assassin :mastodon:

@ishotjr Where do you live for these recommendations?

Pinchy63 🇨🇦

@ishotjr
Amazon is my finder app. I find what I need there then I look at local stores in the area for the same thing. 9/10 I’ll get a comparable item somewhere else.

ishotjr@39C3 ✨💙✨💗✨

@lydiaconwell good point! Ann Arbor, MI, USA

ishotjr@39C3 ✨💙✨💗✨

@kathimmel yes, doing this right now at the #AnnArbor #FarmersMarket!

Verge

@ishotjr i find it shocking how much i can get used from folks on the secondhand sites here. even little electronic things that most would reflexively order online. im getting some dinky aquarium lights that would have been 15 or more on amazon for 5 each from someone who ordered, tried them, and didnt like them. i do find i need to be a bit flexible, sometimes exact matches arent available, but its worth it

Finitum

@ishotjr similarly was spending $$$$ on amzn, got tired of the shittiness of it- ads in video, music products purposefully made worse, etc.
A lot less spontaneous spending happens, local bookstores absorbed book spending, target/costco absorbed some regular bulk purchases, Ace for home /hardware stuff, newegg/best buy for electronics/appliances, & local stores for gifts.
2 years in, not missing it & clear conscience not propping up just another website that treats its users with contempt.

Suzanne Aldrich (she/her)

@ishotjr me too. I cancelled.

Ozzie D, NP-hard :bikepump: :vegan:

@ishotjr @lydiaconwell have you been by Computer Alley? Sadly, the nearest MicroCenter (my local go-to) is in Madison Heights.

Raymond Russell

@ishotjr
I don't buy a lot of stuff from Amazon. Maybe half a dozen things per year and don't pay any shipping with this sort of "hack".
This works in the UK so I am not sure about elsewhere.
I know you are trying to stop Amazon but just in case there is the very occasional item that you have trouble getting elsewhere and you don't want to stump up extra for shipping.
If you can get the item delivered to Post Office then at the point you chose delivery there is usually an economy (free) option.

it's kat! 🇵🇸✊

@ishotjr sound!

🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 🐧 🥦

@ishotjr The best alternative I've found is eBay. Often, not always, has the same stuff. Often, not always has the same prices by the time shipping is added in. I quite Prime years ago. I do not miss it.

ratfactor

@ishotjr Yes!!!

* Bookshop.org for new books
* Biblio.com for used books (Amazon owns Abe, BTW)
* Bandcamp for music
* Lowes and Ace for hardware supplies (was very impressed with Lowes delivery)
* Microcenter for electronics (they ship!)
* Knifecenter for knives and flashlights (including kitchen knives and a few tools)
* Ebay or local stores for everything else

I cancelled my Amazon account last year, so I'm 100% cold-turkey and have zero regrets.

Elena ``of Valhalla''

@ishotjr where in the world?

I have a list of small shops that somebody in my group of friends have bought from, with various kind of products, but they are (by design) all in the EU

brick-mortar-and-web.lw.trueel…

ishotjr@39C3 ✨💙✨💗✨

@valhalla Ann Arbor, MI, USA; but happy to take any recommendations, since I travel a lot and wouldn't mind ending up with a wide-ranging compendium!

Joe Dohm (he/him)

@Methylcobalamin @ishotjr I do this, but Amazon drop shippers and a problem. I also worry that this just creates distributed harm instead of concentrated harm.

australopithecus

@ishotjr
One useful trick, especially while you're getting used to the transition: look up items on Amazon, and then go to the manufacturer's website and see if you can buy it directly.