Amazon Alternatives

I get that this probably makes me a terrible person but I haven't had issues with using amazon in the past. Recently though with all the soykaf coming out about the warehouse environments, prime day protests and all the other soykaf about amazon I'm over it. So what are some good alternatives and what do you use to shop online?

Ebay is the major marketplace alternative. There are also a million little independent stores doing their own thing. Amazon is increasingly used behind the scenes though. I bought a dirt cheap SSD off of Ebay recently and I was surprised when it came to my door in an Amazon box. Anyway, in general, buying used stuff is the best way to shop ethically.

I've been using Newegg for computer parts and Ebay for everything else. Haven't heard much bad about either two ethics-wise, and as far as overall quality goes it's alright. Our experiences with Ebay at work, though, are a bit spotty, but that could just be because we buy a lot of used parts off of there. I wish I could get my boss to rely less on Amazon, but the whole Prime shipping thing makes it too convenient for him to give up. Gets work orders done faster, gets clients off our backs, etc. I think Newegg has an equivalent, but I don't think he'd be willing to spend money on another subscription when money's tight enough as it is.

I know this doesn't actually answer your request but here's what I do to avoid amazon. 1. Stop buying things I don't need (minimalism is good on your wallet) 2. try to go outside to buy things preferably in cash (you can meet cool people who sell stuff you need and know about them.) Again, there's stuff that's really impractical to buy in meatspace so I understand completely, but forcing yourself to shop in real life as much as possible is really great for saving money. The money feels more real when you actually have to handle physical cash so you tend to spend less. Also you can shoplift irl. Alibaba / aliexpress seems to be an amazon alternative that works decently. But i'm pretty sure it's no better from a moral standpoint, chinese companies aren't exactly known for treating workers well.

our purchasing seems to have an inherent privilege, where the only way to reduce the harm is to give back. the current capitalist economy is unrepairable unless extreme changes are forced. part of the reason "the necessity" americans and europeans work longer hours is because the 1% have outsourced work to third world workers. don't let this discourage you. there ARE better places to shop. it's just the answer isn't simple. good luck though, op.

hopefully OpenBazaar picks up steam and we can start ordering directly from people

good thread! to echo #8646, buying things used is the most ethical and overall best way to buy most things - ususally its cheaper, you don't contribute to the staggering amount of waste in the world, you repurpose things that others have thrown out, etc. if I need anything, the first thing I try to do is to see if I can get it used locally at thrift stores or CL or something. for everything else, or for specalty items like electronics parts, I just use ebay. pic related

Lately I've been using amazon or ebay or anything related only as a last resort when I can't find what I want on the meatspace near where I live. Go take a walk, explore your surroundings and big commercial places, see what you can buy there. It's fun. Also maybe don't buy soykaf you don't need. Also please respect your own privacy and don't make yourself a traceable person by paying in cash instead of card. Have fun Lain.

>>8951 >it's fun Buying online, even if not on ebay/amazon, can get you greater results and faster with less invested energy and time. Buying IRL you need to invest money to get to shop and then look for your thing, compare prices between shops and then decide on which one you sre going to buy. Online is much kore convenient and money efficient.

>>8952 >uying IRL you need to invest money to get to shop and then look for your thing, compare prices between shops and then decide on which one you sre going to buy. the way it goes for me >find stores that are open by the time I can get to them (I live far away from any big tech stores) >have to deal with people who cant explain equipment specifications to me, or end up googling an "equivalent" product >dont know about compatibility, so trying to talk about it is a waste of time. I have had people tell me "yeah this works with what you are trying to do" and then after I buy it, drive all the way home, and try to set it up, it does not in fact work, so I have to find the time to drive back to the store, return the product, and I have wasted another day and gas money mostly the people I deal with IRL are not too anxious to work with me, because they would rather make a sale to someone going there who will take all of their words as fact without checking it. meanwhile, I can research something that fits my exact need and order it online, whereas if IRL they might have a limited selection that either does not meet specifications of something I need or is excessive in features and cost, example: I need a device that does "xyz" >store has devices that do "ABX" or "CYZ" for within my budget >store also has devices that do "abcxyz" that cost 5x as much as getting the basic xyz device off the internet

>>8958 why don't you just research what you want, then go to the store to buy it? that's what i do (if i can't get it used). i'll even call ahead to make sure its in stock. obviously you'd still be buying soykaf from best buy/walmart/whatever so it's not any better morally. i just do it this way because amazon's spying creeps me out and i can pay in cash at walmart.

>>8960 The problem is, there's some specialized items that would be great to get in a physical store but amazon and online services have snuffed out due to superior prices and selection, due to a lack of physical limitations such as upkeep, and space. Some communities like skateboarding and the like are suffering from this, and physical shops are becoming less common. Rare even. We miss out on many cultural aspects of interacting with people who love something so much, they have a job selling it. Our eventual move to all things amazon and online seems very problematic for personal freedoms. Sure China is starting to introduce programs to incentivize consumers to act a certain way, including willingly tracking their purchases and accounts with corps and other citizens, but here in the US, we're willingly logging all that info. They just have to find a way to keep track of all the metadata more efficiently across website. Hell they probably already have.

AliExpress is my go to, not fast as Amazon, actually far worse but, for shopping it's amazing prices and most (I mean 95%) of what I need is there.

>>8646 I recently ordered a thing off of Ebay, specifically to avoid giving Amazon money if it could be avoided. The package arrived in a sealed envelope with Amazon logos all over it...