Amazon.com

[raaizin]

Can someone please explain how Amazon.com works. It looks like there are individual sellers. Does Amazon sell things themselves, this listing looks like they do. I want to buy some new D2r bulbs for my car. There seems to be fakes being sold and want to ensure I dont buy a knockoff. I am looking at these:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Xenon-Head...6679&sr=8-1

It says sold and ships from Amazon.com. I want to buy from a reputable source.

 

[CivicFan]

Click on "3 new" and then select the item you want to buy that is sold by Amazon.

Amazon.com is a platform where different sellers sell their products. Amazon is one of the sellers on Amazon.com and is the most dominant and the default merchant most of the times.

 

[cchase]

"Sold and ships from amazon.com" means just what it says. If it was sold by a vendor using Amazon, in that area it would say "Sold and ships from raaizins chinese garage" instead.

 

[Quattro Pete]

The specific one you linked to is being sold by Amazon directly, which is the most hassle free way to buy, IMO. Should you have a problem with the product, Amazon is really good about making things right, at least that has been my experience. On the other hand, if you buy from another seller via Amazon, returns may be more difficult should a problem arise. Although I am pretty sure that problematic sellers get bad marks from Amazon, too.

 

[wallyuwl]

Yes, Amazon sells items themselves. If it says "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com" then you are buying it directly from Amazon.

On occasion you might see something like: "sold by xxx and fulfilled by Amazon.com". This means that Amazon is not the actual seller, however, they stock the item in their warehouse and it ships from them.

I'd say about 80% of products on Amazon are sold by, or fulfilled by, Amazon. You get free shipping for orders over $25 that ship from Amazon. If you have Amazon Prime (free for one year if you are a student, then $40 per year for five years, otherwise $80 per year for everyone else) you get free 2 day shipping on any order that ships from Amazon regardless of the dollar amount.

I use Amazon all the time for just about everything. Their customer service is pretty good, though sometimes you need to try calling vs. just emailing. Last week I ordered two rotors for $45 each. For some reason I still had one in my cart, so next time I signed in (a day later) it notified me that the item in my card was now $35. I emailed Amazon and they denied the price match. I called them and said it was crazy that one day later the item dropped 22% in price and I was denied the price difference. Without any haggle they offered to either refund the amount to my card, or apply a $25 credit to my Amazon account. I chose the credit.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I dont like thrid party resellers. Amazon is too big for anybodys good.

 

[Nick R]

I love amazon, I buy from them all the time and most of the Christmas gifts this past year were purchased from them. Convenient, easy, and good prices. heck I often buy from amazon.co.jp and have it shipped here. I've bought from amazon and from some of the vendors in their marketplace and I've had good experiences with all. Never a problem. Ill continue buying from them in the future too.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Like 'em or not, Amazon is here to stay.

And they are tons more likely to satisfy a problem than Ebay! Amazon has real customer service. I've used them many times and will again.

 

[Colt]

I buy a lot of items from amazon.
Good prices,free shipping and no sales tax.

 

[raaizin]

Is it safe to assume they are not fakes if purchased from Amazon directly??

 

[wallyuwl]

Originally Posted By: raaizin
Is it safe to assume they are not fakes if purchased from Amazon directly??


Yes, not fakes.

 

[tenderloin]

Amazon, while not always the lowest price, but usually is or is close, has excellent customer service and quick delivery and easy return policy. For now in most states no sales tax. My number 1 company for buying from.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: raaizin
Can someone please explain how Amazon.com works. It looks like there are individual sellers. Does Amazon sell things themselves, this listing looks like they do. I want to buy some new D2r bulbs for my car. There seems to be fakes being sold and want to ensure I dont buy a knockoff. I am looking at these:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Xenon-Head...6679&sr=8-1

It says sold and ships from Amazon.com. I want to buy from a reputable source.


Amazon is a few things:
1) It is a front end to collect payment and transfer money as necessary to complete transactions
2) It is a direct seller, in that they stock their own inventory in their own warehouses and sell to people
3) It is a proxy seller, in that other people sell through the Amazon website and use the front end to collect money, but the others' wares are kept in and shipped from an Amazon warehouse
4) It is a conduit for others to sell through the Amazon website and then ship from non-Amazon warehouses
5) It is #4 for used and refurbished options

So you can get all of these things. I'd think that if you were buying directly from Amazon (so it says sold and shipped by Amazon), that you would be OK. If it is sold by someone and shipped by Amazon, Id guess that you are also OK, but not sure how they segregate inventory. If youre buying from someone else, it is anyones' guess.

 

[TallPaul]

I have purchased a lot of stuff, mostly CDs and books, off Amazon over the past several years. Not a lot has been direct from Amazon, but they have a deal where you get free shipping on qualified items for purchase min of $25. I still look at Half and Ebay and sometimes it appears the same seller is listed on both Amazon and Half. Amazon has worked out quite well for me.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I'm old, and this centralised reseller convenience based on increasing lazyness and apathy is just another round killing our North Amrican economy. If you can't see it, or smell it, you didnt attend economics 101 as a Sophomore. This Company needs to be taken down a few notches very soon. This is indeed much worse than Ma Bell or Microsoft.

 

[TallPaul]

ARCO, I understand your concern and I do frequent my local record shop and have spend a fair amount of money there, sometimes paying more than on Amazon for the convenience of immediate product posession. However, on Amazon I have been able to purchase many CDs that are out of print and my local record shop simply cannot get for me.

 

[NJC]

I am Canadian and CONSTANTLY buy Amazon items - growing weary of being taken to the cleaners with high prices and high sales tax (12%).