Ever Wonder Why Amazon Thrives?

[ZigZagZeke]

OK, here's why Amazon is putting brick and mortar stores out of business. I put a new alternator on the boat engine the other day. Of course, getting an identical replacement for the 25 year old alternator was not an option, so I had to rework the mounting brackets a bit. This meant that I needed an alternator drive belt that was about an inch shorter than the original one.

Since car parts guys don't seem to be very net savvy there is really no way to look up the dimensions of the belts available on the NAPA site using the NAPA part number on the original belt, so I went to Amazon and looked up the part numbers for belts an inch shorter and an inch and a half shorter. Just to be on the safe side I thought I'd buy both sizes and use the one that fitted best, and return the other one.

Since returning one of the belts would be a whole lot easier if I purchased from the local NAPA store, I went there and asked for both part numbers. The clerk produced the belts and said, "That'll be $49.90."

"What?!!! Those belts are $8.50 each at Amazon", I replied. "I'll just order them on line. Thanks anyway."

$24.95 each at Napa. $8.50 each at Amazon with free shipping. I ordered both sizes. I'll keep the one I don't use and hope it works as a spare for 1/3 the price.

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[TTSX]

I've known people to get the best of both worlds by buying a national brand at a parts house, getting the "right now" then buying the same part online just so they could "return" it to the parts store, getting the "right price." Always seemed shady, but they never get caught

 

[CountryGent]

Been a steady customer of Amazon, according to them, since January 1998, though I remember signing up slightly before then. I give them money, they send whatever crap I ordered (necessary, practical, whimsical, whatever), without all the hassle of traveling to the city, parking, dealing with idiots, and incurring a huge mark up, etc. As a business model, I salute them.

 

[Kruel J]

I tired to order a date from there once. They sent me an Amazon.

 

[Stomper]

Been a steady customer of Amazon, according to them, since January 1998, though I remember signing up slightly before then. I give them money, they send whatever crap I ordered (necessary, practical, whimsical, whatever), without all the hassle of traveling to the city, parking, dealing with idiots, and incurring a huge mark up, etc. As a business model, I salute them.

And as an oligarch I despise them...

I tired to order a date from there once. They sent me an Amazon.

You must have overinflated the one they sent you....

 

[Kruel J]

You must have overinflated the one they sent you....

I sure was light headed.

 

[Stomper]

I sure was light headed.

Just don't pull a David Caradine....

 

[Kruel J]

You must have overinflated the one they sent you....

I'm not sure who did more blowing that day. And then I popped her.


After that I kinda lost interest.

 

[Kruel J]

BOT, I've thought about getting Prime lately. I find myself searching Amazon before buying most things.

 

[Stomper]

BOT, I've thought about getting Prime lately. I find myself searching Amazon before buying most things.

You also get their video streaming service with Prime. Just got done watching a few episodes of "Jack Ryan".

 

[Caveman Jim]

I don't use them, they ARE putting brick and mortar stores out of business. That's why they have to sell their wares at those prices, think of it like American made goods are expensive too.

 

[Kruel J]

You also get their video streaming service with Prime. Just got done watching a few episodes of "Jack Ryan".

Oh that's right! Thanks for the reminder!

 

[zenbreath]

Blockbuster destroyed the local theater. Netflix destroyed Blockbuster. You have to recognize reality, even if you dont like it.

I use Amazon for product research. I only order from them when I cant get what I want from a store that I like.

 

[Rickenbacher39]

I shop at Amazon because I got tired of driving all over looking for an item
no one has in stock, being waited on by someone with pink hair, couldn't count
to 20 without taking off their shoes and more hardware in their face than my toolbox has didn't help either.
I order from Amazon and it's on my front step in 2 days.

 

[jbett98]

On the flip side of the coin, I stopped by a family owned little hole in the wall parts house that specializes in odd ball fasteners.
The owner is a little eccentric, but he always manages to find exactly what I'm looking for.
I was explaining to him that I was repairing a locally made 1949 floor loom for my wife and after he counted out fifty little brass screws from his stock, which were so old they had tarnished and would match all the other screws perfectly, he then told me that he had a table loom stored above his office and insisted that I take it home for free.
I had to turn the car around after loading up the loom, as I forgot to pay him for the brass screws.
The place is called General Threaded Products and it's nothing like going to Fastenal Inc.

2318 SE 10th Ave
Portland, OR 97214

 

[raftman]

I guess I'm odd. I rarely use Amazon... it's probably been a couple of years since I'd purchased anything from them. The prices are lower, but I consider the value of being able to pick something up at the store the same day, and there's value in not having to worry that your Amazon package will still be waiting for you on the porch when you come home from work. There's value in being able to return something to the store instead of having to ship something back.

But perhaps the greatest value is not simply dealing with Amazon. I just can't/don't trust them on account of their constant efforts to intrude on their customers' privacy. If I find buying online means drastic savings and I'm in no hurry, I'll look for someone other than Amazon, odds are pretty good I'll be able to find somewhere else that has it for a similar price.

 

[Aero Denezol]

When we lived in the country we depended on Amazon. I was not going to spend two hours on the road every time we needed to buy a birthday gift or some obscure plastic widget for the kitchen. Amazon put us on equal footing with anyone in the suburbs within easy reach of a shopping mall. The less time I spend in my car on the road with idiots the better.

And I also love that Amazon told the authoritarian Marxist regime in Seattle to go eff themselves.

 

[Mikej]

When we lived in the country we depended on Amazon. I was not going to spend two hours on the road every time we needed to buy a birthday gift or some obscure plastic widget for the kitchen. Amazon put us on equal footing with anyone in the suburbs within easy reach of a shopping mall. The less time I spend in my car on the road with idiots the better.

And I also love that Amazon told the authoritarian Marxist regime in Seattle to go eff themselves.

This ^ is what I expect to have to be doing in the next year sometime when we get out of potland. Living in PDX I would prefer to run out and pick up what I need. Though not if the price was much higher. And traffic/drivers in PDX suck, so it's not worth the angst to go more than a couple miles from home at anywhere near peak stupidity time.

 

[Unka-Boo]

OK, here's why Amazon is putting brick and mortar stores out of business. I put a new alternator on the boat engine the other day. Of course, getting an identical replacement for the 25 year old alternator was not an option, so I had to rework the mounting brackets a bit. This meant that I needed an alternator drive belt that was about an inch shorter than the original one.

Since car parts guys don't seem to be very net savvy there is really no way to look up the dimensions of the belts available on the NAPA site using the NAPA part number on the original belt, so I went to Amazon and looked up the part numbers for belts an inch shorter and an inch and a half shorter. Just to be on the safe side I thought I'd buy both sizes and use the one that fitted best, and return the other one.

Since returning one of the belts would be a whole lot easier if I purchased from the local NAPA store, I went there and asked for both part numbers. The clerk produced the belts and said, "That'll be $49.90."

"What?!!! Those belts are $8.50 each at Amazon", I replied. "I'll just order them on line. Thanks anyway."

$24.95 each at Napa. $8.50 each at Amazon with free shipping. I ordered both sizes. I'll keep the one I don't use and hope it works as a spare for 1/3 the price.
View attachment 629046

OMG v-belts are numbered by length, they couldnt figure that out?
( been a parts guy for 26 years....thats embarrasing )

 

[Mikej]

OMG v-belts are numbered by length, they couldnt figure that out?
( been a parts guy for 26 years....thats embarrasing )

Yeah, well, 26 years means you actually, more than likely, have some sort of a mechanical aptitude. I think the majority of guys I occasionally deal with at Auto Zone and O'Rilley's would have problems finding which hole the oil goes in. Now I said "Guys", that's because there is a very nice looking, long dark haired gal that I run into at O'Rilley's on occasion that REALLY knows her stuff when it comes to cars.