2/23/17
I have used Wish and it’s amazing. Low prices, and an easy shopping experience make this site really fun to use. You can even download a mobile app. It seems like they have an ever changing, and increasing product offering, there is really something for everyone. I encourage you to check it out.
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I got this message in my inbox this morning: 
I had written a blog piece a few weeks ago comparing Amazon’s Prime and Walmart’s Shipping Pass. Prime won that head to head match up, but now it looks like Walmart has changed tactics and is offering anyone free 2 day shipping with orders over $35, no fees required. It’s not hard to find $35 worth of items to buy, but I was using this service quite a bit and all my orders were under $35. I guess people like me make the program not profitable.
In a recent article on CNBC, 55% of people start their online shopping searches on Amazon. Only 28% use a search engine, this number includes Google along with all the others. Only 16% of people started their searches on a different retailer’s site.
I was not in the least surprised by this, I am also among the majority that turn to Amazon first when buying practically anything. Even on those few occasions where I do look elsewhere first, I always compare prices and options on Amazon. More often than not I find it cheaper at Amazon, and as many of the people surveyed for the article said, the checkout process is more convenient on Amazon. Other retailers are trying to catch up, but Amazon is still king.
This is good news for Amazon reviewers, as it means more eyes reading reviews and in turn more sellers wanting good quality reviews.
100% of people should check out my blog archives.
So many products have come across my doorstep, and I’ve learned a few things by being able to review them. I’m going to share some of the insights I have learned as a result.
If your buying common items, shop around first. Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kohls, Overstock… all these outlets carry a lot of the same items. I mean exactly the same. The only difference will be the price and the return policy of the seller. You can buy an LED light on Amazon for $9 or you can buy it for $15. But it’s the same light and it’s the same seller (Amazon) with the same return policy (Prime). I never buy anything now without first shopping around.
Brand name seems to only matter (sometimes) when it comes to electronics. But it doesn’t really matter in other areas, unless you are trying to impress someone with a logo. For instance, if you buy a leather purse that isn’t a brand name vs. one that is a brand name you will get the same quality minus the logo but at less cost. Now that’s not to say a really cheap-o bonded leather purse will hold up as well, because it won’t. You do get what you pay for. But if you spend $100 on a good quality purse, you’ll be spending half as much for an equivalent quality as the name brand.
If an item seems priced ridiculously low, it’s a knock off and inferior quality 99% of the time. Sometimes that’s ok, if you know what you are getting. But don’t delude yourself by thinking that the $20 smart watch is as good as the $500 one, even if they look the same. The $20 may work, but it’s not going to have the same functionality and in some cases it might be more of a hassle than you bargained for. But it is worth exactly what you paid.
Some things are a gamble buying online. Memory foam mattresses and clothes are the first things that come to mind. They are a gamble because they are a personal preference issue. For example, some people like a harder mattress. When you are reading reviews and they say “it’s firm, but not too hard” what they mean is “not too hard for me”. When you try it – it’s like a rock. It’s really subjective. I’ve tested 6 memory foam mattresses in the last 6 years, and each one was radically different, but all of them boasted being “soft”. But for the record, two of the mattresses were anything but soft, two were like a cloud, and the other two were somewhere in the middle. The upside is buying memory foam online is radically cheaper. Maybe you can afford to make a mistake or two finding the right one.
I can’t tell the difference between a $300 necklace and a $100 necklace. But I can tell the difference between a $100 necklace and a $10 necklace. There is a law of diminishing returns with jewelry. Diamonds are nearly indistinguishable from cubic zirconia now, weight wise they are the same, with CZ being maybe even a bit heavier. Fakes are getting pretty realistic. You can tell with rings or chunkier jewelry pieces by the weight of the metal if they are cheap… but visually… you can’t. Keep that in mind if you are splurging you can get something really nice for $300, or get something that looks the same for $100.
Have you checked out my blog archive yet?
prudent reviewer 