Buying Stuff on Amazon

Down Up Dick

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Anybody have any problems buying stuff with credit cards or checks on Amazon? I need a bunch of strings. Usually I use a gift card to be safe.

Better safe than sorry. :eek:ld:
 
Checks?? What are those?? :) Kidding, I didn't even know payment by check was an option on Amazon.

I've been buying on Amazon with credit/debit cards practically since they launched, and have never had a security/identity theft issue. I do get my strings from them (Martin M600s) pretty regularly - great prices and fast delivery.

The biggest problem I've had with Amazon is that as they've grown, so has their tendency to make mistakes. Reaching a human being who can make things right when this happens is not impossible, but it is a bit of a challenge. But I doubt that if you're just placing a string (or book) order this will be a problem - where I've seen it get complicated is when ordering multiple items from their various partners.
 
Checks?? What are those?? :) Kidding, I didn't even know payment by check was an option on Amazon.

I've been buying on Amazon with credit/debit cards practically since they launched, and have never had a security/identity theft issue. I do get my strings from them (Martin M600s) pretty regularly - great prices and fast delivery.








The biggest problem I've had with Amazon is that as they've grown, so has their tendency to make mistakes. Reaching a human being who can make things right when this happens is not impossible, but it is a bit of a challenge. But I doubt that if you're just placing a string (or book) order this will be a problem - where I've seen it get complicated is when ordering multiple items from their various partners.

Oh, I've used Amazon before, but, as I said, I usually buy gift cards and use them. However, that's an added expense, so I wondered if I could trust them.

Don't trust nobody! :eek:ld:
 
Yea this here interweb thing works purdy darn good for buyin stuff. :p

I have never had a problem Dick, I have bought items online from a lot of various sites. Even ebay has been problem free........knock on wood. It has always been credit card or paypal.
 
I've been buying on Amazon with credit/debit cards practically since they launched, and have never had a security/identity theft issue.
I've always heard debit cards are a risk because they don't offer the protections that using a credit card does. Most cc's let you do a chargeback if things aren't satisfactory, but once someone gets your debit card info and access to your bank acct, who knows what can happen.

I've bought strings from Amazon before, but their selection isn't the best.
 
I've always heard debit cards are a risk because they don't offer the protections that using a credit card does.

Fingers crossed I'll never need to find out! I actually have a dedicated debit card/checking account with limited funds in the account at any given time that I use for online shopping. If anybody hacked it, the charge wouldn't go through since there is only ever enough funds in it to cover the purchases I've made. Years ago my primary debit/checking account got hacked, down to the last cent, and it was actually pretty easy to straighten out. But after that experience I decided it made sense to diversify a bit.
 
I buy loads of things from Amazon, although, curiously, very little in the way of musical supplies. Say what you will about monolithic organizations, but the stuff is reasonably priced, shipped promptly, and Amazon has been super-good about customer service when there is the occasional hiccup. For example, I bought my big screen TV from them (and it came with full installation by a trained tech). A couple of weeks later, the price dropped by $100. Even though there is no price matching involved in the sale, when I brought the price change to Amazon's attention, they refunded me the $100. The way they treat you after they already have your money says a lot about an organization.
 
I buy so much stuff on Amazon that I went ahead and sprung for their Prime service, figuring that it would pay for itself in saved shipping costs. Yes, it does save shipping, but unless you're careful, you can spend as much (or more) for a Prime item as you would for the same item elsewhere, plus shipping. But what Prime has done has spoiled me by the fast, two day delivery. I hate waiting for stuff, and getting it fast is nice. I've been buying stuff from Amazon and others online ever since the commercial Internet got started. I remember I was worried at first, and got one of the early Discover cards that promised to make good any online fraud losses. But you know, in all these years I've only had one bad transaction, and eBay/PayPal took care of that for me. I've never lost a penny. So, I wouldn't worry about using a credit card on Amazon.
 
You definitely are better off using a credit card vs. a debit card for online purchases. Compared to a credit card, debit transactions are cleared immediately. With the credit card, you get the benefit of some float at no cost to you assuming you don't carry a balance (which you shouldn't). But the best reason is credit cards offer better fraud protections than debit cards.

Down Up Dick, do you use credit cards at all? I'm only asking because I know people who don't think twice about giving a credit card at a restaurant but have real trepidation about using one online. Never made sense to me.

Regarding Amazon, I buy tons from them. They've always been great for me with returns, etc. Prime is awesome, though you do want to compare pricing to non-prime options plus shipping.

Lastly, for strings I have used Strings and Beyond for most of my purchases. They have been excellent so far.
 
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Don't want to jinx myself because I have several items in transit that have been purchased from overseas sources with a credit card. In the early days when international online shopping was new, on a couple of occasions I emailed the manufacturer requesting them to recommend retailers. Since then though I've just used the secure payment facility when offered.

My purchases from Amazon were mainly books and CDs. I don't buy CDs anymore and the books come from The Book Depository because they ship freight free. The Book Depository were so successful that I believe Amazon bought the business.

The local music shops don't have a great selection of strings and they seem expensive so I've been buying mine from Elderly Instruments. I might have to check Amazon as a source?
 
Amazon and Google practically own the internet. You would be surprised at how many companies Amazon owns or have deals with.

I read on my Kindle e reader so buy books, i also have a Kindle fire tablet. Safe purchases.

I just check if its a company selling through Amazon but not for safe payment just for safe descriptions and shipping times. Like a seller with 3 reviews over 12 months i'd pass. Heck you could sell your uke on there giving a fee to Amazon like ebay does.
 
I buy so much stuff on Amazon that I went ahead and sprung for their Prime service...
We used to have Prime, but after my husband died, I let it lapse. There was a time we were doing a lot of remodeling and house stuff and Prime made sense for ordering a lot of little things you wanted fast. And we used to use the video on demand. But just for myself, I couldn't justify it.

Without Prime, I'm much less impetuous about my purchases, especially since they raised the free shipping minimum to $35.

There's a new book I really wanted, so I went thru my wish list to see what else I could add to get free shipping. I turned it into my Christmas splurge on myself, including such frivolities as socks and underwear. Oh, and a couple things for the cat, too. :)

BTW, one thing I learned about books is to check their "used" selection. Often you can get a barely used book for a fraction the cost of new, and even with the usual $3.99 shipping, you can still get it way cheaper and without a minimum. Sometimes these sellers are charities like Goodwill, so I feel good about supporting them.
 
I've bought a few things on Amazon, but my wife does not like Amazon as a company, so I generally avoid it if I can find what I want somewhere else. I have been getting my strings from a place called Butler Music in Missouri. They have really good pricing. They are on e-bay, but I deal with them directly.
 
Because I live in a remote location I couldn't live here if Amazon weren't available. I buy just about everything through them and have never had a problem. I buy most of my small tools from them because they are almost always significantly cheaper than anyone else and I can save a couple of hours drive to Home Depot. My neighbor even buys toilet paper through Amazon. There Prime shipping makes it affordable. Keep in mind that Prime merchandise often costs a bit more than from other vendors because you are paying for at least a portion of the "free" shipping. It's the heavy stuff where a Prime membership pays off. I'll order from Amazon before anyone else because of their excellent customer service and return policy. So it depends on your own circumstances. For me they can't be beat.
 
I buy from Amazon all the time, never had any problems. For strings I go to Elderly, they have great prices and if you order enough, free shipping. Even for just a couple sets, shipping isn't that much and you can get almost anything...local selection is pretty limited.
 
I do not have problems with any particular Internet retailers but I am leery of credit card transactions through the ether. Every time I do a credit card transaction I am susceptible to having my account information hacked or highjacked. This is just as true of any credit card transaction of course but I deliberately make sure my bank managers know who I am. When I have problems they have handled it expeditiously. Trying to correct a problem through corporations on the internet directly is frustrating and time consuming. Consider the thread about the 5 for 1 uke deal.

I have never activated a debit card and never will. Beside the obvious pitfalls each bank involved may levy a service charge. Since the banks essentially pay a negative interest rate on the money I allow them to use why should I make the rich, richer.

I do a good deal of shopping with my local Guitar Center. They honor the lowest/best price of deals offered on the internet, Amazon's prices as an example. If they don't carry the line I need, Say Worth strings They will order them. I pick them up with no shipping charges. When I order the Strings I purchase a gift card. When the strings come in I use the gift card for the purchase. If the price has dropped in the interim they still honor the lowest/best price for at least 30 days after shipping. If there are shipping or QA problems they handle it. And since I am a regular/repeat customer and a known quantity I can horsetrade for additional discounts. Similar situation prevails at Walmarts, if you choose to deal with them.
 
I buy nearly everything from Amazon, including some food. Nearly 300 separate orders (most with more than one item) last year alone. I almost never go to Target, Walmart, etc. any more. Paper clips, undershirts, bath towels, tools, paint, you name it, Amazon. No Amazon sales tax in my county, which at the brick and mortar store is a grotesque 9.5%.

My understanding, DUD, is that you are responsible for $50, if that, from a stolen credit card spending spree. Plus, lose a gift card is like losing cash, and gift cards give no buyers' way to dispute a charge (for instance, item craps out in the first week, tell credit card issuer, and they will help you challenge to seller).

Add in generous free cash back, I use Amazon no-annual-fee credit card for all Amazon purchases; comes back automatically to my Amazon account as a virtual credit every month, 3% of what I spent the month before! It becomes, to me, a no-brainier to use a credit card over debit cards. Repeat: three percent automatically back, each month, as credit from Amazon for the prior month's Amazon purchases! Yes, Virginia, they're giving away free money (money gained from the guy using gift cards and checks...lol). Not only is the annual fee zero, they'll give you thirty bucks just to sign up! For frequent Amazon shoppers who don't carry a debt balance, the Amazon Visa is an amazing 'gift" from Bezos.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/cobrandcard/marketing.html?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

The only thing I wish is that Amazon shipped their giant boxes of toilet paper in a more discrete box, perhaps one that doesn't say Charmin Double Rolls in six inch letters on the outside. My neighbors must think I have some form of colon disease. A dumping syndrome, perhaps.
 
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One issue that I have, and I don't even know if it is an issue, as I have not put it to the test, but I live in a gated condo in Puerto Rico, on a narrow cobblestone street. Mail and USPS packages to our condo end up sitting inside the entrance on a shelf, so most people here have a P.O. Box and just walk down to the post office to get their mail, and that is what we do. That is one of the great things about Puerto Rico, the good old USPS. I don't know how it works with FedEx or UPS. I don't think that they even have access through the gate, and I wouldn't want them to leave anything outside on the sidewalk. I've seen small packages just thrown through the gate on occasion, and if I see them, I put them up on the shelf, but I've never seen anything substantial show up here.

I have had things shipped here, but I usually have to ask for USPS delivery. An interesting thing about that is that a lot of places do not include Puerto Rico in their free shipping. I don't know why not. But I also have a home in Iowa, and I have all my mail forwarded down here. So I will have something shipped to Iowa to get the free shipping, and it automatically gets forwarded here. It is usually just a two or three day delay at the most. I send stuff down here all the time from Iowa in flat rate boxes, and it is the same as sending it anywhere in the states. I know that even without flat rate, the cost to send a package here to PR from Iowa does not cost more than sending a package to my son in NYC.
 
We got sucked into the Amazon Prime vortex last Christmas, as we needed to get some gifts here quickly. And we really liked the program and have stayed in. The free shipping and getting things quickly has been great.

I buy most of my clarinet and woodwind supplies off Amazon now. When it comes time for strings, I will look there first to see if they offer what I want. Lots of books and music bought off Amazon as well. We have a CC with a very low balance that we use for Amazon and other online purchases.

By the way, when you look at books and music, I have had good luck buying used music books for much lower than they would cost new. I've saved quite a bit of money that way.
 
The only thing I wish is that Amazon shipped their giant boxes of toilet paper in a more discrete box, perhaps one that doesn't say Charmin Double Rolls in six inch letters on the outside. My neighbors must think I have some form of colon disease. A dumping syndrome, perhaps.
Hey, at least you're not ordering Depends. :p
 
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