General Discussion

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,225 posts) Tue Dec 22, 2015, 11:42 AM Dec 2015

I hate online shopping. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Despise it. [View all]

There are two shopping venues I use only if it is a matter of last resort and I know I cannot get what I need from any other source. The first is Walmart, for obvious reasons. And the second is ordering something online.

I wanted to buy my mom a book for Christmas. Unfortunately, it is no longer on the shelves of any of the Barnes and Noble or other area bookstores. So my only real option is ordering it via Amazon. It's Thursday and ordinary shipping would have it come in on Christmas Eve, which is a little too close for comfort. So I go ahead and spring for two day delivery, which tells me it should arrive by Sunday. I'm out of town until Sunday evening. I get back, hope to see the package on my doorstep, but find nothing. Not even a delivery slip. I figure perhaps it's delayed a day since it's the weekend. So I wait another day, and still nothing. Finally, I check delivery on Amazon, and Amazon claims it was delivered Sunday. Which if it was delivered on Sunday, it was delivered to the wrong house.

I will more than gladly fight the parking, fight the crowds, fight the long lines if it guarantees me that I will walk out with what I want in my own two hands that very moment, rather than rolling the dice and hoping I actually get what I ordered several days after ordering it.

We seriously still need brick and mortar stores in this world. They should not be considered an outdated concept, which I fear more and more people are thinking that they are.

83 replies

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I hate online shopping. Hate it, hate it, hate it. Despise it. [View all] Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 OP

Bricks and mortar stores still exist EdwardBernays Dec 2015 #1

Sure, the experience and convenience of online shopping's all good and fine. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #4

I make jewelry and had to wait for some stones to be delivered for a custom order adigal Dec 2015 #25

So true. And Tommy, it sounds as if you HAVE Hortensis Dec 2015 #57

Well, I did contact Amazon today and they say they are sending out a replacement copy. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #61

I feel it. I suspect it's in part about not keeping control. Hortensis Dec 2015 #63

It's not though EdwardBernays Dec 2015 #68

There have been a huge number of thefts right at people's doors. Also, patricia92243 Dec 2015 #2

Like the cop's wife who stole Xmas gifts from the porch of another cop's house-- tblue37 Dec 2015 #45

See, that's weird - I'm COMPLETELY the opposite. closeupready Dec 2015 #3

Same here I feel suffocated in B&M stores. I almost feel panicked. smirkymonkey Dec 2015 #5

Yes, I live in New York, and yes, you have more discount options located conveniently. closeupready Dec 2015 #11

In some ways, NYC was even cheaper than Boston because there were so many discounters and smirkymonkey Dec 2015 #15

Me too! I buy online every chance I get. Coventina Dec 2015 #7

Exactly. closeupready Dec 2015 #13

I'm with ya... Adrahil Dec 2015 #41

Here too. Internet has "changed" my life. I hate shopping, I hate talking on phone, I do research Hoyt Dec 2015 #51

Same here PasadenaTrudy Dec 2015 #52

I buy everything online (except groceries) SoCalDem Dec 2015 #65

"If Amazon ain't got it... YOU ain't gettin' it." is my motto. nt cherokeeprogressive Dec 2015 #82

Amazon Prime. Love it, love it, love it! DrDan Dec 2015 #6

You and me, too. WillowTree Dec 2015 #26

and I love the product and vendor reviews DrDan Dec 2015 #27

On the other hand, you're sweating with a broken fan for two days. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #39

I do some online shopping, but yeah...the best experience is walking in TwilightGardener Dec 2015 #8

I love it and have had nary a problem with deliveries, which are due to UPS/USPS anyway whatthehey Dec 2015 #9

That indeed is the Catch 22 for me. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #12

What's the overall probability of missed deliveries? whatthehey Dec 2015 #22

I have no idea as to the numbers. But this isn't my first negative experience with online shopping. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #30

We seem to have different ideas of what falling apart on execution means whatthehey Dec 2015 #42

Yeah, shoes are one thing I need to test drive. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #47

So you're a specialty shopper, too. For me it's been books, and some music. Hekate Dec 2015 #54

A little off-topic, but....... WillowTree Dec 2015 #28

no prob company is jlsafety at mirortag.com (one middle R) or at Amazon whatthehey Dec 2015 #48

Many, many "Thank Yous"! WillowTree Dec 2015 #73

I still like B&M for the reasons you state. The problem these days is what they stock. Gidney N Cloyd Dec 2015 #10

I agree wholeheartedly. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #16

I personally now buy everything online. I think the only stores I now go to is the grocery Waldorf Dec 2015 #14

It's great if you live close to a city that has nothing but distribution warehouses. Initech Dec 2015 #17

I never shop on-line bigwillq Dec 2015 #18

I'm With Ya, Big Will ProfessorGAC Dec 2015 #19

I "shopped" once on-line bigwillq Dec 2015 #21

My Friend Does That ProfessorGAC Dec 2015 #34

I love online shopping Nonhlanhla Dec 2015 #20

You can shop online? DFW Dec 2015 #23

One thing to look for that I wasn't aware of ... lpbk2713 Dec 2015 #24

I do 80 percent online shopping now especially Amazon yeoman6987 Dec 2015 #29

We don't do a lot of shopping on-line, Snobblevitch Dec 2015 #31

I love prime. Cassiopeia Dec 2015 #33

Depends on what you could use whatthehey Dec 2015 #50

A little planning will get you free shipping without Amazon Prime IphengeniaBlumgarten Dec 2015 #77

I bought a couple of LED flashlights a few weeks ago from Amazon. Snobblevitch Dec 2015 #79

Amazon wasn't your only option. Cassiopeia Dec 2015 #32

In retrospect, I should have done that. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #35

For books, may I also suggest Powell's Books. Lizzie Poppet Dec 2015 #44

Amazon and b&n probably have the same stock online JI7 Dec 2015 #55

Yes, but it could have been handled by the box store Cassiopeia Dec 2015 #56

I love it. I don't shop any other way. PeteSelman Dec 2015 #36

I've always had great luck with Overstock also and timely deliveries...n/t monmouth4 Dec 2015 #38

The other possibility is that it was stolen sufrommich Dec 2015 #37

That's possible. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #40

Lol. They take their chances on unopened boxes. sufrommich Dec 2015 #43

I have terrible luck with amazon Egnever Dec 2015 #46

Amazon is 100x better than any store. I use it for everything. I hate crowds and love the reviews... Logical Dec 2015 #49

Also it's great for the environment. Nye Bevan Dec 2015 #59

Great point, not thought of that. nt Logical Dec 2015 #69

Theft? See if anyone else is missing packages from their doorstep... Hekate Dec 2015 #53

I absolutely LOVE it. And now I'm hooked on it, it's hard to go back to bricks and mortar stores. Nye Bevan Dec 2015 #58

I buy stuff on eBay all the time tabasco Dec 2015 #60

Just give cash Facility Inspector Dec 2015 #62

I hate being given cash. Nye Bevan Dec 2015 #66

I think giving money is the ultimate consumeristic gift. kiva Dec 2015 #72

As others said, it could have been stolen; happened to me once. closeupready Dec 2015 #64

Sorry. I do pretty much everything better at 2 AM. Warren DeMontague Dec 2015 #67

I love being able to read the online reviews prior to buying Liberal_in_LA Dec 2015 #70

I love online shopping. Vinca Dec 2015 #71

A good bit of the stuff I'm interested in you can only get from China, Aliexpress.com or the like Fumesucker Dec 2015 #74

Wow, really. Quantess Dec 2015 #75

Reading comprehension! He said if all (brick & mortar) stores fail, then he'll try WalMart or Amazon FSogol Dec 2015 #76

Not exactly, Mr. Reading Comprehension. Quantess Dec 2015 #80

Ummm.......No. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2015 #81

I hate dealing with crowds and sales people. RedCappedBandit Dec 2015 #78

With the exception of a few small mainly local specialty stores, I feel the same about shopping JCMach1 Dec 2015 #83