jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I know that Amazon gets a lot of criticism, and I'm not defending them. What I am saying is that Amazon is a good place to buy.

The belt on my Hoover carpet shampooer broke. With the model number and serial number, I went to the Hoover parts site. They showed twenty-one different belts for that machine, and they are obviously different from each other. If I spend $100, I get free shipping.

I entered the same info on Amazon, and it showed me a pack of two belts for my machine for $9.95, delivered. Why can't Hoover do that? I doubt that they make different machines with the same model and serial numbers. If I bought from Hoover, my first guess would probably be wrong, so I would have to keep buying until I found the right one.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Your point is well-taken.

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

I don't criticize Amazon. I think they are perfect.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

No one is perfect. But I think they do an amazing job, especially considering the volume of business that they do!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Whenever I need to replace a part for some appliance I try to find the part number and a local place that carries the parts. In the last decade or two, the number of places that actually carry parts has diminished significantly. If I buy something from Home Depot or Lowes, I ask about the part next time I visit one of their stores. 90% of the time that part is not in stock and they will have to order it. Maybe they'll even ship it directly to me, but for an inexpensive part there will be a delivery charge. And delivery will take a week or more.

So I will ask about a part in Lowes or Home Depot ONLY if I have to go to the store for something else (that I hope they have in stock). Otherwise it's easier for me to just order it online. And Amazon is the most likely place to look, since even the manufacturer of the item that needs the part will take a week or more to ship it to me.

So Amazon will probably charge me more for the part but ordering online saves me a fruitless trip to a store that I think should carry the part but doesn't. I don't keep track of the mileage rate you can deduct for work related travel but it's over $0.50, so if it's a 5 mile trip to the store, I save $5 for not taking a 10 mile round trip.

So why doesn't my local store stock the part I want?
Cost of facility to store (and keep track of) the myriad parts for all the stuff they sell
Inventory taxes.

I'm sure there are other reasons that people can come up with.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

They are the only delivery service that always places packages at my front door (unlike UPS and FedX ground) who often leave them in my driveway by the street, 500’ from my house, often in the rain. Amazon does a damn good job and deserves the success they are having. They have consistently invested for the long run rather than being driven by a quarterly profits.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

And Amazon has the slickest return policy as well

Ava'sPapa Loc: Cheshire, Ct.

No problem with Amazon here. Frequently used.

PCB_smv

Love Amazon!! I had spinal surgery and have done all my Christmas shopping, all household supplies and a lot of medical equipment bought. It all would come within 2 days, the medical supplies sometimes even faster. Occasionally the same day.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

Thank God for Amazon!!!

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I have never had a problem. Returns are great, and for those hard-to-shop-for folks on your Christmas list, a gift card from Amazon allows them to get something they want.

alexol

For replacemanr parts for an amazing array of things, try ereplacement.com.

I've bought items for all sorts of things from vacuum cleaners to bathroom fans, dishwasher & lawnmower parts.

Their menu system helps identify what you need quite quickly.

JBRIII

I had the same experience with parts recently. Bathroom fan motor stopped. Lowes had complete units, but no motors alone. Probably could have used a complete new unit, but even if size was same would mean entering attic, removing ductwork, maybe changing wiring layout, etc. Got exact same motor on Amazon and took a couple of minutes to fix problem.

I've also found their extended warranties for dehumidifiers to work out splendedly.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Concur!!!
Just print out the return sticker
Tell them why you are returning the item
Take to the nearest UPS drop-off
They will scan it in and usually your refund will be posted to your credit card before you get home.

Between Amazon and Google, I have found really hard to find parts for my Canon cameras like battery compartment doors, shutter speed dial caps, etc.
Sometimes searches on Amazon won't turn up what you are looking for but a Google search will usually find the item and provide the elusive Amazon link, go figure. Sometimes Amazon uses 3rd party vendors like eBay, but I was able to find the parts at reasonable prices too. Plus the shipping was free or reasonable with Amazon Prime.
All in all, Amazon makes me . . .
Smile,
JimmyT Sends

whatdat Loc: Del Valle, Tx.

Interesting but pleasant experience w/Amazon last week. Ordered something from Amazon 3rd party. Final delivery; FedEx. Tracking told us it was delivered, signature obtained. Didn’t happen. Called Amazon @ 2:40pm. They said they were e-mailing 3rd party seller. Same day @ 6:00pm Amazon truck showed up at our house with packages & even carried them into the house for us. Opened boxes and found they had left an additional 50% more of the product free for our inconvenience. We are prime members; don’t know if that made a difference. But, hard to beat service, especially with us living in a rural area. 👍