What goes around…
Doesn’t matter, whether you walk into a b&m store or buy online, you get the exact same kind of service.
Can’t even count how many times I’d walk into a store, want to find a salesdrone, and… desolation. Like they’re all on a coffee break??
So screw that, I’ll just hit the ’Zon, see what they got, and buy there.
Cui bono?
Forgot… was it WallyWorld or Amazon who just “voluntarily” upped the minimum they pay to 15bux or so, above minwage? They ain’t doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They can take the hit (relatively minor expense, all things considered) given their size, but it’s a bigger chunk of change to The Other Guys, especially smaller- and mom&pop stores.
It’s the Metallica Syndrome. Back when they were nobodies, the ONLY way they got any kind of exposure at all was by people bootlegging tapes and passing them around. Now that they made it big, they want to eliminate “piracy”, claiming that it’s “hurting the artists”.
Cui bono?
Now 3¢ with tax…
I agree that the days of true salespeople are long gone. And blister packs makes everything inaccessible so online actually gives you more information about a product before buying. Interestingly, all these little artsy fartsy shops are popping up in down towns.
Wellp, like at CVS… I just needed some Q-Tips™, y’know? Try the eye’n’ear-care section, nothing. Make-up section (apply/remove makeup?), nothing. Walk through the aisles, over and over, still nothing. Wtf?? Now try looking for someone with a nametag to give me a shove in the right direction.
I was wandering about for a “good” (not really) 15min before I finally practically pounced on someone running past me to ask.
I could just as soon hit Amazon, goggle it, check the quantity/price/etc., and friggin’ buy it online faster, saving myself all that agg.
I have to admit though, I felt bad for the local Sears’s sales force. After Christmas every year, the store turned into a morgue in the dead of winter. Salespeople outnumbered the customers. I could see the writing on the wall. They are gone now.
They’re still alive’n’kicking online, though. Got a buncha toolbags recently.
There’s still at least 1 store “nearby” (not really, but not out of state, yet).
Just got some sales-flyers included with one of the neighborhood free newspapers.
Even Rat Shack is still kicking, at least online. Getting their emails, too.
(Rat Shack, I saw the writing on the wall a decade ago, or more. When they abandoned the hobbyist market and became another “meeee too!” phone store, that was one of the final nails in their coffin. No price-matching, no rainchecks, no ship-to-customer or even ship-to-store like they used to do freely æons ago, they were just plain uncompetitive.)
Back to Amazon (haha), lookit the warranties with them vs BG, like people were really P&Ming about. Amazon? “Nope, don’t like it…”, sending it back, no questions asked. BG? “It’s DOA, gimme another one or a refund.” Nope. Send pix, then videos, then 3D models, then… still nothing.
That’s why you’d have to be nigh retarded to buy any big-ticket item (ie, >50bux) from overseas. Laptop? Smartphone? Chyeah, right. Great if it works as advertised, but if you get EU-freqs when you’re planning to use it in the states, or if it’s just DOA, forget it.
recently had to replace washer/dryer and went with Costco as their rep was great.
well, it didn’t turn out that way for me. I guess it was because of our location that they went with some addlepated delivery/installer.
told me I had to remove the existing items so they could move the new ones in without encumbrances
I cancelled the order from Costco and ordered from our local Sears appliance store. No problems and above average service.
The next week the cretins from the original order showed up in our driveway with a Uhaul rental truck and wanted to deliver.
We had a similar experience with a rare downdraft oven/range replacing a horrendous Jenn-air moneypit.
Sears went above the norm re-configuring the setup to make it work.
Is this still the amazon deals thread? 
the sales tax on sold by “joe blow” and fufilled by Amazon started about 3 weeks ago in New Jersey, I asked back then if people in other states were getting hit by it, was 50/50, seems more now. Agree on the return policy tho, they are the best.
Found this 26650 zoomie that looks a lot like the Cometa, or whatever that was that people were buying up. No clue as to the emitter or driver in it but it’s cheap enough as far as a host goes. $9.89 after you apply the 45% discount offered.
Yep, we’re just covering all facets of ‘Amazon Deals’…… from ordering through delivery, tax included _(or not. 
)
Had to unsubscribe, too much non deal blabber
Just do what I do. Never ever check your email.
This aint CPF
I guess were are just bored, since all the black friday and cyber monday deals are over.
Can’t find a good deal so were discuss the Amazon state tax deal. 
Just bought a FOLOMOV 18650S with both discounts it was $15.59 —at least I shouldn’t have to change the emitter in this one
Right on!
We are discussing an important part of every Amazon deal (additional $ spent) now so it’s all legal like and stuff.
Unfortunately I have some experience with this platform of a host and the only thing of substance this flashlight has in common with the Cometa is they are both zoomies. 
This one has pressed in tail switch, hollow pill, dog vomit build quality.
That said, the lens is half decent so maybeeeee you could build something out of it after heavy mods.
I have the “Sharp Eagle” 3 color dog vomit emitter model, yeah, she’s a real Jem.
Yeah, I wasn’t sure on the internals of it. Never had one or anything. Looks can be deceiving of course. Didn’t know if it was a good deal or not. The way my luck goes somebody would bring it up a few months from now that it’s the best zoomie since zoomie’s were cool again and here I let a $9 deal get by me.
Here is a post I made on a Folomov thread. You can get the 18650S and a free gift for a bit over $15 shipped.