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Hi All,
There has (in the UK at least) been a backlash against buying online and people not buying locally.
As local shops close due to the pressures of fighting Amazon and other online retailers. Fair enough, I for one like record shops, looking through them you never know what you will find. I can sympathise that a local store cannot beat Amazon on scale of buying prices will be higher. The experience I had over the weekend and today trying to find liquid hydrogen peroxide. I kept being told I would have to contact a hair care supplier if I wanted a liquid rather than the foam. In frustration at local chemists and dry cleaners I went to Amazon, found exactly what I wanted for less than £5.00. The service and help from the local shops was totally worth the Amazon cost. Is is now accepted that you only find what you need on Amazon and wait for the postman? Or can you get anything locally any more?
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In the good ol' days, you did not find everything immediately at your local stores; you had to order it and wait for it; or you had to go to the city (before the big subburban box stores) and go to a store that has it.
That was normal.
Now we want it and want it now; and want it cheap.
I'd rather be phishing!
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I try to use Amazon less, try to buy at local shops as often as possible. But in some cases it's just not worth to drive around and look for a specific thing. Then Amazon is your friend.
Rules for the FOSW ![ ^]
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There is a reason why Hydrogen Peroxide is difficult to obtain on the high-street, so perhaps not a fair example.
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When I have gone to chemists to get it I always get a strange look - like you say there is a good reason that it is difficult to get hold of.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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Hydrogen Peroxide and Acetone are the key ingredients in a rather well-favored explosive material made by terrorists.
That being said, 3% H202 is very widely available in the US as a disinfectant.
At one time, 30% was available, too -> it's a rather nasty substance, giving you burns, insidiously, that leave your skin pure white and smarting for a day or two. This may only be available for professional hair-salon usage (as in bleach-blond). At his level of concentration it can be used for any number of evil purposes. Including bleaching hair.
At closer to 100% pure, it's the fuel in those rocket-belts - decomposing rapidly to water and O2 with enough force to let you fly. It can/was also used as one of the components of liquid-fuel rockets.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Ooh Believe me! I know what high concentrations will do, had a friend who used to like blowing things up (OT he is an IT teacher now!) but I was only after a at most 6% solution commonly kept in chemists as a disinfectant, the brand that was recommended for the purpose was the own brand of this particular chemist.
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Some 20 years ago with the advent of large supermarkets here in leafy Surrey, our local village stores died. Gone were the greengrocer, fishmonger, off licence, butcher and baker. In the last few years, as people have realised the value of good taste over price, they have all returned except the off licence. That is a role filled by our very good Coop.
veni bibi saltavi
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We're fairly lucky - we have a local bakers, pharmacy, newsagents, butchers, and cafe in town - despite also having a Tesco and an ASDA within easy reach. But...we don't have a grocers. Or a hardware shop. Or as many banks as we did. Or ... you get the idea. I think it's a matter of "community spirit" to an extent - if the people in the town don't care about the shops, then the center of the town starts to rot and die. It's not just about internet and pricing: though they help to accelerate the change - I can buy something in Hong Kong, and get it shipped here in a couple of days for less than it costs to send a second class letter across town, much less make the item itself...and that's got to be wrong somewhere.
But yes, I buy from the internet as well. I bought Sage (the herb, not the accounts package) from fleaBay yesterday because I can get it for half the price Mr Tesco wants me to pay. But if I could buy that from a small shop, would I? Probably, yes - it I was going past it anyway.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Its the whole thing these days, friends looked in awe at me because I fixed a friends Electric Piano. These days there seems to be a use it once throw it away attitude, notably with anything that might require the case coming off. 
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The problem with many bricks-and-mortar shops (especially big box) is that the sales droids (a) are almost impossible to find, and (b) when found, rarely know anything about the products they are supposedly selling. If I am paying a premium for the bricks-and-mortar shop, but not getting anything extra in the way of service, why should I patronize the shop? Buying on Amazon and the like is less frustrating, and I don't even need to leave home!
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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Daniel Pfeffer wrote: If I am paying a premium for the bricks-and-mortar shop, but not getting anything extra in the way of service, why should I let the shop patronize the shop me?
FTFY!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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It works both ways 
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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Quote: Buying on Amazon and the like is less frustrating
Have you ever order something a got the book of Japanese love poetry?
I ask as I ordered a book PIC controllers and got a book of Japanese love poetry, a friend ordered a book on three phase controllers got a book of Japanese love poetry. My cousin ordered a bouncy castle got a book of Japanese love poetry.
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My experiences differ from yours. When buying from established sellers (not fleabay), I have had very few problems. Most of the problems have been postal delays, for which I cannot blame the sellers.
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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I do a lot of business with Amazon, but you have to watch their prices. Generally when you buy directly from Amazon the prices are good, but beware if you buy through Amazon from a third party dealer!
Last week my daughter bought a floor standing lamp from Ikea for $7. Out of curiosity I checked the Amazon price for the identical item from a third party dealer. It was $23!  And that was with a prime account, where shipping is supposed to be free. You now pay $100 annually for prime membership.
Some of the dealers selling through Amazon are rip-off artists.
Another issue is expiry dates on some products. I once bought a bottle of vitamins through Amazon, and on arrival I noticed the expiry date was two weeks out! Some merchants seem to dump old stock through Amazon. Fortunately Amazon's excellent return policy meant I could send it back at their cost, for a full refund.
Watch those third party dealers that sell through Amazon!
Get me coffee and no one gets hurt!
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Amazon Prime, I remember that. it used to cost £25 annually then they went and added a Video Streaming service and the like and I wasn't interested anymore the price went up. £25 is a hard cover book. It went up and I wasn't interested anymore, I mean I think someone looked at the price and went 'umm aren't we loosing money on this?'
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Third party sellers annoy the crap out of me as well. Some are alright, but the ones that annoy me are the ones that under-price their items, and over-price their shipping, just to get top listing on item searches.
I have a couple items on my wishlist right now that can't be found in stores anymore (collectibles) that are priced moderately above retail. Fantastic! you think, when you see the price... Then you click the item and find out shipping is 10, 15, 20, even 30 dollars... Sorry, but it doesn't cost $30 to ship a five ounce item...
People like this should be banned from Amazon altogether (better if the pricing system were fixed, but hey...)
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In the U.S. there has been a huge backlash against Walmart, but not so much Amazon. Walmart built gigantic super stores, that have everything from clothes to groceries to garden, to electronics, just outside the suburbs that shutdown many local merchants.
To me shopping online is acceptable; socially, economically, and environmentally.
I occasionally buy from Amazon, but refuse to drive around looking for the best bargain, waste of gas, waste of time. I tend to buy clothes and hygiene products online, but look for the best deal. Amazon doesn't always have the best deal.
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Plus you can do it in your under-ware and not get arrested
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You've clearly never visited a Walmart in the US... 
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I have, whats worse Walmart took over a ASDA supermarkets this side o' the pond and took out the internal roof tiles (that deaden sound) now you can here a three year old screaming that 'I want Frosties' all over the store! 
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That's intentional. They want you to remember that the wife sent you out for cereal and milk! 
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Online shopping isn't killing off small shops; they were mostly killed of by greedy, price-fixing megastores and large supermarkets.
If the megastores and large supermarkets are now suffering, then I say fair play.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Well, for that particular item, I can visit any of my local supermarkets for the 3% stuff or I can go to a hydroponics shop for the 50% stuff. $3.something for 250ml at the marketsuper and about $13 for 500ml of 50% at the hydro shop. I can't buy the stuff online, since no-one will ship the strong stuff. (and yes, that is 3% and 50% - not 3vol and 50vol)
Some of my favourite music has been bought second-hand complete with cover-art and a real disc at local-shops. Same with movies/docos.
That said - I bought an adjustable Grobet jeweller's saw-frame at a local shop about 15 years ago for AUD $50. Having misplaced it a number of years ago I recently sought to replace it. I ended-up buying one from Amazon for about $23 delivered to my door.
Like any kind of shopping, the best place for purchase seems to depend on the item and the time its wanted. 100gm, 0.01gm resolution digital scales for AUD $80 locally or about $10 from flea-bay - simply no comparison!
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