There are many things I don't like about Amazon, not least of which is the fact that it is an American multinational. Having said that, there was a reason it got so big and now dominates the sector; its emphasis on customer service, trusting the word of its customers and not having you jump through hoops to get the slightest concession from customer services, are all built into the Amazon buisness model. With free postage on orders above a certain modest minimum, and very reasonable rates for international orders, it makes ordering from Amazon often far cheaper and reliable than other sellers. After sales service within 30 days of purchase is so simple, it makes every other buisness customer service out there seem like the gestapo!Amazon marketplace gives small buisness a global marketplace for their goods they would not otherwise have, and more choice for us the buyer. However, everything is not perfect in the wonderful world of Jeff Bezos. Contacting a non automated customer service OUTSIDE those initial 30 days is like navigating through a Brazilian Favella, at night, blindfolded.You stumble around, finding yourself endlessly back where you started.Once you do get through, the service is outstanding, its just getting through in the first place!!!!! You also have nagging at your mind the guilty knowledge that Amazon gets unfair tax breaks smaller local buisness don't get. They bully postal services into giving them heavily discounted postal rates competitors just can't get. Preferential listing on search engines also squeezes out other companies. The back room deals with politicians and civil servants, off-shore tax havens and lousy treatment of its workforce which are all part and parcel of the moden corporate buisness model are common knowledge. All these and many other reasons say "don't buy from Amazon", but it is so simple, so much choice, sometimes better value and the no quible return are just SOOOOO tempting that despite your heart and conscience saying "no, resist, buy from a local buisiness or at least one in your own country", your eye, brain, wallet, purse and bank account says "Amazon".
