I often avoid Amazon, but do purchase from them occasionally. If it's available for just a few dollars more, I buy it elsewhere.
Just recently I found something $15 cheaper at Amazon and decided to go with them. I got something that very likely is used (some of the internal packages had been opened, outer container/box had creases, and had been clearly taped closed, etc). It was a time sensitive item so I couldn't return it and get a new one in time.
Fitting that just when I told myself "Oh what the heck - I'm saving $15, let's just go with Amazon" I end up getting a used item sold as new.
I believe Amazon increases the price with time, for a given customer. Now I can’t find anything cheap on Amazon, all the crap seems to be at +15€ compared to shops.
It would be interesting to make a new account to test that. I assumed it's because they have so many millions of customers locked in with free ("free") prime shipping that they know they'll be fine price matching upwards as long as it's a similar price elsewhere online, because they are who most people I know think of when you "need something like tomorrow" and don't want to go shopping.
I think a lot of sellers also include the shipping cost in the price of the item and ship it to Amazon so it can be PRIME-eligible.
Just recently I found something $15 cheaper at Amazon and decided to go with them. I got something that very likely is used (some of the internal packages had been opened, outer container/box had creases, and had been clearly taped closed, etc). It was a time sensitive item so I couldn't return it and get a new one in time.
Fitting that just when I told myself "Oh what the heck - I'm saving $15, let's just go with Amazon" I end up getting a used item sold as new.