I’ve been working in the last few years of getting rid of big tech services. PayPal and Amazon are left. I’ve been questioning the need for PayPal in a world of virtual credit cards. My main reason for using it was security of purchase but I feel this need is no longer there. BTW, equivalent EU service to PayPal that is equally well accepted? Feels like this one may be more difficult to satisfy.
Amazon charged that vender 40-50% in fees for using their marketplace. You didn’t get “free shipping”.
It’s more that shipping cost is baked in. When shipping isn’t shown until the last step, it allows for displaying a lower price.
So if you’re shopping on Amazon and it’s $20 and on another site without free shipping it’s $15, and the you get to the checkout and there’s $5 handling fee in addition to the $5 shipping fee, it wastes a lot of time. Sure most put that in fine print somewhere, but it’s just easier if it’s baked in. Just like many foreigners don’t hate how the sales tax is tacked on in most of the US and can vary by city as well as by state.
Sure you know it’s coming, but it’s easier to have a single price that is going to be what you pay, so you can shop around easier.
From my end I cannot always use private vendors without paying more and it taking longer.
That said I bet I have bought less from them in my lifetime than you have.
Help fix the post office then tell me to totally drop them.