Does this pass the smell test?

[MattHamilton]

I don't want to give away too much, so I hope this isn't too vague. There's a product I'd like to buy from a pretty well known vendor on this forum. The vendor's website says the item is out of stock (not surprising). I email the contact on the company's website, saying I'm interested in the product, and asking if there was some kind of ballpark estimate when the item might be available (2 weeks, 2 months, etc.). The reply I receive, from the same email I sent it to, sends me to a link to an Amazon page. I've read a lot of "knock off" stories about Amazon sites. And honestly it just doesn't seem legit to me, but maybe I'm just old and paranoid. Total cost including shipping is around $400; should I pull the trigger?

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[Gren71]

I think it depends on the reputation of the vendor and your willingness to gamble.

you could email the same email address from a different sending email and see if you get the same reply.

you could take a close look at the return policy of the Amazon seller.

you could call Amazon and ask about that specific seller and their reputation and or what their regular site is. Or atleast thar sellers customer service contact. Then compare that CS contact to the one you’ve already emailed.

 

[sharpsicle]

Vendors that work with Amazon often send batches of product to Amazon in order for it to be shipped quickly. This means that they no longer have that stock available in their own online stores, but it might still be on-hand at an Amazon warehouse. If that's the case, they'll tell you to order through Amazon as that's the only way to get it sent to you from Amazon's warehouse.

"I don't have any here, but my Amazon store still has some on-hand, so order from Amazon".

 

[bleda2002]

If it ships from them or from Amazon, just buy it. Amazon has one of the best return policy of any online store so I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[MattHamilton]

Alright guys - that's good enough for me. The reviews, the vendor all seem to check out. So I am pulling the trigger. Thank you all very much for your time!!! Best forum ever.

 

[ReverendZ]

Vendors that work with Amazon often send batches of product to Amazon in order for it to be shipped quickly. This means that they no longer have that stock available in their own online stores, but it might still be on-hand at an Amazon warehouse. If that's the case, they'll tell you to order through Amazon as that's the only way to get it sent to you from Amazon's warehouse.

"I don't have any here, but my Amazon store still has some on-hand, so order from Amazon".

This right here. I work for an aftermarket ATV product company and as the manufacturer we do occasionally run out of things at our warehouse location but our distributors and dealers and even Amazon may have several of the exact same things.

 

[FloridaJT6MT]

I’ve had this happen too but not with Jeep parts, and the other way around. They were out on Amazon but in stock on their site. Same explanation when I contacted and asked why it’s out of stock on Amazon but their site said in stock. They don’t control the inventory once they send it to Amazon. I ordered from their site and received the item right away. Hope it works the same for you!

 

[Aonarch]

It is probably fulfilled by Amazon, so that stock is probably sitting in an Amazon warehouse, or a 3rd party warehouse.

I do this all the time.

 

[staying_tuned]

As a software engineer who focuses squarely on writing code for deployment to be consumed publicly, I'd purchase from amazon long before purchasing from anywhere else if possible. Primarily because Amazon cannot get away with a security breach as easily as small vendors can. Most expose vulnerabilities unknowingly because understandably they are fabricating incredible gear, speaking to fellow jeepers, etc. not hawking their traffic logs for suspicious activity.

It may be a scenario where the vendor is migrating their e-comm transactional processes and order fulfillment out to amazon. It's a sensible move especially if this vendor doesn't have in-house engineers on staff nor wants to configure an over-the-top solution for a few specialized parts. Perhaps they are routing you to their amazon marketplace for that very reason. I'd simply call amazon directly to inquire about the credibility of the vendor behind the listing.

If you are ever hugely in doubt and have time on your hands, take a stab at actually trying to sell something on amazon. Vendor application acceptance isn't automated, the process is human scrutinized backed by some of the best AI/ML sniffing for patterns which historically have resulted in malicious activity. By contrast, any a-hole with even a bootcamp's worth of training could create a car dealership website in a few hours happily accepting deposits via paypal, venmo and zelle before taking it down never to be seen again.

Just a few months ago I purchased a set of lights from a well known vendor, I love the lights. A week later my card was compromised. Assuming it was skimmed while out on the street, I reported it to my bank and moved on. Two weeks later the vendor emailed me saying they had a security breach, personal info including CC numbers were exposed. Will I purchase from them again? Yes. I don't hold it against them because no small business owner online today stands a chance if they are a soft target (and most are).

 

[MattHamilton]

For those that are biting their tongue but are curious: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089YD1J14

Thanks again for all your input!

 

[Captain Muskie]

For those that are biting their tongue but are curious: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089YD1J14

Thanks again for all your input!

Ahh, i thought the item you were talking about rhymes with schmorkle. Lol

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