Dear Colleagues,
I have noticed, that when I use a search engine like Google to do a bit
of shopping, that the returns from the search nearly always mention,
Google, Amazon and Ebay right at the very top, with lesser companies
being mentioned underneath. I have also noticed that if I use a
different browser or a search engine, that prices for the same branded
articles might be cheaper. I have also noticed that there is an awful
lot of cheap stuff on Ebay, which appears to originated in China and
Hong Kong. Now I have no objection to getting the same product at a
cheaper price, providing that it is safe, and doesn't pretend to be a
designer model. However, the problem with cheapness, particularly on
Ebay, is that if the goods are crap or don't work, then sending them
back can cost a lot more than just dumping them and forgetting about
it. Another problem, is that when I tick the box which says UK sellers
only, I often find that the company is still Chinese, or from Hong Kong,
though they "pretend" to be British. So, when the consumer object does
go faulty or is faulty, the manufacturer or sellers guarantee is not
valid and that my rights under British Consumer law are abrogated, and
it costs an awful lot of money to return the goods, as now, Ebay allows
companies to advertise goods and services which do not include the
return of postage. This sort of practice of course, encourages crooks
and swindlers on Ebay and such other online sellers and really negates
their guarantees and good business practices.
Also, on Amazon...all the time they are trying to get me to join Amazon
Prime, which offers such "advantages" as free postage and such like.
Now, I don't buy enough goods from Amazon to bother with paying out the
£70 p.a. or whatever the cost is, which would make joining it
worthwhile. Also, a lot of businesses which advertise on Amazon, are
forced to swallow prices on postage and packaging, which Amazon reaps
the benefit from. I also notice with Paypal, that when it comes to
dealing with guarantees and the return of faulty goods and getting ones
money back, it can take weeks and months to get a settlement, with all
sorts of obstacles put in ones way.
I always thought that the Internet and World Wide Web would turn into a
very versatile, competitive and cheaper environment in which the public
could shop, however, with the use of profiling and the unavoidable
algorithms which go with it, it appears that ones shopping habits,
predilections and little obsessions are being compromised by the major
search engines not offering the most competitive pricing but offering
goods and services on the basis of what they think I can afford to pay
for the product.
This methodology on the internet and world wide web has been going on
for a long time, of course and is becoming more sophisticated as I
write. I know that I can use other search engines such as duck a go go,
see url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_search_engine
for how they work, and for a list of search engines see url:
https://www.google.com/search?q=list+of+search+engines+other+than+google&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b
which may or may not be cheaper to use, though whether they are as
comprehensive or wide ranging is another matter.
I also use various anti-ad software such as ghostery and ad plus, but it
seems to no avail.
What do our colleagues think? Any ideas on how to shop or what search
engines to use, or what software to use to prevent one being targetted
on the basis of ones income, habits, preoccupations or previous purchases?
ATB
Dougie.
