Amazon is the one-stop shop that’s a guilty pleasure for many, but it’s also downright convenient! Why make multiple trips to different stores when you can browse, click, and have products delivered to your door?
What’s more, Amazon offers high-quality products, delivers on its promises, has excellent customer service, and is also known for its reliability.
It doesn’t stop there, though – it just keeps getting better! Looking for that strange part for your vacuum cleaner? They’ll probably have it! Do you need a charging cord for that old digital camera of yours? Check! It’s a no-brainer to use the online portal in your everyday life.
However, the online store has a couple of downsides – it’s not all rainbows and butterflies, unfortunately. Just because you can buy everything doesn’t mean you have to buy everything! Some things are also more expensive on the beloved store compared to other competitors.
These are some of the things that you should never buy on Amazon for both safety and economic reasons.
1. Cheap Charging Cables for Your Appliances
We all love a deal – there’s no denying that. But cheap, poorly built “knock-off” charging cables can end up costing you a lot of money, indirectly. They can damage your device and, worse, spark and cause fire. Just don’t do it. Instead, spend that slight bit more and get a certified cable.
2. Batteries
Statistics have shown that places like Sam’s Club and Costco actually have the best deals on batteries. That aside, not all batteries are made the same way, and poorly constructed ones can be dangerous. There is no need to cause explosions and fire with your TV remote!
3. Medical Products
Not only can buying medical products online cost you more, but they can also be potentially dangerous to your health. They can potentially contain FDA banned ingredients or have other ingredients that could clash with other medication you might be taking. You can always consult with your doctor first, but it’s not really worth it to save a few bucks.
4. Cosmetics and Beauty Products
Amazon has had issues in the past with fake and counterfeit cosmetic products that third party suppliers sold. What’s more is that some of them even contained banned substances such as arsenic, beryllium and cadmium. It’s safe to say that you don’t want to put those on your face or hands.
5. Jewelry
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend – but not low-quality ones you bought online. Instead, be sure of what you’re buying and go to a store in person to check it out, especially when it comes to items you will spend a lot of money on. Unfortunately, there’s no way of checking what you’re buying beforehand on Amazon.
6. Designer and Brand Name Clothing
While you can score a deal with clothing on Amazon, more likely than not, it’s hit and miss. There’s also so much fake clothing out there, so it’s best to trust well-known stores. Almost 40% of all phony clothing is sold online, so don’t risk it.
7. IKEA Products
Sure, you can buy IKEA products on Amazon, but be warned that Amazon is a reseller and will have slapped on a hefty markup for the product. Instead, buy them straight from the source, even if it’s slightly less convenient.
8. Musical Instruments
The classic “try before you buy” saying couldn’t be more applicable to buying musical instruments. You’ll want to see how it looks and feels and ask the sales assistant some questions as a novice. Neither of these is possible to do when online shopping.
9. Non-Amazon Smart Devices
You’ll always be paying more for any smart devices on Amazon if they’re not made, well, by Amazon! It is best to buy Google and other devices elsewhere where they aren’t directly competing with Amazon’s devices, like Walmart.
10. Household Essentials
Gone are the pandemic days when toilet paper and other essential household items are scarce. It would help if you always did a price comparison with these items as you could find that they are significantly cheaper elsewhere, like at Target or Walmart.
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Andrew Herrig is a finance expert and money nerd and the founder of Wealthy Nickel, where he writes about personal finance, side hustles, and entrepreneurship. As an avid real estate investor and owner of multiple businesses, he has a passion for helping others build wealth and shares his own family’s journey on his blog.
Andrew holds a Masters of Science in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has worked as a financial analyst and accountant in many aspects of the financial world.
Andrew’s expert financial advice has been featured on CNBC, Entrepreneur, Fox News, GOBankingRates, MSN, and more.
