@bryanhansel I've felt this about a big chunk of online marketplaces. The best luck I've had has been browsing review photos, or ordering something custom.
It's wild to see how much stuff (garments are what I've noticed most) of a really low quality is being made and sold. Stuff that, if folks could assess in person, they wouldn't buy. It is almost impossible to shop for something that's made of actual, real silk from a place like Amazon. Anyone can use it as a listing tag, even if what they're selling is a polyester satin without a scrap of silk in it.
What stuff have you noticed problems with getting?
I'm curious what the impact of online-first shopping has been on waste (and, ideally, what a nice way to address it might be).
@bryanhansel wow, scammy quality medical supplies are a real messed-up thing. I'm sorry that happened.
I get most of my "can't get it at the local grocery store" household stuff off iherb, and have found them to be pretty good. I hope you're able to find the supplies you need.
It's interesting how hard it is to assess the impact of getting things delivered vs driving out and buying them. The type of courier matters, size of the package (and its packaging), and a bunch of other weird stuff. It's frustratingly hard to know the environmental impact of the whole thing, IMO.
The guiding work sounds interesting, though. Would you mind sharing what area you guide in?
