"Only 1 left in stock - order soon." according to Amazon...true/false?

I’ve addressed what I’m basing it on in detail in my post. It’s a bit of both.

This is mad. What occurs…

Well you didnt describe any experiences with Amazon or any similar sites simply that you believe its a "disingenuous business gimmick". Which without further explanation could be based on a myriad of things, from reading or hearing what other people have said, to your general instincts about ecommerce, to specific instances youve actually had with Amazon. Only now that youve said it was "a bit of both" can I assume youve had experiences with Amazon too.

Yeah I know but that kind of thinking kind of runs counter to my purchasing priorities of buying dvds that I believe are in scarcity - are in danger of becoming unavailable soon. It is what it is LOL.

EDIT: Which, is actually why I made this thread in the first place now that I think about it. If the "only 1 left in stock" thing is a load of BS then I really can do what you advise and what I already had been wanting to do - waiting to only purchase in large quantities to save on shipping.

This is a bit too in-depth for 9 pm. The thing is that it depends. I’ve bought expensive specialist eyeliner from the U.S. on Amazon which was hard to get in the U.K. (and I like getting things like that online anyway) and it said “only 2 left”, I put it in my basket, forgot to check out and the next day it wasn’t there. But then they get restocked.

Other things (also on Amazon) I’ve bought the supposedly “last 4 left” and immediately after checking out I could see there were more. I reiterate that I do believe that for the most part it’s a disingenuous business gimmick.

With eBay etc., I believe it tends to be more accurate as you browse by particular seller.

If you're buying DVDs that are rarities, then you have to take that into consideration when you see "Only 1 left in stock" on the listing.

Amazon usually tells you if the same item is available from other sellers, both new and used, so maybe you should look to see if there are more of the same DVD listed by other sellers. At least those might be backups for you if the one that you're looking at sells. But if there's a big price difference between the one that you're looking at, and the other ones that are available, you should take that into consideration too.

You can also check sites like eBay to see if the same DVD is listed there too. (Some eBay sellers even accept offers of lower prices than the listed price.)

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yeah I already do all of those.


i am a little wary of ebay though I think....I think its because I believe youre more likely to encounter bootlegs on ebay perhaps? i THINK thats why...

Everything on Ebay is backed by a Money Back Guarantee, so if you did buy a DVD that wasn't working or was sent the wrong one or was a fake bootleg you can file a claim and get your money back. I've bough tons of stuff on Ebay and often the prices are lower than Amazon.

Everything I ever think about buying on Amazon is accompanied by one of those "only 6 left" messages, whether it's a diamond broach, bags of sand, cans of beans or a new Ferrari. It's their Artificial Urgency Algorithm that assigns a random, but small value to the number between only and left.

As Citizen Rules mentioned already, eBay has a money back guarantee, as well as most other well known online sites. Just check the site's terms about returns before you buy anything.

I buy a lot of stuff from Mercari, and while most transactions go smooth, Mercari refunded my payments for the few items that arrived damaged.

If by chance you do receive a bootleg or damaged item, make sure that you keep the item and all of the packing materials, so you will be able to send pictures of the item that you received, and the way it was packed, to eBay, Mercari, or whatever site you bought it on, so you can upload the pictures if you file a claim.