tim... wrote

Not for the first time, nor for the second, do I find that
my (from a very limited sample) recent purchase is
either CFU or fails within a few months of buying it.

Why do people swear by this means of shopping

Because most don't get that very often
and it leaves the alternatives for dead.

Things may be cheap(er) but if they are useless and
you have limited (practical) means to get redress,

You don't with amazon and ebay. If its crap you
get a full refund just by telling them its crap and
providing evidence of that with a photo etc.

what's the point?

That you get a vastly better range to choose from
and very effective redress when it doesn't work.

Gimme the pound shop any day,
at least I can take things back :-)

Mine doesn't have what I have bought
from ebay and amazon and aliexpress.

And the pound shop refused to refund with
some useless potato peelers that wouldn't
peel a ****ing potato. It was so cheap that
when the checkout ape refused to refund it,
I couldn't be bothered going back when the
manager was supposed to be there and
making her do what the law requires she do.

I have more useful things to do with my time.