I lived in a remote mountain town and could either travel 1,5 hours in either direction to see if a store happened to carry what I need for a reasonable price

Or call them?

Their search is appalling. They hide stuff, they have terrible filters, and 90 percent of results is stuff you weren't looking for.

decent searchable ui

Amazon:
"Ergonomic Office Chair,Mesh Office Chair with Lumbar Support,High Back Desk Chair with Flip-up Arms,400 lbs Big and Tall Computer Chair with Headrest,Comfy Desk Chairs"

Any other decent store:
"Sihoo M57 - ergonomic office chair, gray"

I hate it. I try to buy local, I really do. But everybody is like "we don't have that, but we can order it for you!"

Goddamit, I can order things myself.

I’ve had nothing but good experiences with Amazon itself. When I’ve had bad service, it’s inevitably a flipper selling something they don’t have expecting they can then buy it at a local sale. But when that sale has ended or they can’t find one to generate enough profit, they claim “shipping delayed”. Eventually Amazon cancels and I’ve always gotten my money back, but I feel scammed and no one seems to read bad reviews anymore

I haven't given Amazon money in a decade or more.

Options:

1. Local stores if you have any that haven't been strangled by chains yet.
2. The manufacturer of whatever product you're buying.
3. A non-Amazon retailer listed in the "where to buy" section of the manufacturer's site.
4. In those rare cases where a manufacturer ONLY sells through Amazon, just buy from one of their competitors unless the product literally turns lead into gold.

I'm seeing a lot of "but I can get it the next day" in this thread. If my options are to wait a week for a product or to put money in the pocket of a billionaire who is actively contributing to the destruction of the free press, democracy, and the QoL of the working class, like... I'll find something to do for a week?