Buy This Kitchen Item On Amazon And You Might Regret It — Here's Why

Home to more than 350 million products, Amazon is the average online consumer's favorite place to shop for, well, everything. But while it's a great place to head for clothing, everyday personal care and household supplies, electronic accessories, and last-minute gifts, it's not necessarily the best place to buy everything you need for your home. When it comes to your kitchen in particular, Amazon is a great online retailer to find top-rated kitchen gadgets, towels, and even small appliances — but it's not the best place to purchase large appliances. Specifically, you'll want to avoid Amazon's selection of dishwashers, ovens, stovetops, and refrigerators if you're outfitting your kitchen with one or more new appliances.

It can be tough to choose the best kitchen appliances, because it's rarely a cheap update; according to HomeGuide, buying a suite of appliances that includes a refrigerator, range, dishwasher, and microwave will run you between $2,100 and $5,400. Large appliances are also bigger investments because they're simply bigger devices, with refrigerators, ovens, and the like installed as semi-permanent fixtures in your kitchen. Plus, you want your large appliances to last; and it's reasonable to want to get 10 to 15 years of life out of fridges, ovens, and cooktops. And while Amazon may make it easy to browse a selection of large kitchen appliances right from home, you might regret taking the easiest route to buy your next dishwasher or range. Popular appliance and home improvement retailers like Lowes and Home Depot have long been the go-tos for large appliances thanks to their broad selections, more dependable fulfillment options, and more consistent pricing.

While there may be certain hidden downsides to buying appliances at Home Depot and other brick-and-mortar retailers, they still outshine Amazon when it comes to selection. You'll find fewer well-known big-name brands in Amazon's appliance section and a lot less variety in models. Plus, within that smaller selection, you'll notice that Amazon's large appliances often aren't sold by Amazon itself. Rather, they're sold via third-party sellers, which can make your purchase riskier. 

Third-party sellers may not have the best reputations, and they might not sell brand-new appliances at all but rather refurbished models. When you purchase items from third-party sellers, Amazon merely hosts the listing; unless an appliance is noted as "Fulfilled by Amazon", the retail giant isn't involved in anything other than the payment process. When you purchase from a third-party seller, it can impact the return policy and warranty on your large kitchen appliances too. If you don't buy your refrigerator or range through an authorized retailer, for example, it could void the manufacturer's warranty altogether.

While Amazon might be known for deals on smaller items or even small kitchen appliances, large appliances don't always carry the best or lowest prices here. Prices may vary wildly and change over time, seeing highs over the appliance's MSRP or lows that simply aren't as low as other retailers' pricing. Other retailers also offer various package discounts if you need a whole kitchen suite, and there's more potential to haggle over the price, a tip you can't use when you're shopping at Amazon.