Amazon

April 21, 2021, 01:52 PM

Flash-LB

Amazon

So who's out there that can fill in by providing the consumer what Amazon provides?

Honest question.

April 21, 2021, 04:41 PM

konata88

I’ve resorted to other big chains or buy direct. For example, I buy jackets direct from Columbia now instead of Amazon or other sites. Still figuring out sources, takes some effort. But trying to avoid Amazon as much as possible. I have no hesitations in using 2 day shipping for the smallest of orders until I cancel.

April 21, 2021, 09:19 PM

cparktd

Video explaining how Amazon ships 13 million packages a day.

https://youtu.be/2qanMpnYsjk

April 21, 2021, 11:34 PM

bald1

quote:
Originally posted by Flash-LB:
So who's out there that can fill in by providing the consumer what Amazon provides?

I agree with konata88 in the practice of doing due diligence to find alternative sources. Many, even Walmart, will price match amazon, although some make the procedure needlessly complicated.

https://www.walmart.com/help/a...45a8a784d34aa566627f

Customer Care: https://gethuman.com/phone-number/WalMart-com

October 09, 2021, 01:16 PM

ensigmatic

We've avoided doing business with Amazon to the extent it's reasonably possible--for a number of reasons, but, sometimes, there's no reasonable way around it.

"Reasonable" may be a moving metric, however.

Yesterday my wife got a notification something she'd ordered was "lost." Thing is: She'd received it. Being the honest type: She wants to tell them "No, I received it," but the notification gives her no such option. Only "Cancel order for refund." "How can I contact them?" she asks me. "It's possible," I reply, "but they don't make it easy to find."

She's now considering "Screw it, if they're going to make it hard to DTRT."

Now comes this:

(For those less familiar with shipping numbers: They're claiming "Shipped with USPS," but it's a UPS tracking number.)

And, no: According to UPS the tracking number is not valid. Luckily, I'm signed-up for USPS Informed Delivery and can see there's a package from Amazon that's been "Picked Up Up by Shipping Partner."

October 09, 2021, 01:58 PM

Pyker

Just canceled Prime after 10 years. The last year or so Amazon has shipped everything I've ordered via USPS. I have never once received an item in less than 4 days. Even then, if the item is larger than a pack of cards, I have to drive into town to the Post Office to collect it, since they will not deliver anything if it won't fit into my mailbox.

I have spent a couple of hours complaining to some 'person' on their chat system or phone and been assured 'that they are going to resolve the problem'. Well, fuck that noise. Cancel my membership and refund my remaining months. Don't use movies or music so no loss there.

Walmart+ here I come!

October 09, 2021, 02:18 PM

Flash-LB

quote:
Originally posted by Pyker:
Just canceled Prime after 10 years. The last year or so Amazon has shipped everything I've ordered via USPS. I have never once received an item in less than 4 days. Even then, if the item is larger than a pack of cards, I have to drive into town to the Post Office to collect it, since they will not deliver anything if it won't fit into my mailbox.

I have spent a couple of hours complaining to some 'person' on their chat system or phone and been assured 'that they are going to resolve the problem'. Well, fuck that noise. Cancel my membership and refund my remaining months. Don't use movies or music so no loss there.

Walmart+ here I come!

Must be your location. Almost nothing I order from Amazon comes USPS, most is delivered by Amazon drivers.

October 09, 2021, 02:42 PM

V-Tail

quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:

"How can I contact them?" she asks me. "It's possible," I reply, "but they don't make it easy to find."

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/contact-us/

October 09, 2021, 03:52 PM

Jimbo54

We're fortunate in that there are 2 huge Amazon fulfillment centers here. One for large items and the other for everything else. I ordered a hat yesterday morning and it just showed up an hour ago. That's becoming the norm anymore. Almost everything is delivered by UPS with a few rare things coming via USPS if they're envelope size.

Jim

October 09, 2021, 04:50 PM

Pyker

quote:
Originally posted by Flash-LB:
quote:
Originally posted by Pyker:
Just canceled Prime after 10 years. The last year or so Amazon has shipped everything I've ordered via USPS. I have never once received an item in less than 4 days. Even then, if the item is larger than a pack of cards, I have to drive into town to the Post Office to collect it, since they will not deliver anything if it won't fit into my mailbox.

I have spent a couple of hours complaining to some 'person' on their chat system or phone and been assured 'that they are going to resolve the problem'. Well, fuck that noise. Cancel my membership and refund my remaining months. Don't use movies or music so no loss there.

Walmart+ here I come!

Must be your location. Almost nothing I order from Amazon comes USPS, most is delivered by Amazon drivers.

Well, I see UPS trucks all over the place up here, including the city I live 6 miles north of, and the US highway which connects both places. They have two hubs within 50 miles. So I don't really care what Amazon's reason is, I've been paying for a service I wasn't getting, so fuck 'em.

October 10, 2021, 12:25 AM

Gustofer

The previous 2 day shipping that I always enjoyed with Prime (and it rarely failed), has now turned into at least a week and sometimes longer.

It's getting tiresome and making me think about whether it's worth the money. $100/year (or whatever it is now) is, I suppose, worth it for the convenience, but it sure would be nice to get that 2 day shipping back.

October 10, 2021, 09:22 AM

Graniteguy

Amazon has a new warehouse in Central MA so all my Prime Deliveries are 1-2 days. (unless what I am ordering is not in their local Warehouse)

I would not pay the $100+ for Prime if my deliveries were taking 4-5 days since I don't use any of the other Prime benefits. (streaming, e-books, etc)

October 10, 2021, 09:33 AM

just1tym

quote:
Originally posted by Pyker:
Just canceled Prime after 10 years. The last year or so Amazon has shipped everything I've ordered via USPS. I have never once received an item in less than 4 days. Even then, if the item is larger than a pack of cards, I have to drive into town to the Post Office to collect it, since they will not deliver anything if it won't fit into my mailbox.

I have spent a couple of hours complaining to some 'person' on their chat system or phone and been assured 'that they are going to resolve the problem'. Well, fuck that noise. Cancel my membership and refund my remaining months. Don't use movies or music so no loss there.

Walmart+ here I come!

Pyker, just to relate a recent issue this last month with a Walmart purchase also. I purchased a new netgear router and also contracted to have their sub contractor come out and install and setup the wifi with all my devices. In a few days I received the package containing the router and was scheduled to have the Walmarts tech contractor come in the next couple of days. Out of curiosity I decided to open the shipping package to have it ready and inspect the contents.

Though I supposedly purchased a new router from Walmart, what I received was a used router from a 3rd party Amazon seller. Long story short, I had to quickly purchase another new netgear router off of Amazon that shipped and delivered next day for the installation tech, I had to place no less than 8 phone calls to Walmart customer service to explain that I purchased new from them and received a used product from a 3rd party Amazon seller! We immediately sent the used router back to the shipping label address sent from Walmart but still had to prove to them that the used item was in fact received by the Amazon seller, thank God my wife kept the receipt from the FedEx store. With this tracking number on the receipt the Walmart rep was able to see that it was in fact received and signed for.

I finally was refunded the $110 I paid for my original new router from Walmart and sent them a copy of the receipt from the Amazon dealer which states it as used and the charge was $79 not the original $110 I paid for a supposedly new router.

After a month and approx 8 phone calls to Walmart speaking to foreign customer service reps I finally got it resolved. Additionally the new Netgear router and install was perfect. My Walmart experience...not so much. So it seems hit or miss with just about any company, even Walmart.

October 10, 2021, 09:38 AM

ensigmatic

Gustofer, AP been $120/year for a couple years now.

We get Amazon stuff, what little we order from there, anymore, via Amazon Logistics, USPS, and UPS. I think one even via FedEx Ground not long ago?

I always go with free shipping because history has taught me paying for shipping makes little or no difference. That and it's never anything very expensive anymore, anyway.

My latest order is still stuck in "Picked Up by Shipping Partner, USPS Awaiting Item," where it's been for four days. Amazon's answer: "There's been a shipping delay. We're sorry. It'll be there by Tuesday. How 'bout we give you a $5 credit for your trouble?"

Once-upon-a-time they'd have sent a replacement order out right away, 2nd Day or overnight, and issued a call tag for the delayed order for you to send back when it arrived.

Luckily, nothing in that order is anything for which we have an urgent need.

Amazon is not what it was when we first signed up for Prime years ago. That's one reason we're not Prime members anymore.

In fact I now go out of my way to avoid Amazon.

I have half a mind to take Amazon up on their free offer for a Prime trial, catch up on The Expanse, and cancel it before the trial runs out

October 21, 2021, 11:40 AM

Joe 5632

First it was to be delivered in two days, then it was “we are having delivery delays. Now I get this from Amazon:

Hi Joe,
Unfortunately, a problem occurred during shipping and we had to cancel your delivery. The package is being returned, and we will issue a refund within 3 - 5 business days after the return is processed. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience.

So they take my money, delayed the shipping, canceled the order and now I have to wait through slow return back to somewhere plus 3-5 more days before they give me my money back! Stupid

October 21, 2021, 11:45 AM

ensigmatic

Yeah, Amazon fulfillment has become wonky--particularly fulfillment out of California locations, IME.

My last order finally arrived some nine days after ordering.

October 21, 2021, 11:49 AM

Pyker

Canceled Prime last week after being a member for 12 years. Went online and got a refund of the remaining premium - you have to do that or they only cancel it after your next renewal. It was just not worth it to me any more now they use USPS in my area for deliveries. Every package larger than a pack of smokes meant I had to drive into town to fetch it myself from the main post office.

October 21, 2021, 12:17 PM

a1abdj

quote:
So they take my money, delayed the shipping, canceled the order and now I have to wait through slow return back to somewhere plus 3-5 more days before they give me my money back! Stupid

Yeah, but look at all of the money you saved!

Just wait until Amazon and Walmart are your only sources for goods and services. Things will be so much better.

October 21, 2021, 12:24 PM

ensigmatic

quote:
Originally posted by a1abdj:
Just wait until Amazon and Walmart are your only sources for goods and services.

The problem there is that, for many things, they are already. We've had this discussion before.

True: Many people shop at Amazon for the convenience. Or what used to be convenience. And at Walmart for the prices.

I shop only rarely at either, but, as for Amazon, in particular: The main reason I go there is oft times what I want simply is not available locally--period.

I don't like Amazon. At all. I shop there only grudgingly. I'd prefer to be able to cancel my account entirely, rather than just dump Prime, as we did months back.

October 21, 2021, 07:38 PM

cas

My most recent grumbble is the more and more frequent "order in the next two hours and receive it Oct 22 (tomorrow)" Then you order and it says "arrives on or around Oct 25" Wait wuh? Did something happen in the shipping world in the last 34 seconds?

Amazon has got the strangle hold and they're tightening the grip. Prices go up and up and up. The days of "finding it on Amazon cheaper" are mostly behind us.