Fucking Amazon

Lagduf

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Amazon is probably short-staffed too. I still peruse the local daily help wanted ads on Google and I see Amazon warehouse openings pretty frequently.

That's because it's by all account the closest thing we have to 19th century industrial revolution working conditions in America.
 

@M

Vanessa's Drinking Buddy,
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I think part of the problem with the shipping times is that they wait a bit and try to consolidate multiple orders as much as possible too, instead of shipping right away.
 

mjmjr25

went home to be a family man
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Yeah the increased shipping times killed it,

I’m sure the entire model was unsustainable and this was always the plan. (Ie hook a user base and then fuck them.)

But if it’s going to take a week+ I’ll just order elsewhere.

I still do buy books on Amazon as I have for almost two decades. Are their even any bookstores left?
I use Alibris for 90% of online book sellers.

Alibris is sort of Amazon for books. Alibris has a copy of maybe 50% of books i've looked for and private sellers have had the rest.

Alibris (as seller) offers free shipping and they are cheaper than amazon 95% of the time, maybe 98%.

Private sellers are always cheaper than amazon.

Books are accurately graded. If it's new, it's new. No remainder marks, no lightwear, no missing dustjacket.

I've recieved Like New and Very Good books in better shape and NEW from Amazon / Amazon private sellers.

They (Alibris) also have frequent promo codes. Highly recommend. My next bad experience will be my first.
 

Lagduf

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Nice! I've had to resort to eBay for some older books that Amazon didn't have. Private sellers of books on Amazon seem to jack up the price on Amazon because "teh rarez" if Amazon isn't actually selling it.

Edit: Just ordered some books from there, really like I can see what editions they have, and where the books ship from.
 
Last edited:

fake

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I still do buy books on Amazon as I have for almost two decades. Are their even any bookstores left?
There have been some news articles that B&N are turning things around, but who knows how much of that is thanks to creative accounting.
 

max 330 mega

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Bookshop.org donates a portion of proceeds to book stores in your area. I have had good experiences so far using them.
 

wyo

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Amazon is definitely going downhill. Their search engine is useless as well. Prime Video is good though and it's still better than driving to a store for some random item.
 

@M

Vanessa's Drinking Buddy,
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Life lost its' luster after Dracula disguised himself as an old man and fooled Sage into lending him his Vampire Killer whip and he never got it back.
 

Azathoth

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My parents live in a tiny rural town in Kentucky. Their last 4 orders, all shipped with Amazon's own delivery service, are being shipped to someone with their same street address but in Orlando, Florida. The woman that's been receiving their packages even looked Mom's telephone number up and to call & tell her she keeps getting her mail.

Amazon's overseas customer support can plainly see the tracking info shows it going to FL even though the label says KY and they always offers to reship the orders... which always wind back up in Orlando. This is obviously a problem with the Amazon carrier but there's no way to specify USPS and no one in customer support will offer any help other than resend the order. Most items automatically reject a PO box delivery so they're just shit out of luck.
 

StevenK

ng.com SFII tournament winner 2002-2023
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Amazon is definitely going downhill. Their search engine is useless as well.
If I click sort, price low to high, and they're going to refuse to actually sort it by price, low to high, why even give me the fucking option
 

theMot

Reformed collector of junk
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If I click sort, price low to high, and they're going to refuse to actually sort it by price, low to high, why even give me the fucking option
Because they know you’re a Brit full to gunnels with alcohol, you’ll just buy it anyway.
 

@M

Vanessa's Drinking Buddy,
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If I click sort, price low to high, and they're going to refuse to actually sort it by price, low to high, why even give me the fucking option
The price sorting filters work for me. They stick a few "special deals" in there too, that don't necessarily conform to your sorting criteria, but, that's because the sellers paid a premium for that service to increase their exposure/sales. Annoying, but, I understand why they do it: $$$. Other online stores, like Walmart, do it too.
 

StevenK

ng.com SFII tournament winner 2002-2023
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The price sorting filters work for me. They stick a few "special deals" in there too, that don't necessarily conform to your sorting criteria, but, that's because the sellers paid a premium for that service to increase their exposure/sales. Annoying, but, I understand why they do it: $$$. Other online stores, like Walmart, do it too.
Yeah don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't know why any of their shitty practices take place
 

wataru330

Mr. Wrestling IV
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Most items automatically reject a PO box delivery so they're just shit out of luck.

There is a hack for this.

My local post master taught me this, and it works.

For example:

To send something straight to a P.O. Box, this usually is how mail is labeled.

Joe Smith
P.O. Box 153
Anytown, USA
90210

**IF YOU DO THIS INSTEAD**

Joe Smith
101 East Town Street (<——the actual physical street address of your post office)
Unit 153
Anytown, USA
90210

*every* carrier will deliver.

The hack? Giving the physical street address and the P.O. Box number as a ‘unit’ number, spoofs the system into seeing the address as an apartment instead of a P.O. Box.

I’ve had DHL, Fed Ex, UPS, EMS, and USPS packages from couriers & sellers that refuse to deliver to P.O. Boxes, all walk the packages right up to the counter and leave them with the clerk. I have the smallest P.O. Box size you can rent. Anything that doesn’t fit, just gets stored behind the counter until I pick it up.

Hope this helps!
 

blakeb8111

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I’ve had similar problems with buying movies on amazon directly, not 3rd party sellers. I ended up buying them on amazon because it was slightly cheaper than Best Buy, and have ended up disappointed nearly every time, whether its the condition or quality of the movie. A few look like they aren’t even genuine copies, so I just went back to Best Buy, at least you get what you pay for. However after seeing this thread, i went on Best Buy and I previously had 3 movies in my cart I’ve been debating on buying and all 3 have major price increases this week. I guess they really don’t want you to buy physical copies anymore. They’re still cheaper on amazon, but at this point I’ll pass
 

terry.330

Time? Astonishing!
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I’ve had similar problems with buying movies on amazon directly, not 3rd party sellers. I ended up buying them on amazon because it was slightly cheaper than Best Buy, and have ended up disappointed nearly every time, whether its the condition or quality of the movie. A few look like they aren’t even genuine copies, so I just went back to Best Buy, at least you get what you pay for. However after seeing this thread, i went on Best Buy and I previously had 3 movies in my cart I’ve been debating on buying and all 3 have major price increases this week. I guess they really don’t want you to buy physical copies anymore. They’re still cheaper on amazon, but at this point I’ll pass
Check the bigger sellers on eBay I've yet to have any problems from them. The prices are usually comparable (and sometimes cheaper) to Amazon, Walmart and BB, they offer free shipping and they usually discount if you buy multiple items so you often end up coming out ahead.

Not that anyone cares but I got my replacement copy of Predator today and it's also pretty suspect, I think it's still a reseal but it's at least in "like new" condition. I'm not happy but I'm not pissed off enough to have to go back to the UPS store for a return. Shoulda just spent the extra $4 and ordered it from somewhere else.

I think that's the real lesson, don't be a cheap-ass. That's why Amazon gets over on everyone, they know we're lazy and cheap.
 

@M

Vanessa's Drinking Buddy,
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99% of my Amazon orders go fine. I can only recall doing 2 returns in my life, one was for a wrong item, the other horrific damage that obviously happened at the warehouse because the shipping box it came in was pristine and part of the wrecked item was broken off and missing altogether (that piece would have still been loose in the box if the damage had occurred during transit).
 

Lagduf

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lol buying movies
lol buying books
lol360
I swear I feel my brain failing when I don’t read…something. It’s just a different mode of thinking. And I’m not like a prolific book a week reader or anything.

I’ve been reading trash lately but it’s something. I no longer buy books cause they’re cool or whatever (lol collecting) If I buy it I read it.
 

Xavier

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My problem recently is when you get something it says 1-2 day shipping, you pay for it and instantly or or within 24 hours it says it's really going to take 3-5 days+. They knew, they're just stringing you along. What bothers me is how they like to lean on pickers and couriers. It's a beloved tradition for awhile now to screw around with the little people but this is totally a collective them issue, they intentionally decided to do this. Either they sold out as you were buying it, (unlikely) they are waiting for a resupply or are reshuffling (more likely) or possibly they're understaffed and can't pull the orders. (least likely because they work people to death and make them piss in bottles)

It can really suck for presents and things you actually do need in a certain time frame. Especially if you're poor or $50-200 means something to you. They usually put a hold for those funds. Sometimes just a quick ping just to make sure you have the funds and then the monies taken out when the order is fulfilled. More often these days thoug they just just put a hold on your account for it the whole time. It's usually that period of a few days but I've had deals fall apart and my monies were tied up for a couple weeks. They also used to have a badass return policy, you click on return and they instantly refund you. You pick if you want to return it to for credit or cashback and how your going to get it back to them with many options available. Then they made it to you got refunded once you dropped it off at a location and now they need to get it back inspect it and take a few days to decide what to do.

They never should have gotten their own delivery service. MAYBE for the top 10 metro areas. They get some kind of almost at cost deals anyways. Now they've screwed the ecosystem and help erode the middle class further. Too many many warehouses as well.

I'd be pissed off to buy something and find out it was mixed inventory from a third party seller. I specifically buy from them because third party is more likely to refurbished/used and or defective/fake. I refuse to buy most anything used or refurbished from them because of poor descriptions, lack of pictures and only a few words describing condition. Been burned by them several times now.

Also they need to invest in some reusable packaging. Driving trucks around the planet to deliver you a deoderant with it's own carboard box can't be efficient or good for the environment.
 
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