Blake

I logged into my Amazon account page and I've got 2 orders open - for 3 criterion discs. They're all set to ship about the same time, so I decide I'll combine the orders and save on shipping. Sounds like a good deal.

So I go through the steps and it seems as if my new order total was more than the two older order totals - maybe not, but it did seem like they were. So I went back before confirming the combination and checked.

Here's my first order:
1 of: Bob le Flambeur - Criterion Collection [DVD]

Item(s) Subtotal: $22.46
Shipping & Handling: $2.98
Promotional Certificates: -$2.24
-----
Total Before Tax: $23.20
Tax: $0.00
-----
Total for These Items: $23.20


And my second order:
1 of: Ballad of a Soldier - Criterion Collection [DVD]
1 of: Cranes are Flying - Criterion Collection [DVD]

Item(s) Subtotal: $44.92
Shipping & Handling: $3.97
Share the Love: -$4.49

Total Before Tax: $44.40
Estimated Tax: $0.00
Gift Certificate Amount: -$5.61

Grand Total: $38.79

So order #1 is $23.20 and order #2 is $38.79 - combined, $61.99

Now, if I go combine my orders, one would think that the combined total would be less than $62...


Combined Orders:

Item(s) Subtotal: $67.38
Shipping & Handling: $4.96
Promotional Certificates: -$6.74
-----
Total Before Tax: $65.60
Tax: $0.00
-----
Total for These Items: $65.60


OK, so it appears they didn't deduct my gift certificate, so subtracting the $5.61 from the gift certificate (which suddenly disappeared for no reason whatsoever - and probably would have never come back to me), the total is: $59.99. So I might have saved $2, but I lost $5.61.

I dunno if this is common, if I'm missing something, or what the hell is up with Amazon, but it seems like combining an order really isn't beneficial at all...

jimmywong

The GC probably expired, so it did not go into the second total. I would call Amazon and tell the what you did, they will probably give you the 5.61 back.

bigjim25

Ditto!

Skorp

I've had similiar problems combining orders in the past. If the original orders contain coupons, promotional or gift certificates, and/or Share the Love discounts, their system always seems to get something wrong.

However, I've always been able to get the errors corrected with an "Order Specialist". (The regular CSRs don't have the authority, it seems, to fix these kind of problems.) A couple times, in fact, they've thrown in free shipping or another couple dollars off "for my trouble". So I can't complain.

eau

Don't worry. Amazon keeps a list of all the GCs you have ever redeemed in your account. If that GC had expired and didn't make it to the combined order, an order specialist would be able to find that 'lost' GC and reapply it for you.

Ben732

Doesn't it say on their page not to combine orders with promotional GCs and such?

kunert

Yeah, combining orders=playing with fire. You might get a CSR who's nice enough to take it off the total when you call, but Ben732 is right. During the Willy Wonka widescreen fiasco, I dealt with a grouchy older woman who even scolded me for using coupons on preorders, like it was illegal or something.

victant

I'm a bit ambivalent about their CSR's. Twice I've gotten a good break. But twice their order specialist told me it couldn't be done...at all. Even when I told them that it had already been done for me in the past....

eugkim

It also looks like you lost your STL credits. They are only good for a week, I think.

I've lost mine in the past where they consider your combining an order as a "new" order, so if the STL credit is after the week, they won't apply it to your order.

It was too much trouble for me to call and ask for them to reapply the credit, but it may be worthwhile for you.

Hope this helps.

I agree. It should be more intuitive to combine orders and save money.

Blake

I actually didn't combine the orders after thinking something was wrong - luckily a confirmation page comes up between hitting the "Combine Orders" button and it actually happening.

Not sure what exactly went wrong here, and I don't know if it's been brought up before because I rarely visit the forum - just a warning I guess to those who might have thought about combining orders.

Seeker

amazon used to keep their act together on combining orders (i do a lot of it), but recently, you never know quite what will happen, so the warning is a valid one.

eau

When combining orders placed with promo GC or STL, your best bet is to call and have a CSR do it for you. That way you can tell the CSR to make sure the promo GC or STL stays (the usual one promo GC per order still applies though) with your combined order.

mecafe

Does anyone has the phone # to call amazon CSR? I was looking for it all over amazon's website and still can't find it.. Thanks for the help...

eau

1-800-201-7575

TK-421

Another problem is when you add a GC to an order already placed. If the promotional GC you applied to the order originally expired, it disappears into never never land. According to the CSR it only isn't showing up on the user side, but it is on their side.

Anyway, just make sure you have a copy of the initial order, then call an order specialist after the you get your order to get your $5 or $10 back.

eugkim

Actually, that problem with losing those promo coupons happened to me a couple of days ago when I paid off a preorder with a Nextcard GC.

As mentioned, if you're adding GC credit, it seems that they re-submit your order and if you have a coupon that has expired, they disappear. As mentioned, they are lost for good.

I was "lucky" enough to talk to a nice order specialist (Melinda) who was able to send me another 10 promo code. Don't get me wrong. Melinda was very nice and helpful, but to have to do this is a pain in the keister.

I'm not looking forward to doing this again with my other preorder. Melinda mentioned that it would probably be better to call them if you're payment is "complicated", ie STL, GC, coupons, etc.

Hope this helps.

movielib

I know you've been given the number but I just thought I'd let you know that DVD Talk has a sticky thread right here in the Store Forum that lists those hard-to-find phone numbers for many etailers:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=108012

Hobgoblin

Combining orders used to have a nice loophole for prolonging a promo certificate's life in 1999 and 2000. Sometime in the middle of 2001, amazon plugged this loophole.

This is what I used to do to prolong the life of GCs:
Lets say the GC expires tomorrow and you do not have anything that you are interested in buying. Order something that does not street until november (like LOTR) with the GC. Between now and November, if you come across something that you want to buy, order it, combine with the LOTR order and selectively delete LOTR out of the order. Now you have the coupon applied to your new order.

Sadly Amazon found out this loophole and plugged it sometime in the middle of last year.

Go easy with the flame throwers please!