Viper187

I have a few open orders that Amazon has been sitting on for an entire week now despite everything being in stock. Most irritating is my order for the final season of Spartacus, which I had pre-ordered. It released last Tuesday. The estimated delivery date was yesterday, but it still hasn't shipped! I even emailed this morning and got no answer despite that page claiming response within 12 hours. Yeah, I ordered 4 months in advance, but it's ok to sit on the order for over a week. WTF? Both my other orders have an estimated delivery of yesterday as well and all have been showing "Shipping now" for at least 24 hours.

JayDerek

a year ago I noticed they were purposely holding off shipping things right away - probably in order to get people to pay for Prime.

I used to be able to order something and have it in a few days with free shipping. Not anymore. I've found it's taken a week to ship things.

Texan26

I haven't had Prime for the last month after having it for the last few years and their non-Prime shipping is ridiculous so far. I ordered a few in stock blu-rays, and it took a week just to have them shipped and then they arrived another week later. This has happened with two orders so far. I thought the same thing that they want me to switch back to Prime but I'm not in any rush to watch these movies right away. So it's no big deal so far for me but it would be nicer to have them sooner.

RonG617

I get some items through subscribe and save every month and they wait for that to be ready to ship and just throw it all in one big box for me. I never order anything I need in a hurry.

Viper187

so I finally got an answer, as well as a shipment confirmation. Actually, I got 2 answers. Neither of which mean shit. The first email I got from them was a canned response about sale tax, which had nothing to do with my problem other than a mention in my rant to them. Here's the rest. My email and their response. I have Tremors Attack Pack preordered for next week. If they pull the same shit, they'll get another email or I might call the bastards. Really, the only reason I stopped using Prime was the bullshit carriers they were using instead of UPS/FedEx. I'd pay double if I had choice of shipping carrier as I fucking should.

Me:
Amazon response:

CaptainMarvel

Yeah, they've sat on several of my items for a few days recently.

spankasmurf

I'm seeing it too now that I don't have Prime anymore. Prices are higher too. I've kept my eye on Newegg and TigerDirect and bought from them for my last couple of items.

Viper187

I use NewEgg as much as I can since Amazon started charging sales tax, but Amazon still has better prices on some things.

meshershark

My most recent order took several more days than usual to ship out, with the annoyingly inaccurate status of "Shipping Now" during most of that period. I'd like to know what dictionary Amazon uses that has such a stretched definition of "now" as to render it nearly meaningless.

That order was for five DVD items, all in stock and sold directly by Amazon LLC.

BobO'Link

I've noticed a slowdown with shipments in recent months and the "subscribe and save" items seem to be part of the issue on *some* occasions. It's annoying but I understand as many items in my "subscribe and save" shipments are now "add on" and shipping that single item would cost more than the item costs.

There are other shipments for which "subscribe and save" holdups do not apply. A line you quoted in the response Amazon sent may have something to do with those:
Amazon has installed quite a few more distribution centers over the past year and I can see an item not being in the one that normally services your area. In such cases you have to wait for it to be shipped to that distribution center from another center before the entire order goes out. If they didn't do that it would be a separate package which would cost more to ship. If it's put on a truckload of other items going to the center closest to you it would cost them less so they put it on the truck and you wait.

It looks like it's all to save them money while still offering free shipping at a lower minimum purchase level. If my order is delayed a week or more because I opted for free shipping I really don't care, especially if it keeps the $25 free shipping minimum in place. If I wanted something on release day or for it to arrive within a week I'd either pay for Prime or select another shipping method during checkout.

That all still doesn't explain some really odd shipping patterns I've seen lately ("fulfilled by Amazon" items frequently come separate from the rest of an order - you would think they'd cross-ship those as well to save on costs) but overall I'm not complaining just as long as I get my orders.

But you didn't say which shipping method you chose. Did you pay for shipping or opt for free?

Viper187

Bullshit. They've always shipped things randomly in separate shipments or combined separate orders in the same shipment. There's no rhyme or reason for what they do half the time. Moreover, there's no excuse for bullshit delays. Plenty of places offer free shipping. None of them take more than a week to actually ship your order.

and yes, I opt for free shipping, despite the annoying checkout procedure constantly defaulting to 2-Day. If they allowed us to choose our goddamn carrier, I'd gladly pay for it. Media mail was bad enough. Now everything goes through multiple carriers. I had a package a month of so ago that started in TN, then detoured to UTAH before coming to PA. WTF?

Armymanis

No issues with amazon! I love amazon

Timber

I think the most annoying thing about that "Shipping Now" status is you can't cancel the order once it's in that status. So it can just sit there indefinitely and there is little you can do about it.

That said, I use Prime and very rarely have any issues with Amazon. I was upset when they started to put the S&S stuff all into one shipment on the same day every month but when they started doing 20% off for 5 or more items in that shipment I got over it fairly quickly.

spankasmurf

I bought a SSD online at Amazon on 9/8 Sun and used the Free Super Saver Shipping. Amazon indicated that the drive would arrive at my house on Sat. It traveled across the country, including being held for a day in Kansas City, and arrived as predicted on Sat.

I bought another SSD online at TigerDirect on Mon 9/9 and used the Econo free shipping. TigerDirect indicated that the drive would arrive at my house on Mon 9/16. It showed up on Sat along with the Amazon order a full shipping day earlier than predicted.

I will still order with either based on best price and take the free shipping but my expectations would be different depending on the vendor.

Giles

yesterday's release of 'Day of the Dead' never made it from Amazon - USPS delivered it after 9pm and I assume just whooshed it on the porch, where it promptly mysteriously disappeared.... I'm really annoyed, not Amazon's fault, but with the way USPS folk are now a days they do little amount of work possible (apparently putting anything through the mail slot, or in between the doors is too much to ask for).

Thinking of using Amazon Locker - any thoughts? yea or nay

sandman007

It'll probably get delivered today. Sometimes they pre-scan it because it has to be delivered within a certain time otherwise they get in trouble or something. If it doesn't show up, call the post office that delivers you mail. I've tried the Amazon Lockers once and it was pretty straightforward. Your package gets delivered, Amazon sends you a code that you enter at the terminal to unlock the locker. I like it because the lockers are usually at places that open till late at night like grocery or convenience stores.

Giles

I'll wait and see what happens today, but I find it strange that I'd get a 'delivered' text message for a product that may or might not get delivered 'today'. I tried contacting the post office this morning - but that was a joke in of itself. "I'll have the lady call you back" [my inner response: "yeah, right "]

my only problem with the Amazon locker service, is that the closet one to me is out in McLean near Tysons - not really a hop, skip and jump from my house.

Viper187

So my pre-orders for this week each shipped a day late. I even paid for standard shipping on the goddamn game guide. That's alright. I just pre-ordered. It's not like I expect it to get here this week or anything, assholes. I shouldn't have to pay for next day shipping to get shit shipped the same day it releases or the day before.

darkhawk

Amazon is trying to save shipping money. If you placed an order for 2 blu-rays. One of them is a pre-order. Amazon won't ship the other bd until you have 1 or 2 more orders that totals over $25.00.

PhantomStranger

Prime service has gone down the tubes since they've shifted to primarily (only?) using USPS as the delivery carrier of choice.

Viper187

They don't actually use USPS anymore, do they? It's always goddamn FedEx/UPS's 3rd world bullshit service that delivers to the post office, THEN USPS delivers to you.

EdTheRipper

My Prime shipments come either via UPS or USPS. No UPS Mail Innovations or any of that nonsense. I really can't even bitch about the shipments that come from the USPS, as a lot of times they arrive the day after they ship.

dleedlee

Just encountered the same. Ordered placed 9/20, still haven't shipped yet. Two items sold by Amazon and one DVD fulfilled by Amazon. All listed as in stock. (Free super saver) Most orders recently arriving via Lasership - w/o any problems.

"We've started preparing your shipment for delivery and it should leave our facility in the next few hours to a few days. We'll send you an e-mail once your order has shipped. The length of time your shipment spends in this status does not impact your delivery date."

Subscribe and Save always come fast, too fast to allow you time to skip an order it seems.

Also, I've be resorting to shipping to my parents house to avoid the new sales tax.

Viper187

HAHAHA! I live right on the state line. I've considered getting a PO box in the state next door for that reason too.

dex14

What is the point of that if you're paying for a PO Box?