The complaining about Amazon thread
#401
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
Fulfillment by Amazon just means Amazon packs and ships the items that the third-party seller paid to store at the Amazon fulfillment center.
Personally, I never buy media from third party sellers unless they're a storefront I'm familiar with. But I also wouldn't blame Amazon for the quality of a product that is sold by a third-party seller.
For what it's worth, I have Prime and I've had none of the issues that have been described in this thread.
Personally, I never buy media from third party sellers unless they're a storefront I'm familiar with. But I also wouldn't blame Amazon for the quality of a product that is sold by a third-party seller.
For what it's worth, I have Prime and I've had none of the issues that have been described in this thread.
#402
Banned by request
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
Because they rarely exist. That's why I've kept Prime. I use Prime Video sometimes, and to a lesser extent the music, but I've kept it because of their shipping times and policies. I've known for years when I buy from 3rd party, to be prepared to wait sometimes for weeks. Or the short answer - if you don't like it, shop somewhere else.
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#404
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Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
Third-party seller can be a different experience from Amazon direct.
So you're telling me I'm incorrect because I don't know what your personal experience has been? What the fuck ever, dude. Before I got Prime I would place my orders via free shipping, and I'd wait a few days before they shipped. That was supposedly to prioritize paid and Prime shipping, but I wasn't in a rush so I didn't care. Now if you were getting the equivalent of two-day shipping without paying for it, then that's great. And if they suddenly changed their policy for you, so now they're the devil, I say whatever.
So you're telling me I'm incorrect because I don't know what your personal experience has been? What the fuck ever, dude. Before I got Prime I would place my orders via free shipping, and I'd wait a few days before they shipped. That was supposedly to prioritize paid and Prime shipping, but I wasn't in a rush so I didn't care. Now if you were getting the equivalent of two-day shipping without paying for it, then that's great. And if they suddenly changed their policy for you, so now they're the devil, I say whatever.
You can defend them all you wish but it's shoddy customer service. If they want to be like Costco, fine. Simply charge $100 to those who order enough to make it worthwhile and do away with the "free shipping with lousy service" option. Because ultimately Amazon DOES NOT really have a "free shipping" option—you either pay or wait till they feel like sending it out to you. In my view, I would rather give my business to a company that values all of its customers. And for those who are apologists for Amazon when the fulfill orders for third party sellers, that's also ridiculous. If they are going to sell product through their site they are ultimately responsible for the quality of that product—especially when they are fulfilling those orders. Period. Sometimes you get so big that you develop a take it or leave it attitude towards your customers.
For those who like being treated that way, fine, keep giving them your money.
Last edited by AaronSch; 05-31-16 at 09:21 AM.
#405
DVD Talk Limited Edition
#406
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
I think the latter posts here should be moved over to that "bitching about Amazon" thread since this one is for deals only.
As far as Amazon goes - I definitely get my $100 a year PRIME fee money's worth. I don't have a Costco membership either - I just go there for the pizza, hot dogs, and churros. One does not need a membership to eat there.
As far as Amazon goes - I definitely get my $100 a year PRIME fee money's worth. I don't have a Costco membership either - I just go there for the pizza, hot dogs, and churros. One does not need a membership to eat there.
#407
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Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
I think the latter posts here should be moved over to that "bitching about Amazon" thread since this one is for deals only.
As far as Amazon goes - I definitely get my $100 a year PRIME fee money's worth. I don't have a Costco membership either - I just go there for the pizza, hot dogs, and churros. One does not need a membership to eat there.
As far as Amazon goes - I definitely get my $100 a year PRIME fee money's worth. I don't have a Costco membership either - I just go there for the pizza, hot dogs, and churros. One does not need a membership to eat there.
Reading is fundamental.
Last edited by AaronSch; 05-31-16 at 09:40 AM.
#408
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
I don't understand the desire for people in these forums to take a discussion away from the salient point being made. The original post was a legitimate concern over Amazon's shipping practices—period. It had nothing to do with those who purchase "prime" for the other services offered. What does pizza, hot dogs and churros at Costco have to do with the criticism of Amazon's shipping practices? Costco was used as an example of being a MEMBERSHIP CLUB in which only those who pay a fee can purchase items they sell—obviously other than the fast food vendors. The desire to engage in the conversation, criticize it and then take it even further off course is amazing.
Reading is fundamental.
Reading is fundamental.
You made a comparison to Costco/Amazon. I also made a comparison and explained further as to my position with the Costco and not minding Amazon's current business shipping model. That's all that was.
I don't know what to tell you about their free shipping process other than if you don't pay the PRIME premium you may or may not get your items in a timely matter. You WILL get them shipped for free ($50 minimum is it?) but the delivery window is a little bit more abstract now. Also, if you're ordering 3rd market seller material then those timeframes are sure to shift around.
My point was that the majority of this page now does not have Amazon deals just complaints about Amazon.
#409
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Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
....I don't know what to tell you about their free shipping process other than if you don't pay the PRIME premium you may or may not get your items in a timely matter. You WILL get them shipped for free ($50 minimum is it?) but the delivery window is a little bit more abstract now. Also, if you're ordering 3rd market seller material then those timeframes are sure to shift around.
My point was that the majority of this page now does not have Amazon deals just complaints about Amazon.
My point was that the majority of this page now does not have Amazon deals just complaints about Amazon.
#413
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
No , you are incorrect. It's not as you put it, "a conspiracy theory," it's their practices. I'm speaking from many years of experience. In the past, when I ordered DVDs, HD DVDs and then Blu-rays from Amazon, this was never the case. In fact, one of the reasons I never found it necessary to pay for "prime" was that things arrived quick enough for my needs. So this policy change is fairly new and it's basically extortion. They offer "free shipping" as long as you purchase $50 in merchandise—presently double most other online retailers—okay, fine. But to sit on product that is "in stock" for many days with no good reason other than to motivate you to pay for "prime" is a joke. They don't want my business any longer—that's quite okay with me—there are far better sellers in the marketplace and buying direct from individual distributors tends to be a better experience overall. In my opinion, Best Buy and, believe it or not, Deep Discount do a far better job in servicing their customers. In fact, I get rewards from Best Buy and as an "elite member," fast, free shipping. I've shifted my purchasing to Best Buy because they appreciate my business and they do not charge me for the pleasure of buying from them. This is a "prime" example why it's better to spread your money around. Buy from the retailer with good pricing—not the SOBs who simply price match when prompted. Why people continue to be apologists for Amazon's shoddy practices is beyond me.
A-hem, "colorful language" and imogees aside, of course it's personal experience. I am also not alone in my assessment of Amazon. It HAS NOT always been this way. So in that assessment alone I said you were incorrect. I'm not talking a day or two here. They are sitting on items marked "in stock" for extended periods of time in order to make "prime" look more attractive. It is a business practice designed to move customers towards purchasing "prime." If you doubt that is their strategy, you give a whole new meaning to "naive." I consider it unethical. If you don't see it that way, it is your prerogative. When a company offers "free shipping" with the caveat that you must spend at least $50, then there is no reason it should be held back from immediate processing when in stock. Does Best Buy do this? Absolutely not. Does Deep Discount Do this? NOPE!
I ordered grill parts late last Thursday night and received them via Amazon Prime on Saturday. That kind of service comes because my orders are prioritized over non-Prime orders. That should be a common sense business approach. If you think there is a conspiracy to purposely sit on orders even if the warehouse staff is sitting around doing nothing, cite a credible source. Because, I would agree, that would be outrageous.
If you're going to ask "well, why did I used to get things quicker in the past, if that's the case?" My answer is ... simple, Amazon Prime has become more and more the driver of Amazon's business model and that's a trend that is not going away. Combine that with Amazon looking more for profit than market share (compared to the past) and there is your answer.
Meanwhile, if you bought only one share of Amazon stock a few months ago when I last mentioned that I was a stockholder (with a stockholder's bias on its business model) you would have the money for 2 years of Amazon prime ...
#414
DVD Talk Godfather
#415
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
Before I got Prime I would place my orders via free shipping, and I'd wait a few days before they shipped. That was supposedly to prioritize paid and Prime shipping, but I wasn't in a rush so I didn't care. Now if you were getting the equivalent of two-day shipping without paying for it, then that's great.
On getting questionable product from third party sellers, does Amazon check the stuff that people send to them for fulfillment? I know that a third party seller is not Amazon but when that third party sends stuff to Amazon for fulfillment, do they check that what the seller says it is is actually what it is or do they just slap a bar code label on it and put it on the shelf?
#416
Senior Member
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
Your "prime" example of why you should spread your money around is delusional. How is Best Buy or Amazon supposed to be aware of the fact that you're spreading your money around (versus simply buying less or more)? If you think that they appreciate, study, analyze YOUR specific business is laughable. Your business is like a grain of sand on a long beach.
I ordered grill parts late last Thursday night and received them via Amazon Prime on Saturday. That kind of service comes because my orders are prioritized over non-Prime orders. That should be a common sense business approach. If you think there is a conspiracy to purposely sit on orders even if the warehouse staff is sitting around doing nothing, cite a credible source. Because, I would agree, that would be outrageous.
First, any new releases I received were consistently shipped no earlier than the Friday after the Tuesday release date and were generally received the following Tuesday or Wednesday. My experience with other vendors is that they generally ship new releases the Saturday before the Tuesday regardless of whether it is based on free-shipping or not. The only difference being that those that paid for shipping got it by Tuesday and those based on free-shipping arrived between Wednesday and Friday due to media mail. BB and DD have no conflicting interests to purposely delay, but Amazon does to promote PRIME. As a result, I've tended to go elsewhere for new releases that I want delivered more timely.
Second, I constantly have items on order. In Amazon's attempt to save costs on shipping and to consolidate items across warehouses I have orders constantly shifting from "preparing for shipment" to "shipping today" and back to "not yet shipped". It seems like every time I make a new order the system is told to "recalculate" like a GPS. Many times after multiple recalculates they send it out next day or two day PRIME shipping just so I receive it before the estimated three-week window expires (some times even a few days after).
Conspiracy? Maybe to some degree to promote PRIME, but for the most part I think it is all a byproduct of the convoluted shipping algorithm in their system that overly tries to consolidate items across warehouses in an attempt to minimize free shipping costs. Interestingly, I think in some cases it actually costs them more due to last minute upgraded shipping. As a result, most items I was receiving just made the three-week delivery window. I don't believe this is as simple as a basic prioritization scheme between PRIME and non-PRIME members.
In the end, PRIME has limited to no value for me. Shopping at Amazon had become a one-stop convenience with excellent customer service. Especially, given that their pricing is no longer anything special. Now...shopping around I am generally getting better deals and quicker shipping. I guess I should thank Amazon for the changes because I had become to complacent on my purchases through them.
#417
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
And for those who are apologists for Amazon when the fulfill orders for third party sellers, that's also ridiculous. If they are going to sell product through their site they are ultimately responsible for the quality of that product—especially when they are fulfilling those orders. Period. Sometimes you get so big that you develop a take it or leave it attitude towards your customers.
Furthermore, they guarantee to resolve any issue with an order from a third-party seller, whether the seller uses "Fulfillment by Amazon" or not. What more do you want?
#418
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
First, any new releases I received were consistently shipped no earlier than the Friday after the Tuesday release date and were generally received the following Tuesday or Wednesday. My experience with other vendors is that they generally ship new releases the Saturday before the Tuesday regardless of whether it is based on free-shipping or not. The only difference being that those that paid for shipping got it by Tuesday and those based on free-shipping arrived between Wednesday and Friday due to media mail. BB and DD have no conflicting interests to purposely delay, but Amazon does to promote PRIME. As a result, I've tended to go elsewhere for new releases that I want delivered more timely.
#419
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
As someone that is not a PRIME member and that became frustrated with changes in Amazon's policies I agree there is only so much one can do to get Amazon's attention. In my case, I complained to CSR and explained my frustrations. The last few years I spent over $6K per year at Amazon, but now spreading my purchases around Amazon is only going to get around $300 of my business this year. They may trend on purchasing changes like that. In the end, if Amazon decides to make policy changes that are more friendly to non-PRIME members I may be back. However, I realize it would take many-many frustrated non-PRIME members taking their business elsewhere to get that type of attention.
Amazon isn't the service it used to be. They've moved beyond being the Wal-Mart of the internet. Without Prime, you won't get all the benefits of their gadgets or access to their own TV programming.
I think the Non-Prime user has become such a small part of their business that they're completely ok with losing those customers.
#420
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
When Amazon is fulfilling the orders, they ultimately do take responsibility, so I'm not sure what your complaint is here. Amazon customer service directly handles returns and refunds when a seller uses Fulfillment by Amazon. None of that changes the fact the the third-party seller is the source of the product itself. Amazon accepts the risk that its customer service may have to handle returns for a relatively few "Fulfillment by Amazon" products that a third-party seller mishandles or misrepresents, rather than incurring the cost of inspecting each and every item provided by the seller up front. Seems like a balanced approach to me.
Furthermore, they guarantee to resolve any issue with an order from a third-party seller, whether the seller uses "Fulfillment by Amazon" or not. What more do you want?
Furthermore, they guarantee to resolve any issue with an order from a third-party seller, whether the seller uses "Fulfillment by Amazon" or not. What more do you want?
I never understood the complaints about the free shipping from Amazon. Peopel have been whining about free shipping for years, well before the advent of prime. People always whine about how the free shipping takes so long. Well, duh. It's free shipping. Only an idiot would expect free shipping to be quick. Inevitably these people that bitch about the slow free shipping, receive their parcels within the delivery window that Amazon provides as well. So they knew how long it was going to take and still ordered, and then they complain that it took as long as Amazon said it would before they ordered.
#421
Senior Member
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
Some people are only happy when they are complaining.
I never understood the complaints about the free shipping from Amazon. Peopel have been whining about free shipping for years, well before the advent of prime. People always whine about how the free shipping takes so long. Well, duh. It's free shipping. Only an idiot would expect free shipping to be quick. Inevitably these people that bitch about the slow free shipping, receive their parcels within the delivery window that Amazon provides as well. So they knew how long it was going to take and still ordered, and then they complain that it took as long as Amazon said it would before they ordered.
I never understood the complaints about the free shipping from Amazon. Peopel have been whining about free shipping for years, well before the advent of prime. People always whine about how the free shipping takes so long. Well, duh. It's free shipping. Only an idiot would expect free shipping to be quick. Inevitably these people that bitch about the slow free shipping, receive their parcels within the delivery window that Amazon provides as well. So they knew how long it was going to take and still ordered, and then they complain that it took as long as Amazon said it would before they ordered.
What i do know is that when customers are used to dealing with a particular vendor and they start to see certain services decline in comparison to other vendors (e.g., higher free shipping minimum, longer shipping times, higher shipping costs) they tend to want to complain. Sounds pretty natural to me. However, in the end they generally just make a decision to either accept the changes, convert to another approach (i.e., PRIME), or go with another vendor instead. I've chosen the later for most of my purchases.
Threads like this are just an outlet that rarely end because someone always revives it. Whether it be a complainer or a complainer of the complainers.
#422
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
Not exactly...at least not in my case. Most of the vendors that offer free shipping provide a very conservative estimate window of how long it will take to cover any delays. So while Amazon generally meets the deadline, in my experience, they have been moving further and further to the end of that window. Whether this be to further promote PRIME or just to cut down on shipping costs by trying to consolidate orders across warehouses I do not know.
What i do know is that when customers are used to dealing with a particular vendor and they start to see certain services decline in comparison to other vendors (e.g., higher free shipping minimum, longer shipping times, higher shipping costs) they tend to want to complain. Sounds pretty natural to me. However, in the end they generally just make a decision to either accept the changes, convert to another approach (i.e., PRIME), or go with another vendor instead. I've chosen the later for most of my purchases.
Threads like this are just an outlet that rarely end because someone always revives it. Whether it be a complainer or a complainer of the complainers.
What i do know is that when customers are used to dealing with a particular vendor and they start to see certain services decline in comparison to other vendors (e.g., higher free shipping minimum, longer shipping times, higher shipping costs) they tend to want to complain. Sounds pretty natural to me. However, in the end they generally just make a decision to either accept the changes, convert to another approach (i.e., PRIME), or go with another vendor instead. I've chosen the later for most of my purchases.
Threads like this are just an outlet that rarely end because someone always revives it. Whether it be a complainer or a complainer of the complainers.
#423
Senior Member
Re: Amazon discounts and deals on Blu-ray
It just seems silly to me to bitch and moan about a company's service, when they let you know before you even place the order what service you are going to get. They don't hide the fact that the free shipping threshold is $50, and that free shipping will take x amount of days. People agree to these stipulations before they order, and then complain when their package arrives on time as promised.
My moving on to other vendors has more to do with the $50 threshold then anything else because it makes it more difficult for me to balance finding items at my preferred price and meeting the threshold. But I have moved on, moaning isn't going to change that. My one gripe with the shipping isn't related to the receipt window but to the status provided. When the status changes to "preparing for shipment" or "shipping today" I admit I start to get a bit anxious that I may be receiving it soon. But when it stays that way for several days and bounces back to "not shipped yet" for another week it is a bit of an annoyance. But even that I have come to accept for the few items i still pickup from Amazon.
It is obviously Amazon's right to change policy and practice as they see fit, as it is for a consumer to complain about the changes. I agree, moaning about these years later makes no sense, but in this case, the instances mentioned are still relatively new events. However, Amazon practices related to free shipping are probably continuously being adjusted, so maybe the appearance is a never ending complaint fest.
#424
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Re: The complaining about Amazon thread
As far as whether Amazon employees are sitting on their hands looking at free-shipping packages stack up, I ordered three items the other day, two with two-day shipping because I wanted them quickly and one with slow shipping because I wanted the digital credit. They just threw them all in the same box.
#425
Senior Member
Re: The complaining about Amazon thread
As far as whether Amazon employees are sitting on their hands looking at free-shipping packages stack up, I ordered three items the other day, two with two-day shipping because I wanted them quickly and one with slow shipping because I wanted the digital credit. They just threw them all in the same box.
I don't think it has anything to do with delays by the staff preparing the orders but instead is how the computer delivery program tries to determine the best approach. I don't have PRIME, but yet I receive plenty of PRIME labeled packages due to the fact many of my orders fall to the final days and need to be sent next day of two-day to get here by the estimated delivery date. I just received notice today of a free shipping order going out today for delivery tomorrow due to the three-week window expiring tomorrow.
My complaints earlier on were based on not liking the changes related to free-shipping because I had become accustomed to just ordering from Amazon and that was becoming more difficult to justify. Now when I do make an order with Amazon it is knowing full well what to expect.
Last edited by bsmith; 06-03-16 at 01:45 PM.