Amazing world of Amazon

[armalites]

If you are regularly ordering stuff there is no doubt the Amazon Prime subscription is some of the best money you will ever spend.

It's difficult to comprehend how far they can take things.

I needed some replacement automotive fuses in various sizes including some old style ceramic/torpedo types. Selection packs with 2-300 fuses were £8-12. I ordered at 21:30 and they arrived next day on two separate deliveries. Everywhere on eBay was "Free 3 days postage" who needs that especially when it's not any cheaper?

We've just got a Rotabroach mag drill, got a kit with all cutter sizes from 12-30 and a couple of others. Sods law we were drilling some hole for some agricultural pins that were clearly marked as 28mm but turns out they are far more likely to 1-1/8 inch. This was yesterday morning. Nowhere locally had imperial but we could have used a 29mm which was available locally but would have been a bit loose. The place we got the mag drill from listed 1-1/8 for £26 but it was £8 delivery which would have been Monday. During my search I found the same cutter from the same company listed on Amazon for £30 and up until 15:00 it was showing "Delivery tomorrow 12th Feb" and it wasn't even coming from Amazon warehouse. I rang them because I didn't it was likely but they said they just send it how Amazon tells them. Got my wife to order it as she has the Prime account, later got a dispatch notification and this morning she got a text saying DPD will deliver today!!

Having done a Saturday delivery for other stuff before I know it can be as much as £25 so this deal is incredible.

It's not just small stuff either, I'm re-doing the loft hatch and can order a loft ladder with free next day delivery.

I'm at the point where I don't order anything now where there isn't a clear idea when it will be shipped, it always bugs me when I pay the extra for next day delivery when all that actually means is next day from when they ship it.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I more than cover my prime subs on postage alone. Prime video is an added bonus

 

[reb78]

I cant get on with Amazon.

The search function just seems useless to me. If I search for m10 bolts I will get presented with phone charging cables (or something equally unrelated) with the odd pack of very expensive bolts mixed in with very other page.

If i look at anything and dont buy i get incessant emails reminding me i forgot to buy.

When the search list works they hide the best value deal on page 10000.

Their argument with Visa was pathetic.

They trick you into continuing trial subscriptions by hiding the cancel button somewhere illogical.

My sister had an expired card of mine on her account... when her card expired (from which they were taking her subscriptions) they just switched to mine even though that card had expired, was in a different name to my sister and at that point was registered to another address!!

I have given up with them.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

The practice of auto renewal isn't Amazon specific. Pretty standard tactic across the board.

 

[8ob]

Amazon seems to be the go to for swmbo and the kids, I am surprised our gate openers haven't gone up in flames. Still getting most of my consumables off the bay of thieves and if you select uk sellers only the gear usually turns up the next day. Ordered some glow plugs at 3pm and they were in the letterbox the next morning, cant get that using our local motor factors.

Bob

 

[armalites]

I must admit with the cutter I have arriving today I couldn't find it at all using the Amazon search facility even when I type the exact detail in from the item I had found already.

Weirdly it was no issue for that Google who found it immediately.

I often now search on google and include Amazon in the search.

 

[Fraserb]

Very occasionally I get the weird search thing, forgot to order a specific thing for my lads birthday tomorrow so went onto amazon yesterday lunchtime and searched, nothing even remotely close on first 2 pages so went to Google thinking I could order it for next week and blame covid for the delay, first answer was on amazon, so bought it and it'll be here in an hour.

 

[Fastdruid]

I must admit with the cutter I have arriving today I couldn't find it at all using the Amazon search facility even when I type the exact detail in from the item I had found already.

Weirdly it was no issue for that Google who found it immediately.

I often now search on google and include Amazon in the search.

To be fair this isn't a problem exclusive to Amazon. There are very few who actually manage to have an effective search and its really not helped by their attempts to be "helpful" and have fuzzy searching. For example the Facebook marketplace is absolutely terrible. If I want to search for anyone who may be selling any Harrison milling/lathe parts and search for Harrison... I get fishing rods, curtain rails, sofas and Harrison Ford. If I search for Harrison lathe I get some Harrison lathes but then Colchesters, Boxfords etc etc.. and then vintage tools, Beatles books etc.

 

[zzr1200]

I wanted a couple of items from the USA, shipping costs are horrendous at times.

Ebay sellers wouldn't post so l searched Amazon, the same item was slightly more expensive, but considering the reduced Amazon costs {free for the items} in shipping and custom charges up front/included, sometimes cheaper....


PS:
At least with Amazon you have a come back, after all they do the shipping, sort of.....

PS:2

Well worth the cost of Prime Membership..........

 

[Kram]

The amazon service is very good, however its the search that makes them money. Most will buy what amazon show first, cheaper results are well hidden, even if sorted low to high - note how changing the sort reduces the number of items and the ones it shows you become less relevant.

Ebay does the same, they both take extra clicks to get around.

The best thing with prime is during the return window, returns are easy, and instant refund when the post office scan the item. The seller doesnt have any say in the refund process for prime stuff, so Im happier to risk items that may be complete rubbish, they can go straight back with no problem.

Ive ordered cheap items at 1am and recieved the same day, on a sunday too. No other service lets you order on a Saturday evening for Sunday delivery.

I dont even pay the subscription, you can share it between 3 or 4 people!

 

[Bobupndown]

I tend to default to evilbay, seem to have a better selection of car / workshop type stuff that I tend to buy. Also, I hate trying to find the description of an item on Amazon, they have it waaaay down the listing and get fed up scrolling. I do agree their speed of delivery is excellent even living in Northern Ireland they often manage to fulfil next day delivery although sometimes its second day.

 

[Aerohead]

I find the same as Bobupordown, for car parts ebay usually better choice and prices. Not to mention choice of used stuff.

If you can wait a couple days most of the time ebay works out cheaper. In last couple years competition has forced ebay to make returns and refunds much easier. But ebay auctions are mostly a waste of time for me last couple of years, far too much manipulation and rigging.

Both are hard on sellers, with ebay admin unimagineably incompetent, and amazon only cares once you sell over 250k per year, persistent reports amazon will ban small sellers. In USA Walmart after many false starts and billions spent is finally becoming a contender as well.

 

[Morrisman]

A lot of the ‘hits’ you get on Amazon searches are sponsored products, even when you click on the ‘customer reviews’ button.

I find their service in general pretty good. Quite often I can order something in the morning, and it arrives same day. And there’s a button to click to show only those products too.

Amazon is definitely the way shopping scene is going, the same way supermarkets and shopping centres once took over from corner shops. C*v*d lockdown accelerated the move too, much to the delight of Amazon shareholders.

 

[MetalMonkey]

If you order it without prime it often still comes next day anyway.
I've ordered stuff the night before and had it first thing in the morning despite it saying 3 days.

I've had it come next day from Amazon Europe as well...
I'm never usually in that much of a rush - Fair play if you need it urgently, but I can't help thinking it is extremely wasteful for everything to be shipped around the globe that quickly all the time.

 

[Memmeddu]

I believe it's the safest marketplace in the world

 

[Maker]

The amazon service is very good, however its the search that makes them money. Most will buy what amazon show first, cheaper results are well hidden, even if sorted low to high - note how changing the sort reduces the number of items and the ones it shows you become less relevant.

I've noticed sometimes the exact same item listed twice, one with Prime shipping, one slightly cheaper without Prime. It sounds so stupid to say it but having already paid for the prime subscription, I feel compelled to buy the prime shipping one, even though it costs more, "To make the most of the subscription".

I've also had mum send me links for things to order on prime, she sees one price and I see a slightly higher one, cheeky sods.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

If you order it without prime it often still comes next day anyway.
I've ordered stuff the night before and had it first thing in the morning despite it saying 3 days.

I've had it come next day from Amazon Europe as well...
I'm never usually in that much of a rush - Fair play if you need it urgently, but I can't help thinking it is extremely wasteful for everything to be shipped around the globe that quickly all the time.

I could live with a weekly shipping basket. Pile it in and deliver it all on a set day. With the option to expedite if required.

 

[DanZac]

I could live with a weekly shipping basket. Pile it in and deliver it all on a set day. With the option to expedite if required.

That is a genius idea and would make my life so much easier, just bulk it all together and deliver on a Friday afternoon when I might actually be in.

 

[pcwizme]

I could live with a weekly shipping basket. Pile it in and deliver it all on a set day. With the option to expedite if required.

you can do this, set if to delivery day and select what day you want it delivered

 

[Kram]

You can but it must cost amazon more to deliver every day, so why not?
I like the idea of "subscribe and save" on common items but so far, none of them have worked out. It would be ideal for non food, weekly shopping type stuff.

Anyone have a morrisons nearby, and tried the amazon/morrisons delivery?

I've noticed sometimes the exact same item listed twice, one with Prime shipping, one slightly cheaper without Prime. It sounds so stupid to say it but having already paid for the prime subscription, I feel compelled to buy the prime shipping one, even though it costs more, "To make the most of the subscription".

I've also had mum send me links to order something for her to get it on prime, she sees one price and I see a slightly higher one, cheeky sods.

Not what Ive seen, but amazon are a bit cleaver and change prices frequently. Prices often go up if there is a purchase or several views. I've checked accross devices logged in/out and as logged in as others. Always the same price at a specific time.

The difference in prime/non prime pricing seems to depend how old the stock is. If its fresh new stock, they put the price up to cover amazon costs. If no one buys it, the price will drop, sometimes well below what I assume it costs, to get it sold, before amazon charge extra storage fees. Amazon doesnt like old stock!
Obscure items that will have low sales volume are freqently cheap - last year there were a load of VFD's we found, lathe tools and stuff like that.