Amazon is not what it used to be...

[Jeremy Igo]

That will work. Let me know. I know a few spots we can meet up at and fish under docks. 

#maledocking 

[rayzor]

I get stuff from Amazon at least once a week. Been doing that for years, especially with prime that I've had for at least 5 years.

I can't remember the last time thing I got that I had to wait more than 2 days. Even some stuff that isn't prime I get in that window. Some stuff might not be the absolute cheapest, but it keeps me from having to go to Walmart or wherever and buying more than I intended on and I don't waste gas or time driving. 

If I need something right away, I'll go to Walmart or wherever. Most everything else is Amazon. Yeah, I know I'm contributing to the new giant beast, but I did that with Walmart and I'll probably do it with the next big thing.

[d-dave]

On 4/20/2018 at 2:18 PM, Anybodyhome said:

Hey d: off-topic, but have you ever used Donorschoose.org for a specific classroom project? It's specifically designed for schools/teachers and is a pretty well-vetted space. I keep track of the local schools and will occasionally ship in on a project, although I don't have any kids. I always try to help if its books. 

I have tried to, but I never got funded.  I'm in a school now where I don't have to worry about that.

My wife did it several times for smaller things like class sets of book and that worked.  I never got funded for things like expert workshops, trips, or other curricular items.  Then again, I'm not a tested subject.

I know math teachers that got a TON of stuff from there though.  =)  Well, at least they were helping someone =)

[ladypanther]

I have Prime and I love it.  Have not had any issues.  Also love the reviews.  They are very helpful.

[Paintballr]

I’ve had Prime for years. I remember when Prime was just the two day shipping guarantee (and they would do anything to make it right) and it was less than $80 for a year. 

I understand what they are doing, but honestly I just got the cost increase email. For $120 I don’t see the value of $40 which may not sound like much, but that’s a 50% increase in 6 years. Sure they’ve added prime music (Spotify and pandora are head and shoulders better), Prime video (Netflix and Hulu are better), cloud storage (google photos Is free), I just done see the value in the increase for myself. I don’t see value to “same day shipping to my parked car in a public place”, Prime app of over priced groceries being delivered within 4 hours (when grocery competition sells it cheaper and puts it in my car when I want), and I’m their ideal demographic (29 year old male millennial). The one thing I do like is the amazon locker concept, and being able  to pick up/return on my drive back home. 

A year ago I lived in concord (maybe 6 miles from a the fulfillment warehouse). Not the greatest apartment complex but it was safe, just old. The mail box did not have a package drop off, and the office was closed on Sunday’s. I would usually order something on Thursday/Friday, and when USPS delivered on Sunday, since my package would not fit in my mail slot, and since the driver refused to drive 100 yards from the mail box, I would always get a “failed to deliver” message from amazon. No big deal at first. I wouldn’t say anything until it kept happening. I finally started to complain and track how often it would happen. Amazon gave me maybe 5 months free of the prime membership and always blamed it on the carrier. I changed my buying pattern just because they couldn’t get usps to deliver properly or use a different carrier. 

Fast forward to now, I live in a much nicer complex that is new in Huntersville. I ordered dog poo bags for my dog, and a cell phone case for my new phone. I placed the order on Friday and forgot about it. Come Tuesday I got an email saying “your package has been delayed if you do not receive it by Thursday please let us know”. At that point I’m kinda thinking “what the hell, it’s been 4 days since I ordered it”. Come Wednesday the next day, a unmarked carrier van pulls up delivering nothing but amazon boxes. I asked the man if he was delivering to my place and he said yes and handed me my package. I didn’t pay attention after that but wasn’t very happy. I finally got an email Friday night saying “sorry your package was lost, please contact us immediately “ 

After I got that email I knew amazon is starting to let its systems crack. I contact them to let them know I received the product, the chat representative didn’t understand how I could have and asked if I can received a call at 11pm from the logistics senior to talk about this. Immediately I answered the phone and the logistics senior starts rambling a scripted message about they are truly sorry about the delay and will get a new set going. I just wait till she is done explaining how this happened and it’s the carriers fault and I just simply say “I received it two days ago. Can I ask who the carrier was?” It was amazons own damn logistics company. I guess they are starting to source their own shipping if it’s within a certain range of a warehouse. I asked if they owned the shipping, it’s amazon brand products, and they are the ones that messed no up “since it was the carriers fault” why did I receive it 5 days after I ordered, and 4 days after it was “shipped” which is when the real guaranteed date is based off of. She just apologized and we ended our call. 

Amazon is very profitable at the moment. There is no denying it. But the purchase of Whole Foods (terrible decision when grocery margin is on average 1%-3%), the continued increase of Prime, the video portion spending money desperately trying to get original (good) content,  the constant bad press lately on work conditions, they need to tread lightly the next few years or the brand image will take a hit. Not saying amazon won’t be profitable in 5-10 years, but they could run the risk of not making as much money and taking a hit in its stock.

[Still Brooklyn]

They have you RIGHT where they want you, knowing 90% of their customer base will never switch to Wal-Mart, Target, or Google Express. Amazon is a horrible company that is very, very bad for retail.

 

That said, I have Prime, lol. I live in a doorman building so I never have any issues with my stuff. Sure, some stuff comes late or gets cancelled, but you can't get any lazier than using Amazon.

[PantherKing1983]

Want to cover a few things , first of all there is no fulfillment center in Concord its a sort center all they do is receive packages from multiple fulfillment centers and sort them to post offices and since November the new Delivery Station in Charlotte which is next to the small fulfillment center just past the airport. A new fulfillment center is being built in Concord area but no timeline for the opening of that center.

Amazon does not deliver any packages they sub contract out the deliveries to currently 4 small delivery companies (just charlotte area it varies station to station nation wide)  which use the unmarked white vans, usps , fed ex , ups and lastly "flex" which is an uber like app where people in normal vehicles  pick up and deliver packages. The small company drivers are really questionable at best and I doubt at least 75 percent could ever get a job driving for a company like ups or fed ex. 

The biggest problem I have noticed is that the Delivery Station is not equipped to properly problem solve and fix issues in house so if your package ends up being lost it can have simply mis-scanned  , misplaced , or truly lost but it seems to be easier for them to just no matter what the issue is just go ahead and reship the item rather than just fixing the issue at the delivery station which is leading to the over 2 day prime shipping promise. 

Where they seem to be excelling is their Same Day shipping which is top notch the only downside is since there is only a small fulfillment center in Charlotte the inventory is quite limited. 

[Paintballr]

2 hours ago, PantherKing1983 said:

Want to cover a few things , first of all there is no fulfillment center in Concord its a sort center all they do is receive packages from multiple fulfillment centers and sort them to post offices and since November the new Delivery Station in Charlotte which is next to the small fulfillment center just past the airport. A new fulfillment center is being built in Concord area but no timeline for the opening of that center.

Amazon does not deliver any packages they sub contract out the deliveries to currently 4 small delivery companies (just charlotte area it varies station to station nation wide)  which use the unmarked white vans, usps , fed ex , ups and lastly "flex" which is an uber like app where people in normal vehicles  pick up and deliver packages. The small company drivers are really questionable at best and I doubt at least 75 percent could ever get a job driving for a company like ups or fed ex. 

The biggest problem I have noticed is that the Delivery Station is not equipped to properly problem solve and fix issues in house so if your package ends up being lost it can have simply mis-scanned  , misplaced , or truly lost but it seems to be easier for them to just no matter what the issue is just go ahead and reship the item rather than just fixing the issue at the delivery station which is leading to the over 2 day prime shipping promise. 

Where they seem to be excelling is their Same Day shipping which is top notch the only downside is since there is only a small fulfillment center in Charlotte the inventory is quite limited. 

As most of what you answered was based off what I posted, I’m assuming you either work for Amazon or know someone who does. 

I assumed the huge warehouse at the concord airport was a fulfillment center. It seems kinda redundant to build a sort center to help sort packages, then send them to their direct area for this region. I could be wrong, I just don’t know the logistics side that well. 

I understand amazon sourcing 4 vendors in this market to help with deliveres. It’s cheaper then depending on USPS and UPS to fulfill all your orders. Amazon needs to bite the built and either invest as that middle man (post office) or put the pressure on them to deliver their goods or they will go else where. Honestly, I think USPS etc know they have amazon, and knows they need them to deliver. As you said, flex is terrible and does nothing but damage the brand image when it consistently delivers late and loses packages. I could be wrong, but the man who delivered my package in Huntersville had nothing but amazon items, and could have sworn he had amazon clothes on, but that doesn’t mean he works for amazon. 

I assume the new fulfillment center you speak of in concord is over off international drive near FedEx. They built these huge warehouses with absolutely nothing in them yet, or back towards Afton next to GSF.

Like it or not, amazon has increased Prime by 50% in 6 years and hasn’t really shown value for the increase. They need to tread lightly here as they are getting pressure over tax laws, shipping promises. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start to see subscriptions drop in the next 3-5 years if they continue increases like they have.

[Ja Rhule]

Just purchased sprinkler for a yard... paid premium price.  Product has 5 Stars by hundreds...  first use, sprinkler broke.  Awful design. 

[Johnny Rockets]

2 minutes ago, ARSEN said:

Just purchased sprinkler for a yard... paid premium price.  Product has 5 Stars by hundreds...  first use, sprinkler broke.  Awful design. 

You fed the monster you helped create. Shame on you Arsen. I still love Amazon and their convenience. 

[Scrumtrilescent]

Me, too.  

Plus, LOTR.  Grand Tour.  Bob the Builder.

And I use the poo out of AWS EC2.

[Paintballr]

10 minutes ago, Scrumtrilescent said:

Me, too.  

Plus, LOTR.  Grand Tour.  Bob the Builder.

And I use the poo out of AWS EC2.

I’m excited for LOTR, but I’m not getting my hopes up. The Tolkien foundation is usually very protective of its product, and usually won’t give it out unless they know it’s going to be good.....but how the Hobbit was milked into a trilogy and made a fake love story of a dwarf and a elf who never existed in the original. I’m skeptical. 

I appreciate the convenance right now of amazon. But like I said earlier give it 5 more years and let’s see how they adjust to its problems right now. 

[TbTeRRoR]

On 4/17/2018 at 8:28 PM, ARSEN said:

This...  I bought something and I needed 1 day shipping.  Amazon made me pay $30 and ship it ground from Texas....  got it 4 days later.  I went to Target and found same product cheaper...  I sent that poo back to Amazon.

My subscribe and save used to all come on the same day in 1-2 big boxes...  Now all my subscribe and save comes throughout 10 days in multiple boxes... 

I had Arlo cameras on my wish list for 4 months...  its always been $440-$480...  For the first time ever, Amazon jacked up the price to $509 and put it on lightning deals... And said it’s 25% off when clearly it’s $70 more.

 

......that appears to be sold by netgear......not amazon

[Cat]

I don't know what I'd do without Amazon. I buy almost everything on Amazon. If it wasn't for amazon I'd never have time to play video games. Thanks Amazon.