Amazon rant

[JacquesBBB]

I  love books, and as it is very convenient uses Amazon
and was satisfied until now, where  it seems that the ultimate inefficiency of their
system was hit !

I have preordered  "The Art of Electronics " since 27 january, and was eager to receive my copy
last  April, 4th.

Unfortunately, the book  was packed in the most flimsy package you can imagine for this big 2.5 kg  book. It was completely loose in a large box of very weak cardboard,  with a small piece of paper as only inner protection, which obviously was totally inefficient and the book could move in its box.

As a result, the box was broken in some parts, the corners and the edges  were torn, which I cannot stand for a new book.

I complained to Amazon.co.uk, who immediately proposed to send a new copy. I was impressed by the rapidity of their answers, but warn them that if they send  the new copy with the same package, it will have the same results.

they assure me  that it would be different :

I've reviewed your email and understand your concern regarding the condition in which you received the book 'The Art of Electronics by Horowitz, Paul,Hill, Winfield'.

Please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused to you by this situation. I do understand how frustrating this must have been to you.

I understand that you received the book in a bad condition and this has happened because of the bad packaging of the parcel.

Please be assured, I've escalated this issue with the Fulfilment department and I've also shared your comments. I'm sure they'll look into the issue and make sure this is not repeated for the replacement order.

I have now received the new copy. The package is indeed different, but even worse than the previous one and the book had several bad hits.

Obviously, there is one guy that interact with the customers, and another one who send the parcels, but without any connection between them.
I again complained after Amazon, and in a similar way as previously, had a guy who
ensured me that they will take care that the package is done properly.

We’ll need to carry out a physical check of the item in our Fulfilment Centre.

I’ve requested that someone from our Fulfilment Team checks our inventory of the item and ensure that it is packaged differently and more securely..

I wonder how many times we will need to iterate until they understand that these big books need to be  packed with  stronger case than a paperback 300g book.

As it was packed, it seems impossible to me that the parcel arrives in proper condition, and I wonder also if this problem happened to  other users of this forum.

[Towger]

Mine was backed in same large box with no extra padding.  It arrived safely from Amazon UK to Ireland without too much damage. The sinewave pages are more anoying.

[Tallie]

Mine was packed in the same manner. No damage, though, thankfully. Mistakes happen... Amazon customer service has never treated me badly. They are best in class IMO.

[Neganur]

They did that to my Pozar, I was furious. Fucking way to send a $180 book.

[Tinkerer]

I once got a mechanical hard drive like that. The box was about 20-40x larger than the box the hard drive was in. You can imagine what I was thinking when I opened the box.

[nanofrog]

I've gotten multiple orders like that, and I definitely get your point of the disconnect between customer service and the packaging methods & materials used at the fulfillment sites (most is contracted as I understand it).

If I absolutely must use Amazon (try to avoid them over moral concerns), I try to order things that wouldn't be damaged in their packaging (well packed by the manufacturer or isn't going to be damaged; loss of item when it punches a hole in the box & exits said box is another issue  ). Also a good idea to separate light items from heavy ones if at all possible IME.

[Rog520]

More often than not I get product from Amazon packaged that way. I figure that they the shoulder the burden of replacement on the manufacturer or vendor that makes/supplies the product, so Amazon has no incentive to spend money on proper packing. I've often felt eBay is a bad deal for sellers; I can't imagine being a seller on Amazon.

[G7PSK]

Mine Arrived in the same packaging, but unhurt, there was however a page that was folded over and torn in the printing or binding operation. The paper is a lot flimsier and the printing is poorer than the 2nd edition that I also have, I found that disappointing.

[donotdespisethesnake]

I think the problem with Amazon is their business model doesn't really work. They slashed prices compared to retail to gain market share. Now they have sales volume but with a very thin margin so in order to make any profit, they need to reduce overhead to absolute minimum. That means hiring temp staff at minimum wage and working them as fast as possible. They probably have 10 seconds to "pack" a parcel.

I can see why they have been moving away from direct sales, and making money through hiring out their web servers, for example.

[all_repair]

If I absolutely must use Amazon (try to avoid them over moral concerns),

What are the moral concerns?
Since Amazon started to ship free to my country, I have been buying from them once or twice a week for almost a year.  Overbox is my biggest rant, especially for those that  they do not ship outside USA and I have to use a forwarder.   As a whole, no other online retailer come close to them in attending to the customer to me.  It still amazes me they can run a business that can absorb a 100-200 shipping fee on a 100-200 of item order.

[Howardlong]

If I absolutely must use Amazon (try to avoid them over moral concerns),

What are the moral concerns?
Since Amazon started to ship free to my country, I have been buying from them once or twice a week for almost a year.  Overbox is my biggest rant, especially for those that  they do not ship outside USA and I have to use a forwarder.   As a whole, no other online retailer come close to them in attending to the customer to me.  It still amazes me they can run a business that can absorb a 100-200 shipping fee on a 100-200 of item order.

I assume it's either to do with their highly creative tax avoidance schemes or their employment practices, neither of which put Amazon in a particularly good light. I just wish I could take the taxman to a slap up dinner and negotiate my tax away like these outfits do.

[gore]

I ordered mine from amazon as well. The same package: a thin cardboard - book shaped, but not really a box. A book that heavy is very likely to get damaged without any bubble wrap. Fortunately, only a few corner bumps on my copy - no tears. I had the option of paying more for shipping. I can't recall how much more it was, but I wonder whether it would make a difference, other than the time.

[daneck]

I have bought from Amazon almost since their beginning.  Initially it was books but I quickly moved to electronics and computer equipment for my business.  My buying from distributors (mainly Tech Data) dropped down to almost nothing because of Amazon's pricing and service.

BUT, their obsession with getting out the product fast finally snapped my loyalty.  They talked about getting product to me in the afternoon that I ordered in the morning.  Then they started experimenting with the silly drone delivery.  My God, who cares!  If I receive product in a week, that is fine if I don't have to bear the tax burden.

In my case, Amazon put two new distribution centers in Florida (USA), which meant they had to start charging Florida sales tax.  That now makes them non-competitive since I can usually beat their price and not have to pay any tax from other vendors such as Egghead.  I just bought a $750 scanner which would have been about $50 more in sales tax from Amazon.

I refuse to pay sales tax on Internet purchases except for really low cost items, which is about all I now buy from Amazon.  I know galloping taxation greed of states and countries will overtake us all eventually, but I will continue the fight.  I gave up on Amazon when they didn't fight hard enough for me and their priorities diverged from mine.

[JacquesBBB]

Fortunately, only a few corner bumps on my copy

For me it is not acceptable to receive a new book with  "corner bumps". A bookseller  needs to  use proper packaging to ensure that the books arrive to the customer in pristine condition.
 

[Mechanical Menace]

For me it is not acceptable to receive a new book with  "corner bumps". A bookseller  needs to  use proper packaging to ensure that the books arrive to the customer in pristine condition.

Same here, but try and get Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, or even any of the publishers to agree and you've an uphill struggle on your hands. At least Amazon will replace them, bricks and mortar stores just won't get the stock in until the damaged goods are sold for full price.

[1xrtt]

I always, YMMV. I never had a problem with Amazon delivering to Brazil, and even the usual 30 days shipping time is acceptable, comparing to Ebay, Aliexpress and others.
Once however, the courier they worked with, did not deliver my books, and marked the package as "refused". As it happens, at that day, there was a street fair very close to my aparment building and the traffic was pretty bad, so they found easier just not do their work.
I complained to Amazon Customer Service, who acknowledge the problem and I got a full refund next day. I believe they kept my complaint in record, because when I re-ordered those same books, about two months later, they arrive in by Fedex in just a couple of days, no extra shipping cost was charged.

[smjcuk]

I hate it when they do this. I ordered a Rotring Rapid Pro mechnical pencil a couple of days ago and I wasn't in when it turned up. The peon who delivered it (amazon logistics who we have here in the UK) bent the fucking package in half and wedged it through the letter box. Bend the gift box totally. Pen is fine but I can't give it to my father as a gift now.

Need to then go and find another damn gift this week as it'll take 5 days for a replacement.

[Tinkerer]

I think the problem with Amazon is their business model doesn't really work. They slashed prices compared to retail to gain market share. Now they have sales volume but with a very thin margin so in order to make any profit, they need to reduce overhead to absolute minimum. That means hiring temp staff at minimum wage and working them as fast as possible. They probably have 10 seconds to "pack" a parcel.

I can see why they have been moving away from direct sales, and making money through hiring out their web servers, for example.

Except that it doesnt take but a second to shove in some packaging material to stop whatever it is inside from rattling around. Even better is that they could have the darned computer figure out the size of the contents to be shipped and have it tell the person the proper box size to use.

[PsychoMaster]

Sacrilegious Disrespect!

[nanofrog]

If I absolutely must use Amazon (try to avoid them over moral concerns),

What are the moral concerns?

Here's a few articles that might be of help.

• My week as an Amazon insider
• Worse than Wal-Mart: Amazon’s sick brutality and secret history of ruthlessly intimidating workers
• Is Amazon a new bad Apple?
• Germany Investigates Treatment of Amazon Workers

Even if there's some embellishment towards political ideology, there's still a consistent recurring theme in multiple countries for it to be fiction.

[all_repair]

If I absolutely must use Amazon (try to avoid them over moral concerns),

What are the moral concerns?

Here's a few articles that might be of help.

• My week as an Amazon insider
• Worse than Wal-Mart: Amazon’s sick brutality and secret history of ruthlessly intimidating workers
• Is Amazon a new bad Apple?
• Germany Investigates Treatment of Amazon Workers

Even if there's some embellishment towards political ideology, there's still a consistent recurring theme in multiple countries for it to be fiction.

Woo..They are quite a bit.  I have to reduce my purchases from Amazon.  It is difficult to support brick-n-mortal shops here because the shop-owners are just slaves to the landlords, and most shall close sooner or later after gambling away their savings, even they are selling at 3 or more times that of Amazon price. 

[smjcuk]

From a book sales perspective it's a horrible market. I know a guy who has written three books and not made a penny between the retailers and the publishers. In fact he said that that it's better to just steal or copy his books than buy them.

Everything else, straight from the source: China. Every middle man adds cost and low margin slavery to the process. In fact that's pretty much what most businesses do that shift tangibles these days.

Profit always comes before ethics.

One reason I folded my company - I could only compete in the market by screwing people.

[nanofrog]

One reason I folded my company - I could only compete in the market by screwing people.

This is where the "one man band" operations have an advantage (no employees to have to screw over to get by), assuming they've enough work to stay in business. 

[smjcuk]

One reason I folded my company - I could only compete in the market by screwing people.

This is where the "one man band" operations have an advantage (no employees to have to screw over to get by), assuming they've enough work to stay in business. 

I was a one man band (limited company). I had to screw over clients.

[nanofrog]

One reason I folded my company - I could only compete in the market by screwing people.

This is where the "one man band" operations have an advantage (no employees to have to screw over to get by), assuming they've enough work to stay in business. 

I was a one man band (limited company). I had to screw over clients.

Ouch. Wasn't thinking of clients as those in the line of fire.