Amazon 'deliveries' - a caution

[Pontius Navigator]

I think I made it up.

But they might be considering it in Londistan.

PS https://primenow.amazon.co.uk/onboard?sourceUrl=%2Fhome

[ExSp33db1rd]

Local hardware emporium recently closed down, pity, one could still buy the single 2" 2BA nut and bolt - that one needed that afternoon - for a few cents, instead of having to order a hard cased plastic packed dozen ( that need a passing 5 year old to open ) 11 of which will eventually be thrown away when "someone" clears out my garage after my demise.

[Rwy in Sight]

Nothing beats spotting something on the store website drive to the store get a discount and return home with the said item. Obviously it does not work everywhere.

[Alisoncc]

Living in semi-rural Australia ordering off the 'Net is a godsend. Hardly a week goes by when I haven't order something. Order specialist flours - spelt, sorghum, besan, etc, from a warehouse in Melbourne 400 miles away. Delivered to my door. Get good discounted prices on health supplements, ordered online from Sydney supplier, and again delivered to my door. Invariably the post and packing is far less than the combined discounts, and the products are fresher. Ordered my Air Fryer online, and the postie carried it in and placed it on my kitchen bench. Not massively heavy, but he offered.

Alison

[Capetonian]

I believe we should support local small shops that offer personal service, rather than the big chains. Sadly, their number is decreasing as evidenced by High Streets where the only shops not boarded up are charity shops, pound shops, nail bars, and the ubiquitous Boots, W H Smith, MuckDs, KFC .....

Unfortunately the convenience of ordering online often overcomes my preference and allows me to avoid driving, looking for parking, smelly people, cyclists on the pavement, and all the other unpleasantnesses of going into a town.

[Rwy in Sight]

Capetonian this might deserve a new thread but I feel that large chains offer better customer service. I don't have an example at hand but I can compare a large chain of restaurant with a name including a day of the week just passed versus a small supposedly dedicated to customer bar. In the last chain you have stuff it takes note of customers (what they like, what the enjoy because they are trained for that). In the small bar if the female boss is not around, her helpers launch an irony competition to see if they can outsmart the customer.

[Capetonian]

I think this probably deserves, as you said, a new thread.

Small owner/family run establishments seem to me to offer the best service, because they care. As soon as the owners hand over the customer facing activities to employees, it turns to crap.

The large chains, or franchises, generally have better trained employees who deliver formulaic service and have little authority to change anything to suit the customer. My classic example of this was going into a branch of a well known chain of sandwich bars in CPT and asking for a toasted cheese and ham sandwich. It wasn't on the menu which the girl thrust at me, but a cheese, ham, and tomato sandwich was on the menu. I asked her if they were pre-made. They weren't. So I said:
"Could you please make me a cheese and ham toasted sandwich," to which the response was :
"It's not on the menu."
"Please just leave off the (effing) tomato when you make it."
Eventually she agreed, seeming perplexed, but said: "You'll still have to pay the full price."

Before anyone says that I could have simply taken the tomato off myself, that's true, but I hate wasting food, and it makes the toasted bread soggy.

[Pontius Navigator]

Nothing beats spotting something on the store website drive to the store get a discount and return home with the said item. Obviously it does not work everywhere.

Don't forget to factor in fuel costs.

[Pontius Navigator]

a hard cased plastic packed dozen ( that need a passing 5 year old to open ) 11 of which will eventually be thrown away when "someone" clears out my garage after my demise.

A classic. I couldn't find the ball inflator adapter. If I had gone to Balls Direct they would probably have flogged me a new ball. Went online, found them in fleabay, only £1.99 free postage, bargain. FOR TEN?

Mind you, can't remember where I put the other 9.

[ExSp33db1rd]

"Please just leave off the (effing) tomato when you make it.

Crew delayed departure ex-JFK, vouchers given for the airport snack bar, "U" shaped counters with the waiter in the middle taking orders, Hamburger, Cheeseburger, BLT etc. and around halfway was asked for a "Plain Omelette". "We don't do Plain Omelettes, you can have Spanish Omelette, a Tomato Omelette, a Cheese Omelette " etc. through about half a dozen options. Eventually the crew member said " OK, give me a Cheese Omelete and leave off the cheese" . The orders were then given through an open mic. / loudspeaker to the kitchen staff, and after the various requests he said, " Now listen carefully to this - one Cheese Omelette and LEAVE OFF THE CHEESE, got it ? " straight away came back " Say, d'you mean a Plain Omelette ?"

Collapse of stout party, to cheers all around.

[Hydromet]

Prefer to use small suppliers if possible, as you can often get 'that little bit extra'. Had a discount voucher for a camera shop I'd never visited before, so when I wanted a flash unit I checked several out on various websites, and decided to visit them. I'd narrowed it down to two units but wasn't sure which one.

Went there and spoke to shop assistant who explained both to me. Turned out that with the higher performance one, I didn't need an accessory that I'd have needed with the other - not obvious from the website. Plus, the voucher saved me $35. Worth the train fare + 2 mile walk.

[Rwy in Sight]

Nothing beats spotting something on the store website drive to the store get a discount and return home with the said item. Obviously it does not work everywhere.

Don't forget to factor in fuel costs.

I leave in a city and the most of the stores involved (for e-purchases) are a walking distance. When something is to large to carry it right away, a free delivery is offered but then again a waiting period is added. If I can't wait I arrange to have a suitable car.

[Pontius Navigator]

Well we just bought a new mattress. I am sure that Amazon sell them but I doubt they would put it on the bed

[Boac]

If your pic is correct I might see the order earlier.

Well, TGG, it must have been your ship. The parcel arrived 21/9.....

[Pontius Navigator]

A good news item. I received an order of brackets for hanging baskets the day following my order. The brackets have decorative silhouettes but not mentioned in the description as these are 3 dimensional with two metal plates.

Despite extremely robust packaging on piece had a bit crushed. It didn't detract from its appearance but I told the vendor who immediately refunded part of the cost.

[Capetonian]

I don't order a lot from Amazon but I have found them fair.

A couple of years ago I ordered a battery pack for about £30 which after a few charge/discharge cycles over about 6 months lost the ability to hold a charge. I emailed them and they immediately returned a postage paid label for me to send it back, and issued a full credit. A couple of days later I had an email from the actual supplier asking for details of what had gone wrong, and offering to send another one.

Last year I ordered a Filofax refill (couldn't get the one I wanted in a stationery store). when it arrived I realised I'd ordered A5 instead of A6. I emailed them telling them I'd made a mistake, and they sent me the new one, no charge, and told me not to return the other one. I realise that the cost of processing the return would have exceeded the value, but that is not the point.

It is by treating customers fairly and assuming that they are honest that a business builds a good reputation. Others, such as BA, do the opposite, treat customers with contempt, and deservedly earn a stinking reputation.

I am not Amazon's greatest fan, but their customer service is excellent.

[Pontius Navigator]

Cape, in returns, same here. Ordered some free wound Ginge then read report that it was too difficult to apply so ordered a different product. Again they said keep the first.

[belfrybat]

A few years back I unexpectedly received a Harry Potter book in Portuguese from Amazon. I live in Brazil. I emailed them, essentially asking WTF? They mailed back that a mistake had been made and they'd send me a postage paid label for me to send it back. A few hours later they mailed again, that seeing where I live, just keep it, with their compliments. My stepdaughter hugely enjoyed it.

[Boac]

Yet another delivery from Amazon - again from a 'partner' and not PRIME, 'shipped' 24/9 and notified as delivery 5/10 arrived on Thursday.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Amazon is where I get my DVDs, but not much else in the last year or so. Partly this is because I now have a good selection of local tool shops and a local hardware store. These will order me specials (like 3,000 roofing nails) out of their catalogues and pass on most of their savings to me, so it's cheaper than Amazon. I never have to wait more than two weeks. It's also partly because many more manufacturers and retailers are getting their act in gear, so one can order direct more easily. I tend to search Amazon if it's an item I haven't bought before, then go direct to the supplier. There is often some kind of deal where the sticker price is higher than Amazon (I think Amazon insists on that), but the overall value is better ordering direct from them. Some of them chuck free stuff in the box without mentioning it in the advertising - very clever. As big box stores like Sears close down, several of their former franchisees have gone independent round here. They know what Sears, etc, was doing wrong and have adjusted their inventory, plus the service is top notch. I am able to pick up something like an oven in a sale, and they will then store it free for four months till I'm ready for it, and deliver free at a mutually convenient time. Being local and needing to ensure a good customer base, they very carefully choose both suppliers and models, so everything is super reliable and good value.