Prime Day disappointment

[Koolau]

Thank you! Yes, that's me, in Hawaii, sitting in my uncle's convertible Jeepster back in the 1960's with my cousins. I think I have used it before, but not often.

Cool picture. Sorry I got the age wrong!

 

[Chuckanut]

I bought nothing on the Prime Days. Amazon did not offer me one good deal, not even one for something I did not want. Obviously, consumers like me are wrecking the economy.

 

[CaptTom]

I bought nothing on the Prime Days. Amazon did not offer me one good deal, not even one for something I did not want. Obviously, consumers like me are wrecking the economy.

I'm kinda hoping consumers like you (like us) are helping the economy. Helping it recover from high inflation.

There are some signs that manufacturers and retailers are starting to get the message. Sure, a lot of inflation is due to unavoidable increases in labor and materials. But I think a lot of it has also been opportunism on the part of the sellers. We need to restore some healthy competitive pressure. That's how our economy is supposed to work. It can't be good when consumers just shrug and pay more.

 

[pacergal]

I bought a few things that were in my cart, but nothing was part of their Prime Deals :-(.
I didn't see anything on sale that I needed or wanted.

 

[audreyh1]

Military veterans (and active) get 10% off Apple products directly with Apple. Just FYI.

 

[Ian S]

Got a few things on Prime Day. BritBox for $0.99 for first two months and some outdoor cameras (Amazon's Blink brand.) Already have a Blink mini that we use for watching the dog while he's in his basement pen but this is our first foray into watching what goes on outside. We'll probably see more animal activity (deer, coyotes, javelinas) than humans! Also got a 15W wireless phone charger and a new HP mouse for DH. DH also ordered other stuff most of which was regular price.

 

[JoeWras]

I didn't see anything.

Suddenly, everything seems like landfill items to me.

I'm not just being grouchy. It is perhaps just a change in thought. Way too much junky stuff out there.

 

[statsman]

I didn't see anything.

Suddenly, everything seems like landfill items to me.

I'm not just being grouchy. It is perhaps just a change in thought. Way too much junky stuff out there.

It's always good if certain items can be repurposed. My DW has two Kindles, the Fire HD 8 and the Fire HD 10. She primarily uses the HD 10. But if she's having lunch or she needs a tablet while away from the house, the HD 8 serves that purpose.

DW's PC is rarely used unless she needs to access an important online account (usually health related). It had Windows 7 Pro on it, which became EOL in January 2020.

There was no huge need for a new PC, so I installed Linux Mint on it, both for giving me a chance to try it out, and for giving her a way to use a PC online. Works well for those functions.

 

[FindingForward]

I bought a few things that were in my cart, but nothing was part of their Prime Deals :-(.
I didn't see anything on sale that I needed or wanted.

Same here. I bought a few things I needed and was planning to get, but none were prime deals. My pet peeve though - tired of wading through the 25-30 different knockoffs of the same made-in-china item - all from multiple sound-alike sellers - each with diff prices and a diff batch of reviews. Anyone else find that annoying? Takes extra time sorting thru it all.

 

[JoeWras]

Same here. I bought a few things I needed and was planning to get, but none were prime deals. My pet peeve though - tired of wading through the 25-30 different knockoffs of the same made-in-china item - all from multiple sound-alike sellers - each with diff prices and a diff batch of reviews. Anyone else find that annoying? Takes extra time sorting thru it all.

This is perhaps the source of my landfill concerns. I am also an Amazon Vine reviewer. We see a lot of this stuff first, and we unfortunately provide the batches of reviews for each item with a different name. After obtaining about 120 items over the last 9 months or so, I'm astounded as to just how much is junk. Yet, I also have about 20 really good items, so it isn't all bad. Some of these even have weird names, yet they are quality. I'm currently loving my Arslo water bottle. But how to separate the wheat from chaff? Reviews don't work anymore.

When I went prime shopping, I started seeing a lot of the same stuff, and kind of know how sketchy some is.

 

[swakyaby]

Waiting for delivery of a Soda Stream maker. With 2 weeks of triple digit weather, I am drinking a lot of fluid. I have been feeling twinges of guilt every time I throw out a plastic bottle or aluminum can, and lately I feel I have been throwing out a lot. I hope to create less waste.

 

[wildsun]

Amazon Junkie Here

So, I took the offer of 30 days free Prime membership, and am now experiencing my first Prime Day.

I'm in the market for a new PC, but there is only one labeled as a Prime Day sale, and it's not what I'd want, and the discount isn't that terrific. Lots of deals on laptops, but I don't especially want one.

Anybody else find Prime Day a bit of a letdown?

Maybe I'm just being a grumpy-drawers.

I must be an outlier, but with a family, 2 small businesses, and 3 houses to maintain/improve - and with a very strong tendency to "do it myself" rather than hire work out -- I spend $2K to $3K per month at Amazon.
- I agree the Prime Days were disappointing, but I did get a $70 pair of Levi's for $20, so that's a good deal
- I get 5% back on my Amazon Chase card, which I only use at Amazon, and that's usually around $100 a month.
- I need all sorts of obscure and hard to find parts and materials for my endeavors, and I can often find them on Amazon when I can't find them elsewhere.
- I routinely compare prices and sometimes buy elsewhere as a result, but fairly often Amazon has the best price.
- I'm in technology, and I know (most of the time) how to spot a fake review. When the reviews aren't fake they are often full of product info and feedback that is hard to find elsewhere.
- I use an ad blocker, so the mysterious ads that show up all over the place, immediately after you search for something on Amazon, don't happen as often.

Amazon is an amazing technology company, and despite many many problems with their web site design and implementation, they are a model for user-friendly web store design. In many ways, as a company they are labor unfriendly, they manipulate everyone, they are dishonest, and very very sloppy. They suck all the air of the room. A mixed blessing for sure.

 

[CaptTom]

I must be an outlier...

If that's true, then I'm one too. Almost every one of your points is something I could have (or have) written myself.

On the positive side, Amazon totally eliminated the old standard of "allow 6-8 weeks for delivery." They also got most sellers to stop charging dishonest, highly inflated "shipping and handling" charges. For this I am grateful.

As for the negatives, I'm not sure. Like all big companies, they use their market dominance to manipulate. Like all big companies, they have disgruntled employees who love going to the press. The press loves publishing click-bait stories. Are they true? Probably to some extent. But right now every business is looking for help. If it's that bad at Amazon, they can leave.

We all love to hate big corporations, but the reality is they're part of our economy. I'm not going to change that. All I can do is what's best for me. Amazon has been an overall positive in my life.

 

[Koolau]

We all love to hate big corporations, but the reality is they're part of our economy. I'm not going to change that.

Kinda like Walmart, Sams and Costco a couple or three decades ago. The price we paid was loss of all the mom and pop stores as well as department stores - with "help."

 

[CaptTom]

Looking back, I can't remember a time I needed "help" in a big-box department or "club" store. Not counting asking what aisle something is in. Most of the employees are able to do that, since they're the ones stocking the shelves.

The exception may be the home improvement stores. I generally don't need technical help, but some people do. Again, I may ask for help finding the right aisle or specific product sometimes. They generally have good support for big-ticket items like appliances or flooring.

I agree it was nice going to the local hardware store, run by a guy with lots of construction experience. But his prices were so much higher that I only went there if I needed something fast, or if it were a small enough purchase not to justify traveling to the big-box store. He retired and closed up shop years ago. I honestly don't miss that store all that much.

 

[rk911]

Looking back, I can't remember a time I needed "help" in a big-box department or "club" store. Not counting asking what aisle something is in. Most of the employees are able to do that, since they're the ones stocking the shelves.

The exception may be the home improvement stores. I generally don't need technical help, but some people do. Again, I may ask for help finding the right aisle or specific product sometimes. They generally have good support for big-ticket items like appliances or flooring.

I agree it was nice going to the local hardware store, run by a guy with lots of construction experience. But his prices were so much higher that I only went there if I needed something fast, or if it were a small enough purchase not to justify traveling to the big-box store. He retired and closed up shop years ago. I honestly don't miss that store all that much.

i'm just the opposite. Our last "independent" (True Value), locally owned hardware store closed last year where I was a frequent customer. This was where you could buy a single nut and bolt if need be or get advice on a repair or project. I did both but I liked and appreciated the personal touch...taking me to the aisle containimg the item I was lookimg for and not just poimting, the chit chat with the guy up front about our mutual love of Jeeps and the fact that I was sincerely greeted when I entered the store. They picked up, repaired and serviced and then returned lawn mowers and snow throwers, repaired lamps and several other services. I miss them.

We bought our current Speed Queen washing machine from another independent hardware store. We had shopped the big box stores for a washer and were greatly disappointed by the lack of knowledge about the product and general interest in selling us a machine. That was not the case at the little guy's store. They're gone now, too.

Now I'm forced to shop and buy at either team orange or team blue. And that's ok unless I have questions beyond aisle and bin numbers. But I find the employees...when I can actually locate a store employee...to be lacking in how to talk to a customer. Most are good at pointing or looking up product info on their handheld computer.

Alan Jackson hit the nail smack dab on the head in his song, The Little Guy.

 

[Sue J]

I didn't buy anything but my son got himself a new Apple Watch and gave me his old one, so I have a new toy. It's a Series 2 from 2016. Still working but he says the battery doesn't last as long as it used to.

So far I've learned how to load new watch faces, I've set up the Apple Wallet for Apple Pay and I've found a weather radar app. Some of it is intuitive, some of it isn't so i look it up and watch YouTube videos.

It's fun to learn new stuff. It's a 42MM case which is large for me. I don't think it will become my full time watch, it's just a fun hand-me-down.

 

[DrRoy]

So, I took the offer of 30 days free Prime membership, and am now experiencing my first Prime Day.

I'm in the market for a new PC, but there is only one labeled as a Prime Day sale, and it's not what I'd want, and the discount isn't that terrific. Lots of deals on laptops, but I don't especially want one.

I suggest you look at Cyberpower PC, during their Black Friday promotion around Thanksgiving.

 

[CaptTom]

i'm just the opposite.

Not really. I miss the personal touch and friendly greeting at the local hardware store, too.

But I don't think that level of service is possible any more. I always wondered how they could pay for all the overhead of the store, and labor, on the few nuts and bolts customers would come in for.

I've noticed in the big-box stores, not just home improvement but department stores, that the employees are being trained to be helpful. It's to the point that I feel bad asking where something is. They'll drop whatever they're doing and walk me to the aisle. All I really need is a general direction, I can find the specific product on my own.

We didn't have hardware stores which did small engine work around here. Those were always independent guys, or part of a larger farm and garden store. Hardware stores used to repair screens, but I noticed they've stopped doing that. I imagine it was always a net loss for the store.

I've had great luck buying large appliances at the big box stores. The dedicated appliance stores I've dealt with were horrible. Lousy service and high prices. The salesman at one of the big-box home improvement stores talked me out of the dishwasher I wanted. He said it got terrible reviews. My sister bought that one (from a high-end appliance store) and had nothing but trouble with it.

All that said, I think a lot of it has to do with where you live. I know there are places where the big-box stores seem like armed camps. Security guards, products locked up, employees always edgy and defensive. Going to those places makes me appreciate where I live.

 

[Time2]

Looking back, I can't remember a time I needed "help" in a big-box department or "club" store. Not counting asking what aisle something is in. Most of the employees are able to do that, since they're the ones stocking the shelves.

The exception may be the home improvement stores. I generally don't need technical help, but some people do. Again, I may ask for help finding the right aisle or specific product sometimes. They generally have good support for big-ticket items like appliances or flooring.

I agree it was nice going to the local hardware store, run by a guy with lots of construction experience. But his prices were so much higher that I only went there if I needed something fast, or if it were a small enough purchase not to justify traveling to the big-box store. He retired and closed up shop years ago. I honestly don't miss that store all that much.

We lost our old style hardware store about 5 years ago. It was sad as it had older knowledgeable fellows and loads of old timey type products.


https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057213590219

 

[LJ Dem]

Totally depends on timing and luck.
I like prime for the tv streaming as well as next day deliveries.
But this year I lucked out with timing and got a $979 automatic bed frame for $755 (CAD) on Prime day.

So, I took the offer of 30 days free Prime membership, and am now experiencing my first Prime Day.

I'm in the market for a new PC, but there is only one labeled as a Prime Day sale, and it's not what I'd want, and the discount isn't that terrific. Lots of deals on laptops, but I don't especially want one.

Anybody else find Prime Day a bit of a letdown?

Maybe I'm just being a grumpy-drawers.

 

[Koolau]

All that said, I think a lot of it has to do with where you live. I know there are places where the big-box stores seem like armed camps. Security guards, products locked up, employees always edgy and defensive. Going to those places makes me appreciate where I live.

Wow, I have not encountered that yet. Here in the heartland, I don't even see a single security guard. Maybe a greeter. Even in Honolulu, the only "trouble" that's hit the news is a few spots close to the "drug den" centered in China Town. There are a few stores pulling out of that area.

Not the place to discuss this but I can't help but wish the issue would be (effectively) dealt with. I could give my opinions, but I'm sure we would bring on Porky, so forget that I think it's solvable. YMMV