Why Amazon really will take over the world

[Fermion]

I wanted some ramp glides for our new snowmobile trailer (so the runners on the skis don't tear up the nice floor). I order from discountramps because they are $2 cheaper than Amazon and say in stock. They ship one of my other items but say the glides are on backorder with no date. I wait two weeks and still no shipment. I call to cancel and after three days they finally refund my purchase but not any shipping that I already paid ($55 shipping!)

I order the same glides from Amazon with free shipping and get them the next day.

I am done trying to save $2. Amazon you win. Go ahead and take my money, no need for other stores.

 

[flyingaway]

I wanted some ramp glides for our new snowmobile trailer (so the runners on the skis don't tear up the nice floor). I order from discountramps because they are $2 cheaper than Amazon and say in stock. They ship one of my other items but say the glides are on backorder with no date. I wait two weeks and still no shipment. I call to cancel and after three days they finally refund my purchase but not any shipping that I already paid ($55 shipping!)

I order the same glides from Amazon with free shipping and get them the next day.

I am done trying to save $2. Amazon you win. Go ahead and take my money, no need for other stores.

What does the antitrust law say?

 

[audreyh1]

Bezos definitely seems like a take over the world type of character!!! I've never seen anyone so against profit. No profit! Increase market share even if it costs!!!

There are practical limits, I'm sure. But it has been interesting watching the journey.

 

[robnplunder]

For me, it's Google/Youtube which will take over the world. I don't buy stuff often and when I do, it is from Ebay. But I can't go one day without Google/Youtube.

 

[97guns]

Their refund/return policy is the best, if there's an issue they will usually refund your money without returning the product. my wife just got a free pack of makeup powder because it didn't look like the picture, we initiated a return and Amazon immediately offered a gift card refund.

 

[audreyh1]

Oh they have great customer service as well as prices. That's why I am still a customer.

 

[Fermion]

Oh they have great customer service as well as prices. That's why I am still a customer.

And they have Harry Bosch

 

[jazz4cash]

My brother was having a hard time finding a specific yard tool. It is on backorder at the manufacturer but AMZN has it in stock. He says he'll wait. It's his contribution to slowing their ultimate takeover of the world.

 

[aja8888]

I just last month tried to buy a Maytag dishwasher from Amazon (actually tried to buy several brands). All the site did was direct me to third party vendors (who were out of stock). I ended up buying it from Home Depot and got it in a week.

Before they can brag about taking over the world, they need to stock more items.

 

[Walt34]

I just last month tried to buy a Maytag dishwasher from Amazon (actually tried to buy several brands). All the site did was direct me to third party vendors (who were out of stock). I ended up buying it from Home Depot and got it in a week.

Before they can brag about taking over the world, they need to stock more items.

A week! They took a whole week?

About ten years or so ago we were trying to replace a clothes dryer that had died. Both Lowes and Home Depot said a week to ten days for delivery because we needed a natural gas dryer, not electric. We said the heck with that, and bought it at the local downtown appliance dealer, whose store looked like it was last redecorated about 1962. You know, the types the big box stores are supposed to be eradicating.

But when we asked he said "Yeah, we've got that, it's in the warehouse. You want it tomorrow?"

Oh, and it was ~$50 cheaper.

Done deal.

 

[OldShooter]

...  I've never seen anyone so against profit. No profit! Increase market share even if it costs!!! ...

He's not against profit at all. He understands strategy and he also understands that ignoring the idiot analysts who worship quarterly profits is a necessary part of his winning strategy. Far too many companies don't understand this or are too afraid of the "investor" mob mentality to execute. I admire the guy. He wants share and he's not afraid to make both investments and mistakes on the way. Even a turtle makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.

 

[Breedlove]

Kind of funny thinking , they say we are In a retail ice age and will be seeing more and more stores close . I wonder if this just might be a cycle.

When I was a kid my Mom and Dad would shop their Montgomery Wards or Aldens catalog . I remember a friend buying a lawn tractor from the Sears catalog and having it shipped to his door.
You had a price , Sku number , everything Amazon does today . They used the phone called the order in and got it shipped to the door .

Then came the Mega malls

 

[aja8888]

A week! They took a whole week?

.

It was a week AFTER Lowe's couldn't deliver me one for three weeks due to Harvey.

Recall we are in Houston where 100,000 homes flooded and another 25,000 were flooded southwest along the Texas coastline. Seems like Lowes sold their warehouse inventory of appliances to large contractors right after the hurricane and the local stores were not getting any delivered. HD somehow got us one, but we were 4 weeks after Harvey.

 

[CaptTom]

... He understands...that ignoring the idiot analysts who worship quarterly profits is a necessary part of his winning strategy. Far too many companies don't understand this or are too afraid of the "investor" mob mentality to execute.

Bingo!

Kind of funny thinking , they say we are In a retail ice age and will be seeing more and more stores close . I wonder if this just might be a cycle.

When I was a kid my Mom and Dad would shop their Montgomery Wards or Aldens catalog . I remember a friend buying a lawn tractor from the Sears catalog and having it shipped to his door.
You had a price , Sku number , everything Amazon does today . They used the phone called the order in and got it shipped to the door .

Then came the Mega malls

Yes, it's a cycle. I've seen many stores and selling models come and go. Each new innovation disrupts the old model and closes lots of businesses which can't keep up.

Amazon has totally killed off the old "allow six weeks for delivery" standard. They've nearly killed off inflated "retail" shipping costs as a profit center for the seller.

It's having a positive impact. WalMart just announced an expedited return policy, and is making other changes to better compete.

We, the consumers, win.

 

[sheehs1]

Walmart will not go down without a fight that is for sure. I have been a huge fan of Amazon's for a long time. I can find things no one else carries anymore. Like a dusting powder my 99 year old friend used (Este Lauder- Blue Grass), an ice maker for my Samsung refrigerator that failed and was cheaper than Samsungparts).

However, recently in the last several months I had two problems with sellers. While I normally try to buy only things fulfilled by Amazon, sometimes there is not much choice.

I had a problem ordering a digital wireless baby monitor for a baby gift and just last week I order Kwikset door knobs for my new condo (from 2 different sellers as 1 had the passive knobs and then other had the privacy knobs). I could tell there was going to be a problem with one since after 5 days they were still "preparing the shipment".

I had to by pass Amazon and go directly to the manufacturer for the baby monitor. I had to cancel the order for the door knobs, returning the ones I had received from the other seller since they needed to match. In both of these cases, the sellers said they never received an order.

First cracks in the Amazon armor for me! And yes as Walmart and Amazon fight it out, we the consumers win!

 

[CaptTom]

First cracks in the Amazon armor for me!

Yes, this is an issue. It's even worse at other sites, like Sears and WalMart. It seems the goal is to have "everything" on your site, even if it's not you who sells it.

I've been lucky. The times I've had to resort to third-party sellers on Amazon, things went fairly well, only a few minor disappointments. But I certainly try to find at least "fulfilled by Amazon" products whenever possible.

 

[audreyh1]

I am so careful with third party sellers on Amazon. I usually won't order from them. If it's a larger retailer I'll often go directly with them.

I do use fulfilled by Amazon pretty often, and you still need to be careful there. Some folks were complaining about knock-off products.

 

[Chuckanut]

My big Amazon 3rd party FAIL was the eclipse glasses I ordered well ahead of time.

 

[Fermion]

Always order stuff that is Prime and fulfilled by Amazon. Even if you pay $1 or $2 more, the hassle free experience is totally worth it.

 

[OldShooter]

... like Sears and WalMart. It seems the goal is to have "everything" on your site, even if it's not you who sells it. ...

I think that is part of the goal, but IMO there is a goal that is far more important: By inviting third party sellers, Amazon gets the benefit of test marketing that the third parties pay for. All Amazon has to do is to wait and watch, then identify the items that are most successful and start selling those items themselves with the market already proven. So really, any third party seller is doing a deal with the devil in exchange for the devil's marketing muscle. A smart seller will want to be only moderately successful, though, so that Amazon is not tempted to take the product.

Walmart is doing exactly the same thing as is, IIRC, Target.

I actually tend to avoid Amazon products in favor of "fulfilled by Amazon" or even third parties because Amazon charges sales tax in my state. I do like the "Warehouse Deals" on returned items though.

 

[Rianne]

I kick myself for not investing in them when they were a book company.

 

[audreyh1]

Always order stuff that is Prime and fulfilled by Amazon. Even if you pay $1 or $2 more, the hassle free experience is totally worth it.

That's pretty much our approach.

 

[audreyh1]

I kick myself for not investing in them when they were a book company.

Yeah - but would you have held on to them during the wild ride!