How Amazon Makes Money or Duh

[ProfCrash]

Nope, it has nothing to do with tea, at least this one doesn't. But it is in the name and that counts for something, right?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Nope, it has nothing to do with tea, at least this one doesn't. But it is in the name and that counts for something, right?

If you say so. But I prefer a nice cuppa, myself .

[ProfCrash]

Me to, which is I have 20-40 loose leaf teas at the house

[tubemonkey]

Real 'merikans drink coffee

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Real 'merikans drink coffee

Nah!
Beer!!!
(hic)

Yet another way Amazon makes money:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...-keywords=beer

[5thWiggle]

"American beer" is an oxymoron...

[caleb72]

Amazon's Kindle definitely made me shop more at Amazon - but not for anything outside of ebooks. I was never a heavy Amazon shopper. In fact, I didn't really like them that much. I found physical books there too expensive when postage was included and the other kinds of things I was likely to buy they usually wouldn't sell to me. I've been waiting and waiting for them to offer digital music, movies and tv to Australia as I would give them a serious look in that area, but no sign yet.

With the Kindle, I buy lots of ebooks through them, but still nothing else...........except indirectly, once they purchased Book Depository.

Even when I bought the cover for my Kindle, I'm pretty sure I purchased it through eBay rather than Amazon.

[fjtorres]

Amazon broke UPS.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...-problems?lite

Online spending jumped 9 percent, to $37.8 billion, between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15, according to the online research firm comScore, and retailers expect overall holiday sales to be up nearly 4 percent, exceeding $600 million.

UPS anticipated delivering 132 million bundles in the week before Christmas, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, and to meet that wave of holiday cheer, Abell organized 55,000 part time workers, 23 extra planes and what amounts to a second fleet of delivery trucks.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, FedEx handled 275 million shipments, Fiedler, the UPS spokesman, told the AP. Those that were not delivered in time, he said, "would be very few."

A last-minute decision by one of UPS’s clients — reportedly Amazon.com — dumped additional packages into the system last weekend, but Abell doubled the number of shifts at Worldport, still hoping to stay ahead. It wasn’t enough.

(Amazon is blamed for everything these days so we might as well blame them for this, too. )

[Katsunami]

LOL. I can't have any sympathy for people who rely on a Christmas gift to be delivered on time when ordering it at such a late time that the only possible delivery date is December 23, or it'll be too late.

Same with people who have to run on December 24th to get all the gifts for the entire family and then despair when they can't get something anymore because it's all sold out.

Just get Christmas gifts a month before.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

LOL. I can't have any sympathy for people who rely on a Christmas gift to be delivered on time when ordering it at such a late time that the only possible delivery date is December 23, or it'll be too late.

Same with people who have to run on December 24th to get all the gifts for the entire family and then despair when they can't get something anymore because it's all sold out.

Just get Christmas gifts a month before.

I got most of my non-digital holiday shopping done black friday week (Tuesday, actually). The last physical delivery was last friday.

A lot of people play a game of shopping chicken with retailers, waiting till the last weekend to get the lowest possible price. And a lot of retailers offered up free 2-day shipping at the last moment, to counter Prime. So even if Amazon's volume was expected, it's still their fault for forcing competitors into the 2-day delivery gsme.

[speakingtohe]

In Canada you get it when you get it, Amazon or not. When I ordered my Kobo Aura HD it was 21 days from Toronto to Vancouver. My mothers kindle was a week later than advertised, but amazon did refund me the entire shipping cost. The replacement kindle when it broke was 16 hours Texas to Vancouver. Go figure. Future Shop can be 8 hours Richmond to North Vancouver or 3 weeks.

While Amazon may make unrealistic claims at times, they have as good a record at keeping them. But I don't see how this forces anyone into anything. I am happy when something comes fast, but certainly not stupid enough to expect it even if it Is my first order. I have had things come from Amazon, even in the last year that I had forgotten I ordered by the time they arrived.


Helen

[soulfuldog]

Here in the UK I placed an order at The Body Shop on Sunday night (22nd) with a delivery estimate of the 30th, which was fine with me. Only to get a despatch email the next day and the parcel arrived on the 24th. Bizarrely that's a far quicker turnaround than normal for anything I've ordered from there previously.

Any Christmas presents ordered online were all bought at least a week beforehand, but some people just seem to love the last minute rush.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by Rizla

tab has much lower def but is 1.2 inches bigger and $79 less. plus you can get many other large tablets incl. tab 2 for much less. So my point is that I doubt the fire hdx is being sold at cost. I wouldnt even call it great value. If you want the latest hi-def screen i can see the appeal. But are you sure that is cost price? seems high for cost...sorry bout like of caps. im on a tablet.

There is a lot less competition in that larger form factor, so that Kindle Fire probably isn't being sold at cost unlike the smaller ones and the e-ink readers.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

It says what I really want is expensive and I can't afford it and you can't afford it but together I can afford it.

I also rarely know what I want in advance, so for my sister to get me an amazon giftcard is simply the best solution for both of us as I always get stuff on there and just giving cash would involve exchanges rates as I no longer live in the uk.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Perhaps gift cards are the preferred gift these days, for Christmas, birthdays, wedding registries, baby showers etc. Soon we will just exchange gift cards of equal amounts. Or people will give a $50 gift card and either be annoyed that they got significantly less or embarrassed when they got significantly more. Why bother I wonder.

Why does gift giving have to be equal anyway, I'd always expect to spend more than my relatives as I have a higher paying job and no kids, so am happy to be able to spend more on presents for others?