Amazon Changes!

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I don't consider it irrational to expect accurate results from a search, i.e. return all the results that match a search and don't return results that don't match the search. It's not a question of catering to specific customers.

I'll settle for some missing results and tolerate some false positives, but as Barrey writes below, amazon is getting sloppy.

Originally Posted by barryem

I don't think the problem is just Amazon promoting their own stuff. I think it's more that they're sloppy.

Amazon used to brag about being customer centric and in a lot of ways they still are. But more and more they're also getting customer irritating.

Barry

But search results aren't the only place they are getting sloppy. ebook delivery, kindle server interaction, and kindle OS bugs come to mind.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by shalym

You realize that both google and bing cater their search results based on many things other than content, right? Two users sitting next to each other can do the same search and get different results. Search results are not agnostic anywhere, and haven't been for a very long time. They depend on physical location, user profile, browser type, browser agent, and many other things that are known only to google and bing (no matter what the SEO "experts" tell you, they are only guessing)

If you expect a search to *only* show you relevant items, you need to travel back in time a few years.

Shari

Agnostic is not the point, accurate is. I get that most search engines have some way of shifting results based on location and the like, but that's a watermelon verses grape comparison. When I search for Best Buy on google, I get the closest Best Buy returned. Yea, that would be a different Best Buy location than what is returned for someone is Boston. But that's a very different situation than searching for Royal Canin (a brand of pet food) and pulling back Science Diet (a different brand of pet food).

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

The same I "comparison shop" on any B&M or online retailer. But it's been my experience the last few years that online and B&M shops keep prices more similar than in times past, even keeping up with price changes minute by minute.

Yes. Prices are getting closer from B&M and online, especially with no more circumventing of sales tax almost everywhere. Anymore shopping online is done for convenience or when there is no local store nearby to carry what you want.The beauty, to me, of Amazon is their huge selection. When I am going to Amazon I intend to buy from Amazon.

[SleepyBob]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

When I am going to Amazon I intend to buy from Amazon.

But when you type in what you want to buy, you don't think it's a big deal if they don't show you the item you typed in?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

But when you type in what you want to buy, you don't think it's a big deal if they don't show you the item you typed in?

Define what I want to buy. If I want to buy a tv, I search for a tv and narrow down until I find one that has the specs I want at a price I am willing to pay. If I see a specific tv in Walmart and want to see how Amazon compares? That doesn't work. And you should already know that doesn't work. Same with Bestbuy. The model numbers won't match. The exact same tv in Walmart has a different number in Bestbuy. Nobody else may even be selling them. Only way to find out is to put it in Google to see who sells it. I won't expect Amazon search to tell me to go to Walmart instead. Same with a Kobo. I won't seriously expect Amazon selling me a Kobo. It just won't happen. Maybe some sketchy 3rd party seller, maybe even fulfilled by Amazon, but never sold by Amazon directly. If I really wanted a Kobo, I would go through the awful Walmart website and pay for the order at my local register.