FTC sues amazon over dark patterns

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ApK

We have to decide whether or not to renew in the next few days. For the first time in years, it's not an easy decision.

Why not anticipate any regular buys and then let it lapse? There's no bonus to renewing as opposed to rejoining the next time you want to use it. Prime Day could be a complicating factor, but we all know by now that it's a dressed-up yard sale.

[Desertway]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Did you use Prime Video? I'd consider Prime to be $6.17 a month and Prime Video the same.

So if you do use Prime Video, it's not really all that bad a price.

Not anymore. There's nothing there that we want to watch these days.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by issybird

Why not anticipate any regular buys and then let it lapse? There's no bonus to renewing as opposed to rejoining the next time you want to use it. Prime Day could be a complicating factor, but we all know by now that it's a dressed-up yard sale.

That's an idea. I used to feel being "a long time customer" carried weight with customer service issues, but I haven't gotten that feeling with Amazon, at least not lately.

[tubemonkey]

Amazon just lost another Prime customer. Because of an ongoing issue I'm having with Amazon Wireless (a Prime benefit), I won't renew my subscription in Nov.

[ownedbycats]

I've noticed the constant "try our free trial of Prime" nags too. I only do one monthly order (which is eligible for free shipping - I don't mind waiting), so the money's better spent elsewhere.

But it's seriously tempted me to sign up for the trial and immediately cancel just to shut the bloody thing up. But I'm guessing that cancelling is a pain and it'd just keep nagging me anyways.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by issybird

It's not the next-day shipping or the two-day shipping either since for me that's mostly honored in the breach these days (my most recent order, due Monday, came yesterday, just as one example), it's the not having to hit the $25 threshold for free shipping.

And my most most recent order, due yesterday, is now coming tomorrow.

Typical of these late orders is that either it ends up in a shipping facility where it shouldn't be or Amazon obviously loses it for a bit before finding it again, which explain why it's never just a day late.

I read somewhere recently that Amazon has reached maximum penetration with Prime due in part to the most recent price hike, i.e., they've reached the point where they're losing Prime customers as fast as they're gaining them. It's all mostly pass the popcorn for me; I'm not furious, but these delayed orders are making me tired.

[Apache]

Almost every one of my late prime deliveries is due to the post office mishandling my packages. That is also attributable to Amazon. Since USPS is handling most of Amazon's shipping they are overwhelmed. It also doesn't help that USPS, in my area, is extremely shorthanded.
Apache

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Apache

Since USPS is handling most of Amazon's shipping they are overwhelmed. It also doesn't help that USPS, in my area, is extremely shorthanded.
Apache

Is there any area that the USPS isn't understaffed?
Old equipment, Meet the Goals' supervisors. ...
And not everyone want 7 hours of their shift alone (with little time to chat with their clients) in a Too Hot/Too Cold delivery Vehicle
Oh! and why put up with nasty jobs, when unemployment pays more?

(I've done Peak season delivery for Brown. I know the grind in the rain or cold).

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

I think that's the thing about prime. If you just used it for free shipping it probably wouldn't be worth it. But if you don't already subscribe to Netflix etc. then Prime Video is pretty good, and depending on your reading tastes you get a free book a month as well. Plus Kindle Lending Library or whatever it's called this week.

Andrew

The only reason I joined Amazon Prime years ago was specifically because of free shipping! Everything else that has been added is a bonus. With the advent of Covid my use of Amazon went through the roof, without free shipping I would have been sunk.

Amazon keeps adding things that I find very useful/usable for me. $139.00 is a cheap price to pay since w/o free shipping it would certainly cost me more than $139.00!

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

The only reason I joined Amazon Prime years ago was specifically because of free shipping! Everything else that has been added is a bonus. With the advent of Covid my use of Amazon went through the roof, without free shipping I would have been sunk.

Amazon keeps adding things that I find very useful/usable for me. $139.00 is a cheap price to pay since w/o free shipping it would certainly cost me more than $139.00!

Is holding off orders and combining them until you have enough to qualify for free shipping not feasible for your situation? Admittedly its slow.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

And my most most recent order, due yesterday, is now coming tomorrow.

Typical of these late orders is that either it ends up in a shipping facility where it shouldn't be or Amazon obviously loses it for a bit before finding it again, which explain why it's never just a day late.

I read somewhere recently that Amazon has reached maximum penetration with Prime due in part to the most recent price hike, i.e., they've reached the point where they're losing Prime customers as fast as they're gaining them. It's all mostly pass the popcorn for me; I'm not furious, but these delayed orders are making me tired.

Turns out I have been getting a number of orders a day early. I order such that depending on what it is, someone will be available to collect it. But if it comes a day early, I cannot guarantee someone will be able to collect it. Another problem comes when it's something that needs a code.

[DNSB]

At this point in time, I'm very seriously considering not renewing my Amazon Prime membership. My last 4 $100+ purchases were not done through Amazon since I found the same item cheaper and with free shipping on other sites. This follows what I have noticed over the last couple of years where Amazon has stopped being my go-to site for many purchases.

One example is this month (June), when I purchased a coffee maker as a house warming gift for a niece. The same coffee maker was available from 3 local stores with free pickup at the store for a few dollars less than Amazon and a much better delivery date. Amazon quoted July 28 (7 weeks) as the delivery date while Best Buy, Walmart and London Drugs all gave 1 week delivery dates. Heck, Keurig gave a better delivery date through the price was considerably more.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by theducks

Is there any area that the USPS isn't understaffed?
Old equipment, Meet the Goals' supervisors. ...
And not everyone want 7 hours of their shift alone (with little time to chat with their clients) in a Too Hot/Too Cold delivery Vehicle
Oh! and why put up with nasty jobs, when unemployment pays more?

(I've done Peak season delivery for Brown. I know the grind in the rain or cold).

I order a new IR Gun from Thermoworks and they shipped it via UPS. Until it got to my town, then they handed it off to USPS. If UPS had just delivered it I would have had it today. Because they handed it off to USPS it will be here tomorrow. I had free shipping, and you would think the shipping would have cost Thermoworks more because they used two shipping companies. ????????
Apache

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Apache

I order a new IR Gun from Thermoworks and they shipped it via UPS. Until it got to my town, then they handed it off to USPS. If UPS had just delivered it I would have had it today. Because they handed it off to USPS it will be here tomorrow. I had free shipping, and you would think the shipping would have cost Thermoworks more because they used two shipping companies. ????????
Apache

Nope. That plan is developed by those carriers.
The last mile can be expensive for UPS in rural areas without daily volume. They need to send a truck lots of distance (and time) for 1 package. OTOH the USPS tends to have multiple deliveries in the same area.

The issue is it is not being used smartly by the shippers. (And they may not know if you live way out on a Farm or in a Townhouse). A couple of year back, my ISP sent a replacement Router using that method.. 4 Days without Internet. In the heart of Silicon Valley, where the UPS trucks regularly pass near each other during the day because the routes are so dense. I could have driven to Santa Rosa and back in 4 Hours (and stopped for a burger).

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Amazon just lost another Prime customer. Because of an ongoing issue I'm having with Amazon Wireless (a Prime benefit), I won't renew my subscription in Nov.

Amazon Wireless? I thought I'd read that that was something Amazon was working on, not something available now.