Amazon "Guaranteed Delivery" Means Nothing

[Arik]

Guys it's the Christmas season, I get it.

But there should be protocol in place to inform buyers about possible delays, widespread notifications etc.

Maybe it's the fact I was a Quality Assurance inspector for the USAF for 4 years as to why this type of stuff bothers me. If their are expected problems, and I'm sure Amazon knows there will be, then they should let their customers know ahead of time before they're possibly blindsided by late deliveries, some of which may be critical for their career or even health.

Didnt't mean to offend anyone and sorry if I sound like a whiner. You guys have yourselves a great Holiday Season.

-Jay

How can you predict delays? Traffic, accidents, weather, other customers holding up your time!

Being a quality assurance inspector and being a driver are not the same thing. No one decided to have an accident in front of you. Other customers didn't decide to pack their send back products when you walked in with a delivery. Snow starts 2 hours before rush hour and suddenly you're just crawling down the highway. This just happened to me. A 15 ride to the store from work took almost an hour simply because there is 2 inches of snow and some people decide to barely move!

I get it! You want your stuff. Sometimes however, it's out of everyone's hands.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Arik]

WAS it UPS?

It might have been USPS, in which case you're usually screwed.

I had a couple of IKEA Jansjo LED lamps which I use for macrophotography shipped to my place for Sunday delivery because I knew I'd be home. Not only were they late, they've NEVER arrived, and USPS never responded to my inquiries.

I had other items shipped to a friend's law office. They didn't arrive by the time he was getting ready to leave, so I left to eat dinner so that he could go home while I sat in the office waiting for the delivery. On the way out the door, I got a message to the effect of "Delivery attempted, business closed." Neither the office building nor the door to my friend's suite were locked. No notice was left on his door. The carrier LIED. I called Amazon who got USPS on the line. Their rep conceded that the ONLY explanation was that the carrier LIED.

If you go to Amazon's customer forums you will find HUNDREDS of identical (or worse) examples.

People aren't mad at Amazon because packages are late. They're mad at Amazon because they persist in using USPS which HABITUALLY lies about deliveries, despite THOUSANDS of complaints.

Lately they've increasingly been using their own private carriers who are accountable for their actions. Maybe the message has sunk in.

Send thousands of things through USPS. Get thousands of things through USPS. In the last 20 years not one problem. Not sure about that getting screwed part. I've even sent antique rifles without so much as a hiccup.

On the other hand, last year we had a lady stop by my office with a package she found outside her house. Fell off the U P S truck. She was kind enough to drive in over

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Rule3]

Is there any POPCORN left??

Is the US Military(Government) a study in efficiency?

That's a joke, all due respect to the Armed Forces and the USAF they are great.

 

[oneounceload]

Besides the volume going up 5000% you also have weather delays, accidents, etc.

Wife and I use Amazon Prime all the time. Never had a delivery issue. What's worse is when UPS drops off stuff to the USPS for that "final mile" and that takes 2 extra days.

 

[g-dad]

I think it's about expectation. When you're told something is going to happen, ie package shipping, you expect it to happen the way they said it would....ASSUMING everything else works like IT should, ie weather, traffic, etc.

When I was in the work world I always instructed my staff to NEVER over promise and under deliver - a sure recipe for customer dissatisfaction. JMO

 

[Talldog]

I've been a Prime member since they started it, get several dozen deliveries a year from them, and the number that have been delivered late aren't even in double digits. That being said, I definitely understand the frustration when it does happen, especially if it was really important to get it on time. Sometimes you just have to let it go.

And every time it has happened to me, it's been the carrier's fault, but Amazon still does something to try to make it right.

 

[Arik]

I'm not a prime member. My sister is! I sometimes use her account but not often. 99% of the time I just don't care when it gets here. I ordered I know I'll get it within 2 weeks to a month. If it's urgent I'll go buy it. I'm probably the only person under 40 who almost never uses Amazon. I never found "deals" on there. Saving $0.50 cents on a product I can pick up on my way home doesn't do it for me.

I think the last purchase I made was a year and half ago

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[5Wire]

Sorry for your experience.

I've had 480 transactions with Amazon since 2004. Deliveries on time, if not immediate, returns, refunds, exchanges all without hassle.

 

[DBenn]

Things happen but I have had no issues "cross fingers" with Amazon Prime.

Plus when there is nothing on cable I can always stream some movie that fills the late evening time.

 

[susieqz]

jay, i'm sorry, but you made a mistake. the trick is to be very nice to these girls, but very persistant.
they are under orders to make you happy, up to amazon taking a loss.
i followed this method in a minor complaint about an order n received $40 worth of lobster free. i can name many incidents where i pushed, nicely n got far more than i could have expected
once i called about missing a 10 cent washer n got $6 off the item, so i found a washer in my junk box.

 

[Beemer-mark]

Last month I was visiting my daughter on the other coast. Needed a memory card for my camera. Order one through Prime. After 7 days of not receiving it I got an email "not in stock, sorry".

No it's not UPS, FedEx or USPS. This isn't the first time it's happened either. I've been with Amazon a long time but I'm not renewing next year.

 

[UncleEd]

For those who are unhappy with the delays, most of which
are minor in my estimation, I suggest you go to a store and
get the item. Then it'll be hassle free!

 

[cmort666]

Last month I was visiting my daughter on the other coast. Needed a memory card for my camera. Order one through Prime. After 7 days of not receiving it I got an email "not in stock, sorry".

No it's not UPS, FedEx or USPS. This isn't the first time it's happened either. I've been with Amazon a long time but I'm not renewing next year.

I've had two non-carrier related problems with Amazon, a 300w CFL that was DOA and a holster that showed rh in the picture but was lh.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[TomkinsSP]

Is the US Military(Government) a study in efficiency?

That's a joke

I would prefer an EFFECTIVE government (especially military) to an efficient one.

 

[TomkinsSP]

I've had two non-carrier related problems with Amazon... and a holster that showed rh in the picture but was lh.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Flip the negative

 

[mtgianni]

I live 7 miles outside of a small town with one Ace Hardware store. If I need parts or tools I drive for two hours and hope they have what they said they did over the phone. Or use Amazon prime with their free shipping and get it in two days. Occasionally it takes 3. I cannot imagine a better system.

 

[JayFramer]

For those who are unhappy with the delays, most of which
are minor in my estimation, I suggest you go to a store and
get the item. Then it'll be hassle free!

Some items aren't so easy to find.

Amazon lost my package.

 

[joe44va]

Remember the old plumbers guarantee?
When the water runs in, the guarantee runs out.
Sort of like Amazon's delivery guarantee.

 

[PlaytheAces]

I've had Amazon Prime for a couple years now. Once in a while something is slightly delayed, and once I had a package delayed several days for which I got the free extra month of Prime. I thought that was fair.

While it would be nice if it was otherwise, I know my life isn't going to be 100% problem free. I realize sometimes people make mistakes, unavoidable events occur and the universe seems to conspire against me. I've gotten irritated with Amazon a couple of times, but they always stand behind what they sell and made sure I either eventually received whatever I ordered or refunded my money. While it's never made me feel any better at the time, once they pass an order to a delivery service there just isn't much they can do as it's literally out of their hands. In the end I've always felt I was treated fairly on the rare occasions I've experienced a problem. But when you're waiting on something you want in you hands immediately, it can suck.

 

[Absalom]

No human-designed and operated system will deliver 100%, and since the Prime delivery promise strings independent systems together, Amazon and the respective shipping vendor, there will be mishaps. Given the ginormous volume of Amazon deliveries especially during this season, the number of such fails will necessarily go up too. But the business model is obviously successful and the vast majority of people get what they order when they're supposed to get it. And that means that anyone canceling Prime because they're unhappy may make them feel all righteous, but the only net effect will be that they don't have Prime anymore.