Amazon does make it hard to find a real person, every time I've needed to talk to one I've had to google how to do it, but after several steps it does become possible.
Your feelings about Amazon?
- Thread starter JBR
- Start date
Amazon does make it hard to find a real person, every time I've needed to talk to one I've had to google how to do it, but after several steps it does become possible.
Nosy Bee-54
Senior Member
Buying things are not on my agenda. In the past 5 years, I bought two things on Amazon. One I remember was a replacement for the broken pull string on my lawnmower. Could not find it at Lowes or Home Depot.
Murrmurr
SF VIP
- Location
- Sacramento, California
They also do a shabby job of vetting some of the manufacturers they contract with. Seems they don't vet them at all; they wait until they get a ton of complaints before they bother even taking a cursory look at exactly who they're allowing to sign up and cash in.
JustDave
Well-known Member
When Amazon first came on the scene, their prices were usually lower, and the shipping was fast, but not anymore. When I buy, I always check with Amazon, because sometimes it is a lower price, but not normally. Because I can usually get an item cheaper somewhere else, I don't do enough business with Amazon to justify prime membership, so my stuff sits in the warehouse for days before it's even shipped.
Devi
Well-known Member
- Location
- East WA USA
You don't need to talk to anyone at Amazon to re-download your Kindle purchases. Unless you deleted them from your account (not just from your Kindle app), you just have to re-download them.
Log in to your Amazon account
- Hover over Accounts and Lists (top right)
- From the dropdown menu, click on Content & Devices (you'll land on page entitled "Digital Content")
- Click on Books
- On each book you want to re-download, click on Deliver or Remove from Device
- Select what you want to do with it
If you actually deleted the book(s) from your Amazon account, I don't know what to tell you, except don't do that!
I mostly love Amazon.
I find the reviews very valuable (except the fake overly positive ones and the Vine reviews), and I don't know if they always did it and I only just noticed it, but I like the items that say how many people purchased them in the past week. There is something very reassuring about buying an item that has over 40,000 reviews and 2000 sold in the last week.
With my new apartment this year, I've got some old furniture from neighbors and the trash room, and they are good but required a lot of cleaning up (and some sanding, priming, painting), but then I have some furniture from Amazon, and those are just fine, and conveniently delivered not just to my door, but inside the door, and wasn't hard to put together (the dining room table only needed its legs put on, and came with a cute little ratchet that made it easy to tighten the screws).
The prices aren't as good as they used to be, but the prices in the stores aren't as good either, even the prices of junk off of Facebook Marketplace are surprisingly high. I do like that on Amazon if you are willing to waste a huge amount of money, you can find some discontinued products and products out of season (back when I was working and had income I spent a lot to get my favorite candy cane seasonal flavor of Ice Breakers mints - wouldn't do that now, but I saw yesterday on Amazon a box of FiberOne Original cereal for sale for $47 and I had to have a real talking-to with myself to stop from buying that).
I find the reviews very valuable (except the fake overly positive ones and the Vine reviews), and I don't know if they always did it and I only just noticed it, but I like the items that say how many people purchased them in the past week. There is something very reassuring about buying an item that has over 40,000 reviews and 2000 sold in the last week.
With my new apartment this year, I've got some old furniture from neighbors and the trash room, and they are good but required a lot of cleaning up (and some sanding, priming, painting), but then I have some furniture from Amazon, and those are just fine, and conveniently delivered not just to my door, but inside the door, and wasn't hard to put together (the dining room table only needed its legs put on, and came with a cute little ratchet that made it easy to tighten the screws).
The prices aren't as good as they used to be, but the prices in the stores aren't as good either, even the prices of junk off of Facebook Marketplace are surprisingly high. I do like that on Amazon if you are willing to waste a huge amount of money, you can find some discontinued products and products out of season (back when I was working and had income I spent a lot to get my favorite candy cane seasonal flavor of Ice Breakers mints - wouldn't do that now, but I saw yesterday on Amazon a box of FiberOne Original cereal for sale for $47 and I had to have a real talking-to with myself to stop from buying that).
JBR
Senior Member
This definitely relates to what I feel... It's a ginormous, impersonal system. Sometimes it works well for the consumer, but sometimes it's as difficult to deal with as many another online "artificially intelligent" system.
Old Salt
Senior Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada!
Thank you so much, @HoneyNut! You were very helpful. I was only partially successful since they couldn't find a record of my Dick Francis and Alistair MacLean collections, but restored all my precious Spenser books by Robert B. Parker, with a partial refund of the ones I had bought recently (within the last week), so I am a happy camper, thanks to your helpfulness!
Old Salt
Senior Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada!
I was looking for German Mayo the other day and stopped looking at CA $ 37.00 per 200g tube! Strangely enough, on the same page, they featured the identical Mayo, only this time it was 3 tubes at 200g for the same price! I have come across this peculiarity quite a few times in connection with other items!
Purwell
Member
- Location
- North Herts (UK)
Never had a major problem and minor ones solved fairly quick, sometimes with a call back from them.
Old Salt
Senior Member
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada!
Thanks, Devi. I have done this many times in the past. Sadly though, I had deleted all my books and only kept those about a month old (at the time)! As you know there is a sub category called "Collections" in your Kindle reader. That's where I kept the books most valuable to me and thought they would be safe from deletion. Not so. In the meantime I got a real live person who at least was able to give me back my Spenser books. I will miss Dick Francis but it will take me until Christmas to re-read all of Robert B. Parker! So I am happy!!!
fuzzybuddy
SF VIP
- Location
- The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I shop whoever has the best price, Walmart, Target, Amazon, or the 'you-never-heard-of-it' company. I ordered it, and it came, it was in one piece. I'm OK with that.
ElCastor
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern CA
Amazon has become the height of convenience. No more driving around looking for this or that, just a brief visit to a computer and done. An infrequent return of an item takes a couple of minutes at a local Whole Foods, and done.
Gardenlover
The world needs more love
Both Amazon and brick & mortar stores have success and failure stories. I like Amazon for the time it saves me.
In the future I think more and more retailers will go the online route, it's more efficient.
In the future I think more and more retailers will go the online route, it's more efficient.
Jules
SF VIP
I always start by searching for something locally. If I canāt find it, then I turn to Amazon.
When I first joined in 2020 I didnāt really know what I was doing and should have demanded that some defective items be taken back.
Even though I donāt shop much, Iām content with paying for Prime. Usually I like the shows. This could change if they keep charging for popular shows. Theyād have more profit if they didnāt produce so many expensive shows. Forget what I watched recently that had big stars, lots of exotic travel, and a piddley poor plot. Obviously it cost lots and wasnāt get many views.
Itās been announced that the total amount needed for free delivery will be going up. Maybe thatās just in Canada.
When I first joined in 2020 I didnāt really know what I was doing and should have demanded that some defective items be taken back.
Even though I donāt shop much, Iām content with paying for Prime. Usually I like the shows. This could change if they keep charging for popular shows. Theyād have more profit if they didnāt produce so many expensive shows. Forget what I watched recently that had big stars, lots of exotic travel, and a piddley poor plot. Obviously it cost lots and wasnāt get many views.
Itās been announced that the total amount needed for free delivery will be going up. Maybe thatās just in Canada.
Been There
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
I used to belong to Prime and got my items the next day. Then I saw so many small outfits in my area going under or cutting hours, so I thought there really isnāt anything I need the next day, so now I use the local shops like True Value and Ace.
Now the clerks know me by name and I like the friendly relationship.
Now the clerks know me by name and I like the friendly relationship.
JustBonee
SF VIP
- Location
- Texas Gulf Coast
No issues here with Amazon, and I shop way too often ... and also, their food delivery with Whole Foods is excellent too.
They have always given great and fast service over the years.
When I want something 'right now' , they have always come thru.
Some items might be a little more expensive, but I also get 5% cash back using my Prime Credit Card.
They have always given great and fast service over the years.
When I want something 'right now' , they have always come thru.
Some items might be a little more expensive, but I also get 5% cash back using my Prime Credit Card.
VaughanJB
Scrappy VIP
Sorry about that, Old Salt.
How about this tip I stole from Google:
Step 1: Press the Home button on your Kindle to go to the home screen. Step 2: Press the Menu button and go to the "View Archived Items." Step 3: Select the books you have removed from your device to begin the redownload process.
Or read this page: How to Recover Kindle Books: 4 Useful Methods Included
OR - set fire to your Kindle and throw it in the yard.
moviequeen1
SF VIP
- Location
- Buffalo,NY
I like Amazon the products I've bought over the yrs,books, lamps, lap desk, never had a problem getting what I ordered
A month ago I cancelled my Amazon Prime because I don't buy things every month, its been a waste of money charging to my credit card. I've recently gone back to local bookstore where I renewed my membership, get 10% off books. I also buy my books at Target which are 20% off
A month ago I cancelled my Amazon Prime because I don't buy things every month, its been a waste of money charging to my credit card. I've recently gone back to local bookstore where I renewed my membership, get 10% off books. I also buy my books at Target which are 20% off
DaveA
Senior Member
- Location
- Coastal Massachusetts, USA
I never buy anything online from any source. If I tried, it'd probably screw up the order.
I place all of my "wants and needs" orders through my wife who is quite adept at on-line buying.
Sigh - - - another personal failing from relying on her for the last 70 years, but she still manages to work around my failings and keep her good humor.
I place all of my "wants and needs" orders through my wife who is quite adept at on-line buying.
Sigh - - - another personal failing from relying on her for the last 70 years, but she still manages to work around my failings and keep her good humor.
PeppermintPatty
š¢. š³. š¢
- Location
- Canada
One of the reasons why I like Amazon so much is their hassle free quick return policy.
Like yourself, I hated returning anything. Iād usually just keep it and be dissatisfied than go through the trouble of sending it back but Amazon makes it so easy that itās a no brainer. Return paperwork is already there and the moment you let Amazon know you have the return in the mail, they refund your money, no questions asked.
We live in such a rural remote place that some major companies wonāt deliver to us. We never have a problem with Amazon delivering.
Normally I would support local businesses rather than support the huge business monopolies but I rarely go shopping any more. Occasionally if I went for a walk Iād stop at a drug store or something but I no longer even do that.
Even my online shopping is no more than once a month and usually less than $50.
I do usually look around for the best price but when they add the shipping cost it is no longer. The no shipping charges, hassle free returns and wide variety of items, keeps me as a loyal customer.
Good online customer service is perfect for shut ins.
We order a lot on Amazon. Primarily because it is handy and fast on delivery. I love their inventory. There are quite a few products, tools or office supplies that are not easily available in our small town, therefore Amazon usually fufills our needs. I barely go to stores anymore, I prefer to order on line.
Amazon does not always have the best price, but it has the convenience. I also buy their gift cards for our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, or order stuff for them and have it delivered right to them. We also watch Prime Video Movies a lot.
Amazon does not always have the best price, but it has the convenience. I also buy their gift cards for our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, or order stuff for them and have it delivered right to them. We also watch Prime Video Movies a lot.
PeppermintPatty
š¢. š³. š¢
- Location
- Canada
You can buy products and have the items delivered straight to their address? I had no idea. Is it free shipping with prime? Does it depend where they live?
We sometimes watch prime movies.
hearlady
Basic Member
- Location
- N Carolina
Amazon is my last resort.