Amazon relents on Sales Tax, sets sights on Same Day Delivery instead (1 Viewer)

[Sam Posten]

Called it: Travel is next with amazon destinations:

http://skift.com/2015/04/21/amazon-launches-new-hotel-service-and-brand-amazon-destinations/

 

[Sam Posten]

Ho ho ho, now Amazon has a rocket too.
http://qz.com/395155/jeff-bezos-has-a-rocket-now-too/

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Ho ho ho, now Amazon has a rocket too.
http://qz.com/395155/jeff-bezos-has-a-rocket-now-too/

Planning for Amazon Prime two day free shipping to the moon?

 

[Sam Posten]

Boom:
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8729023011
http://gizmodo.com/amazon-lazy-people-same-day-delivery-service-is-now-fre-1707418309?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_twitter&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Very cool for Prime members like me. FREE, too!


However, I am not in the qualifying area despite the fact I live in the NYC metro region.

 

[Charles Smith]

Nor am I, in the "exurbs". I did check to be sure.

 

[TravisR]

I'm not in the area either. I realize I've seen a grand total of 3 people's results but this seems like something they implemented so they can talk about it in ads & brag about to stockholders while the reality is that the vast majority of customers won't qualify.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

It doesn't include my area, either. Bummer.

 

[Patrick_S]

Although I did not check every city in the Bay Area, it appears that Amazon's thinks the Bay Area is made up of only SF and Oakland.

 

[Nelson Au]

Interesting. I live at the upper edge of Silicon Valley and work in the heart of it. I checked both zip codes and it says they are both included! I'll have to test this one day service out.

Surprised your area isn't included Patrick.

 

[Nelson Au]

Well, I tried it last night, ordered a few blu rays and a CD box set. When checking out, it listed my home address and I had the option of free same day assuming I'd get the package today. Then I switched to my work address down in Silicon Valley. Then the same day option wasn't there anymore. Well, I was a little disappointed but not surprised. I went with free two day shipping. I got a notice that delivery will be Tuesday. That's three days plus the weekend. Oh well. Maybe they are under promising. I'll let you know.

 

[Sam Posten]

Interesting:
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/06/12/amazon-expands-prime-with-goods-shipped-directly-from-merchants/

 

[Charles Smith]

Something that's become absolutely infuriating:


As I load items into my cart, Amazon occasionally -- and it's happening more and more often -- decides to check boxes indicating that one or more of the items is a gift, and forces me through a series of screens where I must choose a shipping address, tell it whether to include prices, gift cards, etc. etc. etc. It's almost as though it's become a default on my account. So, besides bitching about a first world problem, I'm just wondering if anyone else has encountered that.

 

[Sam Posten]

No, and I do a LOT of amazon gifting for RedditGifts.com

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I don't get all those screens, but more than not, I do get screens that confirm shipping address (even though I did select a default) prior to completing my order.

 

[Jason Charlton]

My only complaint regarding the cart at Amazon is the tendency to ALWAYS apply any gift card balance to a purchase. You have to jump through hoops and navigate screens to NOT apply a GC balance.


Since my wife and I often get Amazon GCs as gifts (for ourselves AND for our children), we prefer to reserve their use until such time as we decide.


I have not experienced any items being added to my cart being tagged as a "gift" for someone, though. Perhaps if the item was being added by clicking on an entry in someone's wish list perhaps, but certainly not through standard browsing. Odd.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Something that's become absolutely infuriating:


As I load items into my cart, Amazon occasionally -- and it's happening more and more often -- decides to check boxes indicating that one or more of the items is a gift, and forces me through a series of screens where I must choose a shipping address, tell it whether to include prices, gift cards, etc. etc. etc. It's almost as though it's become a default on my account. So, besides bitching about a first world problem, I'm just wondering if anyone else has encountered that.

I've had it happen. it sometimes gets to the point I'm not sure what's going to happen when I click "Proceed to Checkout."


I did it just now and got "suggestions" for shipping address and payment (the correct ones, mind you). But it also gave me this box to check:

"Want to save time on your next order and go directly to this step when checking out?"

I think there are settings to secure defaults. And I think settings sometimes get upset when I do pick a different address or use a different form of payment. Then, things just need to settle out again when I revert to my usual habits. This involve checking boxes naming defaults.


But a first world problem most definitely. I continue to be Amazed at Amazon's efficiencies.


Oh. And I don't like the default "use your Amazon Gift Card first" concept either...but it's not hard to defeat. You just need to be on your toes. Which can be difficult since they make checkout so easy.

 

[Charles Smith]

Yes, you have to be on your toes to get around that one. After blowing it a couple of times, I finally learned that.


After posting, I found on today's order that the "this is a gift" box is getting checked automatically as I move an item from "save for later" into the cart. Bizarre. Fortunately, unchecking it right there alleviates any further problem.


They definitely have changed a few things fairly recently in the cart and checkout process that I suspect are causing these unexpected things to happen.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Agreed.

 

[Sam Posten]

Prime Day?

http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/6/8899669/amazon-prime-day-bigger-than-black-friday-20th-birthday