Amazon Feud with Disney, Warner (1 Viewer)

[Brian Kidd]

It's kind of weird how this is only affecting the U.S. site.

Well, you have to remember that Amazon runs each of their international businesses as separate entities because the laws governing businesses are different in every country. You have to think of them as subsidiaries of the Seattle company that happen to share the same name. I certainly don't know any of the specifics of any of their business dealings any more, but I guarantee you that there is a reason why this is only affecting the U.S. and not other countries. Amazon doesn't do anything without a well-researched reason. Any decision that is made, from the wording and placement of text on the site, to the type of shipping box that is used, to the display position of products in a search results page have to go through a bunch of people and departments before anything changes. They have access to so much data on any number of subjects that it would make your head explode. Getting anything done in that company is like swimming through Jello with a cinder block chained to your legs, so if a decision is made, you can be sure there is a reason for it. It may not be a good one and it may backfire, but there's a reason. We just aren't privy to it.

 

[Worth]

Seems to be affecting Amazon Canada, as well. Last Jedi comes up as "currently unavailable".

 

[TJPC]

This is why Amazon.uk is still offering most things in 3D also.

 

[David Norman]

This is why Amazon.uk is still offering most things in 3D also.

I think Amazon.Uk offers most things in 3D b/c Disney still releases 3D in the UK and not in the US.

The Amazon/Disney US issues almost certainly have nothing to do with Disney's decision to stop doing 3D in the US.

AmazonUS (excluding 3rd Party) virtually never sold UK/International 3D items even before the current issues started

 

[Brian L]

Same here. Not that I have bought many titles, but the only entity losing money from me is Amazon.

Of the Disney titles that I have been unable to preorder from Amazon, I think I bought one at a Target B&M (Rogue One, maybe?), and ordered one from BB; the last Pirates film. To my pleasant surprise, BB got Pirates to me on the Saturday before street date. I have also pre-ordered TLJ from BB.

I just got my BB shipping notice for TLJ. They shipped UPS, so there is a better than even chance that it too will arrive before street. Take that, Amazon.

 

[TJPC]

My experience with Disney leads me to believe they should be re-named “Engufe and Devour” like the corporation in a Mel Brooks film. This leads me to say:

HOORAY FOR AMAZON!!

 

[Todd Erwin]

Makes me wonder if Redbox is why you can't preorder Disney on Amazon....

And since I was able to place 25 copies of a pre-ordered non-Disney title in my cart (and quickly deleted them to avoid actually ordering them) I'm inclined to think that may have something to do with it. Best Buy would only allow me to place no more than three in my cart.

 

[Jake Lipson]

That's an interesting point, Todd.

Hmm.

 

[dana martin]

Amazon has made Disney’s Star Wars and Marvel DVDs and Blu-rays Prime exclusives
https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/20/...el-films-prime-exclusives-disney-dvd-blue-ray

so now if you want it you need to be a prime member, lucky for me i am, but that Prime exclusive of just getting the title i don't get, never once have i walked in a brick and mortar store and saw something that because i wasn't a member that i couldn't buy. If it was a retailer exclusive it would make some kind of sense, this on the other hand is just asinine.

 

[Sam Favate]

This is interesting, but it doesn't address the issue with pre-orders. If Prime members are able to pre-order these titles, that's one thing. But if you can't, then this is actually a step backwards, because it means now only Prime members can get these titles once the release date has passed, whereas before anyone could. But if Prime members can pre-order, this is a small step forward, because at least Amazon is taking pre-orders.

Also, it seems nothing has changed with the Disney or Pixar titles, so I'll still likely be using Target's website for all my Disney/Pixar/Marvel/Lucasfilm blu-ray needs.

FWIW, Black Panther is still not available to pre-order on Amazon, in either UHD or blu-ray.

 

[TJPC]

This also does not seem to apply to Amazon.ca, or Amazon.uk.

The British Amazon in fact is still taking pre-orders for these series. Since they do so, AND still offer 3D on region free Blu-rays, I would advise you to do what I do and tell Amazon.com to PISS OFF.

The packages from Britain only arrive a week or so later, and costs about the same. They also seem to have more sturdy Blu ray cases and are packaged better for the mail.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Amazon has made Disney’s Star Wars and Marvel DVDs and Blu-rays Prime exclusives
https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/20/...el-films-prime-exclusives-disney-dvd-blue-ray

so now if you want it you need to be a prime member, lucky for me i am, but that Prime exclusive of just getting the title i don't get, never once have i walked in a brick and mortar store and saw something that because i wasn't a member that i couldn't buy. If it was a retailer exclusive it would make some kind of sense, this on the other hand is just asinine.

I gather you are not a Costco or Sam's Club member.

 

[dana martin]

This also does not seem to apply to Amazon.ca, or Amazon.uk.

The British Amazon in fact is still taking pre-orders for these series. Since they do so, AND still offer 3D on region free Blu-rays, I would advise you to do what I do and tell Amazon.com to PISS OFF.

The packages from Britain only arrive a week or so later, and costs about the same. They also seem to have more sturdy Blu ray cases and are packaged better for the mail.

i know lately, i have had to get my 3D fix from the UK site

 

[dana martin]

I gather you are not a Costco or Sam's Club member.

BJ's now but have had the others, but then you have to have a membership id to get in the store, that's the difference, but then again every store has it's issues, Best Buy with the guy checking your receipt, even though you stood 4 feet away during check out, yep buddy, i some how mysteriously found a way to put the rest of the store in this tiny bag with one blu ray in it .

 

[TJPC]

The Costco (we don’t have Sam’s club) selection is rather pathetic near us and of course Best Buy has a staff that has never heard of whatever movie you are looking for and must look for it on the computer and still can’t find it. They also don’t have 3D.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Amazon has been making certain titles available as Prime exclusives for a couple of years now. The fact that this is happening has no bearing whatsoever on the feud with Disney, since pre-orders and release date purchases are still not available.

I've gotten so sick of it that I don't bother to check anymore and will just get these through Target.

 

[Sam Favate]

Strange chat I had with Amazon customer service yesterday. It doesn't directly relate to the Disney feud, but it is another example of how they treat physical media. It does affect the Disney titles though, as I will illustrate.

I ordered a few CDs, including the Avengers soundtrack, which was released yesterday and another CD that came out yesterday. They didn't arrive, despite being promised for yesterday.

I contacted Amazon. There was no longer an option to send an email - only chat online or by phone. I asked what the delay was. I was told that the items "were only released in limited quantities and therefore were shipped on a 'priority basis.'"

I asked what a "priority basis" was, and why didn't I have it as a Prime member. Turns out "priority" is for customers who selected one-day shipping. I told them that was unacceptable, and that, especially since the cost of Prime membership is going up 20% this year, I wouldn't consider renewing mine if this was to be the case going forward.

Usually at this point, they offer to extend my Prime by a month. They didn't. Instead they "upgraded" my shipping to one-day, meaning I would receive one of the CD today (a day late) and the other tomorrow (2 days late).

How is that a benefit for me when the items were originally promised to be delivered yesterday with my Prime membership?

I'm seeing this happen more and more. The first time I experienced it was last fall with the release of the Flash Season 3 blu-rays. Those were late, again due to "limited quantities." At the time, I asked "How can there be limited quantities when I ordered this months ago, so Amazon should have known exactly how many copies to order to satisfy pre-orders?" They didn't have a reason so they extended my membership by a month. It's happened 2 or 3 times since.

With regard to Disney titles: I see that Amazon is now offering them for sale as Prime exclusives, but there is still no way to pre-order them, which says to me that you won't get them in a timely fashion, since priority will be given to those who pay for the faster shipping.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

I preordered the Avengers soundtrack, two day shipping, and mine arrived yesterday.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I asked what a "priority basis" was, and why didn't I have it as a Prime member. Turns out "priority" is for customers who selected one-day shipping. I told them that was unacceptable, and that, especially since the cost of Prime membership is going up 20% this year, I wouldn't consider renewing mine if this was to be the case going forward.

If you're doing a pre-order far enough in advance, release date delivery is guaranteed with 2-day shipping. That's one of the essential perks of Prime and why I like it so much.

So...why would anyone actually select one-day shipping on a pre-order and pay more than you have to for guaranteed release date delivery? That makes no sense.

I had the same thing happen to me last year when I pre-ordered two items that were supposed to come out on Tuesday, July 4. The pre-order page said they would come on July 4, even though it was a holiday. Then, when they didn't, I was told by customer service that I would have had to select one-day shipping for holiday delivery, even though that was not indicated on the pre-order page.

Amazon logic.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Amazon is currently taking pre-orders for a new Blu-ray edition of The Muppet Movie for release on August 28.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DL8NHX7/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

First of all, has anyone heard what's going to be new on this version?

Second, this is Amazon taking discounted pre-orders for a Disney title, and they haven't pulled it yet. I would take this as an encouraging sign that the feud may be ending, but it's only a catalog reissue. You still can't pre-order Infinity War or Incredibles 2. So, who knows what this means?