Amazon release-date delivery? (1 Viewer)

[Sam Favate]

Does Amazon not provide release-date delivery anymore? I just ordered First Man, which is being released 1/22, and it shows delivery of 1/30. I have Prime, chose "free 2-day shipping" at check out, etc.

Is this yet another inconvenience to get us to stop buying physical media? I've grown to absolutely dread buying from Amazon. Why do I need Prime for this kind of service?

 

[JQuintana]

Unless you are in a rush or dead set that you have to be watching it day and date of release, I wouldn't really worry about it. Shipping is "free" so I'd just let it roll. I've never been one that must have something on release day though.

Also, did Amazon promise in writing that they would always have discs on your doorstep the day they are released?

 

[Robert Crawford]

That's weird as I ordered the 4K/UHD disc earlier this month and it's showing a delivery date of January 22nd for me.

 

[dpippel]

With all of the disc production delays affecting new releases lately, it could very well be a supply issue.

 

[Will Krupp]

With all of the disc production delays affecting new releases lately, it could very well be a supply issue.

That shouldn't stop up from demonizing Amazon at every chance we get.

 

[Sam Favate]

Unless you are in a rush or dead set that you have to be watching it day and date of release, I wouldn't really worry about it. Shipping is "free" so I'd just let it roll. I've never been one that must have something on release day though.

Also, did Amazon promise in writing that they would always have discs on your doorstep the day they are released?

It's not that I want to see that day, it's that I'm paying for a service (two-day shipping) that I'm not getting. On the page for the item, it says "Want to receive this the day it comes out?
Select FREE Two-Day Shipping at checkout."

I first started using Amazon (and Prime) to get release-date delivery. If that policy is changing, I want to know so I can save the money I spend on Prime.

And, it's not free shipping. We're paying for it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

With all of the disc production delays affecting new releases lately, it could very well be a supply issue.

That's a possibility as they might have a certain allotment that is now exhausted which explains why my delivery date is January 22nd since I ordered mine earlier this month.

 

[Sam Favate]

With all of the disc production delays affecting new releases lately, it could very well be a supply issue.

Is this because there are fewer places producing them? If so, that seems like a problem that's going to continue as long as there are discs.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It's not that I want to see that day, it's that I'm paying for a service (two-day shipping) that I'm not getting. On the page for the item, it says "Want to receive this the day it comes out?
Select FREE Two-Day Shipping at checkout."

I first started using Amazon (and Prime) to get release-date delivery. If that policy is changing, I want to know so I can save the money I spend on Prime.

And, it's not free shipping. We're paying for it.

Let's remembered that Amazon might be saying January 30th for you, but will update an earlier delivery date before January 22nd.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Is this because there are fewer places producing them? If so, that seems like a problem that's going to continue as long as there are discs.

I guess you haven't been keeping up the "plant replication capacity" discussion we've been having in other threads for the last several months. Many discs were delayed from September/October to now due to a plant capacity issue. Yes, it's a big problem as the number of replication plants is down to one plant if I remembered correctly. Disc demand has been lower so the industry has adjusted to that demand.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Yes, it's a big problem as the number of replication plants is down to one plant if I remembered correctly.

Robert:

I've had a question about that. Is it one US plant? Or is the one plant the one in Mexico that many discs come from?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Robert:

I've had a question about that. Is it one US plant? Or is the one plant the one in Mexico that many discs come from?

Mike,

It's the one in Mexico. The closed the one in Terre Haute, Indiana.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Mike,

It's the one in Mexico. The closed the one in Terre Haute, Indiana.

By that way, that Indiana plant stopped making video discs a good while ago. In the past year, they closed down their CD production at that plant.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Last month, I had a similar issue with one of my pre-orders, so I cancelled it and re-ordered it in an attempt to make the delivery date match the release date. That backfired as the delivery date on the second order was later than the one I'd had originally. So I did a chat and got a very accommodating rep. He said this was caused by a large amount of orders for that particular item, but he then upgraded the shipping speed to one-day shipping at no charge so that my order would still arrive on the release date.

Obviously, YMMV depending on what rep you get. But I would suggest you try this. Be nice, be complimentary, and say you're not sure why this situation should be different than the release date delivery you're accustomed to, and you might get a result that you like. Good luck.

 

[Brian Kidd]

When I worked there a few years back, the policy was that they didn't guarantee release date delivery except for items where they clearly specified that it was available. With that said, a preorder still got delivered on the release date 99% of the time. They still do a pretty good job meeting that expectation, but it hasn't been guaranteed for some time.

Delivery time honestly depends on inventory and how far away from the delivery address that the item is located. Products that are more in demand are spread out to more fulfillment centers and have higher availability. The more "niche" the item is, the larger the chance that it may not be at a fulfillment center that is close to the delivery address and may take a day or two longer to deliver. They aren't allowed to break street dates for things like movies, music, and video games, so they have a complex algorithm they've developed to decide from where an item is shipped, which shipping method to use, at the lowest cost and still get the item where it needs to go in a timely manner. It isn't foolproof, but it has a pretty high success rate.

If you read the fine print, Prime only gives two-day delivery from the time when an item is actually shipped. Some items aren't available to ship out the same day you order it. It can be difficult (by design) to find the details on their help pages. Heck, they don't even guarantee two-day delivery any longer unless you've paid full price for it. It used to be that you'd get a free additional month of Prime if a package wasn't delivered two days after it shipped. Not any more.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I first started using Amazon (and Prime) to get release-date delivery. If that policy is changing, I want to know so I can save the money I spend on Prime.

Well, I can only tell you this...

All my recent orders of in stock items using Prime and free shipping have defaulted to a 6 day delivery estimate. I asked this question as well but have had no answer.

 

[dpippel]

Here's Amazon's ordering info for the First Man Blu-ray. For me, it clearly states that I can get it on release day by selecting FREE Two Day Shipping at checkout:

And if I step through the ordering process I'm informed that I'll get it on release day, January 22, 2019:

 

[JQuintana]

Key word there is "estimated"

 

[dpippel]

Yep, yet they are clearly marketing it differently.

 

[Jeff Brooks]

I've had Cliffhanger 4k on order for months, and it showed I would receive it on release day, (today), and it is not happening. I fussed at them, and they gave me a $5 courtesy credit. It now looks like it will be here tomorrow. It's not a big deal, except that they promise release day delivery, and I take them at their word. This is not the first time, though, for me, either. I am starting to think they are actually having a hard time getting product.
Oh, and I just realized the other times this happened, they extended my Prime. That has now happened at least six times, now, according to my read on my renewal date.
So, I guess I cannot really complain.