Here's a weird one, explain this ;).... (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

I order something from Amazon about a week ago. A Gamecube Wavebird controller.

No confirmation of shipping that I usually receive. And I almost start to forget about it, untill yesterday when my afther brings home a package from work.

Address on it says it's from Target, wich I find very strange since I don't have an online Target account. So, I open it, and inside is my Wavebird. No price listed, just an item listing on the sheet they included. It has all target branding, and only one amazon listing on it.

Even weirder, I had it send to me house in Wyckoff, but it winds up in the location of the office in Cedar Knolls, wich address of wich is not included on my shipping list in my Amazon preferances...

Any ideas on this one?

 

[McPaul]

Woah... being from Canada, I'm not familiar with Amazon.com and it's partners but that's a strange pup. As long as you got it. Perhaps you can ask your local USPS carrier next time he comes, although I don't know what he would tell you.

Enjoy the controller and pass on the story... Amusing if not anything.

 

[Justin1]

Be very careful when ordering from Amazon. They have many stores that are part of the site. Many items will look like Amazon items, but are actually shipped from partner companies. Some of these include Mervyns, Marshall Fields, Target, Circuit City, and CDNow.

 

[Eve T]

I would be very suspicious that it was sent to a place that is NOT listed on your account information. How did they find out the other address?
I'd give them a call and get some details on this incident.

 

[Leila Dougan]

I've had problems with UPS changing the address on packages! Once I ordered something online and since I had just moved, I used my new address. The package was never delivered, yet UPS tracking said it was. It turns out that UPS took it upon themselves to change the address on the package and deliver it to my old place! I managed to get a hold of the package and lo and behold, there was UPS sticker with my old address slapped on top of the shipper's mailing label with my correct address! After confronting UPS about it, I was told that my new address didn't match the one they had in their records so they corrected the "problem". One of the many reasons I don't use UPS anymore.
Anyway, sorry to get slightly OT. Is there a chance such a thing happened with you?

 

[BrianB]

Address on it says it's from Target, wich I find very strange since I don't have an online Target account.

Target, like ToysRUs & a bunch of other big retailers, are now major partners with Amazon online - effectively they act as stock supplier for Amazon.

 

[DeathStar1]

>Anyway, sorry to get slightly OT. Is there a chance such a thing happened with you?
>

Nope, never happened before, and I've never lived in Cedar Knolls. The only CK connection we have is the location of my fathers office, and as far as I know, he's never ordered anything from Amazon.com.

Only thing I can think of, is maby that's where the Credit Card Billing address is located, and they somehow, some reason used that address...

 

[Chuck C]

I don't see anything wrong with this. As a consumer, it should not matter where the product comes from as long as the product is shipped in a timely fashion, makes it to the correct address, is NOT damaged and can be traced back to the source company (i.e. Amazon) for returns. I suppose you could stretch it if you absolutely hate Target for ethical reasons, but the parent company strategy makes shipment to remote locations more efficient.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Hi Neil,

When I was 18, I moved out of my parent's house to the other side of the state with my fiance (now wife). At some time during the year we lived there, my parents received a credit card in the mail, at our address. It wasn't forwarded by the post office, it was sent to our address by the bank. My folks called the bank and they had their address on file, not our's, and they couldn't explain why it had been sent to us.

It makes no sense at all. I didn't have an account with the same bank. There is no reason in the world why it should have been sent to us. I just figure that somewhere along the line, someone's database had a major hiccup. My folks immediately canceled their new card and went with a different bank, as this indicated some sort of major issue on their end they didn't want to deal with in the future.

So, now that you've bought it, how do you like that controller? I have thought about buying a few of them myself, as I HATE wrapping up the cords after playing games. It's just a pain in the rear. But I've got concerns:

- Is it the same physical size/etc as the normal Nintendo controller?
- How is the responsiveness? Any different from a wired controller?
- Do you know if you can use more than one of them at the same time?

Thanks for the info.

 

[Patrick Sun]

It sounds like the equivalent of "drop-shipping" from Amazon's perspective. Get the order, and then turn around have their "supplier" directly ship the order to the buyer.

 

[DeathStar1]

>So, now that you've bought it, how do you like that controller? >'
The last wireless contller I bought was for the NES, IIRC. Hardly ever used that because it was a peice of junk. This one, however, seems to work perfectly. I havn't really had the time to try it in action with a game yet, however. Been too busy trying to convert my tape collection to DVD+R to really put in any serious gaming time latley...
>- Is it the same physical size/etc as the normal Nintendo controller?>
Yep, except for the one change at the bottom of the controller where they give you the frequency adjuster, it's basically exactly the same.
>- How is the responsiveness? Any different from a wired controller?>
See above .
>Do you know if you can use more than one of them at the same time>
Don't see any reason why not. Unless multiple controllers interfere with each other...

 

[John_Bonner]

Neil,

Is your father also named Neil?

I can't tell you how many screwups I've dealt with over the years since I share the same name as my dad. Credit card bills, medical bills, AT&T and their "wonderful" billing system. I remember when I was 31 getting a "Welcome to AARP" card in the mail.

 

[Dheiner]

Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like they shipped to the credit card billing address. Not exactly a big mystery.

 

[DeathStar1]

>Is your father also named Neil?>
Yep, but this has never happened before now. To quote a radio commercial, "My parents must be lazy people..." for giving me the same name
And to the above poster,
After I finished writing that, I had a memory jogging stating that my current Wyckoff Address was the addy for the credit card billing. Even the packing slip in the Package was addressed to the Wyckoff Address...Either way, still very weird.

 

[Leila Dougan]

Yeah, it sounds like they just shipped to your billing address to me.

 

[Craig Robertson]

- Do you know if you can use more than one of them at the same time?

just set them to different channel #'s. i've got four hooked up to my gamecube now, works like a champ.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Thanks for the info on the wavebirds. I have two more questions, if you don't mind:

1. How do these compare in terms of size?? I understand that they will weigh more due to the batteries, but do they change your hand position at all?

2. Do you miss the rumble feature?

I went down to Best Buy this afternoon and bought a wireless controller. Similar to the Wavebird, but claimed more range and it included rumble. While it looked the same size as a normal Nintendo controller, when you hold it, it's significantly larger. You have to spread your hands some more and it's not nearly as comfortable. I'm going to return it, but would like to know if I'll have the same problem with the Wavebird.

 

[Allen_Appel]

Be very careful when ordering from Amazon. They have many stores that are part of the site. Many items will look like Amazon items, but are actually shipped from partner companies.

Amazon doesn't actually MAKE anything, they are just an ordering/distribution center, so there is no such thing as an "Amazon item".

As for Wavebirds, they are great, a must-have for GameCube owners. I just wish they came in another color besides grey. Anyone know of plans for colored Wavebirds?

The footprint of the Wavebird is essentially the same as the regulation controller. The open area between the C-stick and the D-pad is enclosed, and the handles may be 1/4" longer. It feels the same in my hands (the weight of the batteries is equal to the weight of the rumble motors). I haven't noticed the lack of rumble really, except last night while playing the "Ride the Dinosaur" level of Rugrats Royal Ransom (don't laugh, it's a pretty good game). Turns out it's not rumble-enabled, so, no, I haven't missed the rumble.

 

[Matt Birchall]

Thumbs up all the way for the WaveBird controllers. Easily the best wireless gaming controller of all time--and many people feel the best controller ever. Really, there's only one negative, and that's the lack of rumble--which really isn't that big of a negative, anyway (my opinion). I've been using one ever since it came out last summer, and have had zero problems. It works and feels great, just as good as the regular wired controllers do, and I haven't gone back to the wired controllers since (have no forseeable reason to). They'll play through anything--glass, wood, people, whatever, and despite the fact that Nintendo says they'll work up to twenty feet away, I've gotten up to 100 feet away with it working perfectly. Now, granted, that's not very useful, but its still cool regardless.
The WaveBird was recently voted Best GameCube accessory of 2002 by www.planetgamecube.com and for good reason.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Thanks for the Wavebird tips. I bought three of them over the weekend. Man, I can't believe I ever lived with the normal controllers... and I don't miss the rumble at all.

Going to have to get a fourth Wavebird one of these days, but for now, whomever gets the comfy chair next to the Gamecube can use the wired controller. Fair trade off.