Am I right in thinking that Amazon.com takes too long and charges too much to ship their items?
July 19, 2009 12:36 PM Subscribe
Am I right in thinking that Amazon.com takes too long and charges too much to ship their items?
I ordered an electronics item off of Amazon.com, which is sold by a private seller, but the order itself is fulfilled by Amazon.com. (They stock the items and handle the shipping.)
Now my order was made on Saturday morning and the estimated delivery date via standard shipping is next Friday the 24th. That's six days to deliver an item that weighs less than many letters. (It's a tiny stamp sized item wrapped in a thin plastic box.)
Now, as so happens, this very tiny part is pretty important to me, so I want to get my hands on it as soon as possible. With that in mind, I decided to email Amazon.com support to tell them that their delivery time as estimated on the order was absolutely unreasonable.
Do you think that my opinion is valid? After all, $5.75 to ship an absolutely tiny item and wait a whole week for it to arrive seems ridiculous. (If it arrives on Monday instead of Friday, the delivery time will take more than a week.) Of course, my impatience is certainly a factor here, but I do remember that for about the same shipping price, an Ebay seller would send an item first class and it would arrive really quickly. That's why I was thinking to myself: Amazon handles shipping worse than Ebay sellers, all while charging the same price.
I ordered an electronics item off of Amazon.com, which is sold by a private seller, but the order itself is fulfilled by Amazon.com. (They stock the items and handle the shipping.)
Now my order was made on Saturday morning and the estimated delivery date via standard shipping is next Friday the 24th. That's six days to deliver an item that weighs less than many letters. (It's a tiny stamp sized item wrapped in a thin plastic box.)
Now, as so happens, this very tiny part is pretty important to me, so I want to get my hands on it as soon as possible. With that in mind, I decided to email Amazon.com support to tell them that their delivery time as estimated on the order was absolutely unreasonable.
Do you think that my opinion is valid? After all, $5.75 to ship an absolutely tiny item and wait a whole week for it to arrive seems ridiculous. (If it arrives on Monday instead of Friday, the delivery time will take more than a week.) Of course, my impatience is certainly a factor here, but I do remember that for about the same shipping price, an Ebay seller would send an item first class and it would arrive really quickly. That's why I was thinking to myself: Amazon handles shipping worse than Ebay sellers, all while charging the same price.
This post was deleted for the following reason: "am-i-right" questions that are more of a complaint than an attempt to actively solve a problem fall into no-go chatfilter territory, generally speaking. -- cortex
Huh? You say you chose the standard shipping, after seeing the estimated delivery date of the 24th. And now you are complaining about it?
Wasn't there an option for "Expedited" or "Two Day Shipping" like I see all over Amazon? What was the estimated date for that? Why didn't you choose that option?
posted by rokusan at 12:40 PM on July 19, 2009
Wasn't there an option for "Expedited" or "Two Day Shipping" like I see all over Amazon? What was the estimated date for that? Why didn't you choose that option?
posted by rokusan at 12:40 PM on July 19, 2009
You knew what you were getting into when you placed the order, right?
posted by box at 12:42 PM on July 19, 2009
posted by box at 12:42 PM on July 19, 2009
Response by poster: Note: My item cost over $30 dollars and I chose standard shipping for $5.75, because the free shipping would have taken up to 9 days.
posted by gregb1007 at 12:42 PM on July 19, 2009
posted by gregb1007 at 12:42 PM on July 19, 2009
Best answer: The problem is mostly a) that you ordered on the weekend
and b) things don't instantly teleport into the mail the minute your order is placed.
The warehouse is probably closed Saturday and Sunday. So they don't find out you placed your order until sometime Monday. By the time it's all boxed up and whatnot, it doesn't get in the mail until Tuesday. From there it takes until Friday to get to you. This is how long the mail takes.
Ebay might be faster because the item is just sitting in some dude's house or very small business and he can send it out immediately, even on the weekend.
posted by drjimmy11 at 12:44 PM on July 19, 2009
and b) things don't instantly teleport into the mail the minute your order is placed.
The warehouse is probably closed Saturday and Sunday. So they don't find out you placed your order until sometime Monday. By the time it's all boxed up and whatnot, it doesn't get in the mail until Tuesday. From there it takes until Friday to get to you. This is how long the mail takes.
Ebay might be faster because the item is just sitting in some dude's house or very small business and he can send it out immediately, even on the weekend.
posted by drjimmy11 at 12:44 PM on July 19, 2009
I also find Amazon tends to beat their estimates on a very regular basis. Nothing I've ever ordered with Super Save has taken anything close to nine days. They have made the (Wise, I think) decision to pleasantly rather than unpleasantly surprise people.
posted by drjimmy11 at 12:46 PM on July 19, 2009
posted by drjimmy11 at 12:46 PM on July 19, 2009
Response by poster: DrJimmy, thank you for confirming my intuition. I had the feeling that Ebay sellers managed to get things delivered faster for the same price. I guess that Ebay simply offers a better delivery experience for a similiar item than Amazon.com
posted by gregb1007 at 12:49 PM on July 19, 2009
posted by gregb1007 at 12:49 PM on July 19, 2009
I've always had the opposite experience. I always use the Free Super Saver Shipping and the estimated arrival date is usually around 1 or 2 weeks in the future. However, I usually receive my package within the same week (say 2-4 days later).
There's always the 2nd day and next day options. If you have never signed up for Amazon Prime before, start a trial, and use 2nd day which is free or next day which is $4. Cancel it before your trial is up if you don't want to pay for it.
posted by mathlete at 12:52 PM on July 19, 2009
There's always the 2nd day and next day options. If you have never signed up for Amazon Prime before, start a trial, and use 2nd day which is free or next day which is $4. Cancel it before your trial is up if you don't want to pay for it.
posted by mathlete at 12:52 PM on July 19, 2009
It's impractical for Amazon to calculate the exact postage for every item, so they group things into fairly broad categories.
This means the postage charge is often either too high or too low for the size/weight of the item.
Third party resellers take this into account when setting the price of the items - this is why you can find so many used items listed for 1c, all of their profit comes from the postage/packaging charge.
posted by Lanark at 12:58 PM on July 19, 2009
This means the postage charge is often either too high or too low for the size/weight of the item.
Third party resellers take this into account when setting the price of the items - this is why you can find so many used items listed for 1c, all of their profit comes from the postage/packaging charge.
posted by Lanark at 12:58 PM on July 19, 2009
Best answer: Suggest you buy your small electronic items on ebay the next time...on the other hand that might not work out any faster because a couple of times I have bought items listed as located in my country to find they were indeed in Hongkong and took longer to deliver than the listing had indicated they should...the seller feedback had not mentioned this...so you can't win. If you want it that urgently how about walking into a shop and buying the item and you can take it home that instant?
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:59 PM on July 19, 2009
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:59 PM on July 19, 2009
The estimated shipping date is an estimate - Amazon states that standard shipping takes 3-5 business days (Saturday and Sunday are not considered business days which is why your order will be packed and shipped on Monday). Therefore, your estimated delivery date is Friday - 5 days from Monday. It's a cover-your-ass situation, to be honest, because yeah, it COULD take 5 days for your stuff to get there, but it usually doesn't.
However, depending on your location and where the item is being shipped from, you could get your stuff much faster than that. I used to live 2 hours from one of the largest distribution centers in the country and I would routinely order things using the Super Saver Shipping and get it two days later.
posted by kerning at 1:03 PM on July 19, 2009
However, depending on your location and where the item is being shipped from, you could get your stuff much faster than that. I used to live 2 hours from one of the largest distribution centers in the country and I would routinely order things using the Super Saver Shipping and get it two days later.
posted by kerning at 1:03 PM on July 19, 2009
To save yourself this hassle if you order from Amazon frequently, you might consider Amazon Prime.
posted by Xurando at 1:04 PM on July 19, 2009
posted by Xurando at 1:04 PM on July 19, 2009
Amazon has the best fulfillment and shipping I've ever experienced in mail order. When they say an item is available to ship, it really is. When they say it will "arrive tomorrow", it really will, sometimes even if you order as late as 4pm. When they give you a delivery date, it really is delivered by that day. The only time I've ever been disappointed is when an item is identified as "ready to ship in 5-7 days". That's Amazon code for "we don't have it, but we think we can get it" and sometimes it doesn't work out.
Standard shipping takes about a week. If you want it to arrive sooner than that, you have to pay for faster shipping. If you order from Amazon regularly, Amazon Prime is a great deal for free two day shipping.
posted by Nelson at 1:05 PM on July 19, 2009
Standard shipping takes about a week. If you want it to arrive sooner than that, you have to pay for faster shipping. If you order from Amazon regularly, Amazon Prime is a great deal for free two day shipping.
posted by Nelson at 1:05 PM on July 19, 2009
Are all your Amazon orders slow? I can't tell you the number of times I've ordered something, gotten the free shipping and received the item in the next day or two.
A lot is going to depend on where you are, where it's being shipped from, what shipping you chose, who is sending it and how it's being sent.
posted by sageleaf at 1:07 PM on July 19, 2009
A lot is going to depend on where you are, where it's being shipped from, what shipping you chose, who is sending it and how it's being sent.
posted by sageleaf at 1:07 PM on July 19, 2009
I'd be curious to see what you could ship that $30 item for, in a container where it has a minimal chance to be damaged, including price of packaging and the carton itself. Protip: The cheapest Priority Mail is $4.95, no insurance, no tracking, no delivery confirmation, no delivery guarantee, just an estimate.
Estimates are just estimates. If you want expedited shipping, pay for expedited shipping, where you'll know you'll satisfy your need for immediate gratification. $5.75 is perfectly reasonable. That same $30 item on eBay probably has a $12+ shipping fee on it, and will be sent to you first class USPS, in a manilla envelope if my experience is any indicator.
posted by Rendus at 1:11 PM on July 19, 2009
Estimates are just estimates. If you want expedited shipping, pay for expedited shipping, where you'll know you'll satisfy your need for immediate gratification. $5.75 is perfectly reasonable. That same $30 item on eBay probably has a $12+ shipping fee on it, and will be sent to you first class USPS, in a manilla envelope if my experience is any indicator.
posted by Rendus at 1:11 PM on July 19, 2009
Amazon is usually quite slow for me, mostly because I order on the weekends and it doesn't get shipped out until Monday or Tuesday. I have noticed a few orders, the most recent being an order for an iPod windshield mount, Amazon said they had it in stock, but it took them a good ten days to get it shipped.
I do think Amazon is getting worse unfortunately. I'm not really sure why and it's usually not time senstive, but it is annoying.
posted by icebourg at 1:13 PM on July 19, 2009
I do think Amazon is getting worse unfortunately. I'm not really sure why and it's usually not time senstive, but it is annoying.
posted by icebourg at 1:13 PM on July 19, 2009
Response by poster: Rendus, I do find that ebay sellers use less sturdier packaging and less of it period. But, that hasn't seemed to cause any damage during delivery.
posted by gregb1007 at 1:13 PM on July 19, 2009
posted by gregb1007 at 1:13 PM on July 19, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by quintno at 12:38 PM on July 19, 2009