Amazon shipping issues vent! Any alternatives for book ordering?

[Lovingparent]

There was a post about Reading Rainbow orders a while back and when people suggested to the poster that she should have ordered from Amazon, I chuckled a bit, because I was going through the same issue with Amazon. Now, I do not have prime. I actually did the trial last year, but one of my orders did not actually arrive on time and I figured it was way too expensive for hit and miss.

 

Anyway, a few weeks back I placed an order for some books. Paperbacks, so not much weight there. They asked 10 dollars for shipping, so I opted for free shipping. And I waited and waited and waited. A week passed by and the books hadn't shipped. I checked the books and it appeared one was in back order,. I thought they were waiting for that one to arrive to ship them all, so I cancelled the back ordered item and with a few emails back and forth with Amazon, they finally shipped the books. I hoped it was just this one order and I shrugged it.

 

On the 5th, I put another order for 5 books, 4 of them paperbacks, not much weight again. They asked 8 dollars for shipping, which was a whooping 20% of the total amount. So, I am cheap and it seemed excessive and I chose free shipping. The last day of their estimate was tomorrow the 15th. So, today I checked my account and they hadn't shipped my order. No back orders or anything, and that is 10 days after I submitted my order. So, I sent them an email and they pretty much said that they will overnight it, but they are doing me a favor, because free shipping means they can ship it whenever and it can arrive whenever. Really? No apologies, just you are a third tier customer?

 

I do not want to order from Amazon ever again, but I do not know of any alternatives that would offer free or at least low shipping. We buy several books every year and the shipping adds up. Any ideas? 

 

 

 

[Pippen]

Are you ordering books directly from Amazon, or from their third-party vendors?

[mom2samlibby]

After mailing some books out lately, I really don't think that $8 is excessive.  I know it sounds like a lot, but I think the price of shipping has gone up again.  I sent one book out a couple of weeks ago and it was $5 to mail and that was media mail.  

 

I think since you asked for free shipping on their end that probably means that they will mail it when they get around to it and how they want to ship it.  

 

I always had good luck with amazon prime.  My orders always come within 2 days.  I've also always had good luck with Rainbow Resource.  I think with any company that is large there will be times when mistakes do happen.  

[mom2samlibby]

After mailing some books out lately, I really don't think that $8 is excessive.  I know it sounds like a lot, but I think the price of shipping has gone up again.  I sent one book out a couple of weeks ago and it was $5 to mail and that was media mail.  

 

I think since you asked for free shipping on their end that probably means that they will mail it when they get around to it and how they want to ship it.  

 

I always had good luck with amazon prime.  My orders always come within 2 days.  I've also always had good luck with Rainbow Resource.  I think with any company that is large there will be times when mistakes do happen.  

[Ethel Mertz]

You could try Better World Books.

 

http://www.betterworldbooks.com/

 

 

[Stacia]

Powell's Books is an indie store that has $3.99 flat rate shipping or free shipping on orders over $50.

 

(Perhaps some of the delay from amazon could have been affected by which company published the books you were ordering? There are some ongoing disputes in the writing/publishing/book-selling world & that is affecting which books amazon is actually choosing to stock or not.)

 

Also, if you have a local indie bookstore, ask them about ordering what you want. Search for one in your area here: http://www.indiebound.org/

Our little, indie, used bookstore will order anything I want. They usually get it in 1-2 days & offer a 10% discount off the cover price for new books. I figure that's not bad, no shipping, it's about 2 miles from my house (so handy for me to pick up there), & I'm supporting a small, local business too.

[Lovingparent]

Are you ordering books directly from Amazon, or from their third-party vendors?

 I  ordered directly from Amazon. Actually, lately the textbooks I ordered from third party sellers came faster than the books I ordered directly from Amazon.

 

 

 

(Perhaps some of the delay from amazon could have been affected by which company published the books you were ordering? There are some ongoing disputes in the writing/publishing/book-selling world & that is affecting which books amazon is actually choosing to stock or not.)

 

 

The books do not appear to be from Hachette and they seem to be fully in stock. So, I do not really think they were affected by the disputes. I know at least one was not, it's a textbook. Thank you for your other suggestions.  

 

 

 

After mailing some books out lately, I really don't think that $8 is excessive.  I know it sounds like a lot, but I think the price of shipping has gone up again.  I sent one book out a couple of weeks ago and it was $5 to mail and that was media mail.  

 

I think since you asked for free shipping on their end that probably means that they will mail it when they get around to it and how they want to ship it.  

 

I always had good luck with amazon prime.  My orders always come within 2 days.  I've also always had good luck with Rainbow Resource.  I think with any company that is large there will be times when mistakes do happen.  

 

 

My main complaint is they gave a delivery window for the free shipping, when I submitted my order. They didn't leave the delivery window open. When a company commits to something I hold them up to it. In my opinion, it's not very good practice not to keep your word for both individuals and companies. 

 

About the shipping cost, I know very well how the shipping costs have risen. However larger companies like Amazon get massive discounts for economies of scale that are nowhere near what we, individuals, pay. And honestly, I wouldn't mind paying shipping for smaller companies, but I do become stingier, I guess with larger ones like Amazon. Their value added point has always been for me their free shipping. Otherwise, I would choose to buy from smaller companies.

 

 

[G5052]

I went through this so many times.  Then we decided to drop Netflix and just get Amazon Prime for both the shipping and online shows/movies.  Frankly it has been worth it to me.  No more delayed books, and I have a lot of my staples ordered on a regular schedule right to my door.

 

Periodically we talk about not renewing Prime, but thus far we always renew even though it has gone up.  

[Lovingparent]

I order from amazon all the time and never have been let down at all. I do have prime and it is not hit or miss. It's guaranteed.

 

I am glad it has been working so well for you. Unfortunately, that has not been my experience. One missed order is not a lot, but it's enough to not go through with a $99 expense for me. 

[Lovingparent]

You could try Better World Books.

 

http://www.betterworldbooks.com/

 

I am going to order our next textbook from this website. It seems very promising. Thank you for suggesting it!

[DianeW88]

Free shipping from Amazon means you'll get it when they're good and ready to ship it to you.  Sometimes that's a couple of days.  Sometimes they won't get to it for a week or so.  You're not paying anything for the shipping, so in my book, you have forfeited your right to complain about when they ship it.  If you need something by a certain deadline, and you order from them, you'll have to cough up the shipping costs.  You really might want to take a look at Prime again, especially if you order a lot of things from them.  It not only includes shipping, but free streaming videos, free Kindle titles, free music downloads, and some other goodies.  I've found it to be well worth the cost, even at $99 a year.  I can think of only one time they may have taken more than 2 days to get something to me, and that was no biggie.  Make sure that you are not figuring weekends into your two days, as something ordered on a Friday or Saturday will not arrive until the following Tuesday or Wednesday.

[QueenCat]

I order from amazon all the time and never have been let down at all. I do have prime and it is not hit or miss. It's guaranteed.

 

I haven't had issues either. I have prime, and unless they show up front that an item will be delayed, I get it within the two days. Sometimes, I get it in one day.

[OneStepAtATime]

OP, I know you are frustrated and irritated.   :grouphug:  I don't have a really great suggestion but you might look at Abe Books.  Interface is not as easy as Amazon but I have gotten some great deals there.  

 

You probably don't want to hear this but I use Prime,too, just like other posters.  I have used Prime for years.  I have only had two orders get mucked up and delayed when ordering through Prime.  We use a lot of the services available through Prime besides just the two day "free" shipping so it is definitely worth the money for us.  Mistakes happen so I haven't really gotten stressed out over only two orders being delayed over multiple years of service.  I agree with others, you might want to consider Prime again if you order a lot of stuff.  

 

Good luck and best wishes....

[fraidycat]

I order from amazon all the time and never have been let down at all. I do have prime and it is not hit or miss. It's guaranteed.

This is no longer true. My last order with Prime was not guaranteed, and I actually had a text chat with CS where she blew smoke up my butt about non-existant "reasons" for the delay. At which point my order was overnighted as a "favor".

 

At this point I cancelled Prime as the price was going up while service was going down.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Yes, generally it does make you a third tier customer.  I won't pay for Prime, but I do shop around before ordering at amazon.  I usually stick with them for books though; it's the household appliances, bath items, etc. that I can often find somewhere else.

[mommymilkies]

This is no longer true. My last order with Prime was not guaranteed, and I actually had a text chat with CS where she blew smoke up my butt about non-existant "reasons" for the delay. At which point my order was overnighted as a "favor".

 

At this point I cancelled Prime as the price was going up while service was going down.

I have had similar issues.  My Prime orders take for freaking ever to get to me. 

[Lanny]

I try not to buy directly from Amazon or from Sellers that have Fulfillment by Amazon.  I buy textbooks (usually Used, sometimes New) from Amazon Sellers and bite the bullet and pay $3.99 each for shipping (to a Shipping address in the  U.S. A).  I have read very negative things in some Seller Feedbacks, where Amazon Sellers have Fulfillment by Amazon, and if there is a glitch, Amazon simply replies that it was the fault of Amazon and they delete the "negative" score for the Amazon Seller for that transaction and the Seller has a very high feedback rating.

 

The flip side of that is that if you buy directly from Amazon, their Customer Support is reported to be excellent and that is a big "plus".  I have in the past purchased many things directly from Amazon and we have never had an issue, but those are not recent purchases.

 

 

[Lovingparent]

I try not to buy directly from Amazon or from Sellers that have Fulfillment by Amazon.  I buy textbooks (usually Used, sometimes New) from Amazon Sellers and bite the bullet and pay $3.99 each for shipping (to a Shipping address in the  U.S. A).  I have read very negative things in some Seller Feedbacks, where Amazon Sellers have Fulfillment by Amazon, and if there is a glitch, Amazon simply replies that it was the fault of Amazon and they delete the "negative" score for the Amazon Seller for that transaction and the Seller has a very high feedback rating.

 

 

HA! I noticed it too about the Amazon fulfillment sellers getting their the negative feedback deleted. It always makes me wonder whether the customers that got the torn/destroyed books get refunded or not.

I purchased a few textbooks lately from third party sellers, and 3.99 was actually a great shipping price, because all textbooks were super heavy. I am writing down the sellers' names to remember when I have to order again, because all of them were very nice, fast shipping and books as promised.

[Lovingparent]

Free shipping from Amazon means you'll get it when they're good and ready to ship it to you.  Sometimes that's a couple of days.  Sometimes they won't get to it for a week or so.  You're not paying anything for the shipping, so in my book, you have forfeited your right to complain about when they ship it.  If you need something by a certain deadline, and you order from them, you'll have to cough up the shipping costs.  You really might want to take a look at Prime again, especially if you order a lot of things from them.  It not only includes shipping, but free streaming videos, free Kindle titles, free music downloads, and some other goodies.  I've found it to be well worth the cost, even at $99 a year.  I can think of only one time they may have taken more than 2 days to get something to me, and that was no biggie.  Make sure that you are not figuring weekends into your two days, as something ordered on a Friday or Saturday will not arrive until the following Tuesday or Wednesday.

 

Obviously our viewpoints differ greatly. Free shipping is not a favor, it's a marketing tool that companies employ to drive business. When I place an order with Amazon they give me delivery estimates based on the shipping speed. Even free shipping has its own delivery estimate. Based on the information I choose shipping speed and whether I even want to order from Amazon. If Amazon or any company for that matter commits to a date, they have to get it on time. Even for free shipping. Otherwise, it's bad business practice and I have every right to complain about it. And we are not talking about 2 days or a week, we are talking about 11 days. 

[mamajag]

nm

[Lanny]

HA! I noticed it too about the Amazon fulfillment sellers getting their the negative feedback deleted. It always makes me wonder whether the customers that got the torn/destroyed books get refunded or not.

I purchased a few textbooks lately from third party sellers, and 3.99 was actually a great shipping price, because all textbooks were super heavy. I am writing down the sellers' names to remember when I have to order again, because all of them were very nice, fast shipping and books as promised.

 

There are probably tons of excellent Sellers on Amazon. For the 8th grade textbooks,  we ended up buying all of the textbooks from HPB-Dallas on Amazon. Two of them, we bought last January, the night her last 7th grade textbook was delivered to our house in Colombia. I was curious about the 8th grade textbooks and to my astonishment, 2 of them had been in "price wars" and had bottomed out. We bought one of them for one cent (USD$0.01) plus shipping and the other one for fifty-eight cents ($0.58) plus shipping. They are in excellent condition! HPB-Dallas ships via DHL GlobalMail but everything has arrived OK. After they ship, I request the DHL GlobalMail Tracking number, in a message to them on Amazon.

 

We have usually had outstanding service from USPS on books shipped by Media Mail to our Miami, FL Shipping Address.

 

We have purchased more than once from a couple of other Amazon Sellers also. So far, no problems.  :-)   Sometimes the textbooks are in much better condition than described by the Amazon Sellers.

 

Sometimes, you can buy a "New" book on Amazon for less (or very little more) than a "Used" book.

 

One of my cousins in CA is married to a writer. She wrote me that she buys a ton of books on Amazon and that she is amazed at how many of them appear to be brand new, although sold as used.

[mamajag]

Obviously our viewpoints differ greatly. Free shipping is not a favor, it's a marketing tool that companies employ to drive business. When I place an order with Amazon they give me delivery estimates based on the shipping speed. Even free shipping has its own delivery estimate. Based on the information I choose shipping speed and whether I even want to order from Amazon. If Amazon or any company for that matter commits to a date, they have to get it on time. Even for free shipping. Otherwise, it's bad business practice and I have every right to complain about it. And we are not talking about 2 days or a week, we are talking about 11 days. 

 

You clearly do not understand the difference in services. For free, no rush shipping, there is only a delivery estimate. They are not bound by this. It is merely their best guess. I only get the guaranteed delivery date if I choose a paid shipping method. It's not Amazon's fault that you did not understand the implications of the shipping method you chose.

[AHASRADA]

That's really frustrating :(. I'm afraid Amazon may be going the way of Walmart: grown so big they are invincible, unavoidable as a supplier and therefore don't have to worry about customer service because our options as consumers are limited.

 

I must say, I have been very fortunate. I have never had Prime (aside from a one month free trial) and almost always choose free shipping. My packages usually arrive on the early end of the delivery estimate, and always within the window given. That's what I have expected, and Amazon has always delivered. The first glitch I had was a few weeks ago when I paid 2-day shipping to get it by a certain date. For some reason, it wasn't shipped in time, so I received it a day late. Maddening, but they notified me by email so I had warning that the package would be late, and they voluntarily refunded my full shipping costs, without me asking or any contact from me at all.

 

I hope the incidences of bad service don't become the norm. I wonder if location has anything to do with it? I'm on the east coast.

[mamajag]

I've had Prime since it began. I can count on one hand the number of times they've missed their delivery dates. Twice was because there was a blizzard and Fedex wasn't moving any packages out until it cleared. This is clearly not the fault of Amazon. Another couple of times I didn't have an explanation but when I inquired I was given a free month of Prime as an apology. Their customer service has always been great, but I always go through the phone or email. Live chat is slow, unresponsive, and in general less inclined to make things right.

[StartingOver]

I will not be getting prime again, as 90% of my books are taking 3-4 days when they should take two. I get that I am not in one of the largest cities in the country, but I live next to a rather large one. I have had no issues for the last 6 years, but lately I am just done. So very disappointed with Amazon lately. They are getting to big to have great customer service.

 

I will pay the expedited shipping at Rainbow if I need something a bit faster.

[mamajag]

Second the suggestion to bring it to their attention. They keep such a tight rein on order fulfillment that there might be a problem in the pipeline for you they can fix.

 

ETA: At the very beginning of my Prime membership, my orders weren't coming on time. They were shipping UPS Ground. According to their calculations, they should have arrived in 2 days. They weren't. Looking back through the records, they realized it wasn't working as they predicted. Since then, they have shipped my stuff 2-day and it's worked out.

[threeofakind]

I have noticed in the last couple years my orders are taking longer than in the past, and they are from amazon directly. So, I tried prime and did not notice a difference, so I cancelled it. So, I understand your frustrations, same here. But I still order from them and choose free shipping if it's an option and usually it takes 2 weeks, sometimes 3. Otherwise shipping costs is just too much!

[stripe]

Powell's Books is an indie store that has $3.99 flat rate shipping or free shipping on orders over $50.

Powells is great, and you can mix new and used books in one order. AND if you make one order, and then make another one before they've shipped the first (like, if you forgot something), you can combine so you save on shipping.

 

After mailing some books out lately, I really don't think that $8 is excessive. 

On Monday, I mailed a shoebox full of paperbacks to my grandma at regular old media mail prices. It weighed roughly 4 lbs. Mailing it cost just over $4.

Amazon does NOT pay media mail prices. They use all sorts of methods to get bulk discounts. Most bookstores send by "bound printed mail," not media, for instance, and it is vastly cheaper than media. 

 

Free shipping from Amazon means you'll get it when they're good and ready to ship it to you.  Sometimes that's a couple of days.  Sometimes they won't get to it for a week or so.  You're not paying anything for the shipping, so in my book, you have forfeited your right to complain about when they ship it. 

Amazon does not share your opinion. Customer service agents have been very understanding on the few occasions when I have had items not arrive as promised. I have also had items not ship and not ship and not ship, and then be sent out by UPS ground (from a location near me) so they will get there by 8 pm on the day promised. This happened to me last month. They are also very annoying about combining orders, and I think they wait in case you place another order, so they can combine it. Last year I had them sit on an order where everything was in stock, so that they could combine it with an item in another order that I'd pre-ordered. It took forever. I complained that I was getting worse service because I ordered more from them, and they gave me some sort of token of love or whatever, I forgot the details. Credit for a future order, maybe??

 

Obviously our viewpoints differ greatly. Free shipping is not a favor, it's a marketing tool that companies employ to drive business. When I place an order with Amazon they give me delivery estimates based on the shipping speed. Even free shipping has its own delivery estimate. Based on the information I choose shipping speed and whether I even want to order from Amazon. If Amazon or any company for that matter commits to a date, they have to get it on time. Even for free shipping. Otherwise, it's bad business practice and I have every right to complain about it. And we are not talking about 2 days or a week, we are talking about 11 days. 

Exactly.

 

You clearly do not understand the difference in services. For free, no rush shipping, there is only a delivery estimate. They are not bound by this. It is merely their best guess.

Wrong. When they don't delivery by the date on the page, they consider that a fail. I have had credit issued, items sent by 2nd day mail, etc., when they miss their deadline. All it took was for me to point out that the order wasn't here on time. I didn't have to rant, rave, or cry.

 

Lovingparent, I can tell you what I did, because I refuse to pay for prime and I like the illusion of free shipping, and I felt like I was being psychologically manipulated into overly large orders to get free shipping. The $35 limit also was an issue here. Basically, I decided loyalty is for the birds. I order used books when in good condition and substantially cheaper. (I complain when a "like new" book arrives tattered and torn.) I place a few orders a year from Powells, mostly of used books. I shop library sales for paperbacks, and I always cringe because I always find things there that I just bought online. I also became a Barnes & Noble member because for $25, I get free shipping on any order in a few business days. This includes gifts, which is handy. They have blown it a few times, and their customer service is nothing like Amazon's -- they're always confused and not particularly generous. But most orders are OK so it hasn't been a big deal. Along with that I get 20% off coupons all the time. I figure I probably come out about a tiny bit ahead. (Support the underdog!) Keep in mind that I go to the B&N store about once a year... It's almost entirely an exclusively online relationship. Their prices are now pretty close to Amazon's, and with the coupon, lower. And they collect tax, which, for me, is a help because I actually calculate it on orders where tax isn't collected and pay on my state tax returns, so B&N saves me the hassle. I joined in store and selected to NOT auto renew. When my membership was up, I delayed a few months before renewing, which I did online but also did NOT auto renew.

 

If Amazon is disappointing you -- and they are clearly cutting corners and de-prioritizing their non-Prime customers, even though they are losing money on shipping Prime members' stuff too!, then vote with your pocketbook. Go elsewhere! :) I support you, though. Just because it's free shipping doesn't mean it should come in five years. And, yeah, Amazon charges way too much on some items to make up for that free shipping. I find high prices on there all the time, including higher than the manufacturer's website (not to mention phony baloney discounts), but on books, their prices are often cheaper, it's true. 

[Lanny]

I just remembered that we did order, several months ago, 2 things from an Amazon Seller (BlairTG) that had Amazon fulfillment. In April, after we received the first Refurbished Dell Latitude E6400 laptop we purchased on Amazon from BlairTG, we purchased an extremely nice carrying bag for it and also a Dell USB keyboard for it, and those were in an Amazon warehouse in KY and sent to us with Free Shipping to Miami. As I recall, Amazon waited  5 to 7 days, before they shipped the package to us. It arrived in  Miami, without any issues. I believe Amazon shipped it via UPS to Miami.

[Lisbeth]

We have Prime, and they will sometimes deliver on Sunday to make the delivery time. They almost never miss the 2-day delivery. If I have an issue I chat with them live, and they fix the issue usually with added perks. We order a *TON* of items, because we don't use the library, and my two oldest kids go through 2-3 novels per week, and that doesn't include schoolwork. (My ever-present bedbug fear, plus my belief in paper books over electronic books, especially for kids.) We also order many other types of things for hobbies and the house.

[Lisbeth]

http://m.kmbc.com/news/bedbugs-in-books-halt-lawrence-library-sale/21898268

 

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/06/13/buyer-beware-books-bought-at-chappaqua-librarys-used-book-sale-could-be-carrying-bed-bugs/

[Paige]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My main complaint is they gave a delivery window for the free shipping, when I submitted my order. They didn't leave the delivery window open. When a company commits to something I hold them up to it. In my opinion, it's not very good practice not to keep your word for both individuals and companies. 

 

 

I would send what you wrote above to Amazon customer service. Even if you already spoke with someone else, you may get a better response from a different agent. Most of the time, Amazon's customer service is good. I have had my own issues, but we get better treatment from them, on average, when things go wrong than we usually get elsewhere. I think your point is very fair and they should treat it seriously. If I order something with free shipping, I don't expect them to hold my order unreasonably without notification! 

[vonfirmath]

I am curious which areas allow Saturday delivery because mine never does weekend delivery. Also, it may depend on which service is delivering (FedEx, UPS).

 

 

We're in the Austin suburbs and were surprised with SUNDAY delivery a couple of weeks ago!

[Night Elf]

I am curious which areas allow Saturday delivery because mine never does weekend delivery. Also, it may depend on which service is delivering (FedEx, UPS).

 

 

I live in Georgia and I've had weekend delivery from Amazon. It's usually an unmarked car though, not a company truck, so I have no idea who they are.

[stripe]

I am curious which areas allow Saturday delivery because mine never does weekend delivery. Also, it may depend on which service is delivering (FedEx, UPS).

 

I don't have prime; some packages arrive on Saturday via USPS. Also, FedEx does deliver on Saturday, but not Monday, right? 

 

I live in Georgia and I've had weekend delivery from Amazon. It's usually an unmarked car though, not a company truck, so I have no idea who they are.

I get packages from Fed Ex from various cars; sometimes they are in U-Haul vans.

 

I love my library. If I had to buy everything we read, I couldn't afford it. Especially if I bought new. There have been no bedbugs in my local library.

 

 

ETA: The other thing is, I don't like the idea that I'm supposed to feel sorry for Amazon because shipping is expensive or whatever. If they can't afford to offer free shipping, they shouldn't. There are plenty of stores with higher thresholds for free shipping OR that don't offer it at all, or only as a rare deal. Stores do this to get people to buy more stuff! Same with Prime -- they are manipulating YOU into spending more money with THEM. 

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/02/25/what-was-i-thinking

http://www.numbersleuth.org/trends/decoys-neuromarketing-and-behavioral-economics/

[Lovingparent]

Powells is great, and you can mix new and used books in one order. AND if you make one order, and then make another one before they've shipped the first (like, if you forgot something), you can combine so you save on shipping.

 

On Monday, I mailed a shoebox full of paperbacks to my grandma at regular old media mail prices. It weighed roughly 4 lbs. Mailing it cost just over $4.

Amazon does NOT pay media mail prices. They use all sorts of methods to get bulk discounts. Most bookstores send by "bound printed mail," not media, for instance, and it is vastly cheaper than media. 

 

Amazon does not share your opinion. Customer service agents have been very understanding on the few occasions when I have had items not arrive as promised. I have also had items not ship and not ship and not ship, and then be sent out by UPS ground (from a location near me) so they will get there by 8 pm on the day promised. This happened to me last month. They are also very annoying about combining orders, and I think they wait in case you place another order, so they can combine it. Last year I had them sit on an order where everything was in stock, so that they could combine it with an item in another order that I'd pre-ordered. It took forever. I complained that I was getting worse service because I ordered more from them, and they gave me some sort of token of love or whatever, I forgot the details. Credit for a future order, maybe??

 

Exactly.

 

Wrong. When they don't delivery by the date on the page, they consider that a fail. I have had credit issued, items sent by 2nd day mail, etc., when they miss their deadline. All it took was for me to point out that the order wasn't here on time. I didn't have to rant, rave, or cry.

 

Lovingparent, I can tell you what I did, because I refuse to pay for prime and I like the illusion of free shipping, and I felt like I was being psychologically manipulated into overly large orders to get free shipping. The $35 limit also was an issue here. Basically, I decided loyalty is for the birds. I order used books when in good condition and substantially cheaper. (I complain when a "like new" book arrives tattered and torn.) I place a few orders a year from Powells, mostly of used books. I shop library sales for paperbacks, and I always cringe because I always find things there that I just bought online. I also became a Barnes & Noble member because for $25, I get free shipping on any order in a few business days. This includes gifts, which is handy. They have blown it a few times, and their customer service is nothing like Amazon's -- they're always confused and not particularly generous. But most orders are OK so it hasn't been a big deal. Along with that I get 20% off coupons all the time. I figure I probably come out about a tiny bit ahead. (Support the underdog!) Keep in mind that I go to the B&N store about once a year... It's almost entirely an exclusively online relationship. Their prices are now pretty close to Amazon's, and with the coupon, lower. And they collect tax, which, for me, is a help because I actually calculate it on orders where tax isn't collected and pay on my state tax returns, so B&N saves me the hassle. I joined in store and selected to NOT auto renew. When my membership was up, I delayed a few months before renewing, which I did online but also did NOT auto renew.

 

If Amazon is disappointing you -- and they are clearly cutting corners and de-prioritizing their non-Prime customers, even though they are losing money on shipping Prime members' stuff too!, then vote with your pocketbook. Go elsewhere! :) I support you, though. Just because it's free shipping doesn't mean it should come in five years. And, yeah, Amazon charges way too much on some items to make up for that free shipping. I find high prices on there all the time, including higher than the manufacturer's website (not to mention phony baloney discounts), but on books, their prices are often cheaper, it's true. 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your post. I refuse to pay for Prime and I do like the illusion! of free shipping. Well said. I feel the same way too. Raising the limit to 35 dollars was a bit harder and then the service went downhill too? I will absolutely check B&N membership out. 25 dollars for 20% and free expedited shipping sounds good. Their online prices seem to follow Amazon's and with the coupon they will be cheaper.  I do make an effort to visit their stores along with other smaller bookstores in the area. It will be a sad day when we have no more live bookstores around. 

 

Also, really Amazon does not pay nearly that much money for shipping. Thank you! A few months back an order like that would have cost half for shipping. I am thinking they may have raised the prices to make prime membership look more appealing and also to cover their handling costs that must have gone through the roof because of the prime orders. 

[Lovingparent]

I would send what you wrote above to Amazon customer service. Even if you already spoke with someone else, you may get a better response from a different agent. Most of the time, Amazon's customer service is good. I have had my own issues, but we get better treatment from them, on average, when things go wrong than we usually get elsewhere. I think your point is very fair and they should treat it seriously. If I order something with free shipping, I don't expect them to hold my order unreasonably without notification! 

 

I did contact them. I used to love Amazon's customer service because it was really stellar. Lately, I have to contact them twice. It almost seems that they do not read the first email and then you have to nudge them to get an actual response. They apologized and they overnighted my order. Thank you for posting!

[Lovingparent]

You clearly do not understand the difference in services. For free, no rush shipping, there is only a delivery estimate. They are not bound by this. It is merely their best guess. I only get the guaranteed delivery date if I choose a paid shipping method. It's not Amazon's fault that you did not understand the implications of the shipping method you chose.

Your standards for customer service are really low. 

[jaderbee]

There was a post about Reading Rainbow orders a while back and when people suggested to the poster that she should have ordered from Amazon, I chuckled a bit, because I was going through the same issue with Amazon. Now, I do not have prime. I actually did the trial last year, but one of my orders did not actually arrive on time and I figured it was way too expensive for hit and miss.

 

Anyway, a few weeks back I placed an order for some books. Paperbacks, so not much weight there. They asked 10 dollars for shipping, so I opted for free shipping. And I waited and waited and waited. A week passed by and the books hadn't shipped. I checked the books and it appeared one was in back order,. I thought they were waiting for that one to arrive to ship them all, so I cancelled the back ordered item and with a few emails back and forth with Amazon, they finally shipped the books. I hoped it was just this one order and I shrugged it.

 

On the 5th, I put another order for 5 books, 4 of them paperbacks, not much weight again. They asked 8 dollars for shipping, which was a whooping 20% of the total amount. So, I am cheap and it seemed excessive and I chose free shipping. The last day of their estimate was tomorrow the 15th. So, today I checked my account and they hadn't shipped my order. No back orders or anything, and that is 10 days after I submitted my order. So, I sent them an email and they pretty much said that they will overnight it, but they are doing me a favor, because free shipping means they can ship it whenever and it can arrive whenever. Really? No apologies, just you are a third tier customer?

 

I do not want to order from Amazon ever again, but I do not know of any alternatives that would offer free or at least low shipping. We buy several books every year and the shipping adds up. Any ideas?

 

Has anyone listed Exodus Books? Loads of homeschool books and programs and one flat rate shipping $4.95. You can buy used books through them too! They also offer express shipping but I just go with the flat rate. Www.exodusbooks.com

[Lovingparent]

UPDATE : Ok, so I contacted Amazon, told them that they were missing their delivery estimate and they overnighted my order. I wouldn't have minded missing their estimate, if the books were en route to me. I know that all shipping carriers experience delays. It was the fact that they took 8 business days to actually ship the books that got to me. How difficult is it to put 5 books in a box and slap a sticker on it? 

 

By the way, the books arrived and I weighed them and calculated shipping via USPS using the zip code of the shipping location and my zip code. Shipping came to 8.42 dollars for online priority mail pricing that arrives in 2 days. And I was asked to pay 8 dollars for a delivery estimate of 5-8 business days. No comment!

 

Thank you to all who responded with suggestions for online bookstores. I am almost done with my book shopping for now and I am so broke! This year we had to order so many books for different classes. Anyway, I plan on trying different sellers for any new purchases! 

 

EDIT : I live in California and OnTrac delivers all sorts of crazy times/days. I have received a package from another company (not Amazon) on Sunday. When I did the prime trial they would come as late as 11:30 at night in unmarked cars, that looked like they were the drivers' personal cars. As much as I appreciate getting something on time, it was unnerving a bit to have a stranger in your porch in the middle of the night. 

[Night Elf]

 

I get packages from Fed Ex from various cars; sometimes they are in U-Haul vans.

 

 

 

Is that on Sunday? I've had Sunday delivery, and I'm thinking it was UPS but I could be wrong. I haven't had a Sunday delivery in a long time. I always seem to order at the beginning of a week.

[stripe]

 I will absolutely check B&N membership out. 25 dollars for 20% and free expedited shipping sounds good. 

Just to clarify -- you don't get 20% off everything on line, but you do get regular 20% coupons (postal mail and email). And there are other savings in store, but their store prices tend to be higher than online. Benefits are here:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Membership-Join/379002828/

(And their minimum for free slower speed shipping for non-members is $25, not $35.)

 

Re delivery dates: I haven't gotten any sort of delivery on a Sunday except once during bad weather a UPS package came on Sunday morning instead of Saturday.

 

There are definitely other stores with flat rate shipping that is much cheaper or equal to what Amazon charges. I think their prices, and delivery charges, for things like kitchenwares are ridiculous.

[stripe]

I just ordered something (super saver shipping) and it shipped within 24 hours -- whoa!!

[Kareni]

Another possibility is Book Depository which has free worldwide shipping.  (I believe they are now owned by Amazon.)  We've had books shipped to the US and also to South Korea.

 

Regards,

Kareni