Amazon Bait And Switch, or Buyer's Remorse.

[wilm...@gmail.com]

The other night I went about buying a recliner online. I narrowed it down to Amazon. I went back and forth over design, fabric, and color. Finally decided and chose the one I wanted. I went through the shopping cart, clicked on my credit card. The total was $260. Hmmm... seems a little high, but I've spent hours on this, I'm sure it's right.

The next day they sent an email telling me my chair has shipped. I clicked on the chair to briefly admire it. But a big surprise!

I was charged $260. All the other comparable ones we selling for $230!. Even the one I bought showed $230. Same manufacturer, same Prime delivery. Everything the same.

I wrote Amazon. Should I refuse delivery and reorder later. Should I return it? Should I refuse delivery and order from the many contractors listed? Amazon has not replied and delivery is in about 16 hours? Or do I just suck it up and think about having my pocket picked every time I use that chair?

[Fake ID]

In article <4660655a-6d45-4dc8...@googlegroups.com>,

Probably the sucking. The latent resentment may fade over time. Or build.
There's also the uncertainty that when you go to repurchase the chair
that the $230 won't suddenly become $270.

I went through something similar a few years ago with a microwave oven.
Amazon was *the* place to get the one with the specific attributes I
needed, but they were backordered. I put my order in and eventually it
shipped and the instant after the price dropped by something like $50.

In a related Amazon gouge, my washing machine broke down recently so I
found the required part on Amazon. Things came up and hours later when
I finally got around to adding the part to my cart Amazon had raised the
price by $2. In this case it pushed me over the threshhold for free
shipping without having to find something cheaper than the shipping
charge to buy.

m

[wilm...@gmail.com]

Well, I got a reply from Amazon. They suggested I start a return. Great! The return costs $25 S&H. AND the price of the chair went back up to $260.

I remember when stores would match lower price, some plus ten percent. I thought Amazon was free returns for Prime (or was that Zappatos?).

As Amazon gets their fingers around the neck of the American consumer, look for a small breathing charge.

[Dennis]

Check out the camelizer browser add-on. It shows the price history of
items on Amazon and you can set an alert to let you know when/if the
item is offered for your desired price.

Dennis (evil)
--
My output is down, my income is up, I take a short position on the long bond and
my revenue stream has its own cash flow. -George Carlin

[BigDog811]

Amazon Prime is free two day shipping, and a bunch of other stuff. But the other stuff is outside the context of this discussion. Returns are dependent on who the seller is. Free Prime returns only apply to items sold AND fulfilled by Amazon. There are many items on the Amazon site that are drop shipped by third party sellers to Amazon fulfillment centers, or shipped directly from the seller. There is a statement in each product listing that tells you where/who sells and fulfills the item. Return terms are also listed. If you're going to rely on free Prime returns you need to make sure the product is both sold and fulfilled by Amazon.

If you're returning a defective or incorrectly described item for an exchange or refund you'll get a replacement or all your money back. If you get a refund then choose to buy it again, obviously you'll pay the increased price if it's gone up.

I've been shopping at Amazon since '98, and been a prime member for over a decade. I don't recall that they ever had a price matching policy. But a lot of businesses will price match Amazon. I've done that twice in the past year with purchases from Best Buy. Once for a smart TV, and once for computer hard drive. The good part of those deals was I got to take them home with me - didn't have even a short two day Prime customer wait.

Amazon isn't getting their hands around anyone's neck. They sell nothing you can't get elsewhere. If you don't like their business practices or prices just don't do business with them. No one's forcing you to. I always research my purchases and frequently find better prices than Amazon, including shipping. That's where I buy if the extra wait is worth the difference to me.

[wilm...@gmail.com]

Well, the items were sold and fulfilled by Amazon. I have been a Prime member for more than ten years. I have returned much less than $100 in all that time.

It seems like years since I've gotten something delivered in two days.

Low cost items cost less on Wal-Mart.com, but one needs a minimum to get free delivery. I've been reluctant to buy higher priced merchandise at WalMart, but with the punitive return policy at Amazon, I'm going to take few more chances.

I'm disappointed my local Fred Meyer doesn't have online shopping. Same with Trader Joe's.

Whatever, Amazon needs competition.

[Bob F]

Is it really worth beating yourself up for $30? You OKed the order even
though you felt the price was too high. The vendor shipped it to you.
Just accept that you should have been more careful, and let it be a
learning experience. Then enjoy your new chair.

[wilm...@gmail.com]

If this was alt.allTheProblemsOfTheWorld.StarvingChildren then I would say, you're right! But since this is frugal living, as in a matter of life, then I am right and you are less so.

Amazon used to be the frugal choice. No brick and mortar, no holiday decorations, no shop lifters, everything computer controlled, what could go wrong?

But now Amazon has less competition. As it sniffs out each of its competitors, it's not as concerned as it used to be. Where are you going to go? Barnes and Nobel? Tower Records? Sears?

So I let off a little steam. Cry wolf in the wildness. Tilt my lance towards windmills. I got nothing better to do. I'm not going to go amok with my foot on the gas pedal. Promise to live more frugal and realize I have no need for another chair.

Written on a six-year old Kindle Fire.

[wilm...@gmail.com]

Oh, I forgot. The first rule about the beat yourself up on frugal living club is, don't talk about beating yourself up on frugal living club.

[RJH]

Amazon's prices seem to be driven by market-scouring algorithms, and IME
work out lowest on a casual internet search - in the UK at least. I'd
guess this is because of a combination of google favour, tax avoidance,
low pay and economies of scale.

I do try to avoid Amazon (moral choice), but have foudn a couple of
apparently unconnected ebay purchases have arrived in Amazon branded
packaging.

--
Cheers, Rob