Amazon - Rant

[Victoryv]

Griff, Sorry to change the subject but who did your tiling ?

[BroadAmbition]

Really?

Griff

[grendel]

go on griff, show him a picture of your work van.

[Victoryv]

Seen his work van, passed it in Donny on the way to the Audi garage !

[unclemike]

1 hour ago, Victoryv said:

on the way to the Audi garage !

was that for the recall to fit indicators?

[Seagypsy]

On 18/03/2019 at 00:52, LondonRascal said:

I always buy from Amazon. Because of the choice and the value. I'm sorry but it is as simple as that..

I used to adore Argos, I got excited by their new catalogues and grew up using them as the go to cheap place for anything. Yet now, I have no idea how Argos still is going, even with Salisbury now owning them and having small stores in larger Sainsbury'.

I have been to three of these in store concessions, two in London one in Norwich and they were empty of any customers. Today I had to go to a 'proper' Argos in Norwich itself, it felt like a soulless shed. I still had to use a pencil and a bit of paper to put down my item number, despite there being a terminal at the table with the laminated book of dreams - I could only check stock or reserve. Over to the self service terminal, tap in the code, throw paper in pin below it - it served all of 20 feet and I guess I could have save it and time if used some memory capacity. Paid and got receipt stood around for a bit and then my order was handed over, receipt stamped and that was that. It feels like they are trying to mix old and new and I wish they would embrace all new or keep it all old fashion but the two just don't work.

It was a Remington shaver I wanted, £24.99. It is on Amazon, for £21.99. I could have it delivered for nothing to a Post Office, Amazon Locker or home - and save £3.00.  Pretty much anything form anywhere you can replicate that, new telly in John Lewis, £54.00 less on Amazon. Teak and Brass interior light fitting, Norfolk Marine £45.00 each, Amazon £19.99 and so it goes on. If you wish to go to a shop and pay over the odds for the precise same thing be my guest.

Yes, self service check outs cost jobs, but I choose them over the manned till because save for the 'unexpected item in bagging area' that might crop up, its fast and easy and no small talk is needed. Increasingly we are seeing pay by App in pubs - the Whetherspoon App has stopped me and countless others going to the bar! - we just sit down, order and wait. It is great.

Self pay petrol pumps - why can't they all be like this!  Even McDonald's is doing  all it can to remove people from interacting with staff through their new self order terminals, and 'Order & Collect App' based model. They also do home delivery now through Uber Eats. A disruptive ride hailing company who branched into home food delivery - and yet once you've tried it, it hard not to bash it.

It is not so much that we are being forced to do this, it is that so many of use have chosen to do this and now it is fast becoming the new norm. The reality of course is, that a large amount of people out there are not happy with it, and do not like to use it - I read recently at currently levels and if we do not do something it about it, cash will stop being used. It is harder for smaller shops to get their takings to banks because so few use them and so many are closing. But I have not personally needed to actually go to a bank for, well goodness ages it was only a refund processed as a cheque that got me into one and even then I used the self service pay in machine.

As for those who want something cheaper that is life, if it costs others jobs it won't stop people thinking 'oh wait a moment' in all honesty, neither will I. It is not just about the cost saving, its the ease to be on the go and order through their App and the next day it has arrived, increasingly you are finding many products now available for same day delivery too. There is no way traditional shops can compete and this is why so many are in such trouble it is a spiral that begun and has built such momentum I cannot see it stopping.

I bought that Remington from Argos last week solely for this weeks holiday, I usually wet shave, ended up buying a Bic razor and shaving foam razor point was dead didn't bother ringing up as we were only out for four days reported it when we got back

[LondonRascal]

3 hours ago, Seagypsy said:

I bought that Remington from Argos last week solely for this weeks holiday

I can confirm it is a good runner - lasts a good while on a single charge and is powerful. Used to use Braun but they seem to have got a bit too fancy these days.

[quo vadis]

7 hours ago, chameleon said:

was that for the recall to fit indicators?

 

7 hours ago, chameleon said:

was that for the recall to fit indicators?

Leave my Audi out of this it doesn’t have indicators I know where I’m going 

[Hylander]

Back to Amazon Rant.      Wondered what on earth I had ordered by the size of the box.    Then remembered and thought ,  well that could have come in a padded envelope it is in its own plastic anyway for protection.     It being just a kitchen timer.

 

[Victoryv]

16 hours ago, chameleon said:

was that for the recall to fit indicators?

To be honest it never ran long enough to need indicators.

[Maxwellian]

This is not ranting, looks more like whining. You can bet Amazons dollar that they will have modeled the cost associated with packing size options, weight, postage deals and stock costs down o the last cent.when they ship the quantity they do every cent soon adds up to the dollar. and most of it is recyclable.

 

[MauriceMynah]

agreed! Enough common cents and you can save a dollar.  :-)