Does anyone else get frustrated with Amazon?

[Brian McIntosh]

It used to be that I could go onto Amazon, order what I needed and, as long as the order was over £15 it would be delivered free. Today, I tried to order some photo paper. There were 2 bundles of A4 and 2 bundles of A3. The total order was £180. When I got to the checkout, the bundles were split into 2 each, both having a delivery charge of £6.99. Turns out, Amazon don't stock the paper but two of their affiliates do so it'll be sent by them seperately. I wonder how much people get caught out this way? I nearly did.

 

[Kevin]

Yes I totally agree I have the very same problem with Amazons marketplace you end up spending a fortune on delivery. I did email then to complain about this and all they said was they were not responsible for the delivery charges for marketplace customers. Play.com has a similar system but works better as when you sell your products on play trade you can't charge postage. Maybe Amazon should take a leaf out of there book?

 

[Brian McIntosh]

Maybe it's just me but, why don't Amazon tell it's affilites that if you want to market through us then, because all orders from us over £15 are free, you need to offer the same. I found the paper slightly more expensive elsewhere but with free postage. Went with them and will do in the future.

 

[stugster]

My last purchase was just before Christmas for a friend. I bought them a mug - which apparently came from an external Amazon affiliate and not actually Amazon at all. The mug never arrived in time for Christmas - in fact, it never arrived at all.

Had to go through a whole load of e-mails with the affiliate direct to get my money back.

Wouldn't touch Amazon again with a barge-pole.

 

[4TM Social Media]

I think Amazon is a great platform, and use it a lot. I find the single point of order for multiple vendors useful, unlike eBay where you end up checking out and paying multiple times.

HOWEVER: I'd agree totally with the sentiment here. If they're presenting themselves as a single "shopping mall", with a single experience, they should have a single terms and conditions of trade. If it doesn't suit the affiliates, then they'll have to sell elsewhere.

 

[peteark]

The affiliates is frustrating however Amazon themselves are fantastic, if you have a problem with an item they replace it instantly, their platform is user friendly although I do wonder how many reviews are written by company employees. Refunds are paid promptly.

For sure Amazon is not without fault, that said when you look at the competition, they are streets ahead.

If you think Amazon is bad, try dealing with Dell

 

[polr]

Amazon has yet to fail to deliver for me. Waterstones online store though...that's a whole other story, worst customer service I have ever encountered!

 

[Brian McIntosh]

I totally agree with the Amazon praise. If I've ordered anything from them, they've been great. It's the affiliate part that gets on my goat.