Amazon Put the Scrooge Back in Christmas
by theladyophelia - Written: Aug 02 '01 (Updated Aug 23 '01)
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The Bottom Line
Avoid it at all costs during the holidays!
Customer Service is severely lacking.
Reasonable for normal purchases, but information quality is decreasing.
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| Full Review |
The Internet Shopping Jungle
As a college student, I find the convenience offered by online shopping to be invaluable in my standard routine. I have no car, and getting to the nearest mall takes quite a jaunt on the urban bus system – so more and more, I’ve found myself funneling what money I can decide to spend into online purchases.
My initial experiences with Amazon were fairly positive. I made my first purchase from the company last summer, and I was pleased with the speed at which my order was fulfilled. The company sent each piece as it became available, covering the extra shipping costs from their own pockets. There were email confirmations, and an online order history so that I could track my spending. Throughout the fall, I continued to make purchases from Amazon, and they eventually earned a great deal of my trust.
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (With no gifts for my family)
Come Christmastime, Amazon had earned so much of my trust that I chose them for 90% of my holiday shopping online. I ordered gifts for my entire family and my best friend on Amazon at the beginning of December, at a total that accounted for 10% of my entire bank account. I was placing a great deal of trust in Amazon’s hands.
My situation was slightly unique, because I was shipping my package to my dorm, but I was leaving 2 days before Christmas. I made sure to order very early in December, to only order products available in between 24 hours and 3 days, and I even paid for expedited shipping to ensure my shipment would get out on time.
However, 15 days passed – 15 days of me anxiously checking my mail for shipping confirmation to no avail. The Amazon website indicated my gifts were all ready to ship, but nothing was being done with them. I repeatedly emailed Customer Service, first 10 days before my departure, and no response was received. Time passed, and soon I found myself dealing with the possibility that I would have no gifts for my family (or my best friend) at Christmas. I emailed 3 more times to Customer Service – still no reply. I spent 2 hours looking for a phone number somewhere, anywhere on their website – but I couldn’t find one.
Finally, two days before I was slated to leave, I got a reply from Customer Service. No, they couldn’t cancel my shipment, because it had already been processed. Nor could they change my shipping address. But I was free to return the packages for a full refund (minus shipping) once they arrive. Only problem was, they’d be on the other side of the state. I was near tears. I didn’t have the money to go out and buy those gifts again, because Amazon had already charged my debit card.
My packages weren’t sent out until 2 days before Christmas. Needless to say, I didn’t receive them on time. In fact, I didn’t receive them until January 11th. Amazon seriously ruined my Christmas, and I never once received an apology or any attempt to make amends from Customer Service. My complaints went unanswered, and I was left feeling extremely betrayed.
A Warning with a Grain of Salt
Now, I realize that my experience isn’t indicative of everyone’s experience with Amazon. And I’ll probably cave eventually and purchase a few items from the site, especially with the discount on books over $20. That’s quite a boon for those of us who make many computer book purchases.
That said, BE VERY WARY of placing any time-sensitive purchases with Amazon, especially during the holidays!
Amazon is still spread too thin to handle high-volume situations. They can’t live up to their ship date promises, and it is ironically the people who paid extra for shipping who get penalized in the end. Customer Service is laughable there – the weakest link in the Amazon chain – and this is where Amazon should concentrate most of their efforts if they want to survive in the new economy.
Advice for Determined Jungle Shoppers
You’re undeterred by my warning, or you have enough faith in Amazon to take a chance. Fair enough. You can still get value out of Amazon, as long as you’re careful.
The most useful part of Amazon is the pseudo-community atmosphere it’s engendered. I frequently use the site to take a look at reviews by fellow shoppers.
However, as the site grows, the useful content is being watered down with reviewless products, confusing specs, and a sometimes daunting navigational layout. It's harder to find useful information on the products I'm seeking.
It should come as a warning to Amazon that they can no longer link to all of their departments in one list. If you insist on using Amazon for more eclectic items, from electronics to candles, be wary of letting Amazon be your ONLY shopping site. Amazon prices down many of its books and CD’s as loss leaders to snag you at the site. Once you’re a customer, you’re then more likely to go to their other departments out of convenience – and when you’re shopping for convenience, Amazon can get away with higher prices and lower-quality product information. Do yourself the service of shopping around, and research the products – more and more, Amazon’s reviews are not enough to judge the merits of a product.
Essentially, until the content is less watered-down, it’s dangerous to use Amazon exclusively as your only shopping site. Don’t stop buying products from them – but make sure you’re buying the right products at the right prices. After all, this is how monopolies are born.
Whatever you do, good luck and happy shopping in your travails across the Internet.
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