Amazon.

[Dave Plowman (News]

First, I'm not a fan. Generally check Ebay long before them. And I've just been proved right.

Got some software which recommended hardware to go with it. And a link for it to Amazon UK.

Ordered it up.

Then it hit me it was coming from the US - my mistake for not realising this.

Checked Ebay and found the identical item as UK stock. 5% more expensive, but 48 hour delivery included. Not wanting to wait, bought that.

So less than an hour after ordering from Amazon UK (for something stocked in the US) I tried to cancel. Not possible - already on its way.

It has just arrived. 8 weeks after paying for it.

To return, I have to pay the carriage costs and 20% will be deducted off any refund for 're-stocking'. That is assuming it arrives back there in perfect condition. Which would mean paying additional for insurance.

That is the last time I'll use Amazon for anything.

[GB]

I've had similar nonsense from UK marketplace sellers, and I've largely given up dealing with them. Dealing with Amazon themselves is still fine.

You could reasonably give them a miss because you don't like the tax mitigation that they do, but their customer service is still very good.

To be fair, some ebay sellers are simply awful, too.

[jon]

I get caught out sometimes and buy from China.

[The Natural Philosopher]

yeah. me too.

Got my cheap needle threaders 2 moths after I had finished the sewing

[Theo]

Are you buying from Amazon, a UK marketplace seller or a US seller? I don't know how it works cross border, but either Amazon or UK sellers must abide by the CCRs and offer returns within 14 days of delivery. You pay return postage but get the purchase price back.

One bit of Amazon sharp practice is they deduct £3.99 flat fee for returns shipping - I have in the past complained to them when returning small items that go in a letter envelope; they will refund the full amount for your own means of shipping but you have to ask (and finding that button is hard).

It seems up to 20% restocking fees are allowed on US marketplace sellers, but only outside the returns window:

so I would make a complaint about having just received it.

Theo

[Fredxx]

I would be pissed too.

I'm wondering, given you bought from Amazon UK, how this squares with UK DSR rules.

I'd almost be tempted to say it's faulty and get Amazon (UK) to pick it up.

[michael adams]

So that basically you're going to delibeately make like difficult for yourself in the future, as a punishment fot not reading Amazon's T&C's. Such that you've ended up paying 25% more for something than you needed to have done, plus carriage. Twenty five percent extra ! Although knowing your luck you'll probably bung it on eBay and end up showing a profit.

michael adams

...

[Richard]

All the fault of "someone else"...

[RJH]

If I do buy from them I'll tend to go Amazon. Bought something recently and decided I didn't like it. Returned using an Amazon supplied (but I had to print it out, or visited a shop with a printer) prepaid label at a Royal Mail parcel drop-box. Full refund. Couldn't have been easier.

[Muddymike]

Then you ordered from a third party not from Amazon themselves. Always risky as third parties often sell crap Chinese copies on the same listing as genuine items from Amazon.

I don't know why Amazon allow this to happen.

Mike

[Martin Brown]

But didn't the shipping info tell you that delivery would be 8 weeks?

I sometimes buy books and optics from far flung places through Amazon, overseas dealers and Abe Books and it invariably tells you where the stuff is and how long they estimate it will take them to ship to you. Especially now in these Covid times where there are additional warnings that shipping may take longer.

That is all very well but the postal charges from and to China are very asymmetrical so unless the thing has significant value you may spend more shipping it back to get your refund than you actually paid for it.

That depends a bit on what it was and how much it was worth. I have generally been pleasantly surprised when buying cheap things on eBay from the likes of China and India that they have arrived at all!

[Adrian Caspersz]

Online shopping is not for everyone. Dark patterns are everywhere.

So many people have been hoodwinked into signing for Amazon Prime. In my experience, they tend to be those that are not fully able to understand the website placed before them, and deselect options when presented.

And then apart from scams, problems with payment, misleading offers, subscriptions, bidding wars and return policies, ye have a problem.

That little effort to finalise an order or bid is often a few mouse clicks, and there is no pop-up dialog saying "are you absolutely sure you want to buy this toaster?"

I bet there is a pile of things in the corner of things purchased, but never used, in many households due to "accidents".

The environmental impact of a delivery then a return is stupid. When the item is received back, some perfectly good items go in the trash, as the cost of testing, refurbishing and restocking them is too high.

I do like this quote from 'war games'

"The only way to win is not to play"

[alan_m]

Often a Amazon Marketplace seller also has an Ebay shop and the prices can be very different.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I've found something else. Amazopn is one price and a high price., but its convenient. If I go direct to an online trader I can usually get 10-20% off.

compare amazon

and

Both free shipping.

I bought from SNH in the end

And I find the same for a whole lot of items. Amazon for ease and simplicity when I don't care about price, but find the right online trader if its a big ticket item. I had the same when following someone here's recommendation I bought a belt sander

Ebay is good for some stuff that you simply cant find elsewhere though. Obsolete or refurbed items.

[John Rumm]

Not wanting to spoil a good rant, but looking objectively, how is any of that the fault of Amazon?

Your only real gripe seems to be that due to the speed of their order processing, the box was packed and in the stack waiting for the courier faster than you could cancel it.

Out of interest, did you check if Amazon UK also had the item?

It might be the last time you order from their web site (although even that I suspect is unlikely!), however it certainly won't be the last time you use them considering the reach of AWS into anything and everything online.

[Steve Walker]

I've had a few things from China and, so far, they've given very good service.

One lot of LED GU10s that I bought was delayed when they got stuck at a depot in London due to a strike. The first I knew of it was the supplier apologising that the delivery was held up and offering to complete the order from local stock (a few days delay) as it'd be quicker or cancel the order for a full refund. I wasn't in a rush and said I was fine to wait for the original delivery. It arrived about a week late and the seller refunded part of my payment (without me requesting) for my trouble.

[alan_m]

I've ordered direct from a company without even considering going to Amazon first to have the item delivered the next day in a box with Amazon Prime advertising packing tape. Obviously a marketplace trader using a common delivery method for all purchases no matter how they wee ordered.

[John Rumm]

Yup, quite common IME... Lots of ebay traders do it as well - order form ebay, drop shipped from Amazon.

[Dave Plowman (News]

I'm sure you are that very rare person that reads T&C before using anything. And understand them fully. Life is too short here.

I'm likely odd, but when buying from a UK retailer, I expect to be told if something isn't available for normal delivery.

I'm also not one who returns much (unless faulty etc) but don't expect to be charged a 're-stocking fee'

I'd also not expect to make a profit selling such a slow moving item on Ebay. No-one in their right mind would pay as much as the selling price from a retailer for second hand goods. But it might just be a better option than sending it back.

[Dave Plowman (News]

True. And I simply don't believe it. Perhaps from a fully automated Amazon warehouse. But from some little known seller? They have enough staff etc to process an order immediately? On something with included postage that isn't using express postage? It beggars belief.