Anyone else despise Amazon?

I really wish they had never bought the tool crib.

I ordered three Frued router bits from them a while ago. Took 10 weeks to get them.

I had two $30 credit slips from them, so I ordered two of the Bessey K-body 4 packs things. (That makes them a pretty good deal). Well, the estimated ship date was a week ago, and according to my profile, they still haven't shipped yet. Not a huge deal, as I'm not in that big of a hurry, but still annoying that they haven't updated the estimate. Yeah, I know, it's the price I pay for the discount, and I knew this would happen when I ordered, so I can't bitch too much.

And now, they have so many people cross selling on their site, it's impossible to causally shop for woodworking stuff. If I want to buy from Grizzly or somewhere else, I'll go there. I don't like having to pay 5 different shipping costs to 5 different people, etc.

Customer service? hahahahha. They don't even return polite emails. If there is a phone number, I can't find it. If there is a phone number, I'm sure it patches me to some 3rd world country that can't even speak English.

And finally, the thing I despise most about them is how when you search on Google for something 99% of the sites are simply pointers to Amazon. Nice of them to drown out all the other sellers by spamming the search engines.

So in short, unless I get an exceptional deal and am willing to wait 2 months, they are pretty much my last resort.

Reply to
bf
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Amazon is not spamming search engines themselves.

They have a partner program that offers an incentive every time someone who is referred through a partner buys something. People set up all the websites pointing at Aazon hoping to make a few bucks on the side. I doubt anyone makes a living off referring customers to Amazon unless they have a lot of sites.

The search engines are picking up all these partner sites. And yes, it is damn annonying.

Brian ELfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

... add eBay into the mix and you can't trust a google any longer because of these tactics.

Reckon it's time to go back to CB radio since all the shoe merchants, ribbon clerks and double-wide denizens seem to have migrated to the Internet.

Reply to
Swingman

You can get some good deals at Amazon but bear in mind it is a dishonest company. They continue to sell toolboxes as "genuine hardwood" in spite of thei knowledge that their are selling compressed composite board. Ordering from them is like Russian roulette.

Reply to
George

Who's next? I canceled my order (Freud 3-set) after waiting for ~35 days, then ordered it else where, received it less than 7 days.

Chuck

Reply to
CNT

Yep , same here. I ordered three Freud items from them recently. I have twice received delayed shipping notices on all three. Finally last Friday, a box showed up which was suppose to be a nice 2+2 three piece cabinet bit set. Opening the box, I found an 8 piece dove tail bit set. Damn! After about 8 weeks waiting, they sent me the wrong item. I must say they were quick on the exchange, UPS picked up the erroneous item from my house on Monday and the new bit set came yesterday (Tuesday). But I also received notice that the separate raised panel bit and the door lip bit on ordered is delayed again to the week of July 25.

Obviously they are drop shipping this stuff, but why can't they have Freud ship it to me and save mucho time?

G
Reply to
Gary

Search the website far and wide, you won't find the customer service phone number. Just do a google search, though, lots of people have the number:

800-201-7575.

And I guess I must be really lucky? My experience with Amazon has been the opposite. Well, almost entirely opposite. I recently had an order for some sanding belts delayed, but I don't need them this minute.

My dealings with their CS have always been good. On one purchase, for a set of JBL speakers, I called to clarify the shipping weight they listed in the item description. I talked to someone who was polite, candid, and knowledgeable. Offered to check with someone at the warehouse on the actual shipping weight and emailed me later that day with the info. I was amazed because it was so UNLIKE every typical customer service encounter these days.

I've seen the "5 different shipping costs to 5 different people" scenario, too. (well, maybe 3 different sellers) I'd prefer getting everything from one. But, if you want to buy one thing from Tool Crib, go to Grizzly's site for another, go to Woodcraft for another item, etc., you're still dealing with separate shipping charges and sellers and also duplicating your efforts in entering shipping and payment info.

Hard to believe you can have two such different perceptions of a retailer, eh?

Reply to
Keith Carlson

Hi Keith,

I'm sort of in your camp with this. I have used Amazon quite a lot, but only when I felt that I was getting a great deal. The one thing that kept me coming back was their $25 off $199 or more deal and free shipping. I think that they have eliminated the $25 off deal for now (on tools etc).

IMHO you can order from just about anyone and get the same deal without the delay - Amazon just makes it easy to do it all in one order. That's worth something to some, maybe not much to others.

I do like getting info from their site and I think that their CS is pretty good - they make things right without much of a problem.

I do not think that they are a "dishonest" company. Just trying to make a buck at the least cost to them. It's called "capitalism" I believe, and I'm all for it - don't have to buy there if I don't want to.

Lou

Reply to
loutent

The ONLY weapon you have is where you spend your money.

Reply to
Rick Samuel

Why despise them and get your blood pressure up. Jut go to

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or a half dozen other reputable dealers. Prices are within pennies and they are very reliable.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:erkBe.1227$dX5.620 @newssvr19.news.prodigy.com:

And/or buy locally, if possible. Keep a local dealer in business. Touch and feel the merchandise. Let someone else deal with the freight hassles. Pay some local taxes and support the cops, firefighters, schools and hospitals.

I'm not anti-ecommerce at all. But there is value in bricks and mortar, sometimes.

Patriarch

Reply to
Patriarch

No but I only buy books from them, thats where they started and thats what they're best at.

Reply to
Knothead

"Breaker 1-9, does anyone have a favorite circular saw?"

Reply to
B a r r y

I'm lucky to have Coastal, Tools-Plus, Western Tool, and (2) Woodcraft stores within about 30 minute drive.

If Lee Valley would open up a retail store, I'd be in wooddorking heaven! _Good_ hand tools are much harder to find locally, with the only local source being Woodcraft.

Barry

Reply to
B a r r y

Update: This morning I received and email that the separate raised panel bit just shipped. Go figure?

I really like Amazon because:

  1. Regular price is competive
  2. No sales tax (I pay enough local taxes, thank you. i.e. real estate taxes is up nearly 40% this year)
  3. Free Shipping
  4. discount on 0 orders (now defunct, hope it comes back soon)
  5. Occasioanally they screw up their pricing and you get to steal stuff from them. For example, a short while back I bought a Dewalt SCMS (not a recon) from them. After discount, sale mark down, discount, free shipping and debit card rebate, it cost me around 5. Costco has it for 9. It would have cost me 0 or more locally including sales tax. Sweeeet!

It just appears that they get real slow on delivery on their price screw ups, hoping you'll cancel. Not being a professional woodworker, I can wait.

Gary

Reply to
Gary

This is true, but the local dealers HAVE to be responsive. Often, the locals are nice guys who know the product and have a ton of info for you. Too often, though, some locals are greedy, obnoxious, and have no information to give, free or otherwise. The latter happens when a small dealer is the only one in town, gets too big too quickly, and doesn't scale up his selection of good people around him.

I'm a bit miffed at Amazon lately--for book purchases. I've never used them for tools. They're so big that a message to the seller (hijacked by Amazon) can take days to be delivered. Ditto Ebay sellers. They run a weeklong auction but only check their email once a frackin' week?

Reply to
Larry Jaques

It's something I try to do all the time, buy local or as the Chamber of Commerce puts it"LOKAL".Unfortunately there is only one Hardware shop in town, locally owned, 1 timber supplier and 1 DIY warehouse. With the next place with a larger choice being 600+ km away, online purchasing has been a godsend, especially for specialist items. All's not bad though as there are heaps of suppliers of machine parts etc. Some stuff I even purchase from the USA as it's either not (Readily) available in Oz, or the prices are bloody ridicules. Regards John

Reply to
John B

Interesting. I have used them several times for books, tools and other items - but admittedly not during the past few months. Most items have been ordered using their super-shipping with I always assumed was going to take weeks. I always received the item within 3-4 days. Even one second-hand book was delivered from a partner shop in less than a week.

I'll have to watch closer in the future.

RonB

Reply to
RonB

There seems to have been a quantum shift downward in the last year or so...there to be phone contact that answered, there was a control of content so that you a priori with whom you were dealing, you to be pretty confident of published delivery dates. None of those things now seem to be true.

It is now like Wally-World--ok for the absolute bottom-feeder common-most items (as long as you are aware of what they cost so you don't get suckered).

It appears that many of the lesser-volume products particularly from Freud are simply listed but unobtainable. I posted my tail of woe regarding replacement planer blades some time back--they're on order since last September--every two weeks the mail robot sends me a new two-week delay and requires me to confirm I want the items... :(

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

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