OT: +1 for Amazon Service, and then some

A few weeks ago, I bought a Unisaw w/side table legs (no side table top) an d Unifence, off Craigslist, for $400.... gave it to my brother. Decided to order complete mobile base for it and decided to order mobile bases for my 2 unisaws, as well.

Four packages arrived. One package was severely damaged and had missing pa rts. The return and replacement procedure, by Amazon, was pretty quick and easy, as per their online return service.

I've never had to return an Amazon item, before, so I'm pleased with their service and this online transaction.

*While waiting for the mobile bases to arrive, I made a side table top (for mica on 3/4" ply). I gave him a miter gauge, also, an extra one I had. Th is saw should help facilitate any woodworking I or Jonas does for him, with out having to cut things, here, then haul the stuff there.

My brother's woodworking skills are severely lacking. During a pause in su rgery, once, we were discussing the idea of having MD (sic) behind one's na me.... one of the nurses brought up the subject, with the idea being, a Dr should be intelligent enough to perform other tasks (somewhat efficiently, maybe), via self teaching in a different discipline. I commented that Bern ard Fife had MD behind his name. No one knew what I was talking about, so I explained....

Andy and Barney were attending a convention in Raleigh. Barney sign the re gistry and the attendant replied, "Welcome, Mr. Fife. Oh! I'm sorry, Dr. Fife." Andy signs in and sees Barney's signature, then walks over to Barne y and asks, "What's the MD for?" Barney replies (with his famous smirky sm ile), "Mayberry Deputy."

MDs aren't so "special", afterall! My brother thinks (sic) he plays good g olf, also.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny
Loading thread data ...

I bought my Unisaw from Amazon. The delivery went without a hitch, or so I thought. It turned out the fence rails were shipped in a second package that I didn't get. I called Amazon, who was *right* on it. They contacted the trucking company, who tracked it down, and delivered it a couple of days later. Amazon was all over them until I got it and even called back to make sure I was happy. I was suitably impressed. I'd not hesitate to make a major purchase like that from Amazon again.

;-)

Reply to
krw

I agree about Amazon. A couple of months ago I ordered a printer and it wasn't satisfactory. I printed out the return label and took the box to UPS to be returned. Their email said I would get my refund when it arrived at their receiving warehouse. 6 hours after shipping it I got my refund to the credit card. I guess they received the tracking notice and went ahead and processed the refund.

Another time they sent the wrong sized lithium batteries with a flashlight. They said reorder it, specify 2 day shipping and they would credit me for the order including the shipping. As for the batteries they had sent, they said use them if I could, donate them or throw them away--they didn't want them sent back.

Reply to
G. Ross

Amazon.com definitely knows how to do it right.

I've made several big ticket purchases that required delivery other than by USPS/UPS. Each and every one went off without a hitch even though in one instance I was paying for the product and shipping it cross country to be installed elsewhere. All went smooth as silk.

What I really like - and I've never been the beneficiary of their efforts - is that they track questions posed by potential purchasers of an item and they (Amazon) will forward the inquiry to folks who have already completed a purchase of the item in the past and solicit them to provide an answer to the potential customer's questions.

How good is that? And they don't censor the responses. I recently responded to one such inquiry and gave an honest answer about the product which was very good. I also happened to be aware of a promotion currently offered to anyone making a direct purchase from the manufacturer that knocked about 40% off the price. I spelled that out in my response/review and they posted it in its entirety even though it likely cost them a sale or two.

That's class!

Also, for whatever reason, their standard, free shipping seems to arrive in the same or less time than other seller's goods do when you pay for expedited shipping. Read somewhere that by the time you receive your email confirmation of the order, the goods have likely been pulled from the warehouse and are being packaged for shipment.

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

When I ordered a 55" TV from Amazon their "local delivery" service brought it in a truck, brought it in and unboxed it and tested it before I was asked to sign the "received" form. I was impressed too. BTW, I know 55" is considered small these days, but this was 3 years ago.

Bill

Reply to
Bill

...[long story of satisfaction w/ shipping snafu resolution snipped solely for brevity]...

OTOH, I've had a set of replacement carbide knives for the planer ordered for over two years without them being delivered -- the promised ship date comes and goes; get e-mail asking if still want them to which I faithfully continue to respond "yes, of course, or I wouldn't have ordered them!" and the subsequent date also comes and goes...

At this point it's just a game to see if it ever will be taken care of...requests have gone into never-never land...

Their "affiliates" idea isn't the same as the real thing was imo altho I've never lost any real money as they card charge was to be when shipped so haven't been out of pocket, just had to go elsewhere to actually get a set of knives.

Reply to
dpb

I feel your pain

It's frustrating when it happens but it would seem that Amazon (and others) go out of their way to keep you "in the loop" and allow you the option to hang in there or bail on the deal.

As you say, they haven't charged your CC until they ship so...

Just went through a similar deal with an otherwise great supplier. Needed replacement blades for a commercial sized mower. Nobody seemed to have them at a decent price but this one outfit. They usually have it together and ship with delivery in 2-3 days.

This time they almost immediately notified me that the blades were out of stock and "in production" at the manufacturer, estimated... etc."

Took a month to get them but in the same time frame no one else seemed to have them either. If they aren't made and sitting around, you ain't gonna get them. Not Amazon's fault nor the dealer I was going through.

Ca-ca happens

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

On 08/24/2014 1:11 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote: ...

But they _are_ made and _are/were_ in stock elsewhere -- only this vendor chooses to not deliver on the advertised price (and Amazon doesn't do anything to call their hand is my beef w/ Amazon).

Reply to
dpb

I complimented Amazon on their TV delivery, but it is true that they don't police their sellers very well. I ordered some printer toner, only to be emailed 2 days later that the seller didn't have the brand I ordered, but would I like them to send the generic brand one they did have. I said no just on principle. I also phoned Amazon about it, and they didn't seem to know what to do with the information I was providing them. I told them, I'm trying to help you police your sellers. I was told they would make a record of my call. So I guess, after all that, what happened to me shouldn't happen to anyone else! : ) Glad to help!

Reply to
Bill

Yeah, decent ones are under $800 now. For that, you can't pay someone to do that work.

Reply to
krw

Inventory is a thing of the past. I got in an accident on vacation about six weeks ago. They couldn't get replacement seat covers for the car (air bags ripped them apart) for over a month. They finally got them Friday but it may be a couple of weeks before I can get the car (gotta fly back up to Vermont to fetch the car, too). Wife is not happy driving a rental POS. I sure hope they cover it for the entire time.

Reply to
krw

Yeah, the same Samsung I bought is under $800 now. I think I paid $1150. I have observed lately that Intel doesn't sell their old processors cheaply. They want to sell their new ones and at higher prices than in yesteryear.

On another note, someone wrote yesterday that Comcast is one of the few companies that treat their best customers the worst (in pricing). I found that it interesting in that it conflicts with the way that other retailers do their pricing.

Bill

Reply to
Bill

Intel's marketing model is absurd. It's shocking that they've been able to keep it going for three decades. They are a one-trick pony, however. That model doesn't work outside the PC business. Every time they try getting broadening their base, they fall flat on their nose.

It would be interesting to see the detail behind that. Do they mean they're raping those who have pay-channels more than those who have the minimalist service? Well, yeah! My employer likes to make things that other companies with lots of money want to buy and I like to work for those with money, too. ;-)

Reply to
krw

Sure better than the other way around :-).

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

Yeah, I wouldn't want people with a lot of money working for me! Unfortunately, my boss doesn't either. ;-)

Reply to
krw

They do it because they can. American consumers are the laziest, most loud mouthed, self entitled sheep weenies imaginable. What would happen if sev eral hundred thousand people finally quit Comcast? And say that happened fo r a few months in a row?

What????? And be without T.V. and movies on demand?????

I know, I know. No one you know is a major offender because they only have the basic services and none of the premium channels.

Cable subscribers deserve the treatment they put up with. I have to think that in every Comcast management meeting (as well as Time Warner) the execs just laugh and chuckle all the way through the meetings. In their wildest dreams they could probably never have IMAGINED a business model where year after year of poor service, bad programming, spotty feeds, constant price hikes and on an on an on... would created a national giant of subscribers t hat can't wait for a new season of "their shows".

I have never had cable in my entire life. Never. Never wanted it. 5 to 6 channels of crap was enough even thirty years ago, and I had no idea what I would do with 100 more. I have seen good programming on cable TV, but it is sparse. And probably worse now than ever, with literally hundreds of ch annels on the cable/satellite feeds.

I didn't say I don't watch recorded entertainment. When we all went digita l a few years ago, I went down and bought a high def antenna and a digital converter box. I don't get a lot of the channels I used to, and don't get NBC at all. Small loss. I wanted the antenna to get This Old House, The W oodright's Shop, Nova, Frontline, POV, The American Experience, and my real vice... 24. With those channels on board, no need for anything else on my slate of couch sitting.

Now, with replayer sites everywhere, paid internet sites everywhere, there isn't much use for cable or satellite. I don't know how their economic mod els will hold up, but supported by the folks that gladly pay their monthly subscriptions to "Keep up with the Kardashians" the are doing quite well.

A subscription to Netflix will get thousands of movies you can stream and D VDs you can have delivered to your door in about 3 days of ordering. And yo u will get thousands more with Amazon Prime. More still with Hulu Plus, et c., and even with all of those combined you won't hit a normal cable/satell ite bill.

Better yet, I have watched hundreds of hours of documentaries on YouTube. There are also some old movies, old TV shows, a fair amount of European con tent, tons of instructional videos and reviews, foreign films, and all mann er of other content, including "best of" clips from a ton of TV shows, a lo t of history documentaries, etc. ALL FREE.

So who is getting raped? To me, the whole cable/satellite issue is just Co mcast, Time Warner and their cronies shearing the sheep that are lined up a s far as the eye can see giddily waiting their turn to be cut. Bitching in dignantly about things to friends and family is the American way, and there is little action after the chin music stops. This isn't any different.

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

I did my part in clipping the cord a few years ago (as announced here) and barely noticed a hiccup. The $10 set of RCA rabbit ears work well (for most channels). The more expensive antennae people have developed are mostly more "cosmetic". Anyone considering the latter may do well to try the $10 solution first.

The person (in another forum) who wrote about "best customers being treated worse" was making a contrast to other services such as airlines, where frequent flying get you a discount. With Comcast, the longer you are a customer, the less-likely you are to be getting a "discount",

I used to think of cable as a "necessity" too. But that was before the Internet. If I had to make a forecast, it will be that cable tv will become more like the Internet--in some interactive sense. Can you imagine Comcast buying YouTube? Scarey, huh? :)

Bill

Reply to
Bill

"Bill" wrote

Speak for your own situation, only. Try shooting an antenna at a transmitter 90 to 95 miles away, with two large chunks of earth directly between you and the transmitter's antenna. I have to have a narrow band antenna of at least 17 db gain, and a good amplifier to have a chance. I got some plans off of the internet for a Gray-Hooverman antenna that fits the bill and is compact enough to use in your attic or on a chimney mount mast. Even then, one of the major networks is tough to get in on some days.

Reply to
Morgans

Yes, that's true. There is a website where you can type in your zipcode, or address, and see all of channels you might expect to receive. It also shows the distance to the stations. As you know, an amplifier is another matter all together, and doesn't really improve your "reception" at your house, but powers the signal to your tv--at least, to the best of my knowledge.

Reply to
Bill

When I bought my antenna for $20, it claimed to be an HD antenna. It worke d OK, but was flaky from time to time, and during big storms (when I might be inside watching TV) it was dicey, too. I did more research and bought a better antenna that is mounted on top of the house, 8' in the air. I orie nted it using this website with a buddy of mine that helped me get it point ed dead on to get the channels I was interested in

formatting link

and still don't get the channels available if I keep it where I can g et my documentaries on PBS. I also have DSL, with their "Premier" plan, wh ich is still quite slow. It works well 95% of the time, and when it doesn' t, I do my paperwork.

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.