Friday, March 03, 2006

Amazing Amazon (not!)

Alright.. I have used Amazon for a few things and have generally been
happy. Today on the other hand, I want to reach through the internet
and stranggle someone there.. This is not a normal feeling for me and
it shows you how frustrating it is.

It started off with an email from the Amazon Prime thingy. I have
been using my 3 month free trial and they notified me that it was
ending and I was going to be automatically charged for it unless I
changed something.

Ok, so I decided that since I had free shipping, I would order
Oblivion (which ships on March 20th). I went on their site and
ordered that - paid the extra for 1 day shipping (since it was only
$3.99). I then decided to grab a book since I was there anyway..
Click click and all done. I noticed they shipped separately but no
problem, since one was available right now and the the other was
pre-ordered.

Ok, now is when I got a little carried away. You know how they list
stuff that relates to what you order? Well they had some poker stuff,
and I saw clear plastic chip trays as well as cut cards. I'm thinking
I can use my free shipping to get the little stuff that ain't worth
buying because of the shipping. Click on the trays, click on the cut
card (a big 69 cent purchase). I'm happy so I go back to normal work
(or browsing as necessary).

I then notice I have some more email, so I go read it. chipsandgames,
an amazon partner has processed my order for the clear plastic trays.
A $14.99 item which then gets a $8.65!?! shipping charge. I am
contemplating this when another email comes in saying my $0.69 cut
card is now shipping with a $7.06!!!!! shipping charge.. I start
mumbling in my cube.

I go back to Amazons site and find out that, oh yeah, partner shipping
isn't covered by Prime. Great... grumble grumble.. I can live with that,
caveat emptor and all. But the stupid 1-click buying didn't
allow me to combine orders, so I try to write support at Amazon with
their email forms. I end up in this "***Please fix the areas
indicated below.***" loop with no areas indicated below. I then try
to use Internet Explorer - in case this is yet another thing I can
complain to Amazon about. That doesn't work either.

So at this point, I am about ready to go cancel my Amazon orders
altogether. I did write chipsandgames and (their email address
worked) and they said they combined my two orders and reduced the
shipping charge (I don't know how much, but it is a start).

Blah.. And to think I started my Amazon experience today, actually
thinking serious about paying for Prime membership..

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