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Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

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Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#231

Post by bonoboTP »

ProAm wrote: post #34
darkclarity wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like being that irresponsible one. Though it is impressive that Amazon has turned a delivery fee - that most people don't like paying - into an exclusive subscription service. A service that customers fall over themselves to sign up for when it's offered at a discount.

It's very Apple-esque to be a member of an elite community.

How can subscription to a shipping service be compared to membership in a community? Where is the "community" in this? Do Prime-subscribes gather sometimes to discuss how they are subscribed to Prime?

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#232

Post by mywittyname »

TheAndruu wrote: post #105
MichaelGG wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I cancelled it because Amazon's abusing their position. Refusing to sell Chromecast and Apple TV, then lying, repeatedly, about the reason when asked? I've been an Amazon customer for 13 years. I was rather annoyed to see them go with the anti-Wikileaks and try to be "sensitive" by banning certain cultural items. But this shows they've zero commitment to selling products customers want. Edit: And it really hurts. Som…

> Refusing to sell Chromecast and Apple TV This is kind of like expecting a Ford dealer to sell Chevys.

The issue is that Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world and they are refusing to carry items that compete with their other business units.

Your example misses the point. People reasonably expect Amazon to carry electronics. Amazon is abusing their position as the largest retailer in world to suppress competition. That's illegal.

But with your example, Ford does not control 90% of car dealers in the US, so they are not in a position of power. Now, if Ford owned 90% of car mechanics in the US and they refused to repair Chevys, that would be abusing their position of power to suppress competition.

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#233

Post by mikeash »

ArkyBeagle wrote: post #80
darkclarity wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like being that irresponsible one. Though it is impressive that Amazon has turned a delivery fee - that most people don't like paying - into an exclusive subscription service. A service that customers fall over themselves to sign up for when it's offered at a discount.

It's very effective sleight of hand. The cherry on top is 2-day delivery being prepaid. I wouldn't have paid for 2-day otherwise. They "fixed" that for me. The whole thing makes going to a brick and mortar store feel like going to the DMV.

It's funny, it feels like the opposite to me. Going to a regular store is pretty simple. Buying with Prime is a pain in the ass, since half the stuff they sell isn't eligible. Amazon is rarely the cheapest option anymore, too, so I no longer have the luxury of skipping the price comparison and knowing I'm getting a pretty good deal anyway.

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#234

Post by twayamznacct »

jaibot wrote: post #78
jacalata wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know a lot of people who have left Amazon, and are very bitter about how it was to work there. I know some who are waiting out their signing bonus. I also know a lot who've left Microsoft, but they definitely have a lower average bitterness about the company.

I didn't bother waiting for my signing bonus. I paid them to get out of there.

I was done after a year and a half.

Owed them for moving expenses, etc. but I really didn't care.

I spent 6 months doing nothing before I even considered getting another job.

Easily the worst experience in my life and completely colored my entire impression of the tech industry negatively. I went from loving what I did to just doing this as a job for a paycheck (even at another company now that is leaps and bounds "better") with an ever-present need to get out of the industry entirely (but no real plan to do so).

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#235

Post by vitd »

Navarr wrote: post #221
sremani wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon is too good at what they do. The feeling that they give too good of a value, while I spent thousands of dollars on their site was a weird kind of high. That is the end game, you spend a lot with Prime since, it shows up in two days and no shipping etc. I cancelled my Prime membership, and just that saves me a hundred or two a month, because now I have to think twice before ordering anything since shipping cost…

You shouldn't consider Jet.com not collecting sales tax as a "good thing" since you are technically required to pay it by law (in most places, normally, afaik, IANAL) So you technically do still need to pay that 8.25% differential.

Indeed you do. Many years ago I had a business. One year the state decided to audit my business. No biggie, I had paid all my taxes as required. Except I hadn't. My business was located near a big box warehouse and you could order on the website and go pick it up. This was when almost all online orders were claimed to be "tax free". I did that for a few hard drives and some other stuff. I ended up owing about $150 in back taxes and penalties because I hadn't manually figured out the sales tax I was supposed to pay and reported it. I was a little annoyed at my accountant whose reaction was, "Yeah, nobody pays that, though technically you're supposed to." Needless to say, I have a new accountant.

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#236

Post by ProAm »

bonoboTP wrote: post #231
ProAm wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very Apple-esque to be a member of an elite community.

How can subscription to a shipping service be compared to membership in a community? Where is the "community" in this? Do Prime-subscribes gather sometimes to discuss how they are subscribed to Prime?

I was more relating the OPs comment:

> Though it is impressive that Amazon has turned a delivery fee - that most people don't like paying - into an exclusive subscription service.

Where Amazon has convinced people to prepay $100 per year for shipping on select items similar to how Apple has convinced customers to overpay on hardware and accessories to be part of the same style club. Community was probably the wrong word, but exclusive/elite membership maybe? And yes I hear people all the time talk about their prime memberships, especially at work.

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#237

Post by erikpukinskis »

xux wrote: post #222
amelius wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ad hominem fallacy.

Just because is ad hominem, doesn't mean it's a fallacy. Sometimes a person's reputation is so bad you don't need to give any benefit of the doubt for his/her opinions.

Whether or not you turn out to be correct has no bearing on whether your reasoning was fallacious.

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#238

Post by [deleted] »

jlubawy wrote: post #118

Not 100% sure how the Amazon/Zappos relationship is setup but I think it's odd that Zappos isn't mentioned anywhere in this or AFAIK anywhere in there investor documents. Does anyone now how Zappos is performing since being acquired? Especially with all of the controversy with their management styles? To be fair I'm sure Zappos is probably a small part of Amazon's revenue, but as a Las Vegas native I'm interested.

[deleted]

Re: Jeff Bezos’ letter to shareholders

#240

Post by kelvin0 »

jjtheblunt wrote: post #208
timje1 wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A tangent, but when did 'cargo-cult' become a verb and not a noun?

Wtf is cargo cult?

This is not the answer, but: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_Cult_%28musician%29

Looks like someone already had the idea of using this as a band name!

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