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Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

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Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#81

Post by wongarsu »

subhro wrote: post #53
D13Fd wrote: post #41

This is more or less how it should be. If Amazon isn't going to offer a good enough deal, then companies shouldn't move packages for them. As more and more people figure it out, other delivery companies will stop working with Amazon as well, although it may be that the deals work out better in places with lower cost-of-living, easier delivery routes (due to climate, geography, etc.), or other advantages. If some othe…

Good points. But, with Amazon taking the lion’s share of online sales, how much of delivery is left outside of Amazon? I am not advocating for Amazon, just wondering if this move is sustainable for the employees while Amazon gets (theoretically) strong armed.

If Amazon's deal is bad and nobody else offers delivery work, companies will just leave the delivery business. Neither the equipment nor the skill set is highly specialized, so switching to something more profitable is comparatively easy.

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#82

Post by cdstyh »

MattGaiser wrote: post #54
D13Fd wrote: post #41

This is more or less how it should be. If Amazon isn't going to offer a good enough deal, then companies shouldn't move packages for them. As more and more people figure it out, other delivery companies will stop working with Amazon as well, although it may be that the deals work out better in places with lower cost-of-living, easier delivery routes (due to climate, geography, etc.), or other advantages. If some othe…

I suspect Amazon delivery will turn into Tyson and its chicken growers. Just keep selling the business to a new group of people who cannot leave because of their substantial investment in equipment.

And forcing them to upgrade their equipment unnecessarily in order to keep them in debt.

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#83

Post by IncRnd »

at-fates-hands wrote: post #51
specialp wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes and hence like warehouse workers not taking bathroom breaks for fear of being "off-task" Amazon drivers cut corners too. I have seen them blowing through stop signs, and one of them after blowing through a stop sign, ripped a three point turn and came within one foot of my car before my beeping stopped them. I called Amazon and they of course speak of them like they are some completely separate affiliate that has…

>> I called Amazon and they of course speak of them like they are some completely separate affiliate that has nothing to do with them. This by design: Amazon has repeatedly said in court that it is not responsible for the actions of its contractors, citing agreements that require them, as one puts it, to “defend, indemnify and hold harmless Amazon.” Just last week, an operations manager for Amazon testified in Chicag…

If you hire a contractor to perform work on your house, and during their contract they happen to burn down one neighbor's house and destroy the wall of a separate neighbor's house - you will not be liable for their actions.

If you think that Amazon should be liable for the actions of their contracted drivers, you would likewise be liable for burning down and destroying your neighbor's houses.

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#84

Post by viro »

fuzzer37 wrote: post #60
wtf_is_up wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is destroying other people's stuff a reasonable response for you being disgruntled at your employer?

They're not getting paid to care, why should they?

Because it's a crime to intently destroy other peoples property?

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#85

Post by wongarsu »

viro wrote: post #79
SQueeeeeL wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they "sell" 20,000 cheap knockoffs smartphones, but no one ships them, did they really sell them? Shipping is crucial to Amazon's business model. The last mile problem is the vulnerable jugular of the e-commerce industry

Do you have the money still?

Legally yes. Amazon isn't entitled to money for products they don't deliver.

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#86

Post by Y_Y »

axaxs wrote: post #56

I don't get Amazon's play here. Just charge me more money for items, and pay your people well. I'd rather have a happy safe driver than a miserable one at the end of his or her rope, all so I could save a dollar. Reminds me of Papa John complaining giving his employees healthcare would make prices go up 14 cents per pizza. Seriously? Who cares about 14 cents when ordering a pizza... Amazon's entire value to me is fas…

They wouldn't even have to change the prices. Amazon (overall, not necessarily on every sale) is making super-normal profit, in an industry where they dominate among few sellers and there are plenty of barriers to new companies entering and chipping away at the margin.

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#87

Post by relax88 »

Workaccount2 wrote: post #18
redleggedfrog wrote: post #8

Vote with your dollars folks. I'm 5 years in to an Amazon boycott and hardly even notice really.

I just cancelled my prime this year after 15 years. I'm surprised this hasn't become a more visible trend. Amazon has no shortage of shitty practices, but it seems very few people actually care.

I don’t think people should have to care. They are customers. They want to buy things and have them delivered for a good price.

Why is the consumer or shareholder being asked to solve a legislative problem?

Buying consumer goods shouldn’t be a political statement. It’s just ignoring the actual problem of insufficient legal protections for workers.

If Amazon can orchestrate a scheme in which they subcontract deliveries to absolve themselves of the responsibility for employee health and safety, that is a legal issue, not a “I gusss I shouldn’t order dental floss off Amazon” problem.

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#88

Post by InitialLastName »

claaams wrote: post #16
hourislate wrote: post #6

I've started to shop directly with some retailers instead of buying through AMZN (ex: Thorne) and I've also noticed that AMZN has become increasingly expensive for many items, sometimes double the price than can be found locally (ex: Allouse). Being a Prime member doesn't really offer me anything that I can't live without. Sometimes I can get next day delivery but usually the item takes longer than 2 days. Recently I…

I won't ever purchase anything from Amazon that is edible or goes on my body (cosmetics in particular) because of their counterfeit problem. I also try to buy from best buy or other competitors for electronics. Often the price difference might only be 1% or so. I'm not sure the average person realizes how bad it's gotten and they have a lot of momentum.

It seems like every e-tailer is getting worse about the quality of their shipped products. I keep getting, if not counterfeits, visibly open-box products sold as new from the websites of places like Wal-mart, Target and Best Buy too.

I now do everything I can to buy directly from the manufacturer or their recommended channels (or, in the situations where I feel qualified to evaluate what I'm getting, the used market).

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#89

Post by IncRnd »

GavinMcG wrote: post #52
wtf_is_up wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is destroying other people's stuff a reasonable response for you being disgruntled at your employer?

It's not about being disgruntled, it's about not wanting your family to go hungry because you were only able to deliver three hundred packages in ten hours by taking extra care. There's a difference between destroying someone's stuff because you hate your job and just not caring about someone's stuff because you want your job.

> There's a difference between destroying someone's stuff because you hate your job and just not caring about someone's stuff because you want your job.

What is the difference, when you said you destroyed the packages in each case?

Re: Two Portland delivery companies revolt against Amazon, shut down

#90

Post by hiccuphippo »

D13Fd wrote: post #41

This is more or less how it should be. If Amazon isn't going to offer a good enough deal, then companies shouldn't move packages for them. As more and more people figure it out, other delivery companies will stop working with Amazon as well, although it may be that the deals work out better in places with lower cost-of-living, easier delivery routes (due to climate, geography, etc.), or other advantages. If some othe…

Or Amazon can just buy them and make it work.
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