Why I Canceled Amazon Prime • Hacker News Board

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#61

Post by PaulHoule » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:01 PM UTC

tkone wrote: post #21

PaulHoule wrote: post #19

Funny, living in a rural area I have the opposite problem. I have a driveway that is an 1/8 of a mile long that is threatened by several beaver colonies trying to flood it out. Delivery drivers are terrified of my driveway because it has a reputation of eating their trucks. One time we replaced the water line that crosses out driveway and that evening a FedEx truck drove across it and, thanks to subsidence, the wheel…

How do you fit a 45lbs crib in a box that is 4'x4'x5' in your mail box? That's gotta be a huge mailbox sir! OR the post office could end its monopoly of your mailbox...

I get more little things than big things.

Certainly if other delivery services could use the box it would help.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#62

Post by caw » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:01 PM UTC

ericcumbee wrote: post #35

cfinke wrote: post #4

You see, the problem with Amazon Prime is that you are shipping almost entirely via the USPS. I've never received a package from Amazon via anyone but UPS.

I will get stuff through I think its called UPS Mail Solutions or Fedex smartpost. it is where UPS or Fedex delivers my package to the Post Office, and then the USPS carrier delivers it to my house.

I think at my last job we got an oversized item by DHL, though it could have been FedEx.

sub $100 A-frame ladder with $2.99 overnight shipping FTW.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#63

Post by threepipeproblm » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:04 PM UTC

Thank you -- knowing this makes me certain I will not be signing up for Prime at this time. I think the USPS squirelliness is not limited to any particular region... I have had nightmares with various post offices over the past few years.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#64

Post by quesera » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:05 PM UTC

> However, I would happily pay more than $79/year for a version of prime which guarantees that the USPS will not be involved in shipping ... I would venture to say there are a lot more people like me out there.

On the surface, it sounds like it would make sense for Amazon to let you choose your carrier for some additional cost.

But that sort of active, involved, optimizing customer is probably where Amazon takes the biggest loss on Prime.

Bezos has probably done the math on the value of the goodwill of those customers.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#65

Post by drivingmissm » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:06 PM UTC

cfinke wrote: post #4

You see, the problem with Amazon Prime is that you are shipping almost entirely via the USPS. I've never received a package from Amazon via anyone but UPS.

I live in a mountainous area and the Postal Service won't deliver to my house. (FedEx and UPS will). So FedEx Smart Post creates the same problem for me-- I have to go to town during Post Office hours to pick up the package (and usually wait in line). I would also pay for a UPS/FedEx only Prime. I sometimes force the issue for important or large deliveries by ordering it Next Day for $3.99 more, which ensures UPS/FedEx to my home.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#66

Post by the_watcher » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:07 PM UTC

cfinke wrote: post #4

You see, the problem with Amazon Prime is that you are shipping almost entirely via the USPS. I've never received a package from Amazon via anyone but UPS.

I thought the same thing. I'd overlook it as it seems like Brooklyn does get USPS, but he seems to assume this is universal. I've gotten Amazon packages in Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Coachella Valley, Seattle, and rural eastern Washington, and almost none have shipped USPS.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#67

Post by the_watcher » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:08 PM UTC

quesera wrote: post #64

> However, I would happily pay more than $79/year for a version of prime which guarantees that the USPS will not be involved in shipping ... I would venture to say there are a lot more people like me out there. On the surface, it sounds like it would make sense for Amazon to let you choose your carrier for some additional cost. But that sort of active, involved, optimizing customer is probably where Amazon takes the…

In a lot of cases, they do let you upgrade for $3.99

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#68

Post by drivingmissm » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:09 PM UTC

ericcholis wrote: post #39

cfinke wrote: post #4

You see, the problem with Amazon Prime is that you are shipping almost entirely via the USPS. I've never received a package from Amazon via anyone but UPS.

In my case, I've received my prime packages from every carrier available USPS, UPS, FedEx, even local courier. I can't recall if I received anything via DHL. I live in Western New York, but we are near FedEx and UPS hubs...which might account for the various delivery methods.

I think DHL left the US domestic market for overnight.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#69

Post by terrellm » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:10 PM UTC

On our ranch, we have an automatic gate opener with keypad. While FedEx and UPS will use a key code if one is printed on the address label, USPS refuses to enter through an open gate. Maybe they were just afraid of the cattle (http://www.LonghornSteers.com).

Fortunately for us, UPS delivers virtually all of our Amazon orders (2-3 a week since it is easier to use Prime than drive into town). The day that Amazon uses USPS for us is the day we cancel Prime, too.

The only worse delivery company we have dealt with is DHL, who Microsoft uses. I think it stands for (D)ump the package (H)aul tail away, and (L)ie that no one was home. On numerous occasions, DHL has left thousands of dollars worth in software at our gate which is on a busy country road.

A tip that I have found with delivery drivers is to be nice and get to know them. Smile, ask them how they are doing, offer them a bottle of water on a hot day, etc. Many will go out of their way to help a friendly face.

Re: Why I Canceled Amazon Prime

#70

Post by VLM » Wed, Nov 20, 2013, 4:10 PM UTC

tkone wrote: post #11

xacaxulu wrote: post #9

Not so much an Amazon problem. As with a lot of services, we see quality private sector services (OnTrac, DHL, FedEx) being consistently better than bloated government services operating at a loss and subsidized by taxpayers. I wonder how much further the USPS would dip if Amazon stopped doing business with them.

That might be exactly what needs to happen. The post office needs to fail so it can be rebuild in a better state. Allowing it to continue to exist as it stands is certainly no option.

Why? Sounds like in Brooklyn, per the article, that needs to happen pretty badly. And the accounting is corrupt, well, welcome to America. But aside from unique local issues and stereotypical financial corruption, whats the problem with the USPS?

My understanding is its embarrassingly profitable for a .gov organization, until politicans play "hollywood accounting" games to make it look unprofitable for obvious political spin reasons. So that's how it remains in business for decades despite being reported continuously as a disaster.

The main problem is some long story about political polarization, which supposedly is always wrong. However, if the USPS workers were "correctly" polarized like the teachers union, they wouldn't be punished with hollywood accounting. It explains a lot about their retirement fund vs the local school districts retirement funding level, or even state gov retirement funding levels. The story is not just accounting corruption for political reasons, but WHY those political reasons exist vs other .gov groups in much worse conditions.