Amazon Unveils One-Hour Delivery Service

Post by protomyth » Fri, Dec 19, 2014, 5:37 PM UTC

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #141

protomyth wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because it's so, so easy to get trapped in a cycle of endless below-livable jobs just to support yourself. That's an appeal to emotions and has nothing to do with the argument. > My personal belief, and I'm more than willing to pay more for goods and services to support it, and I live in a country where we have a liveable minimal wage, is that every job if worked 40 hours should be enough for a very modest, but not…

> The forcing of every job to be "living wages" removes a part of the labor force that is willing and able (due to parents or other income) to provide services for less money. This, and I think every one of your points, can be sufficiently addressed with one word: Australia. My 19 year old unskilled housemate gets paid minimum wage $21.08 per hour as a casual.[1] She works 4 days a week and supports herself just fine…

  This, and I think every one of your points, can 
  be sufficiently addressed with one word: 
  Australia.

  My 19 year old unskilled housemate gets paid 
  minimum wage $21.08 per hour as a casual.[1] She 
  works 4 days a week and supports herself just 
  fine. They say the cost of living is high in 
  Australia, and it is -everything is expensive 
  here- but we have options: we live in a share 
  house and pay $100 a week per room (four of us) 
  including electricity and Internet. She doesn't 
  own a car, and doesn't smoke cigarettes or drink 
  alcohol. Financially she isn't struggling at all.

  The minimum wage for full time employment is 
  $16.87 per hour, which includes 10 day a year 
  sick leave and 20 days a hear paid leave.[1]

  Also, because everyone here is paid a 'living 
  wage' we're able to afford to pay social welfare. 

  'Newstart Allowance' is paid to unemployed 
  job-seekers at $515.60 per fortnight.[2] It isn't 
  a lot, below the poverty line apparently, but it 
  is enough to rent a room buy food.

  I do not think any of your arguments hold water.

Post by SiVal » Fri, Dec 19, 2014, 8:55 PM UTC

sokoloff wrote: post #145

SiVal wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tipping is a nuisance, something that goes in the "Con" category in a Pro & Con analysis. The vendor is implicitly warning you that you shouldn't count on getting good service included just because you officially paid for it. They're warning you that they have no real control over their service providers, and "it would be a shame if something unforeseeable, like getting caught in traffic, were to happen to a delivery…

The equivalent cost of shipping from a brick-n-mortar store that's five minutes away is almost surely more than 15 minutes of your time (could easily be 30 minutes) and, if you drive, $2-4 at the IRS/GSA rates. For me, avoiding that 15-20 minutes of annoyance is well-worth calculating and paying a tip. (Agree that that's a negative, but it's relatively small negative.)

Post by 5555624 » Sat, Dec 20, 2014, 12:15 AM UTC

_delirium wrote: post #55

5555624 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>If a store is close to your commute route, for example, the delivery costs will probably never be low enough to match with that. I think it's not if it is "close," but if it's "convenient" to your commute route -- in terms of location and/or commuting method. If I am in NYC and I need to get off the subway, walk a half block, get the item, and then walk back and get not he subway; I might not want to do it, dependin…

> If I'm riding my bike to commute, I might easily be able to stop, but I might not be able to carry it. You could get one of these: http://www.christianiabikes.com/en/ :) I see a lot of then in Copenhagen these days. Mostly families though, since they use them to carry both kids and shopping. Also probably requires a certain infrastructure to work; you wouldn't want to ride one of those in traffic (esp. with kids),…

Post by lolwutf » Sat, Dec 20, 2014, 5:42 PM UTC

SiVal wrote: post #95

morgante wrote: post #43

I just placed an order with this new service (some HDMI cables for our office). The selection is pretty decent, definitely comparable to Google Shopping Express. One very odd note though: they ask for a variable tip to the delivery courier (something Google doesn't do). So even for "free" 2 hour delivery, you're paying for delivery. While I see how this is better for the courier, I think it's a big mistake—people hat…

Tipping is a nuisance, something that goes in the "Con" category in a Pro & Con analysis. The vendor is implicitly warning you that you shouldn't count on getting good service included just because you officially paid for it. They're warning you that they have no real control over their service providers, and "it would be a shame if something unforeseeable, like getting caught in traffic, were to happen to a delivery…

Post by snotrockets » Tue, Dec 23, 2014, 3:23 AM UTC

robryan wrote: post #143

snotrockets wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the problem is: most Pizzerias don't. Or don't pay a living wage.

This may be because of an expectation of tips though? If the tips dried up they would be forced to move that pay to the persons wage.