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Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

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Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#211

Post by lutorm »

mikeash wrote: post #120
maratd wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Prime really doesn't have anything to do with 2-day delivery. They wouldn't be able to afford to ship everything by air for free. The advantage of Prime is really that you can have everything shipped for free without worrying about minimums. Well that and all the other perks, like streaming video, photos, etc. They now have warehouses located within 1 day ground shipping distance of everywhere in the continental US.…

Amazon heavily talks up the two-day shipping speed of Prime: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=2... There's nothing in there about it being different if it's not close to you. The only exception to "two days" is the typical "it's business days, not actual days" exception, and an exception for stuff that can't be sent right away. If they are indeed behaving as you say then it's a flat-out lie.…

There's nothing in there about it being different if it's not close to you.

Not quite. Hawaii and Alaska are explicitly excluded from Prime's 2-day shipping.

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#212

Post by Stratoscope »

ritchiea wrote: post #176
iak8god wrote: post #144

As longtime Prime member and a resident of a metro area that doesn't make the cut (and is almost certainly not in the next round), I can't help feeling like I'm subsidizing this service for those who live in the right place. In fact, every time Amazon adds a new benefit for Prime members that I can't use or don't want, it reminds me that I must be overpaying for Prime if I'm only using the two day shipping.

You aren't paying the full price of same day delivery, when you order something same day, even as a Prime subscriber, they recommend a tip of at least $5.

That doesn't match my experience at all. The Prime same-day delivery here on the SF Peninsula almost always comes via OnTrac. They drop stuff off and run, and don't wait for or expect a tip.

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#213

Post by Stratoscope »

cherioo wrote: post #8

Just checked and it seems that this is not available for Locker delivery. I wonder why.

Here in Menlo Park (CA), Locker deliveries are UPS and same-day is OnTrac. UPS doesn't offer same-day service, so I'm not surprised that it's not available for Locker.

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#214

Post by kobybecker »

gmac wrote: post #86
xacaxulu wrote: post #65

I've noticed that Amazon has totally changed my shopping habits from 3-5 years ago. Clothes and household expendable items are almost entirely purchased on Amazon (even if I just want to try on a pair of boots). Prime Subscription or Pantry takes care of most of the rest. I don't need to drive to Costco anymore or spend time walking around Wal-Mart. I look forward to the day when my Whole Foods order can be delivered…

In the UK supermarket deliveries are well established. My family gets 2 or 3 Ocado deliveries a week (they have a Prime equivalent where you pay £11 a month to get free deliveries on orders over £40, within a one-hour time slot, usually available at about 24 hours' notice). Add that to Amazon, and I basically now only shop in shops when size/fit or feel are crucial — clothes, shoes, etc. And I really resent this — I'…

Interesting. It looks like a much harder problem to solve in the United States because of the sheer size of this country. http://www.sarmonster.net/UK.htm

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#215

Post by Stratoscope »

mikeash wrote: post #123
opaque_salmon wrote: post #12

What kind of infrastructure does it take to be able to offer this kind of service in the chosen metropolitan areas? Do they have warehouses and delivery trucks located nearby that are ready to go at a moment's notice? In any case, this is super cool of Amazon, they are really stepping up their game.

It doesn't really have to be ready at a moment's notice. The time available is relatively short, but not absurdly so. The deal is order by noon, get it by 9PM, so that's (at least) nine hours to get it to you. Certainly the warehouse has to be close, but aside from that they should be able to follow the traditional model of packing orders as they go, sorting them into trucks after the cutoff time, generating routes,…

Indeed, that is exactly how it works here on the SF Peninsula. It's an ordinary OnTrac delivery, just shifted about 12 hours from their usual time.

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#216

Post by ticksoft »

Reedx wrote: post #150
mason240 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm always surprised at people's ability to spin positive things in negative light.

The reverse is true too. Prime shipping is never actually free, you're paying $99/year for it.

A more honest word is 'complimentary'.

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#217

Post by yellowapple »

tsotha wrote: post #199
yellowapple wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For real, though. I can easily turn the free samples into my lunch whenever I'm there.

Sure, but you have to subtract out the expected value of your cardiac care.

You mean add in. By the time I'm old enough to be experiencing heart problems, I'm sure mechanical, less-failure-prone hearts are going to be commonplace, which means far less expenditure on maintenance costs and longer estimated longevity.

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#218

Post by syllogism »

gmac wrote: post #86
xacaxulu wrote: post #65

I've noticed that Amazon has totally changed my shopping habits from 3-5 years ago. Clothes and household expendable items are almost entirely purchased on Amazon (even if I just want to try on a pair of boots). Prime Subscription or Pantry takes care of most of the rest. I don't need to drive to Costco anymore or spend time walking around Wal-Mart. I look forward to the day when my Whole Foods order can be delivered…

In the UK supermarket deliveries are well established. My family gets 2 or 3 Ocado deliveries a week (they have a Prime equivalent where you pay £11 a month to get free deliveries on orders over £40, within a one-hour time slot, usually available at about 24 hours' notice). Add that to Amazon, and I basically now only shop in shops when size/fit or feel are crucial — clothes, shoes, etc. And I really resent this — I'…

www.makeyourownjeans.com

You have to iterate a bit to find what measurements actually work for you, and I got the style really wrong a couple of times. But once you have it figured out, you're set.

There are probably better websites for this, too.

Re: Amazon launches same day delivery for Prime customers

#220

Post by parennoob »

netfire wrote: post #46

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=br_imp_ara-1?_encoding=UTF8&node... That's a horrible url. Why not use something like http://amazon.com/news/free-prime-same-day-delivery ? Is there some significant advantage to identifying the page with non-human readable identifiers in the query string that I'm not aware of? Otherwise, very cool. I just wish it was in more areas.

I imagine few people use Safari around these parts, but it shows you only the domain, cutting off the rest of it. So you see just "amazon.com".

Makes you somewhat sad to think the future is going to be just people clicking on links, never actually typing in a full address by hand :)

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