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Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

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Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#151

Post by mypalmike »

gambiting wrote: post #84
nextos wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've also stopped buying at Amazon after 15 years. Even consumables and small items are problematic. Just in the last year, I encountered many issues including: * Showerhead that came without box, and clearly used. It still had a lot of water inside! * Underwear from a brand that sells items inside a sealed bag and discards returns came used, without bag (yuck!) * A module of Samsung RAM had visible wear signs and di…

I'm always shocked when I read these comments on HN. I swear it must be just the American Amazon that's so shit, because I literally never had any problems nor know anyone with these problems here in UK. Just this year I'm on 108 orders and counting, every single one of them was fine, working, definitely not used, definitely not counterfeit and delivered within 1 day as promised with Prime. Last year I've had 140 ord…

I order around the same number of items every as you from Amazon in America and have never had an issue like the ones mentioned in every hn discussion about the company.

Bad experiences stick with people and they are more likely to write about it. Like the one time I ordered Harmon Kardon subwoofer from newegg like 15 years ago and it came entirely missing it's outer case, and neither newegg not Harmon Kardon (I went in person to their service center) would accept the return. It made me skeptical of ordering from newegg for a while, and it was unusual and annoying enough that I still remember it to write about.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#152

Post by mortehu »

grahamburger wrote: post #130
gambiting wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm always shocked when I read these comments on HN. I swear it must be just the American Amazon that's so shit, because I literally never had any problems nor know anyone with these problems here in UK. Just this year I'm on 108 orders and counting, every single one of them was fine, working, definitely not used, definitely not counterfeit and delivered within 1 day as promised with Prime. Last year I've had 140 ord…

I think it might just be coastal US cities? I live in a flyover US state and my experience matches yours. Universally good, overall much better experience with products ordered on Amazon than purchased at the local Walmart. Not that Walmart is a particularly high bar, but still it sets an expectation.

We live in Manhattan and order even more stuff than GP (about 25 orders last month) and we've had like two issues this year: a missing knob on a puzzle for toddlers, and paint on three toy vehicles damaged during shipping.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#153

Post by cblum »

grahamburger wrote: post #130
gambiting wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm always shocked when I read these comments on HN. I swear it must be just the American Amazon that's so shit, because I literally never had any problems nor know anyone with these problems here in UK. Just this year I'm on 108 orders and counting, every single one of them was fine, working, definitely not used, definitely not counterfeit and delivered within 1 day as promised with Prime. Last year I've had 140 ord…

I think it might just be coastal US cities? I live in a flyover US state and my experience matches yours. Universally good, overall much better experience with products ordered on Amazon than purchased at the local Walmart. Not that Walmart is a particularly high bar, but still it sets an expectation.

I’m in Seattle and that’s been my experience as well in the 7 years that I’ve been their customer.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#154

Post by justinclift »

sokoloff wrote: post #96
omgwtfbyobbq wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to see Amazon start a lend/use program like auto parts stores. I guess they would have to verify tool functionality though, which can be expensive.

The auto parts stores pretty much don’t, at least in my experience, and push it off to the customers/borrowers. I’ve gotten broken or incomplete tools from the (free) lending programs enough that I’ve mostly stopped using them and just buy tools instead. I don’t have time to get stuck halfway through a job and any $50-100 tool still leaves me with cash savings overall on the job. Even in cases where I told them I bro…

In Brunswick (part of Melbourne, Australia), there is a Community "Tool Library" where people can borrow tools. In much the same way as book libraries:

https://www.brunswicktoollibrary.org

It's pretty cheap (AUS$85/yr), and AFAIK they have about 400 members. Though Melbourne is currently in a coronavirus lockdown so everything is closed. :(

Regarding broken/incomplete tools, (prior to the lockdown) they had a day every week or two set aside to go through and fix broken/worn tools (etc).

Seems like a good solution to the tool sharing problem, and it seems to work well for everyone.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#155

Post by jjoonathan »

canada_dry wrote: post #135

Everyone in the chain is complicit... people who carelessly order things, suppliers who decide it's cheaper to just let Amazon handle their returns, and Amazon who is stuck dealing with returns. If we're going to fix something, it really aught to be food waste! The amount of food that gets disposed of daily - while millions go hungry - is humanities greatest issue - not unwanted coveralls.

Sure, but just try telling hipsters that you need to put preservatives on their food to keep it good long enough to get it into the hands of the less fortunate.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#156

Post by tgsovlerkhgsel »

tomarr wrote: post #8

The GPS tracker technique does not seem foolproof, basic QA on returned goods would likely be trashing the GPS trackers.

Which would explain why the clothing "went" to an electronic recycler (tracker removed and tossed into e-waste).

I also wonder how much is handled by weight. Weight of returned product != expected weight of product -> something is off and it's probably not worth figuring out.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#157

Post by amelius »

sokoloff wrote: post #3

> 30 to 40 per cent of all online purchases are sent back That seems almost an order of magnitude higher than I’d expect. Setting aside kids shoes (which probably do get 50% returned), I can’t imagine sending back even 5% of my online purchases, let alone 30-40%. I think I’ve sent back exactly 1 Amazon order in the last year, out of nearly 100.

Fortunately, the shipping costs of returns will always be on the seller. (Because you can't compete brick-and-mortar stores out of existence in part by having no return costs, and then later introduce these costs).

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#158

Post by canada_dry »

malcolmgreaves wrote: post #150
canada_dry wrote: post #135

Everyone in the chain is complicit... people who carelessly order things, suppliers who decide it's cheaper to just let Amazon handle their returns, and Amazon who is stuck dealing with returns. If we're going to fix something, it really aught to be food waste! The amount of food that gets disposed of daily - while millions go hungry - is humanities greatest issue - not unwanted coveralls.

How long does it take food to decompose versus a pair of coveralls? This is one of those situations where saying "this problem isn't important, look at X," isn't the best strategy. We have to solve _waste_ in general. Different types will have different solutions.

> This is one of those situations where saying "this problem isn't important, look at X,"

It's all about directing (our extremely limited) focus on issues with a higher priority. Food insecurity (even in North America) is a significantly bigger problem than Amazon returns.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#159

Post by emayljames »

gambiting wrote: post #84
nextos wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've also stopped buying at Amazon after 15 years. Even consumables and small items are problematic. Just in the last year, I encountered many issues including: * Showerhead that came without box, and clearly used. It still had a lot of water inside! * Underwear from a brand that sells items inside a sealed bag and discards returns came used, without bag (yuck!) * A module of Samsung RAM had visible wear signs and di…

I'm always shocked when I read these comments on HN. I swear it must be just the American Amazon that's so shit, because I literally never had any problems nor know anyone with these problems here in UK. Just this year I'm on 108 orders and counting, every single one of them was fine, working, definitely not used, definitely not counterfeit and delivered within 1 day as promised with Prime. Last year I've had 140 ord…

Nope. In UK and I had a tablet I ordered, that was supposed to come yesterday. Says that is delivered, but I never received. None of my neighbours received, so who knows where it is.

As for their own brands like thier tablets, they are probably worse quality than some counterfeits/awful brands. They have nasty cheap parts, for example the usb power port breaks in no time. I made the mistake of shopping for that non-amazon brand tablet for yesterday, but what a seriously shoddy company, for many reasons.

Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up

#160

Post by usefulcat »

gambiting wrote: post #84
nextos wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've also stopped buying at Amazon after 15 years. Even consumables and small items are problematic. Just in the last year, I encountered many issues including: * Showerhead that came without box, and clearly used. It still had a lot of water inside! * Underwear from a brand that sells items inside a sealed bag and discards returns came used, without bag (yuck!) * A module of Samsung RAM had visible wear signs and di…

I'm always shocked when I read these comments on HN. I swear it must be just the American Amazon that's so shit, because I literally never had any problems nor know anyone with these problems here in UK. Just this year I'm on 108 orders and counting, every single one of them was fine, working, definitely not used, definitely not counterfeit and delivered within 1 day as promised with Prime. Last year I've had 140 ord…

Selection bias. Of course you don't hear anything about the myriad times people ordered something and it arrived more or less as expected. I've ordered at least hundreds, maybe thousands of items from amazon over the years. I won't say everything has been completely perfect, but I also don't recall the last time I needed to return anything.
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