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Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

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Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#31

Post by powertower »

ecdavis wrote: post #15
thaumaturgy wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. We use Prime a lot , and for Google to convince us to switch, Google's gonna have to become a completely different company. Aside from having a lot of stuff, aside from it all being at great prices, we also know that it's backed by a company with amazing, second-to-none customer service. I've had to call up Amazon just once, for some hard-to-find solderable fuses for a special client project. The first batch…

I read somewhere that Jeff Bezos considers it a bug in Amazon's customer service system when a customer has to get in contact with them. My impression of Google is that they feel the same way, but haven't figured out how to gracefully handle the errors those bugs cause, while Amazon has. I've never needed Google or Amazon's customer service, though, so I'm basing my opinion on what I've heard from others.

> Google is that they feel the same way, but haven't figured out how to gracefully handle the errors those bugs cause, while Amazon has

That's because Amazon sees you as the customer, while Google sees you as some type of a cheap-commodity/product to be sold (via click-throughs) to the real customers, the advertisers.

Google has burned many many people with their complete disregard towards us, including myself...

Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#32

Post by pclstyle »

ticks wrote: post #27
zach wrote: post #5

With these companies constantly getting into each others' business, I'm reminded of the old joke: Heaven is where the police are British, the lovers French, the mechanics German, the chefs Italian, and it is all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lovers Swiss, the police German, and it is all organized by the Italians. In just the last three years, Google has gotten…

One thing that Amazon does is shove a load of adverts, i.e. leaflets, into their parcels. Given that Google is also a behemoth in the ad industry, this might just make sense.

My family has never had ANY leaflets in our parcels, and we've been ordering off amazon for years now.

Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#33

Post by skore »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #25
jonmc12 wrote: post #13

I've noticed in the past that Google has special provisions for: Navigation, Autonomous Vehicle Control, or Enterprise Applications in the terms of use - http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html - 10.2c. Google has all the data to know the exact steps between the location of the product in inventory and the location of the doorstep of the customer. I could see them reducing cost of delivery in the following ways:…

How would that autonomous delivery vehicle make it up the stairs to my apartment?

I would think that some incentive (say a cut in 20% of the delivery cost) might convince you to get /down/ the stairs from your apartment.

Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#34

Post by ScottWhigham »

pclstyle wrote: post #32
ticks wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing that Amazon does is shove a load of adverts, i.e. leaflets, into their parcels. Given that Google is also a behemoth in the ad industry, this might just make sense.

My family has never had ANY leaflets in our parcels, and we've been ordering off amazon for years now.

I've been a Prime member for 3-5 years, I guess, and we've gotten dozens and dozens of them through the years. I can say that I cannot actually remember the last time I received one. I can, however, remember that it was a "Cell phones for servicemen" or something like that.

Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#35

Post by waterlesscloud »

skore wrote: post #33
waterlesscloud wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would that autonomous delivery vehicle make it up the stairs to my apartment?

I would think that some incentive (say a cut in 20% of the delivery cost) might convince you to get /down/ the stairs from your apartment.

If I were there, perhaps.

Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#36

Post by justincormack »

pclstyle wrote: post #32
ticks wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing that Amazon does is shove a load of adverts, i.e. leaflets, into their parcels. Given that Google is also a behemoth in the ad industry, this might just make sense.

My family has never had ANY leaflets in our parcels, and we've been ordering off amazon for years now.

Like all leaflets I just put them in the recycling. Never looked at them.

Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#37

Post by skore »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #35
skore wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would think that some incentive (say a cut in 20% of the delivery cost) might convince you to get /down/ the stairs from your apartment.

If I were there, perhaps.

If we are talking true autonomous delivery then I guess scheduling it when you're around should be the least of our concerns.

Re: Google is Creating an Amazon Prime Competitor

#38

Post by ticks »

pclstyle wrote: post #32
ticks wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing that Amazon does is shove a load of adverts, i.e. leaflets, into their parcels. Given that Google is also a behemoth in the ad industry, this might just make sense.

My family has never had ANY leaflets in our parcels, and we've been ordering off amazon for years now.

My most recent order from Amazon UK had three leaflets: a voucher for Naked Wines, a voucher for Ocada and something else that I can't remember. Most orders I get from Amazon have at least one leaflet, it's the same for other online retailers, such as Play.com.
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