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Amazon Flex

flex.amazon.com

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Re: Amazon Flex

#71

Post by tokenizerrr »

ekianjo wrote: post #40
deanCommie wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My theory is these jobs need to last only long enough for society to get it's head out of it's ass and introduce a universal basic income policy

> and introduce a universal basic income policy here we go again with this... What's wrong with such jobs ? AS mentioned by Amazon you don't need to work 9 to 5, you can just work for extra if you need. Even if you HAD basic income this kind of part-time job could make sense to make a bit more money that the nothing you would get to survive on your own.

They'll be deprecated as soon as self driving cars become viable. The same goes for most jobs like this, technology will catch up eventually and make them obsolote.

Re: Amazon Flex

#72

Post by bmelton »

radmuzom wrote: post #64

How does the math work out on wages once you factor in the vehicle costs (gas, insurance, maintenance, etc...)? Is it higher than minimum wage?

In America, generally speaking, if you're using a privately owned car for business, the companies pay a mileage rate, which is currently 57.5 cents per mile. That cost is expected to cover the cost of gas and maintenance on the vehicle.

I don't know if Uber / Amazon actually DO this, but if so, that mileage fee would be on top of whatever their actual pay rate is.

Re: Amazon Flex

#74

Post by doki_pen »

bkanber wrote: post #3

Great idea on Amazon's part; they're already set up to handle the logistics for this kind of last-mile delivery stuff. Of course, one could argue that moves like this and pushing us towards the gig economy are a net negative for our future economy. They seem to be compensating fairly (for now?) at least.

Considering they are pushing cost for vehicles, vehicle maintenance, insurance, payroll taxes, fuel, unemployment insurance and uniform onto their workers, I'd say they are paying peanuts. You'd have to shortsighted to see why this is worse than a normal job. I'd also guess that the rates will drop the minute they get some traction, just like Uber.

Re: Amazon Flex

#75

Post by smackfu »

joshstrange wrote: post #13
suvelx wrote: post #8

I've got a suspicion that Amazon has been trialling/building this in the UK since their purchase of Yodel, perhaps earlier. A number of times some bloke in a car has turned up and delivered me a package. No uniform, no branding. Just a phone running Amazon software. I can't say it's the greatest experience.

How was the experience bad? I never see my UPS delivery guy so I can't imagine it matters one way or the other to me how my packages "magically" show up on my front porch.

Main complaint is when the person lies about delivering it if they can't make the promised date. Then they drop it off the next day with little repercussions.

I've also had problems with companies using alternative shippers for cold-packed stuff, presumably because it was cheaper. Then it sat in someone's hot car for 12 hours and was delivered with room temp ice packs. Sure it was delivered on the right day, but not well.

Re: Amazon Flex

#76

Post by ddmf »

colinramsay wrote: post #52
suvelx wrote: post #8

I've got a suspicion that Amazon has been trialling/building this in the UK since their purchase of Yodel, perhaps earlier. A number of times some bloke in a car has turned up and delivered me a package. No uniform, no branding. Just a phone running Amazon software. I can't say it's the greatest experience.

I can't find anything that says Amazon bought Yodel - do you have a source? That said, I think you might be right about Yodel's general model being like this. Their service is shocking. On the other hand, right now I am waiting on a parcel being delivered by DPD on behalf of Amazon. They have given a one hour window, I can track the location of the van online, and I could have text them this morning to rearrange the…

I'm a big fan of DPD's system except for the fact that their optimiser always tries to deliver to our house during school pickup - their software doesn't allow for any time exclusions and sometimes their drivers don't respect deliver to neighbour requests, otherwise their service would be perfect.

Re: Amazon Flex

#77

Post by BrentOzar »

slayed0 wrote: post #69
BrentOzar wrote: post #46

If they're launching now in major cities, I'm guessing drone deliveries aren't coming anytime soon. (Or this is insurance against the drone plan not working.)

I don't think the drone plan was ever a serious short term consideration for 99.999% of Amazon's business

> I don't think the drone plan was ever a serious short term consideration for 99.999% of Amazon's business

Right, but where would it be a serious short term consideration? Where's that .001%? If it's not in dense urban areas like Seattle and Chicago, I'm not sure where it would work, and those are the very areas where they're launching Flex.

Re: Amazon Flex

#78

Post by colinramsay »

suvelx wrote: post #62
colinramsay wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't find anything that says Amazon bought Yodel - do you have a source? That said, I think you might be right about Yodel's general model being like this. Their service is shocking. On the other hand, right now I am waiting on a parcel being delivered by DPD on behalf of Amazon. They have given a one hour window, I can track the location of the van online, and I could have text them this morning to rearrange the…

How on earth did you get Amazon to send you a delivery with DPD?

Dunno, I'd say it happens more often than not. For us they use a combination of DPD, Hermes, Yodel and Royal Mail/Parcel Force. We have Amazon Prime and live in a fairly out of the way location so it's probably a combination of those two factors.

Re: Amazon Flex

#79

Post by jcfrei »

ekianjo wrote: post #40
deanCommie wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My theory is these jobs need to last only long enough for society to get it's head out of it's ass and introduce a universal basic income policy

> and introduce a universal basic income policy here we go again with this... What's wrong with such jobs ? AS mentioned by Amazon you don't need to work 9 to 5, you can just work for extra if you need. Even if you HAD basic income this kind of part-time job could make sense to make a bit more money that the nothing you would get to survive on your own.

The problem with the ongoing commoditization of work is that it causes it to lose value. As a result the economy becomes more efficient. However the question is who benefits from this increase in efficiency?

It certainly isn't the worker, whose labour becomes cheaper every year (there hasn't been an increase in real wages for over a decade now in the US). The consumer certainly benefits from lower prices. However who arguably benefits the most is - as always - the proprietor of the production factors: ie. Amazon, which supplies the jobs, the technology, owns the storage facilities, etc.

Now: As a net result over the whole economy, the efficiency gains achieved with these new work contracts are beneficial. However these gains are unequally distributed between the proprietors (ie. Amazon and it's shareholders) and the employees. While incomes for many employees have stagnated for over a decade, the shareholders of Amazon keep getting richer (https://www.google.com/finance?chdnp=1&chdd=1&chds=1&chdv=1&...) creating more inequality. This is why we need a universal basic income policy. To allow everyone at the very least dignified living conditions.

Re: Amazon Flex

#80

Post by popopje »

suvelx wrote: post #8

I've got a suspicion that Amazon has been trialling/building this in the UK since their purchase of Yodel, perhaps earlier. A number of times some bloke in a car has turned up and delivered me a package. No uniform, no branding. Just a phone running Amazon software. I can't say it's the greatest experience.

Package delivery is never a good experience in the UK

i have my packages delivered to a friendly shop nearby - to my house, it's a nightmare.

The collect+ system also works reasonably well, i take that option if offered. (where it's delivered to a local cornershop or similar and you walk to pick it up)

I really feel there should be a gap in the market for "last mile" delivery to be solved properly, but i suspect there's not enough money to slow things down, and residential delivery is inherently difficult anywhere that doesn't have regimented street layouts.

Try addresses for all lo - if no reply, deliver to pre-arranged local shop. Text/email alert allowing redelivery to address or changed address within an hour or two, for a premium fee (bicycle couriers and other instant courier delivery)

that would solve all of my issues anyway..

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