Amazon Prime

[Amazon customer]

As many of you know, Amazon.com offers a membership called Amazon Prime.

Membership is $99 per year. The main perk that attracts most paying members is guaranteed two day delivery on eligible items sold directly by Amazon.

In the past couple years, Amazon has rolled out their own delivery service, AMZL (Amazon Logistics).

From my understanding, it kind of works like Uber. Anybody with a car can sign up to deliver packages.

Unfortunately, packages delivered by AMZL are very often not delivered on time.

When you are in the process of ordering a Prime eligible item, Amazon shows on the ordering page the date you will receive the package, which is usually two days away.

When I order, they usually use AMZL, UPS, FedEx, or USPS as the carrier. All but AMZL have been reliable for me, but they don't tell you which carrier will deliver until the item has been shipped. AMZL continues to grow and is being used more and more often by Amazon.

The last five times AMZL was the carrier for my orders, they have arrived days after the "guaranteed" two day delivery date. (Two of them I cancelled after they were late).

It is not a fluke that is only happening to a few random customers like myself.

Amazon knows when AMZL is the carrier for customer orders that there is a very good chance the packages won't arrive in the two day window. Yet, they continue to use AMZL for two day shipping. They continue to sell $99 Prime memberships to customers with the lure of two day shipping.

I have no background in law, but this seems like a strong case for somebody to file a class action suit against Amazon, does it not?

 

[Zigner]

From: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201117450

To inquire about a refund of the shipping fees you paid on this order, or an extension of your Prime membership, please contact us and click "An Order I Placed." Select your order, then select Problem with an order > Shipping or delivery issues > Shipment is late.

and

Note: If you received free shipping with a guaranteed delivery date through Amazon Prime, you may be eligible for a free one-month extension if the delivery date isn't met. Prime extensions are limited to one per free trial and 12 for an annual membership. Free Amazon Student Memberships do not qualify for this extension.

ETA: No, it's not a good class action suit, as remedies for late shipments are provided.

 

[Amazon customer]

I understand the resources you cited.

However it seems like a dishonest business practice to charge membership for a perk that is usually not fulfilled.

Extending the membership that was already paid for, but still not delivering the benefits of membership hardly seems like a satisfactory solution.

 

[adjusterjack]

Amazon knows when AMZL is the carrier for customer orders that there is a very good chance the packages won't arrive in the two day window. Yet, they continue to use AMZL for two day shipping. They continue to sell $99 Prime memberships to customers with the lure of two day shipping.

Yeah, that Prime membership is a joke. I take the free introductory month when I can and then cancel after I've had my fill.

When I am not ordering enough from Amazon to qualify for free shipping I go to eBay where I find identical items (often from the same vendor and sometimes with a lower price) with free shipping that takes 3 days to a week.

If I need something fast I order site to store from Walmart, Sam's club, or Home Depot or just go get it if I need it today.

It's delusional to think there is a class action here when there are so many alternatives.

 

[Zigner]

I understand the resources you cited.

However it seems like a dishonest business practice to charge membership for a perk that is usually not fulfilled.

Extending the membership that was already paid for, but still not delivering the benefits of membership hardly seems like a satisfactory solution.

As pointed out above, if it's not "satisfactory", then find another vendor.

Unlike the poster above, I really find Amazon Prime to be a great value. But it's kind of like going to the corner market for milk instead of going to the supermarket. It's not a great savings, but it's very convenient (for me).

 

[CTU]

Oddly enough, I've had Prime for 3 years and the shipping has only let me down ... twice.

Twice in three years.

(With that being said, I'm Amazon Prime's worst nightmare - the membership fee pays for itself over and over and over and over and over ... I get far more out of the deal than they do, believe me )

 

[Zigner]

Oddly enough, I've had Prime for 3 years and the shipping has only let me down ... twice.

Twice in three years.

(With that being said, I'm Amazon Prime's worst nightmare - the membership fee pays for itself over and over and over and over and over ... I get far more out of the deal than they do, believe me )

Yeah, that

 

[Amazon customer]

I have been a Prime member since the beginning of Prime. I've been happy with it until they started using AMZL for delivery.

Maybe I am just unlucky where I live. But there are several threads on Amazon's forums filled with thousands of other complaints about AMZL deliveries.

I am aware of other choices to shop from, which is why I cancelled my Prime membership.

But it still doesn't make it right that Amazon continues to sell prime memberships touting free two day delivery, then fail as often as they do with that perk.

 

[Zigner]

I have been a Prime member since the beginning of Prime. I've been happy with it until they started using AMZL for delivery.

Maybe I am just unlucky where I live. But there are several threads on Amazon's forums filled with thousands of other complaints about AMZL deliveries.

I am aware of other choices to shop from, which is why I cancelled my Prime membership.

But it still doesn't make it right that Amazon continues to sell prime memberships touting free two day delivery, then fail as often as they do with that perk.

Assuming 10,000 complaints, and assuming another 40,000 folks who don't bother complaining, we're still only talking about less than 0.075% of their 63,000,000+ Prime members. That's really not too shabby if you ask me.

 

[CTU]

Assuming 10,000 complaints, and assuming another 40,000 folks who don't bother complaining, we're still only talking about less than 0.075% of their 63,000,000+ Prime members. That's really not too shabby if you ask me.

Oofda ... very number, much satisfy.

 

[CTU]

I have been a Prime member since the beginning of Prime. I've been happy with it until they started using AMZL for delivery.

Maybe I am just unlucky where I live. But there are several threads on Amazon's forums filled with thousands of other complaints about AMZL deliveries.

I am aware of other choices to shop from, which is why I cancelled my Prime membership.

But it still doesn't make it right that Amazon continues to sell prime memberships touting free two day delivery, then fail as often as they do with that perk.

I will concede that I live near one of their biggest distribution centers. I keep forgetting about that.

 

[Amazon customer]

I will concede that I live near one of their biggest distribution centers. I keep forgetting about that.

Is AMZL ever the carrier to delivery your orders?

 

[CTU]

Is AMZL ever the carrier to delivery your orders?

On occasion, yes. I've ordered things at 4-6pm and had a knock on my door the next morning (which is, admittedly, a tad unnerving .. it's like they know what I want before I want it!).

Otherwise it all goes to the PO Box (which is not optional where I live; I'm two blocks away from the postal orifice and they won't deliver to the house. I wish I was kidding).

 

[Zigner]

Is AMZL ever the carrier to delivery your orders?

I also live very close to a distribution center. I have had AMZL deliver to my house on multiple occasions.

 

[adjusterjack]

On occasion, yes. I've ordered things at 4-6pm and had a knock on my door the next morning (which is, admittedly, a tad unnerving .. it's like they know what I want before I want it!).

Wait till the drones start delivering to your house.