If you've perused my articles then you know how big of a fan I am of Amazon. I think they have fair deals, and their support is second-to-none. But every so often there is something I don't like that they do or don't do. It seems like the problems are too small for Amazon to take heed of, but I've come across them a few too many times where I think there could and should be easy fixes to solve them. This article will explain some of those issues.
Fake Products
One of the biggest issues I have come across is misleading advertising. It happens. However, many of the ones I have seen are knowingly misleading.
A good example of this are Chinese clones or knockoffs smartphones. The fake iPhones are easy enough to spot, but Android smartphones are a lot harder to notice if you don't know the specs. I have come across several fake Galaxy clones or knockoffs that seem like the real deal. After I read the specifications only then do I realize that this is not a true Samsung Galaxy smartphone. One problem is most people don't realize "Clone" is not part of the Samsung nomenclature. And what's worse is that these phones are not clones, if they were, they would be identical in their specifications. So really this is just false advertising. Other listings don't even mention "Clone", they say something else much more subtle in an attempt to trick a buyer.
Unfortunately, it's just another tactic of how to make a buck off of unassuming foreigners. There may be other (domestic) sellers doing the same, but I have no recollection of coming across any.
Item's Out-of-Stock, No Notification
I hate when this is done, whether it's by Amazon or any other company. You purchase a product that gives no indication of low stock and then you wait days, possibly weeks, wondering what happened.
There was an occurrence like this where I had bought a small electronic device and was due to fly overseas less than a week later. I have Prime shipping, so it should've arrived with plenty of time to spare. The item never came. I called Amazon a couple days before I was going to leave and asked what the hold up was. They informed me that the item was a specialty item and had just been shipped. I explained how I was never notified of such and that it would need to be returned since I wouldn't be around to get or use it. In the end, the item never came, so I just requested a refund that I did receive.
Amazon, and all companies, should know that if something is up with their order, they need notify the purchaser quickly and immediately. Customers shouldn't be the ones having to call Amazon to find out if and what trouble there is.
Wrong Prices
This one isn't so bad, but it does aggravate me when prices are advertised lower than what is actually advertised. A lot of times I check the prices for what's used, refurbished, and new. Many times you will find items much cheaper than the Amazon price.
Lately I noticed that prices were off more than $100 for iPhone 6's, and some iPhone 5S cases were actually $10 higher than what was stated. It seems like Apple products are having some problems on Amazon... This does occur with many other products though.
What's even more alarming is that the wrong price is still shown as the lowest prices when checking all the offers, and there is clearly no item at that price! This is probably just a glitch in the system, but one they need to take seriously. People like me, who purchase a lot from Amazon, don't appreciate wasting our time because of incorrect pricing.
No Product AFTER Purchase
From what I can recall, this has happened to me only once. You purchase a product from Amazon and then the item is suddenly unavailable and a refund is automatically processed.
When this happened to me I had gone ahead and purchased a graphic card from a third-party through Amazon. I got a good deal, so I was satisfied. The next day I find out that the graphic card is no longer available and I was given a refund.
This is just bad business practice. I assume the company sells not only online, but in an actual store. If that's true, you really need to learn how to organize inventory for online and in-person sales. It's not that hard, you setup a database or whatnot that denotes when something is sold online or in-store. Or, you divvy up so much inventory for online and in-store to avoid these type of situations.
What if I desperately needed that graphic card for some scientific number-crunching (for example). But I was unable to do it causing a chain of events that got me into a lot of trouble??? Amazon should force third-parties to send all their products to them in order to avoid this, but that'll never happen.
Overseas (Return) Shipping
Amazon does ship overseas, but if you bought a product and it doesn't work or breaks within the 30-day refund period while in the US or UK (or wherever they're stationed), then it must be returned to the country of origin.
Understandably, if you get something while already overseas, then you take the risk of having to ship it back. There may be some recourse, but I doubt it. However, if you picked up an item while in that country, it worked for some time, you left, and then it broke, the rules still apply.
This is garbage in my eyes. If you bought a product from someone, it worked, and then you have to go on a long business trip, then the fault should lie with Amazon, as well as the delivery prices to return the item. In some countries you may be able to ship items fairly inexpensively, but there are more where that is just not an option.
I had a similar experience myself. My Samsung Galaxy S3 had been lost so I went ahead and ordered a Galaxy S4 to replace it. I made sure it was unlocked as I would be traveling a week or two later. The phone arrived and it worked without flaw. Once I was overseas the phone died after approximately one week. Needless to say, I was irate.
I called Amazon and explained the situation and how it was still under the 30 days, and of course they wanted me to pay for the shipping charges. Had I used the local mail it would've been rather cheap, but most people knew that trusting the local mail service was downright risky, not to mention I could not track the item internationally. My alternative was to use a courier like DHL, but even for such a small item, it would cost at least $100! So I spent an hour yelling at some outsourced support representative about how they sold me a product that broke and that was their problem, where I go after I purchase an item should not be a concern. Eventually I wore them down and got a supervisor to note and agree to reimbursing the shipping costs once the item was back with Amazon. I got lucky.
Most people who will go through this will never be so lucky. They will be forced to pay a huge shipping amount for something that may cost much less! Amazon, as big as they are, doesn't seem to have any type of deals in play for international couriers. You would think they would be smart enough to ensure that all places receive the same type of customer service.
Lost Time
As mentioned before, a lot of these troubles can cause time loss. Sometimes it's not a huge deal, but what about those times when it is? Amazon should be at the ready to give credits to those who have truly been screwed.
Sure, it wouldn't be easy to discern if someone truly got screwed because of lost time, but I'm sure there are plenty of people who would have no problem proving it in order to get a $5 credit.
People like me, who have Amazon Prime, really get pissed off because we pay for a premium shipping service and expect no time to be wasted. And while most items will come in a timely manner, the times they don't can and do affect us. This is not just about shipping times, but time wasted for the same reasons written above and more.
Oh, Amazon
I still love Amazon. I don't plan on stopping myself from buying from them unless they pull something really crazy. Even then, it may be hard to get away because they offer the cheapest prices on so many items. My hope is that even though they do very well in how they operate, they take time to evaluate what could be done better rather than trying to progress themselves before doing so.
Showing posts with label Sellers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sellers. Show all posts
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Amazon: 5 Illegal Tricks of The Trade
Amazon is by far my favorite online store. It is my favorite store even compared to those I can find down the street. They are large and in charge, and have a great support system in place. They are always making advancements into newer markets, and their service is second-to-none. However, there are many of us out there taking advantage of Amazon. I would like to discuss those methods.
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way responsible for how this information is used. The following information is only for educational purposes.
The Lost Trick
One of the easiest tricks to pull on Amazon is having a "lost" item. What this entails is ordering something from Amazon, receiving the item, then contacting Amazon support and claiming that the item never arrived.
This is an easy trick, and if done right, can be done multiple times. However, someone who has--or almost always has--items lost will likely be caught. It becomes much harder when it is spaced out with legitimate purchases. In the same fashion, inexpensive items are easier to steal than items that cost hundreds of dollars.
How This Hurts Us
While many of us might think that Amazon is a huge company so a few hits here and there isn't going to affect them, the problem becomes how often and how many people pull this trick. If hundreds of people start doing it, they'll likely clamp down on delivery service one way or the other, making it much harder to receive a package than it is now.
In addition, for those of us who actually do lose an item, it could become a big hassle to get a refund if Amazon suspects everyone of trying to swindle them.
The Broken Media Trick
Another trick which is quite effective is ordering a piece of software or movie that comes on DVD or Blu-ray. After the DVD or Blu-ray is received, you quickly make a copy of it and then crack or break the DVD/Blu-ray.
This is a much harder trick for Amazon to battle against unless it opened each item and checked beforehand, making it a "used" product during the process. Think of it like driving a new car off the lot, once it's off the lot the price automatically drops. Amazon will give you a refund and never be-the-wiser of what really happened.
How This Hurts Us
I would have to honestly say this has little effect on Amazon's general base of customers. Not unless the person committing this crime does this repeatedly, forcing Amazon to create new rules and guidelines on how such matters are handled and preempted.
In either case, this is just dishonest. I like owning my actual movies or software. I always make backups in case they do get ruined, but the point of me buying them are to support the companies producing these products. This in turn could affect how those movies or software programs are priced in the future...
The Swap Trick
This trick involves swapping out items and is a bit more devious in my mind. This can be done with most any item of a decent size, and with a little communication, you can end up having a new item free.
An example of this would be if you already had a phone, like a Samsung Galaxy S5. You personally purchased it from Verizon without insurance, and now it has a cracked screen that renders it nearly inoperable. On Amazon someone is selling the exact same model and color, second-hand. You order the phone and wait for it to arrive. After ensuring that it works you contact Amazon and claim that the phone arrived but has a crack on the screen which was never detailed in the listing. Amazon has you return the phone and refunds your money, leaving you with a brand "new" Samsung Galaxy S5 to continue using.
I should note that items do not have to be used, but likely if the item isn't in perfect condition crooks have a better chance of getting away with the dirty deed.
How This Hurts Us
This truly hurts the sellers of Amazon, and by hurting them, that hurts us. If too many people were to perform this trick sellers may be wary and prefer to sell their items elsewhere, somewhere we don't want to buy from.
And if Amazon were to catch on to what was happening, they may go ahead and introduce new policies for used items to ensure (as much as possible) that whatever was sold worked and appeared as detailed. This could be good for us in reality, but it could also cause higher delivery prices, or introduce a new tax to make these new policies possible.
The Still NIB Trick
This still NIB (New-In-Box) trick has been used for a long time. A product is bought that comes in some sort of box and shrink wrapped. You open the box and use the product, then either put it back or keep it, followed by shrink-wrapping the box and sending it back. In the case of Amazon, you contact their support and tell them you no longer want the product and need a refund.
This is definitely riskier than the other tricks on the list, but can still be done. Boxes that have taped edges will be extremely hard to remove and put back as that would be a surefire way to know if someone tampered with the box. And keeping the product is even riskier than sending it back. I would imagine criminals would choose a product sold on through a third-party on Amazon since they would likely not have as much recourse as Amazon itself.
How This Hurts Us
Again, this really hurts the sellers. Which can push sellers to other online shops for selling. I don't think it would be as much of a threat to Amazon's customers as it would be difficult to determine what was done, and I doubt it happens very often, if at all. But there is a chance Amazon would decide to check all boxes first, then re-shrink wrap them to ensure no funny business occurs on either end on the transaction.
The Financing Trick (Update!)
This trick isn't as bad as the others, but it's still immoral nonetheless. Amazon offers a store card, which is much like a credit card, but it can only be used for Amazon purchases. You receive a credit line and make payments for items you either can't afford immediately, or wish to pay off slowly.
The financing is $149 for 6-months with no interest payments, $599 for 12-months with no interest payments, and 2 years on select items (like TV's). If you are unable to pay the full amount within the specified time, the full interest amount will be added to your remaining payments.
This trick is used when you want to get financing, but are just under the amount needed to apply for it. For example, I have $500 worth of items, but would like 12-months of no interest payments instead of six. I then find another item worth at least $99. I agree to the 12-months of no interest payments and wait for my items to arrive. Once they have been delivered, I contact Amazon and tell them I would like to send back my $99 item--and/or any others. They deduct the amount from my payment and allow me to still keep the 12-months of financing.
I have since been told this trick does not actually work. I had an incident where I was trying to buy a new phone along with phone accessories and some other items to get the 12 months of no interest financing. The third-party seller did not send the item, so I had to return the accessories. I called the bank to find out if I would still get the special financing, but they stated no (I believe it would become 6 months of no interest if I had kept the items and they met the $199 price point).
How This Hurts Us
This can come in handy when you genuinely no longer need an item you just ordered, or if done by accident. However, if people use it just to get the special financing and keep sending items back, Amazon will eventually decide not to allow people to return anything unless it's broken in some way. Those who would no longer need a product would then be stuck with it regardless, and still end up making payments for it.
Tricks I've Used
I've never used these tricks for personal gain. That being said, I have had a Blu-ray movie lost in the mail. I contacted Amazon after a month to report it to them and I was immediately given a refund. Another time I did do special financing where I no longer needed one of my items I had purchased. They gave me a shipping label, but I ended up keeping the item.
Don't Hurt Us
The big reason for this article is to not just inform, but to let people know that even if they don't believe these tricks to be immoral, they can affect all Amazon customers. No one wants to pay for other people's "mistakes", and no ones wants procedures to get difficult because of it. If you ever think about doing any of these things, think twice, there is always risk involved and inevitably you end up hurting yourself as well as others.
Lost, Broken Media, Swap, NIB, Financing
DISCLAIMER: I am in no way responsible for how this information is used. The following information is only for educational purposes.
The Lost Trick
One of the easiest tricks to pull on Amazon is having a "lost" item. What this entails is ordering something from Amazon, receiving the item, then contacting Amazon support and claiming that the item never arrived.
This is an easy trick, and if done right, can be done multiple times. However, someone who has--or almost always has--items lost will likely be caught. It becomes much harder when it is spaced out with legitimate purchases. In the same fashion, inexpensive items are easier to steal than items that cost hundreds of dollars.
How This Hurts Us
While many of us might think that Amazon is a huge company so a few hits here and there isn't going to affect them, the problem becomes how often and how many people pull this trick. If hundreds of people start doing it, they'll likely clamp down on delivery service one way or the other, making it much harder to receive a package than it is now.
In addition, for those of us who actually do lose an item, it could become a big hassle to get a refund if Amazon suspects everyone of trying to swindle them.
The Broken Media Trick
Another trick which is quite effective is ordering a piece of software or movie that comes on DVD or Blu-ray. After the DVD or Blu-ray is received, you quickly make a copy of it and then crack or break the DVD/Blu-ray.
This is a much harder trick for Amazon to battle against unless it opened each item and checked beforehand, making it a "used" product during the process. Think of it like driving a new car off the lot, once it's off the lot the price automatically drops. Amazon will give you a refund and never be-the-wiser of what really happened.
How This Hurts Us
I would have to honestly say this has little effect on Amazon's general base of customers. Not unless the person committing this crime does this repeatedly, forcing Amazon to create new rules and guidelines on how such matters are handled and preempted.
In either case, this is just dishonest. I like owning my actual movies or software. I always make backups in case they do get ruined, but the point of me buying them are to support the companies producing these products. This in turn could affect how those movies or software programs are priced in the future...
The Swap Trick
This trick involves swapping out items and is a bit more devious in my mind. This can be done with most any item of a decent size, and with a little communication, you can end up having a new item free.
An example of this would be if you already had a phone, like a Samsung Galaxy S5. You personally purchased it from Verizon without insurance, and now it has a cracked screen that renders it nearly inoperable. On Amazon someone is selling the exact same model and color, second-hand. You order the phone and wait for it to arrive. After ensuring that it works you contact Amazon and claim that the phone arrived but has a crack on the screen which was never detailed in the listing. Amazon has you return the phone and refunds your money, leaving you with a brand "new" Samsung Galaxy S5 to continue using.
I should note that items do not have to be used, but likely if the item isn't in perfect condition crooks have a better chance of getting away with the dirty deed.
How This Hurts Us
This truly hurts the sellers of Amazon, and by hurting them, that hurts us. If too many people were to perform this trick sellers may be wary and prefer to sell their items elsewhere, somewhere we don't want to buy from.
And if Amazon were to catch on to what was happening, they may go ahead and introduce new policies for used items to ensure (as much as possible) that whatever was sold worked and appeared as detailed. This could be good for us in reality, but it could also cause higher delivery prices, or introduce a new tax to make these new policies possible.
The Still NIB Trick
This still NIB (New-In-Box) trick has been used for a long time. A product is bought that comes in some sort of box and shrink wrapped. You open the box and use the product, then either put it back or keep it, followed by shrink-wrapping the box and sending it back. In the case of Amazon, you contact their support and tell them you no longer want the product and need a refund.
This is definitely riskier than the other tricks on the list, but can still be done. Boxes that have taped edges will be extremely hard to remove and put back as that would be a surefire way to know if someone tampered with the box. And keeping the product is even riskier than sending it back. I would imagine criminals would choose a product sold on through a third-party on Amazon since they would likely not have as much recourse as Amazon itself.
How This Hurts Us
Again, this really hurts the sellers. Which can push sellers to other online shops for selling. I don't think it would be as much of a threat to Amazon's customers as it would be difficult to determine what was done, and I doubt it happens very often, if at all. But there is a chance Amazon would decide to check all boxes first, then re-shrink wrap them to ensure no funny business occurs on either end on the transaction.
The Financing Trick (Update!)
I have since been told this trick does not actually work. I had an incident where I was trying to buy a new phone along with phone accessories and some other items to get the 12 months of no interest financing. The third-party seller did not send the item, so I had to return the accessories. I called the bank to find out if I would still get the special financing, but they stated no (I believe it would become 6 months of no interest if I had kept the items and they met the $199 price point).
How This Hurts Us
This can come in handy when you genuinely no longer need an item you just ordered, or if done by accident. However, if people use it just to get the special financing and keep sending items back, Amazon will eventually decide not to allow people to return anything unless it's broken in some way. Those who would no longer need a product would then be stuck with it regardless, and still end up making payments for it.
Tricks I've Used
I've never used these tricks for personal gain. That being said, I have had a Blu-ray movie lost in the mail. I contacted Amazon after a month to report it to them and I was immediately given a refund. Another time I did do special financing where I no longer needed one of my items I had purchased. They gave me a shipping label, but I ended up keeping the item.
Don't Hurt Us
The big reason for this article is to not just inform, but to let people know that even if they don't believe these tricks to be immoral, they can affect all Amazon customers. No one wants to pay for other people's "mistakes", and no ones wants procedures to get difficult because of it. If you ever think about doing any of these things, think twice, there is always risk involved and inevitably you end up hurting yourself as well as others.
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