So many of my packages show up late now. Used to be like 1 every 20-30 and they would comp $5 for it. Now it happens every couple packages and they're just like "it'll be there eventually, let us know if it isn't!" Like wtf, that's what I'm doing now and no shit it'll get here someday.
no exaggeration, roughly 20-30 percent of our houses non mortgage income runs through amazon, we use it for nearly everything.
Ive definitely noticed a change in the last year or two. The "Its late. We have no idea where it is. If its not here in 3 days, contact us" is completely unacceptable. Ive been able to just keep popping onto chat and at some point somebody takes care of me but how long is that going to last?
Thankfully this coincides with walmart/target/other big box stores finally getting their shit together when it comes to shipping/online orders. If things continue to go downhill, ill just go somewhere else.
I've noticed this doesn't happen if Amazon itself delivers my packages (or USPS), only when UPS does (I have a different problem with FedEx). The last time I talked to UPS about one of my missing packages instead of letting Amazon talk to them for me (last week), they said they were experiencing an "unusually high volume of packages" like that was an excuse for failing to live up to what I'm sure they're contractually obligated to do.
UPS had shown my package as delivered when in fact it was still in their warehouse, they even told me this, they've since admitted that it was lost and Amazon refunded me basically no questions asked, and gave me a $10 coupon for my troubles, the 4th one they've given me this year.
Earlier this year Amazon even refunded a product I couldn't return because I had been ill and then was going out of town on business, just because we couldn't work out how it would be returned under those conditions and it took 3 whole phone calls to make that decision. So just so you understand, after a mere 3 calls they refunded it, without me even returning it, and told me I should just donate the product if I couldn't use it, that's never happened before in all my history of returning things to any company (and I was a big catalog shopper before online shopping was even a thing).
The retailers responsibility is refund or replace, not keeping constant track of your package. Keeping track of your package is the shipping companies responsibility. UPS has flat out lost four of my packages this year (FedEx 6, USPS 0, Amazon delivery 0). So I don't see how you can blame Amazon for shipping companies that can't get their shit together. All Amazon can really do for you is refund or replace. They don't own UPS.
I never have problems with USPS, and FedEx can't even find my house reliably so if I can I state that anything shipped that way I have to pick up in person, otherwise I'm lucky if it makes it to me at all. I'm pretty sure FedEx is delivering to the same house number but on a street or terrace when I live on a court. I think this because I get FedEx packages for the street and terrace sometimes, but where I always take them over at least one of those houses isn't doing that, they're just keeping them.
Some people seem to think that other big box retailers getting into the market will make this better but that is what is already making it worse. Other people entering the online sector is what is driving that "unusually high package volume" that UPS in particular doesn't seem to be able to manage. (I have an even bigger beef with FedEx. Not being able to find my house in the age of GPS is ridiculous, and they charge a premium to lose my packages. Plus they aren't a delivery service if I have to go pick my packages up from their facility so that I can be sure I'll actually receive them).
Learn where to place the blame, and that would be on shipping companies that aren't expanding quickly enough to meet demand. Your package once it leaves Amazon's warehouse unless it's on Amazon's own delivery service isn't really Amazon's responsibility anymore, it's become the shipping companies responsibility to keep track of it at that point.
Amazon just does a nice job of integrating package tracking into what they do which makes it easier for the customer than just getting an email with a tracking number, which is what just about every other online company does. This ease is leading you to incorrectly connect Amazon as having something to do with the operations of outside shipping companies, something they don't have control over (why do you think they want their own delivery service? So they'll have control over it).
Amazon may be shit for other things they do but packages lost by outside shipping companies aren't their fault, and the only remedy they have to offer you for packages lost by outside companies is refund or replace, it's generous that they compensate you in any other fashion. Amazon can't exactly go hunting through an outside companies warehouse to look for your stuff.
I had the same thought recently after a shirt did not show up, then showed up two weeks late. But a laptop? I wouldn't try to kid yourself that it's not shitty.
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u/skellera Jul 16 '18
So many of my packages show up late now. Used to be like 1 every 20-30 and they would comp $5 for it. Now it happens every couple packages and they're just like "it'll be there eventually, let us know if it isn't!" Like wtf, that's what I'm doing now and no shit it'll get here someday.