Amazon prime? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

panZZer · #1 08-15-2018, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines

You have literally no idea what you're talking about, that much is apparent.

So I have no idea what im talking about ~~ because as far as peeps like you are concerned,, there is really no such thing as people protecting their privacy anymore?

Because- that was such a , uh, 20th century kind of thing anyway?

https://www.nasdaq.com/article/how-the-eus-new-privacy-law-will-impact-big-tech-in-2018-cm893605

strelnik · #2 07-23-2018, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mxfrank

Twenty years ago, Amazon was a cheap discount bookseller. Because online offered low overhead, they under priced traditional retailers and dominated the market. Then they forgot about books, and reinvented themselves as the retailers of everything, the E-Bay alternative, the rocket boys, the giant computer timeshare service bureau, the grocery store, and a bunch of other stuff. None of which they do particularly well. Nor are they any longer particularly cheap. Their main stock in trade is logistics. By dominating transportation and delivery market share, they dominate all markets which depend on transportation, which is to say all markets. Like Standard Oil in the 1890's, it's not about the price of the goods, it's the way they manipulate shipping cost. Why it's tolerated I couldn't tell you.

Their prices are routinely 10-20% higher than the shop-around competition, and worse, the price may vary based on customer profile. It's really astonishing that they have so many ardent defenders.

You have to shop around with them.
For a while I bought diesel purge through them, then a guy on Ebay started selling it for 6.00 a can so I switched.

barry12345 · #3 08-06-2018, 05:16 PM

Big companies negotiate minimal shipping rates. Damaging other on line retailers of medium and smaller size. I believe it is so competitive some of their shipping suppliers reduced costs to get the contracts. Then are downloaded onto increasing individuals shipping rates.

I only buy from ebay USA or ebay Canada. If I am really desperate for an item now. Or the item is shipped from the orient for almost nothing. I live in eastern Canada. . .Many things are five percent of local retail including shipping from the orient.

Delivery though Is usually slow. A little quicker out of Hong Kong usually. Last week outside mirror led light assembly for the jetta. Fifty dollars ebay. Plus ebay will want their cut on shipping to Canada.

Five dollars including shipping from China. Could be a knock off but that has not been a general experience with most things acquired there by me in the last year or so. Before that there were far more knock offs.

Unless pretty obvious. Seem now to be the exact same parts the original manufactures used in production. Or what they sell you as replacements. Volkswagon does not manufacture these units as they are seen as fitting many brands of cars in the listing.

If nothing else it is ten percent or less the cost of American vendors listing the part on ebay. Their part will be the exact same part in most cases.

davidmash · #4 07-20-2018, 09:51 PM

I use their streaming service quite a bit. I do order a fair amount from them. I shop around and their prices seem quite competitive to me at least on what I shop for. Their shipping and return policy more than makes up for any price difference in my opinion.

lorainfurniture · #5 07-20-2018, 10:40 PM

For $125/year

1. Amazon version of Netflix (including the real top gear)
2. Amazon streaming music
3. Free delivery on everything.

If you have Netflix for $15 a month you are already paying $130/year for that. Everything else is bonus. It is true, amazon gets your with the convenience. Some items are particularly expensive but if you know what your looking for you can avoid the convenience traps.

I use it for my business. It’s cheaper for me to pay an extra dollar for toilet paper than to send a$15/hr employee to the store to buy it, which will certainly take him an hour at least.

At home my wife is stuck with the kids and most times it’s easier to pay an extra dollar than load up the kids and unload them etc. for a single item. Amazon is so big because they are doing it right and th customers are deciding with their pocket books.

As a brick and mortar store it kind of hurts me to say it. Amazon will eventually put me out of business as soon as they decide to sell appliances.

Simpler=Better · #6 08-20-2018, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorainfurniture

For $125/year

1. Amazon version of Netflix (including the real top gear)
2. Amazon streaming music
3. Free delivery on everything.

If you have Netflix for $15 a month you are already paying $130/year for that. Everything else is bonus. It is true, amazon gets your with the convenience. Some items are particularly expensive but if you know what your looking for you can avoid the convenience traps.

I use it for my business. It’s cheaper for me to pay an extra dollar for toilet paper than to send a$15/hr employee to the store to buy it, which will certainly take him an hour at least.

At home my wife is stuck with the kids and most times it’s easier to pay an extra dollar than load up the kids and unload them etc. for a single item. Amazon is so big because they are doing it right and th customers are deciding with their pocket books.

As a brick and mortar store it kind of hurts me to say it. Amazon will eventually put me out of business as soon as they decide to sell appliances.

Bingo. If I can wait two days for it, and don't have the time to drive around for it, Amazon gets the order.

Most stuff is cheaper-my Pirellis were $185/pop. Local shops were $220+
Go price out a surefire on amazon vs dick's ($60 vs $100).

Think of it as a really convenient and decently priced walmart.

Diseasel300 · #7 07-20-2018, 10:55 PM

How you use Amazon dictates whether or not Prime is worth it to you. If you only use Amazon a few times a year it totally isn't worth it. If you shop from their store often (at least twice a month) or you use their streaming services, then Prime is worth it. In my area there's really only Wal-Mart or Lowe's/Home Depot as any sort of a big-box store to go to. I absolutely despise going in the prior and will go out of my way not to shop there unless I have no other choice or time constraints prevent shopping elsewhere.

If I want to shop anywhere else, it's pretty much an hour's drive. It's all about where you live and what your options are. If you're in a city you have choices that those of us in more rural areas don't. Paying for Prime and getting things shipped to me that I can't get locally is a major benefit. Certainly less expensive than that 140 mile round trip every time I need something I can't get locally. If you're smart and you shop around on the site, you can often find things with Prime shipping for the same cost as competitors but without freight costs and without sales tax (though that may change before long).

jplinville · #8 07-23-2018, 11:07 AM

I began a Prime member when they showed me that I had spent $350 on shipping costs over a 12 month period. I decided that their $99 a year membership for free 2 day shipping was worth it, considering what and how much I bought. The first item I bought from them on the Prime plan paid for the membership for the year. I bought a large fire and water proof gun safe, for the same price I would have had to pay from the manufacturer, minus the $130 shipping cost. It was a no brainer for me on that purchase...Prime did it's job.

I've been a member since the year after it came out, and haven't looked back. In my home, it saves me money.

Mxfrank · #9 08-06-2018, 05:31 PM

It makes sense that a carrier would discount for its best customer. But Amazon has access to rates and services that are probably net losses to their carriers. The carrier pushes these losses into small businesses and individuals. To understand this, price out the cost of one of your prime shipments as an individual. Depending on what you buy, shipping at normal rates can easily exceed the cost of the product alone. Chinese shippers on eBay are either directly subsidized by their govt, or stealing postal service from their employers. Again, price out the cost of sending the item back to see how it works.

In an earlier age, similar abuses led to the ICC regulating rail rates. If all the talk about helping small business isn’t just wind, then some sort of control has to be put in place over the primary carriers.

Mike D · #10 08-06-2018, 09:55 PM

The same rationale can be applied to the automotive sales business, grocery or any other commercial enterprise.

There are always "loss leaders" which are compensated by mark-ups on other products.

Mxfrank · #11 08-07-2018, 06:17 AM

Not the same. A can of tomato sauce on sale this week has insignificant impact on general commerce. But the price of transportation underlies everything. Amazon can't offer "free" shipping without massive price concessions from the shippers, and the shippers can't offer those concessions without making up for it every place else. Again, investigate this yourself. Price out the undiscounted cost of returning an item on your own dime. That cost is the subsidy which small shippers are indirectly paying to their larger competitor. Not just on prime day, but every day.

t walgamuth · #12 08-07-2018, 01:12 PM

Of course.

tjts1 · #13 08-07-2018, 02:08 PM

I picked up a new clutched AC compressor for the C320 on Amazon to replace unreliable clutchless compressor. $200 retail, $86 open box. Not even fleabay can compete with that.

tbomachines · #14 08-15-2018, 09:05 PM

wow...triggered much panzz?

vwnate1 · #15 08-16-2018, 10:50 AM

I buy used books from Amazon fairly often .

I can't see paying them anything over the basic item price as I'm a Yankee Farm Boy and so price shop very aggressively .

I can see where those who shop on Amazon lot, or watch too much TV, would find prime a $ deal but, I don't have Amazon blowing up my inbox with clutter I don't want .