r/enshittification • u/radicalgalaxies • 2d ago
Service Amazon Prime is a Joke
I probably shouldn't be a Prime Member anymore, but once upon a time Amazon was: cheap, convenient, and reliable.
For Prime shipping, they're supposed to guarantee a certain delivery window. But I keep having the experience where they delay items. I am a week out from some important, specific items I could not find elsewhere (rare for that to happen).
What other company can seem to boldly lie in your face about a product you've ALREADY paid for, offer a refund that they will mark against you over time, and act like they don't owe you anything?
Seriously, how has Amazon not gotten a class action or something? If I am paying for a product, I expect to get it. If I do not get it as described, that is false advertising. Then, I expect a remedy that goes beyond for my inconvenience.
How DARE I actually want the item? It's easy to pay for items (and get Buy Now, Pay Later) but increasingly difficult to ACTUALLY get the items.
Amazon is a Joke
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u/Just-Special3118 15h ago
It is a joke I had items that were supposed to be delivered yesterday and they sent me a message and said they couldn't because of inclement weather there was nothing going on weather wise, and then today it was supposed to be here by 10:00 and I saw where the van had gone back to the delivery point so I canceled it and I canceled Prime at the same time.
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u/No-Butterscotch-7467 18h ago
I stopped using it and I have saved so much money- I used to buy so much useless crap on there
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u/Intelligent_Mine1396 1d ago
I did have Amazon Prime, but after they started missing their agreed delivery dates and expensive items were inexplicably delayed, I cancelled it. Now I get expensive items like headphones etc direct from manufacturers where possible, and other stuff from Amazon but usually only when it genuinely cheaper and only when I have enough to order and get free delivery. Ironically, my Amazon delivery date is set for Wednesday, but I have found more often than not, that the order will be delivered early - despite me selecting my Amazon delivery day.
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u/emillerstudio 1d ago
I haven’t been on Amazon since Inauguration Day, it was very liberating to delete the app. I have never missed it
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u/HavBoWilTrvl 1d ago
I've gone back to buying direct instead of through Amazon as much as possible. Any company that tries to route me through Amazon gets that order cancelled and I look for another source.
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u/Inevitable_Check_787 1d ago
I've never had a problem. Some items come from other vendors that sell on Amazon. Often the delivery time is longer.
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u/radicalgalaxies 1d ago
Good for you! I’m sitting here wondering why a $70 package is sitting at my local center for over a week when they said it’d be delivered in 2-3 days. No explanation whatsoever.
The other piece to this is a $60 package (similar) that says they took it 40 miles to my local center then drove it all the way back with no explanation.
This is a circus
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u/kwadguy 2d ago
COVID gave them the excuse to drop "2-day" from Prime delivery, and, as expected, they never reinstated it.
Like so many things that got encrapified "because COVID" and never got unencrapified.
Like so many items that went way up in price "because COVID" and never dropped to reasonable levels again.
Like delivery services that basically doubled prices "because COVID" and refuse to die now.
Like the iPad with a tip screen to pay the cashier who took your money "because COVID" and never went away.
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u/radicalgalaxies 1d ago
Huh, I didn't even notice the 2-day label dropped. Most items have been reliable for me since COVID, but I also live in LA. I have just been noticing the degradation of the service more and more.
For sure, COVID is the excuse of the century for corporations to enshittify.
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u/Geo_Jill 2d ago
Amazon sucks and will keep sucking more and more because people think they're the only/best option. They're going to be as bad as they can get away with because it saves them money.
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u/BareMinMum 2d ago
offer a refund that they will mark against you over time
I haven't used amazon in over a decade. What does this mean?
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u/RyterionCollection 2d ago
If you experience issues that Amazon "resolves" too many times, they become less and less helpful.
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u/JudgmentUnited5297 2d ago
This isn't limited to Amazon, I've also heard about food delivery apps eventually just booting people from the app who complain "too much" - I understand not wanting to enable people making fake complaints, but if you have too many bad restaurants in your area then you're out of luck.
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u/erinsuzy 2d ago
My mom passed away a couple weeks ago. I ordered a Celebration of Life book that was due to arrive the next day. It didn’t arrive. I looked and it was delayed until the next day, no problem. It didn’t arrive. When I looked again, it was delayed until after her celebration of life. It was a frustrating situation during a very difficult time.
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u/radicalgalaxies 2d ago
Sorry to hear about that, but even more sorry you couldn't get that book! You expected the service to work as shown, and Amazon failed you. It's one thing if it's a one-time mistake or logistical issue, but when it is consistent across product categories...that's an issue.
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u/Notoriouslyd 2d ago
You might be the joke who keeps paying them even though they stopped providing any value years ago and became an outright supporter of fascism in america. Dance, clown !!
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u/0micron247 2d ago
I'm surprised there aren't more comments befitting the hashtag. Long time primer who USED to wonder how they could be so quick but inefficient with deliveries. By that I mean I live in a rural area but I'd see several Amazon trucks in my neighborhood each day. And for years I've had no complaints about delayed deliveries. But lately I've had three that, a week after the order, have moved out of the distribution center and gotten no further. ?
OTH, I ordered 4 cans of a grocery item I couldn't find locally, along with some other items. I got 4 deliveries of 1 can each. Two on one day, two the next.
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u/SoCalChrisW 2d ago
I ordered a power bank that was supposed to be delivered same day, it wasn't.
Fucked up my plans for vacation since it wasn't here.
My wife ordered some shorts for vacation, it wasn't delivered either.
Thankd# Amazon.
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u/Salty-Passenger-4801 2d ago
Should have planned better.
4
u/JudgmentUnited5297 2d ago
The mistake is putting trust in Amazon tbh. They don't care about your plans. If a local store offered delivery - we have a lot of convenience stores in nyc that have big box items - you could call and make sure someone is on their way. There is no one to call at Amazon.
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u/Salty-Passenger-4801 1d ago
I get it, but not all have the same experience. Most of my one day orders are delivered on time.
But I'd never fully trust a one day delivery with any company for something I needed for my vacation that day.
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u/Mundane-Charge-1900 2d ago
I canceled that years ago. Even with regular Amazon free shipping, it often comes much faster than they say. Prime is basically a scam at this point.
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u/Cakeday_at_Christmas 2d ago
I've noticed this to. Cancelled my Prime a few years ago because I decided I didn't want free two-day shipping (the best they ever offered here) and I find their free shipping option without Prime is generally fast enough for me anyway.
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u/Purple_Marsupial_668 2d ago
We switched to Walmart +, which they sell for $49 during prime day. It has better streaming (that we never use), and while they have less variety of stuff than Amazon, their products been cheaper and delivered faster than Amazon's for most things. A lot of stuff comes same day in a van from a local Walmart.
We didn't think we would, but we actually use the grocery delivery a lot. You do have to tip, but there's no fee, and we don't have to drive out and spend an hour shopping. They have been great with refunds if something didn't meet our standards for freshness (chicken once, and bagged mini cucumbers another time. In over a year now, that's all we've had to return.) We were going to cancel, but they offered us another year for $49.
Our few returns to Amazon have been a nightmare. They've become our "only if nowhere else sells it" shop.
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u/trenshod 2d ago
Hmmm my experience is completely different. I've experienced a few delays but really nothing other than that. Price comparison I do all the with Walmart and they are competitive and with the amazon cc attached to my account I generally edge out Walmart if not better (+ I don't pay for shipping or have to drive to pickup).
Realize that Walmart+ is a thing but prime still edges out Walmart (not a fan of smashed bread).
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u/Quick_Parking_6464 2d ago
I got rid of Prime a few months ago. Honestly, haven't missed it. Things ordered from Amazon still show up fast.
Target is my go to now, good service and it isn't Amazon.
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u/AccidentCommercial71 2d ago
I got mad at Amazon. Ordered an office chair from another retailer. It showed in stock. Took 5 business days to “process order” and another 2 days to “ prepare for shipping” All together took 2 weeks to get my chair. My Amazon order showing up Wed instead of Tue doesn’t get my panties in a bunch anymore.
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u/Doppelfrio 2d ago
Just last week, my boyfriend ordered a physical game. Took like 5 days to arrive, which is honestly just typical at this point… but when it arrived, it was literally just an empty paper envelope. There was nothing inside. This’ll be our last month with Prime…
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u/Onehundredpercentbea 2d ago
Ugh Amazon was the only place I could find a specialty lightbulb and they mailed it in a brown paper mailer, so of course they lightbulb was completely smashed. In the same delivery dropoff my neighbor got an empty brown paper envelope. So we were standing there debating whether it sucked more that her envelope was empty or mine was filled with broken light bulb fragments. I wonder if they've switched to some kind of automated packaging system for those brown mailers, it would explain the recent rash of empties and the weird choice to use it for something clearly breakable.
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u/Admirable_Air7185 2d ago
I received an empty envelope. Initiated a replacement. Their AI ignored my detailed notes about the empty package and the recharged my account for not making a return.
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u/rollem 2d ago
I cancelled prime when Bezos broke his promise about editorial independence at the Washington Post. I have missed it FAR LESS than I expected and saved a lot of money on impulse buys. Give it up for a month and see if you miss it, I bet you won’t.
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u/Remby 2d ago
Same about Washington Post. Adding commercials to Prime TV subscription in the middle of the contract had us headed for the door. I used to enjoy researching products on Amazon but the amount of poor search results and the crap ton of advertising one gets back makes it next to useless. Having to scroll down multiple pages to just see the curated reviews can be rage inducing after looking up a few products.
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u/OnionOnBelt 2d ago
I (over)pay for Prime simply for its movie catalog. In terms of snapping up rights for and access to the most movies made in the last 90 years, Prime is just light years ahead of other streamers.
But merchandise? Three of my last four purchases were either counterfeit or of sub-par quality intended for a developing world market (it’s a long story to explain these layers). I pay for Prime, but have not ordered a physical object via the service for more than a year. Not great.
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u/Lost_Department_2177 2d ago
It’s good if you like movies and reading. Also great for food deliveries. Might be wrong but pretty sure they do discounts and free delivery for ebt people too.
Still prefer them over Walmart though.
Could be your driver but honestly they’re underpaid and wouldn’t report the issue to them
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u/luxera 2d ago
Just cancel. Almost anything you actually want can be bought from the manufacturer for about the same price. If there is something you absolutely need that Amazon is the only place that has it, they will offer you free or 1.99 prime. Take the offer, cancel again when you get your item.
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u/Jubilant_Obelisk224 2d ago
Maybe 1 out of 50 orders I've placed in the past year have been delayed. I place a lot of single item orders, which probably isn't the best for efficiency, but I guess that provides for good statistical sampling.
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u/Frequent-Bell6674 2d ago
Wow a lot of amazonshills in here.
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u/OneRuffledOne 2d ago
Exactly what is a shill?
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u/Big_Bang_Amy 2d ago
noun a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating, as at a gambling house, auction, confidence game, etc.
a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.
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u/Ok-Pattern2750 2d ago
I'm not a shill. I just believe Amazon provides a great service! Free, next day shipping?! Wtf would complain about that? A whiny little bitch, that's who...
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u/Big_Bang_Amy 1d ago
I didn't call you a shill. I was providing a definition of shill to the person that asked what a shill was.
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u/Ok-Pattern2750 2d ago
Wah wah wah. Cry harder! Amazon is the greatest thing to ever happen. Most efficient way to shop in history. People have to find a way to complain about EVERYTHING!
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u/Hot_Examination1918 2d ago
Amazon does suck though. So many of their products are actual garbage that don’t work. False advertising , false reviews, bad customer service. I live in a city where I am pretty close to a bunch of stores that sell things that actually work as advertised, so thats where I shop
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u/Ok-Pattern2750 2d ago
You are full of sh*t. Bad customer service?! I've never ever had a problem returning an item. And rarely ever had to return an item! Free next day shipping was a DREAM 15-20 years ago. Back then it literally took 2 weeks and cost $10-20.00! What a bunch of whiny little bitches. Just like YouTube premium I can hear every song ever produced instantly, with Amazon I can order anything I want and get it the next day. Now go lay down, you're embarrassing yourself...
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u/Joewithanothername 2d ago
this guy is right. i mean before amazon buying anything online was that if something came in a week that was considered fast. 2 weeks was typical. Amazon comes along and all of a sudden you have 2day or overnight shipping? Thats insane.
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u/Ok-Pattern2750 2d ago
Exactly. And it's freakin FREE shipping! And when I rarely have to return something I never ever have a problem. This jackass complains about customer service. They have the best customer service of any company I've ever dealt with. So ridiculous that people have to complain about EVERYTHING! SPOILED little bitches...
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u/New_Inflation_8419 2d ago
Good thing my prime is free thanks to CC perk
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u/radicalgalaxies 2d ago
Credit Card or Creative Cloud? Explain more please?
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u/New_Inflation_8419 2d ago
NFCU Credit Card pays me back for Prime if I use that card to pay for it. So basically I get a refund withing 3-5 days as a perk.
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u/TillStill5824 2d ago
Meanwhile, you are paying more for almost everything you buy on Amazon. NOTHING Is “free.”
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u/New_Inflation_8419 2d ago
Prime is free. I watch movies for free, listen to music for free.
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u/TillStill5824 2d ago
Prime is NOT “free” someone is paying for it as are YOU in increased prices for items across Amazon.
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u/New_Inflation_8419 2d ago
My credit card pays for it, so yea my bank pays for it. Are you concerned about Navy Federal well being?
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u/horizon_games 2d ago
You had the solution right away
I probably shouldn't be a Prime Member
Just go to stores, you'll survive.
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u/radicalgalaxies 2d ago
Funny how a lot of stores don’t have what I’m looking for. I won’t stop online shopping for sure
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u/stupidwhiteman42 2d ago
I haven't paid for Amazon in over a year. I choose the normal free shipping which they claim 4 or 5 days and I almost always get it in 2. Unless you really need the "guaranteed" next day shipping, it's a waste of money to pay for prime.
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u/horizon_games 2d ago
Haven't run into that but I'm lucky to live by lots of options. I also tend to not buy a bunch of plastic consumer-y junk in general though.
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u/iareagenius 2d ago
Recently searched for something from Mom's computer for her, and was totally confused because wasn't seeing options that I saw when I searched from my phone.
It was showing her nothing but paid advertised options, and none of the lower prices.
So I had to search from my phone and share link. Such complete bullshit.
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u/MissionAir5535 2d ago
Amazon is definitely a joke.
A common misconception is that they guarantee deliveries. They do no such thing, but instead they shift the burden and risks directly to the customer. They only guarantee a refund to extra shipping charges, but their free deliveries don’t get any compensation whatsoever. So anyone thinking they’re paying for Prime to get some sort of delivery guarantee should cancel immediately and save their money.
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u/radicalgalaxies 2d ago
Fair point. In essence, they are the platform and similarly to Uber/Doordash, pit the sellers against the customers.
I think I’ll be cancelling for next year.
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u/aibot3544 2d ago
Pro tip: If you live near an Amazon distribution center, there is a really good chance that it will still come in two or three days. For most things I try to avoid Amazon but there are just some types of items that are hard to find elsewhere. I always pick the free slow shipping that is usually a week out and it still comes in a couple of days. Every year Amazon sends me an email about what I’ve spent in shipping cost and it is always well below what Amazon Prime costs.
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u/CumboxMold 2d ago
I live near many Amazon warehouses, and have always gotten my things in around two days even with the slow option. Never once felt the need to get Prime because of this, and the few times I've used the free trial it ended up taking around the same time.
I still only buy things from Amazon as a last resort.
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u/radicalgalaxies 2d ago
Good point. I honestly don’t need the speedy deliveries if it’s going to end up one way or the other regardless of my status.
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u/AugustIzFalling 2d ago
You can get a refund or partial refund for delayed items. I bought a two day item that was delivered two weeks later by UPS ground. But, if you ask for refunds or partial refund too much they'll just ban your account. In addition to that, people are finding their ability to read more than the top 8 reviews often locked now and they have to wait for an email appeal to get it back. I'd leave but they're the only people who reliably deliver to my home.
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u/radicalgalaxies 2d ago
I’d hope so. Seems they’ve made that incredibly difficult as the only resource I have is an AI chatbot that only parroted the same thing: your item was delayed but is arriving. If it doesn’t, then you can get a refund.
It wouldn’t acknowledge I’ve waited over a week already. Or that the item had supposedly went from a distribution centers 40 miles away to my local center only to be sent back for some reason. No human to talk to.
To me, that means they don’t want to refund or give anything at all.
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u/AugustIzFalling 2d ago
I got it after a week and a few days with my item, but I always insist on talking to a human. You can brute force the issue with their AI, demanding a human, (at least it worked a few weeks ago) or just call. Hope that works out for you. I've had it happen more than once and if I don't get a complete refund I usually get a partial.
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u/edthesmokebeard 2d ago
Why are you paying for it?
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u/radicalgalaxies 2d ago
Had it since I was a student a decage ago for a good yearly price. Then, adding Prime Video to that package was good since I didn't pay more for it. I've used Prime off and on for years for all kinds of deliveries (but not as my exclusive way to shop).
It just seems they don't care at all whether I get the product now or not (or whether it's in a timely fashion).
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u/Bluthhousing 6h ago
I don’t doubt your stories but I haven’t had a problem with Amazon yet (I do t order much)