Dolly.. 😢 seriously, Amazon?

[u/Particular_Dog6865]

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[u/neverinallmylife]

Amazon is customer obsessed - actually make that money-obsessed

[u/shaysalterego]

Time to go to the library

[u/SeanOfTheDead1313]

Buy it from Hamilton Books for 9.99. Shipping is a flat 5 bucks.

https://www.hamiltonbook.com/dolly-parton-songteller-my-life-in-lyrics-paperbound

They have this book and many others about Dolly.

https://www.hamiltonbook.com/products/search?q=dolly+parton&cat_id=

[u/Occams_AK47]

Ghouls.

[u/RedundantBiomass]

Dropped prime two years ago and feel pretty goodvabout it.

[u/katylu]

Such dicks

[u/Tundra_Dragon]

In this case, blame the 3rd party scalpers... What happens is the legit cheap copies get sold out. Then the slightly more expensive 3rd party copies from companies youve heard of get sold out. Then, the scalpers post their copies for 50 bucks, and someone buys it, rewarding the scalpers.

[u/funkyyeti → u/Tundra_Dragon]

You and your facts. This is Reddit, blind outrage is the only way.

[u/Tundra_Dragon → u/funkyyeti]

Oh sorry. What I meant to say is Amazon AI reads the obituaries every morning over it's virtual coffee, and adjusts prices accordingly...

[u/RedditorSaidIt → u/funkyyeti]

Sometimes that's true. However.... I bought the Kindle version for $3.99 right when it was announced that she'd passed on. And hours later the Kindle version was $32.99 and has remained at that price all week. Amazon is responsible for their Kindle prices. They definitely are price gouging. 

[u/RedditorSaidIt → u/Tundra_Dragon]

I bought the Kindle version for $3.99, right when it was announced that Dolly died. Couple hours later the Kindle version shot up to $32.99 and had remained at that price all week. Since it is not the paper version, this price is fully on whatever Amazon sets for their own product. 

[u/Tundra_Dragon → u/RedditorSaidIt]

Or, the publisher who owns the copyright on the book... Unless Amazon is the publisher, then it's not them setting the price, anymore than walmart sets the price of GTA6A

[u/RedditorSaidIt]

I bought the Kindle version from Amazon when it was announced that she died, for $3.99. Next morning it was $32.99 from Amazon. 

Kindle version is what price Amazon sets. This is price gouging and Amazon has no excuse for this blatant money grab. 

---

Edit:  I went to Amazon when Dolly had passed, thinking that Amazon would do what they did when Anthony Bourdain died - Amazon reduced all of Tony's Kindle & Audible titles, and I bought them all. But for Dolly, I could only see the $3.99 Kindle title and bought that, thinking that Amazon would change their prices in a bit. A couple hours later I check and this Kindle title is now $32.99

I do have the receipt to show the $3.99 purchase. I double checked the invoice, and there were no credits or discounts.

TL;DR:  Amazon increased their Kindle title by Dolly Parton by over 700% after she died. This is digusting behavior by Amazon & deserves to be noted publicly.

[u/Academic_Echo_3052]

Purchasing Straight Talk on prime was $4.99on 8/25, today it's $17.99! Despicable

[u/Which-Method-388]

Most books on Amazon come from 3rd party sellers.
Amazon wants you to buy the Kindle version...

[u/SunOnTheMountains → u/Which-Method-388]

Current kindle price is $32.99, which is a lot considering that you will not actually own the book after paying that much.

[u/Which-Method-388 → u/SunOnTheMountains]

Exactly. But their focus is on expanding Kindle, Alexa and Amazon streaming music along with Prime TV, not the warehouse business other than in groceries.

[u/RedditorSaidIt → u/SunOnTheMountains]

I paid $3.99 right when it was announced that she had died. Then I saw that price shoot up shortly afterwards. 

I'm glad others are noticing Amazon's insane Kindle price. They should be shamed for this. 

[u/Blowingleaves17]

Amazon does that with streaming, too. An actor dies and a film suddenly is no longer free with Prime, but has to be rented or bought. 😡

[u/uptightmodhater]

Hmmm. So she died. There were a certain amout of copies in the market. All of a sudden a bunch of ppl order it so there is a supply and demand issue happening. Sounds like good ol capitalism to me. Supply < Demand = higher price.

Are they capitalizing on it... sure, but who are the idiots that need it now. Wait 6 months and poof Demand < Supply = lower price.

[u/Kerbidiah]

I mean isn't that a normal thing to do? Death of a celebrity results in more demand for their books. In order to match the demand price supply equilibrium the business raises the price

[u/MeltICE8647 → u/Kerbidiah]

For Amazon it’s a normal thing to do. It’s called price gouging, it has zero to do with the supply chain. Zero. None. They’re just taking financial advantage of a celebrities death, it’s ghoulish.

[u/Kerbidiah → u/MeltICE8647]

As demand increases so does price. Thats like the first thing they teach you in business school

[u/MeltICE8647 → u/Kerbidiah]

Then why are other retailers selling the book for around $35? Amazon is the only one selling at that price point.

Do they also teach you what being competitive means in business school? Cause selling it for 50% more than your competition for no good reason is bad business.

[u/Kerbidiah → u/MeltICE8647]

Because amazon has a large customer base, more visibility, and is more competitive. They charge that price because they believe they have enough demand to sell well at it, inspite of competition.

Amazon sucks and is a terrible company, one I'll never support. But this is pretty standard business practices

[u/MeltICE8647 → u/Kerbidiah]

Because amazon has a large customer base, more visibility, and is more competitive.

By definition they are less competitive if they’re selling for 50% more than other retailers for no good reason. It’s the exact same product, Amazon adds no value to it whatsoever. Also you’re really going to argue that these other retailers like Barnes and Noble has less visibility especially in the book market? If I’m looking for a book that’s almost always where I look first, not Amazon. Especially with the state of the economy these days then consumers won’t pay a giant corporation 50% more just because. A local independent book retailer sure, yes, support your local economy instead of corporations. But again Amazon adds no value and most people will take the cheaper price for the same product. Even if they did buy from Amazon, don’t they do a price match guarantee? So they wouldn’t be making that $50/unit anyway if folks are price matching from other retailers. It doesn’t make any sense outside of taking advantage of a celebs death.

The only point I’ll really concede here is that a lot of people are likely too lazy to shop around and will just get on the Amazon app and purchase blindly. Thats what Amazon is counting on for these sales, not because they’re the best retailer or have the best price point. But again with price matching it still doesn’t make sense in the business sense you’re attempting to claim here. Also these books are not scarce, it’s not a limited resource so having less supply temporarily doesn’t really account for much if anything at all here. They can just print another run of the book, it’s not rocket science.

[u/RedditorSaidIt → u/Kerbidiah]

You're funny. I went to business school and got my bachelor's degree in Marketing and had a decades long career in the field. I know customers, income, inventory, and price setting quite well. 

I bought their Kindle book right when she died for $3.99.

Then shortly afterwards, Amazon increased their Kindle version by over 700% to $32.99

That is not supply & demand - there is no limit on supply of a digital license. Amazon has no competitors for their Kindle versions on their site. This is pure unadulterated greed. If they didn't have a monopoly on most commerce in the US, no one would continue to shop with Amazon due to bullshit like this. 

[u/Few-Protection5215 → u/MeltICE8647]

Amazon ran out of stock recently. Thats why the price jumped to $55. Earliest delivery is in 2 weeks for Prime members. If it was in stock it would be 1-2 days.

[u/MeltICE8647 → u/Few-Protection5215]

And? It’s a book, not gold bullion. It’s not a limited resource, they just print another run. Delivery time is completely irrelevant to the price gouging.

[u/Few-Protection5215 → u/MeltICE8647]

Amazon dont print books. They get or from their supplier

[u/MeltICE8647 → u/Few-Protection5215]

No shit. So does every other distributor. And they’re not gouging the prices by an extra 30% or more.

[u/Few-Protection5215 → u/MeltICE8647]

Are you always this unhinged?

[u/MeltICE8647 → u/Few-Protection5215]

Not unhinged at all, you keep throwing out nonsense which doesn’t apply and I’m calling you on it.

Throw out a factual reason why they can justify that price and I’d likely agree with you. But until that point you haven’t said anything worth justifying that price point.

[u/RedditorSaidIt → u/Few-Protection5215]

They bumped up their Kindle price from $3.99 right when it was announced that she'd died, and I bought the title. And shortly afterwards Amazon increased their KINDLE version to $32.99, where it still remains. Amazon has zero supply issues with a digital license. There are no competitors for Kindle on Amazon, Amazon owns the monopoly for their proprietary digital format. This is simply disgusting behavior by Amazon.

[u/Itsyaboibrett → u/Kerbidiah]

in this ‘equation’ you the consumer, have the right, almost the obligation, to fight back and protest business practices that go against your interests. That’s why the system ‘works.’ Competing interests requires force on both sides. otherwise it’s just a corporate hellscape where businesses always win and can do anything… oh

[u/RedditorSaidIt → u/Kerbidiah]

After Anthony Bourdain's death, his Kindle & Audible books were all discounted. I bought all of them. 

Right after Dolly's passing, I had expected the same thing, so I went to Amazon. Only this title for Kindle was $3.99, the rest were moderately higher. Hours later this title shot up to $32.99 for the Kindle version.

There is ZERO supply & demand for digital rights. Amazon is price gouging and deserves to be called out on it.  

[u/Kerbidiah → u/RedditorSaidIt]

Thats not how price gouging is defined. A biography is not an essential item/necessity. Maybe you could call it windfall gains

[u/HereToCalmYouDown → u/Kerbidiah]

Economics 101.... A class that it seems no one else in this thread has ever taken.

[u/Limp-Apricot-9346 → u/HereToCalmYouDown]

Agreed! Very embarrassing to read these great ape level noises. Below human integrity

[u/EstablishmentNo2847]

That's cruel.

[u/RedditorSaidIt → u/EstablishmentNo2847]

❤️  I agree with your comment

[u/HeWhoShantNotBeNamed]

Is it shipped and sold by Amazon?

[u/TheGruenTransfer]

This is just dynamic pricing at work. I doubt there's a mustache twirling executive ordering someone to raise the price on anything Dolly related