CowboyRon
Platinum Member
That's very possible. I don't see why they would do that. I would be very curious as to why they are doing it.
rant - Time to drop Amazon
- Thread starter newbury
- Start date
- Views: 9335
That's very possible. I don't see why they would do that. I would be very curious as to why they are doing it.
caver
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2006
- Messages
- 1,804
- Location
- Southeast Missouri
- Tractor
- Fisher Price, toddlers first tractor.
Some time back they upped it to 35$ so I subscribed to Prime before they upped the yearly Prime fee.
timster2
Platinum Member
Delivering the "last mile" is the most expensive for the shipper. UPS and FedEx have made deals with the USPS to handle the last mile of the delivery. If the UPS of FedEx truck gets to the post office and they sort the packages before they start their routes you get your package that day, if they don't you wait an additional day or more until things get sorted out. If the package is larger it seems to be delivered by the shipper and not transferred to the post office, however, smaller packages seem to end up at the post office for delivery.
Logically this all makes sense and could help to keep the USPS in business and regular mail being delivered in rural areas. Giving the post office a piece of the delivery pie keeps the mail coming as well. This would give the post office one less excuse to stop mail delivery and force us all to go to the post office to pick up the mail.
The UPS and FedEx handing off to the USPS seems to happen more in rural areas then in the cities. I guess it has to do with population density and the miles a truck would have to travel to deliver all the small packages.
Logically this all makes sense and could help to keep the USPS in business and regular mail being delivered in rural areas. Giving the post office a piece of the delivery pie keeps the mail coming as well. This would give the post office one less excuse to stop mail delivery and force us all to go to the post office to pick up the mail.
The UPS and FedEx handing off to the USPS seems to happen more in rural areas then in the cities. I guess it has to do with population density and the miles a truck would have to travel to deliver all the small packages.
wngsprd
Super Member
Glad to see feedback on Prime. I always declined to join until they announced the price increase, and I had just paid about $15 for shipping a few small orders. So I signed up...so far I'm pleased, for example, ordered a lawnmower part on a Friday night, and got it in the US Mail before noon Monday. Still not sure I'll get my $80 worth, but with a few more orders, and movies and music, should come out okay.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
This seems like a good explanation to me.
chopped
Veteran Member
Well Explained...
Fidler4
Bronze Member
Gem99ultra
Veteran Member
From my experience, the problem is with SurePost or SmartPost, whatever UPS or FedEx calls it. When they hand off a package to USPS for delivery, the responsibility turns into finger pointing. And service drops like a rock!
USPS is definitely in trouble though - but we need USPS.
I don't know if the delays is their system or their people. In my case it's their people. I've had their postman not deliver packages, left a note for me to go to the next town and pick it up "because he didn't have room in his Jeep for it". That's not good service in my book - especially when I paid an extra $26 for home delivery.
As for Amazon vs eBay, there's no contest. Amazon has an impeccable guarantee. If you don't like an item for any reason (or no reason), you can return it for credit. Amazon backs the customer.
\With eBay - Ha! Lots of luck. And even if your purchase is received there's absolutely no assurance that it is not counterfeit, used, remanufactured, etc. And don't expect eBay to do much for you if you need or want to return the item. eBay backs the sellers. Returns will cost you dearly.
Nonetheless, one MUST shop out every purchase. Sometimes I find items priced better at the local brick & mortar store, and sometimes not. Time and cost are the key deciding factors.
USPS is definitely in trouble though - but we need USPS.
I don't know if the delays is their system or their people. In my case it's their people. I've had their postman not deliver packages, left a note for me to go to the next town and pick it up "because he didn't have room in his Jeep for it". That's not good service in my book - especially when I paid an extra $26 for home delivery.
As for Amazon vs eBay, there's no contest. Amazon has an impeccable guarantee. If you don't like an item for any reason (or no reason), you can return it for credit. Amazon backs the customer.
\With eBay - Ha! Lots of luck. And even if your purchase is received there's absolutely no assurance that it is not counterfeit, used, remanufactured, etc. And don't expect eBay to do much for you if you need or want to return the item. eBay backs the sellers. Returns will cost you dearly.
Nonetheless, one MUST shop out every purchase. Sometimes I find items priced better at the local brick & mortar store, and sometimes not. Time and cost are the key deciding factors.
Last edited:
300UGUY
Super Member
I've had very good service from our postal folks and UPS. I have noticed that we get a lot more packages from USPS than we used too. The brown truck delivers the bigger stuff. FEDEX is a pain here, it may be a local thing.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
That article has issues. It only addresses video streaming and makes in their own words a assumption of Prime's profit. The article ignores Amazon's costs for shipping and publication rights for books. From what I have been reading for years, Amazon is LOOSING money on Prime. They are using it as a loss leader to get people to buy more products from Amazon.
I compare prices on Amazon and it almost always is cheaper to buy the product from Amazon. The "free" shipping saves even more money. I ordered something recently cost $15 to ship. It does not take many shipping costs at that level to pay for Prime. For us, Prime saves us money, even at the the $99 cost and that just includes shipping. I do borrow a book from time to time and we stream video as well.
Amazon delivers to us on USPS, UPS, and FedEx. We have only one or two problems with deliveries arriving on time which given the amount of stuff we buy from Amazon is a pretty good record.
Given it costs us quite a bit of money to go to a non grocery store, Amazon Prime saves us a bunch of dollars. Heck, the stores usually do not have what I need anyway which just wastes my time and money....
Later,
Dan
