# Amazon sneaky bastards! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 17, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077 "2003-10-17T19:24:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/1 "2003-10-17T19:24:05Z")
If something becomes temporarily out of stock, fucking say so dicknoses! “Usually dispatches in 24 hours”? Bollockear. "Delivery estimate: Oct 27, 2003 - Nov 5, 2003 " Wanktoe. " Items Dispatching Soon" Fuckfinger. Sneaky bastards have set a ‘dispatching soon’ status so that I can’t cancel the order. Shitbutton. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/2 "2003-10-17T20:17:07Z")
Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. They’re pretty sneaky all around; remember when they were charging different prices for the same item? Barsets. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/3 "2003-10-17T20:33:35Z")
I accidently chose an express delivery bullet once and couldn’t cancel the order immediately after processing because supposedly it shipped (within 5 fucking minutes?). Had to pay 15 bucks extra to get a 14.99 CD. Bubba ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/4 "2003-10-17T20:39:11Z")
They offer free delivery in the UK for orders over £25. Of course, what they don’t tell you up front is that the “free delivery” is the lowest possible class, taking about twice as long as normal Post Office delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/5 "2003-10-17T20:41:41Z")
There is an 800 number you can call to get customer issues resolved. Damned if I can find it now though. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/6 "2003-10-18T06:18:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*They offer free delivery in the UK for orders over £25. Of course, what they don’t tell you up front is that the “free delivery” is the lowest possible class, taking about twice as long as normal Post Office delivery. \*\* Those fuckers! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/7 "2003-10-18T06:23:06Z")
They do so tell you that. ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/8 "2003-10-18T18:04:30Z")
I ordered two cds with the “free delivery” and they got here in about five days. Considering one of the cds was supposed to take two weeks to be special ordered, then another week or so to be delivered, I was most impressed. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/9 "2003-10-18T23:28:31Z")
I gotta say, I **always** go with the free shipping option (cheap bastard that I am), and I have never had a delivery take more than three or four days–generally a good week or two ahead of Amazon’s estimated delivery date. I always attributed this to living near one of their warehouses, but I recently moved to a different state and I’m still getting three day free shipping. Yay, Amazon! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/10 "2003-10-19T02:00:50Z")
My only problem with Amazon is when they pull release dates out of their asses for books I’m waiting for, to get people to preorder. They’ve had fake release dates for the next George RR Martin book for well over a year now, despite the fact that he’s not even done writing it yet. Every few months, amazon will push back their pretend release date by a few months. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/11 "2003-10-19T03:44:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smeghead \* > \*\*My only problem with Amazon is when they pull release dates out of their asses for books I’m waiting for, to get people to preorder. They’ve had fake release dates for the next George RR Martin book for well over a year now, despite the fact that he’s not even done writing it yet. Every few months, amazon will push back their pretend release date by a few months. \*\* I strongly doubt that that’s Amazon’s fault. They’re probably just repeating what the publisher tells them. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/12 "2003-10-19T07:34:39Z")
I ordered Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and they sent me Steve Earle’s “Sidetracks” instead. I hunted and hunted around their site to find out what to do, then just gave up and kept Steve Earle. It’s not bad, but it’s no “YHF.” ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/13 "2003-10-19T12:50:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eternal \* > \*\*They do so tell you that. \*\* Yes, once you complete the order. It would be nice to be forewarned so that you don’t spend time trying to get your order over £25 when you wanted it in reasonable time. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/14 "2003-10-19T14:15:40Z")
The American Amazon site has the “spend $25, get free shipping” offer all over the place. And the one time I used it, I got my stuff in TWO DAYS. I was rather pleased about that. I’m going to do that from now on whenever I can. Even if something does take a week to get to me that’s all right. The last time I got something from them with regular shipping, it went through the Post Office but still only took three days. I’ve never had a problem with Amazon, though with their volume of business I’m not surprised that some people do. I have yet to get something from them that didn’t arrive at least a day earlier than could be reasonably expected. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/15 "2003-10-19T16:44:32Z")
For any Brits, I recommend [CD-WOW](http://www3.cd-wow.com/) – cheap, free and prompt delivery, and, good customer service, the only downside being that if your tastes are _outré_ then it might not suit. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/16 "2003-10-19T17:08:53Z")
And, er, they don’t sell books. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/17 "2003-10-19T17:15:04Z")
I’ve bought from CD-WOW, and the mad thing is that the CDs were shipped to me in about 4 days - from Hong Kong. As for Amazon: they don’t offer free delivery to Ireland, but the UK is the only place from which we can order most items. Cunty buttfuck. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/18 "2003-10-20T01:20:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*Cunty buttfuck. \*\* Isn’t that just outside Swindon? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/19 "2003-10-20T01:46:36Z")
I ran a thread about this a year or so ago. In it I mentioned that I rarely had books ship in 24 hours. Several dopers chimed in to explain the difference between “shipped” and “delivered.” LOL. Oddly, my very next purchase shipped within 24 hours. However, I stand by my original statement, it is rare for one of my purchases to ship within a 24 hour period. Still, I don’t really mind. I could always go to the local book store if I really needed it quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077/20 "2003-10-20T01:48:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*Isn’t that just outside Swindon? \*\* [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-sneaky-bastards/208077.md?page=2)