# Amazon wanting me to answer customers questions **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858 "2021-06-08T17:35:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/102 "2021-06-14T16:38:11Z")
> [@gnarator](#): > > I had no idea snake tongs existed. Before I bought them we always just used an old broom to pin the creature long enough to grab it. We even called the broom the snake broom. Snake tongs are a luxury. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/103 "2021-06-17T20:12:18Z")
I agree with this to an extent. I’ve seen one star reviews because the mailman misdelivered it or it was lost in transit. Or the carrier treated it so poorly it looks like it went through a washing machine. The seller/product shouldn’t be dinged for this. But if it was poorly packaged and damaged because of it, or has an outsized shipping price, then I think that is a legitimate comment on the product. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/104 "2021-06-17T21:16:50Z")
I’m not sure why but I keep on getting basically the same questions over and over about a food dehydrator I purchased. I’m more than happy to copypasta my answer to that one, which is basically, “I’d love to help you out with this but the one I purchased didn’t work at all, was flimsy as all get out and returning it was a nightmare with Amazon referring back to the seller and the seller pointing back to Amazon and it was all made even worse by the fact that this thing doesn’t even have a brand name on it and nobody seems to know who even made it. I eventually got Amazon to take the thing back and bought a Cosori, which is awesome and works great. Hope this helps.” I kinda hope they keep asking about the dehydrator because by now it’s become fun. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/105 "2021-06-17T22:38:10Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > But if it was poorly packaged and damaged because of it, or has an outsized shipping price, then I think that is a legitimate comment on the product. Definitely on packaging, and on shipping costs also if it is a single shipper. On EBay I think you sort on price for the combination of product price and shipping price, since the order you get is way different from just sorting on product price. ---
**Author:** ![breakneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e99b99/32.png) [@breakneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breakneck)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/106 "2022-04-18T04:06:59Z")
i will look to see if i can fund the email it was awhile back . might have deleted it ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/107 "2022-04-18T04:16:14Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > As far as Amazon hiring professional Q&A staff, yes, they certainly could do that, but their salaries won’t come out of Bezos’ pocket - it’ll come out of ours. Maybe they can’t. I found that some questions can only be answered by a long time consumers. > [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > This. I’m happy to have esoteric questions answered by people who have actually used the product and are interested in sharing what they know, especially when it doesn’t add to the purchase price. Yep. > [@UltraVires](#): > > A discussion should be had about how this hurts small and local businesses, and tax policy discussions should be had about taxing people who have such wealth. Amazon is now a source of income for many small indy booksellers. Once they learned how to use it, my friends told me it really pays off. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/108 "2022-04-18T04:17:05Z")
I’m sure the richest man in the world would be happy to fund it for you. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/109 "2022-04-18T04:19:28Z")
Elon Musk? Vladimir Putin? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/110 "2022-04-18T18:28:42Z")
That’s quite unusual to see, though - Amazon usually filter comments about the packaging away from reviews of the product itself. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/111 "2022-04-18T19:48:21Z")
I answer those sometimes, if it’s a good question. If I feel any resentment it’s towards the people asking the questions. I don’t think I’ve ever asked a question like that. I’m not too lazy to look the answer up elsewhere. I think that most of the people asking questions are pretty lazy or clueless. I don’t blame Amazon for it though. I think you can probably opt-out of getting those. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2022, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/112 "2022-05-13T02:27:04Z")
They are usually questions that are hard to look up. Often the answers are really useless, but sometimes they are good. If someone asks a reasonable question about something I bought recently, I try to answer it. ---
**Author:** ![breakneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e99b99/32.png) [@breakneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breakneck)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/113 "2022-08-18T06:15:42Z")
Well I don’t think it works so well. For instance i tried helping out at first and answered a question wrongly because i got the product mixed up with the wrong product that i also purchased because i couldnt get any real product support . So i sent a customer buying something thinking it would work for his application when It wouldnt because of my mix up . Why ? because its not in my job description my job isnt on the line . like a product specialists like customer service has been for so many years like a knowelgable parts person at an auto parts store that is a thing of the past .And If you think the cost will be put on the customers and not out of Beezos pocket than maybe we should stop using Amazon ? I have my life is just the same as it was before amazon good ridance ---
**Author:** ![breakneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e99b99/32.png) [@breakneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breakneck)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/114 "2022-08-18T06:16:34Z")
I have opt out multiple times still get them ---
**Author:** ![breakneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e99b99/32.png) [@breakneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breakneck)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/115 "2022-09-30T17:17:06Z")
As far as the cost coming out of our pockets to hire product specialist or customer care reps…bezos is on his way to becoming the first trillionare. If he spent a million dollars a day since the birth of christ he still would have money in his bank . That is 2022 years everyday a million dollars . He can afford it i am sure as well as he can afford to pay his employees beter wages retirement plans full benefits and free child care . He is only one of the richests men alive today. But they dont get shit . You think it would be the opposite. But i guess that is how a trillion dollars is made . Like to say by earning it but it is more like from underminning ,swindling ,cheating etc ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/116 "2022-09-30T17:30:51Z")
If you don’t want to give Bezos any more money, and don’t want to get these emails, just delete your Amazon profile, and stop whining. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/117 "2022-09-30T18:44:52Z")
It’s just another scam like self checkout. The companies are getting us to work for them for free. Used to be a restaurant near by where you could cook your steak on their grill. Why do they think I was going to their restaurant for? It wasn’t so I could make my own dinner. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/118 "2022-10-01T19:13:33Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Why do they think I was going to their restaurant for? It wasn’t so I could make my own dinner. In certain Korean restaurants, you grill your meat at your table. I didn’t mind it. It wasn’t great big steaks, but smaller cuts of meat, so it cooked quickly. You got the right doneness for your taste, and it was piping hot! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/119 "2022-10-01T19:15:57Z")
KBBQ. My favorite all-you-can-eat restaurant. Where my gym buddy and I go for a protein blast… ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/120 "2022-10-01T20:24:54Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s just another scam like self checkout. The companies are getting us to work for them for free. Used to be a restaurant near by where you could cook your steak on their grill. Why do they think I was going to their restaurant for? It wasn’t so I could make my own dinner. Not certain if you are serious or joking. But I’ve been to places where you grill your own meat at the table. The grilling is part of the entertainment. I’m paying to have a nice portion deposited in front of me, with all the tools clean and ready, and all the fixings handy by, and will the clean up dinner by someone else. That kind of restaurant can be a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858/121 "2022-10-02T18:55:38Z")
Ditto for [shabu-shabu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabu-shabu). Like sukiyaki it’s always cooked at the table but can be either by the server or by the individual diners. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-wanting-me-to-answer-customers-questions/943858.md?page=7)