Eric. Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 That's great! Keep in mind that's only when you're buying directly from Amazon. If you buy from a third party seller, Amazon wouldn't be able to give you a refund like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Given the choice, I usually stick to the sold by amazon products unless there is a compelling price difference, greater than $5 or 10%. It's purely due to the customer service and having some annoying experiences with third party sellers. I will go FBA after that and full on third party only if they are the only person selling it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Items you buy from FBA sellers will get exactly the same customer service as items bought directly from AZ. All FBA items are shipped by AZ, and they take care of all the returns and customer service. The only difference is your money goes to a third party seller instead of AZ. Same products, same buying experience. But you're helping out small businesses instead of a mega-corp. Food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwood Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Eric, how can we tell if it is AZ or an FBA? Are FBA's the "shipped and fulfilled by" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 When you're looking at a product page, right below the price you'll see "Sold by (seller name) and Fulfilled by Amazon" for FBA sellers. Items sold directly from Amazon will say "Sold by and shipped from Amazon." The easiest identifier of FBA items is that it'll say "Prime" next to the price. Non-FBA sellers are not eligible for Prime benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwood Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Thanks that's what I figured Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 The "Fulfilled By" model isn't that new, Amazon is just developing it to a ridiculously well-done level... Not far from my home is the large warehouse of a company who has done fulfillment for decades... They've shipped everything from AOL disks, to Hairdini's, to Gazelles, to No-No's, to Cham-Wow's, to Flo-Bee's, to exercise and real estate investing plan packages... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Spencer_J Posted January 19, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Amazon has changed the way i run my business. Instead of taking time to go the store to buy screws, i have the screws shipped to my shop or job sites.If i can get it better, faster, and cheaper, that gives me a more competitive edge. Buying things from retail stores have become more time consuming. I dont have any hardware stores worth my business for most consumables unless my project comes to a standstill until i get that next item. Since using amazon, standstills are rare because i am always thinking two days ahead on what i may need to keep going. Im from seattle, which is where amazon HQ is. Quite a few of my family members and friends work for amazon so giving them my business keeps my home town in business. In addition, IMO amazon is a SMART company. I like smart companies. Something about the laws of attraction that keeps me away from the old cranky mom and pop hardware stores. If i call in and ask what the OD of a bolt nut is, it is an unknown variable with those places. If i go to a place like amazon, i don't have to deal with incompetence. Sent from my thumbs 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan S Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 while searching for low dollar amount items, I find using the prime filter really helpful, simply because for stuff under $20 the shipping can some times be as much as the actual item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 As a rule, I only buy prime. Doesn't always work out, but I always filter by prime 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I heard a statistic once that 80% of people with Prime memberships won't even look at non-Prime sellers. It's a no-brainer as a seller to go FBA, but once I heard that I never even considered doing merchant-fulfilled sales. I'm happy to hear all the positive comments about Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I love amazon if I leave something on my want list or cart and it goes on sale they let me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cochese Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I love amazon if I leave something on my want list or cart and it goes on sale they let me know Automatically or do you have to view your cart? Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I think I got an alert on my phone... Could be wrong. I know it shows up in the cart as the current price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan S Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 I heard a statistic once that 80% of people with Prime memberships won't even look at non-Prime sellers. It's a no-brainer as a seller to go FBA, but once I heard that I never even considered doing merchant-fulfilled sales. I'm happy to hear all the positive comments about Amazon. Yea the only time I look at a non-Prime seller, is when I can't find what I want, or when the item price is high enough to potentially have a sale price + shipping be less than someone selling via Prime. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 I just added an item yesterday, and the price dropped. I didn't receive a notification, but it shows up in my wish list that the price dropped since I added it. It shows the price decrease, which is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cochese Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 I just added an item yesterday, and the price dropped. I didn't receive a notification, but it shows up in my wish list that the price dropped since I added it. It shows the price decrease, which is nice. That's what I'm familiar with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ty.moser Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 I ordered very little from amazon until about a year ago when I finally got my prime membership. Now I probably spend 1-4 hundred there a month.. My wish list keeps growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 TIODS, I completely appreciate your dedication to supporting local businesses, and I do the same whenever possible. Unfortunately, I have to agree with cochese that it's not possible very often. The brick & mortar mom & pop shops of yester-year hardly exist anymore. Very often you'll think you're buying from a locally-owned small business and you'll find that they're either a national franchise (which is kind of a half & half scenario since they're partially "local") or they're owned by someone or a group of shareholders and a hedge fund manager from another state. Rockler is a good example...when I first started woodworking I thought I was buying from a local small business...little did I know my money was being sent straight to Minnesota. But there are some out there still...my hardwood dealer is a perfect example. He's a one-man show and lives about 5 minutes from his business. Anytime I can buy from him or his one local competitor, I do. Unfortunately their prices on tools are so outrageous I'm forced to buy elsewhere. They just can't do the volume that the big boys do to stay competitive...the Wal-Mart effect has taken over almost all of retail. Sometimes it's just impossible to keep your money in the community. I don't know a single small business in my area where I can buy groceries, toiletries, diapers, etc. But all that said, and even as someone who makes his living in e-commerce, I do still share your interest in supporting my community, so I'm by no means lecturing you. Just realize that many, if not most, small businesses have moved to internet sales in order to survive, and very often you're supporting the "little guy" when you buy on Amazon. If you click on an item and it doesn't say "sold and shipped by Amazon," there's a very good chance your money is going to a small business owned by a family...in your state or the next state over or across the country...either way it makes me feel better to support a person rather than a huge corporation, even if it's not local. Brick and mortar is going out like a dinosaur, probably for the worse for society, but it's reality nonetheless. Southwood, the reason you pay sales tax is because Amazon has a fulfillment center in Indiana. It was decided (I believe by the Supreme Court) that any state in which an online retailer has a physical presence, they are required to pay sales tax, since they are using the local, tax-paid infrastructure to conduct business. Rest assured that the tax dollars you pay go right back into Indiana...Amazon collects the taxes, distributes them to the seller, and the seller is responsible for paying each state those sales taxes every quarter. For those sellers who ignore their tax responsibilities, Amazon holds the funds and pays the states directly. So just know your money isn't going to California. Amazon taxes are currently paid in ten states. They're still debating whether or not the other states where there is no physical presence should pay taxes. I'll refrain from comment on that in light of the "no politics" rule on this forum. Amazon is based out of state of Washington. Sales tax is under state not federal jurisdiction. I can't say for certain but for most states, any physical presence means collecting that states sales tax. California was at one point making a claim that even affiliates (like Marc's pass through to Amazon from his site) qualified as in-state presence. It's academic at this point because Amazon is striking agreements with a States on sales tax collection so they can pave the way for more local distribution centers to get to eventual same day deliveries (by truck if not by Bezos' pet delivery by drone program). I don't know if this is nationwide but Amazon contracted with the USPS to make Sunday deliveries. I've had several prime orders delivered to me on Sunday. It is weird to see the mailman pull up on a Sunday while I'm working I my shop (aka garage) to drop off a package. Maybe this will help the USPS service survive in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Elected idiots (regardless of party) are going to take more than they deserve every time! Death and taxes will always happen! My point was that I choose to support my neighbor right here whenever I can. Now, with that said, if the local supplier is not even in the price ball park or can't supply what I want/need, I have no issue with ordering on line. I just got 2 new LN planes in the mail today. They certainly didn't come from a local dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_in_SD Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Like I said earlier, I have no problem with them collecting the proper taxes. It has to be done for basic needs, roads and other stuff we don't think about. I did forget I could watch movies and other shows with Prime until now. I may have to check that part out Yes, if you have a smartphone or tablet with wireless display capability (airplay with Apple/IOS or miracast with google/Android) you can pull up a movie or whatever and blast it to your big screen. With Netflix and Prime now, I'm about ready to buy an over-the-air antenna and ditch my cable. I hate paying $30 a month for basic cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 Yes, if you have a smartphone or tablet with wireless display capability (airplay with Apple/IOS or miracast with google/Android) you can pull up a movie or whatever and blast it to your big screen. With Netflix and Prime now, I'm about ready to buy an over-the-air antenna and ditch my cable. I hate paying $30 a month for basic cable. Ok, my cable is a whole nother story! Since they're not a local company, I have no issues shopping. Problem is that they're about the only game in town for decent connection. I don't have a smartphone (gave it up) and I refuse to. I just don't need to be that connected to everyone I know every minute of the day and night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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