[Closed] is it me or is Amazon a crappy site?

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I dunno, quite like the site compared to a lot of the online shopping experiences out there.

Tax shenanigans, dubious delivery quality and poor treatment of warehouse staff often make me a little self-conscious when using them.

It's damn convenient though.

I think its one of the best eCommerce sites. The reviews seem pretty genuine and are often detailed with useful information. The suggested alternatives are relevant rather than random and the 'what other people bought' is very useful. The only thing I don't like is they are bit vague/discreet about what is coming direct from Amazon or from a 3rd party.

jekkyl - Member
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this is the problem ime

too much irrelevant crap on there especially if youre not clued up on exactly what you want

They do make it hard to buy something without signing up for Prime by accident. Wife was suckered into it last week and had to cancel.

fair enough, they've got loads of products, but i tried to order last night for the first time. can't use paypal (on German site at least) so entered my bank details. my bank deatils get rejected so enter another bank account. my amazon account is now closed and will only be opened when they recieve confirmation from me that the bank account is mine (it is). there is no way of contacting them via their site s i'm locked out and any email address i reply to comes back with delivery failure.

i can't be arsed anymore... would like to just close my account and have them delete my details, but there is no way of contacting them....

Do they still take your card number but not the security code?

^^ also went for prime for speedy delivery. i know i have to cancel this, but there is no way of me doing so as long as i'm locked out of my account.

Do they still take your card number but not the security code?

I think they store it all, you don't enter anything when you buy something.

Prime is very appealing, but I do worry about what will happen to our high streets, which have generally suffered over the past ~20 years.

Plus there is the whole taxation issue, without googling I cannot remember if Amazon is one of the multi-nationals that have agreed any sort of deal with HMRC in recent times.

When it came to the payment process they trade marked their 1-click experience. As a result they do implement any challenges to the customer checking out i.e. 3D secure of CCV checks and banks waive their need to as they don't want to lose the custom. Also, any change to the checkout causes legal problems as it's a trade mark.

Having worked in e-commerce and payment processing for a while I have seen how much they get away with.

Alpin - if your account is blocked then it'll be treated as inactive as I'd not imagine you will be billed for Prime - as your status is likely considered fraudulent at this point.

EDIT: As for the experience on site, it's pages are massive, slow to load, the filtering within product areas is a pain, checkout and addition of postage is hard to understand and finding products that enable you to get the postage for free seems like black magic. But the reviews are helpful and prices are cheap.

Also, compared to the high street the range is vast. I can for example buy cheapish reflectors for photography, whereas through a shop they are far more expensive and only available through specialist shops.

who cares about the high street? that's capitalism!

When it came to the payment process they trade marked their 1-click experience. As a result they do[b]n't[/b] implement any challenges to the customer checking out i.e. 3D secure of CCV checks and banks waive their need to as they don't want to lose the custom. Also, any change to the checkout causes legal problems as it's a trade mark.

So, it's crap because there's too wide a range?

Weird.....

So, it's crap because there's too wide a range?

It's more about the filtering on a search, or the way they allow things to be tagged. I just searched for "64Gb sd" and got 4295 hits, the majority of which aren't what I asked for.

Amazon is very convenient, prices are generally good if not the best, and returns are easy. However the about they offer is spoiling the shopper experience too much with lots of poor quality and even knock-off goods sold by marketplace sellers.
The tax thing is for the government to sort out.

I just searched for "64Gb sd" and got 4295 hits, the majority of which aren't what I asked for.

What did you actually want though? I doubt it was the 4294th thing on the list...

If it's an SD card, just a couple of clicks in the refine panel will bring you what you're looking for, and another drop down will sort by price.

Easy enough that it's my go to place for most online (non-bike) purchases these days.

If its an SD card typing 64GB SD brings up 64GB SD cards.

The fact of the matter is Amazon operates a very slick, very steamlined online shopping experience. There is a reason why they are [i]the[/i] superpower in online shopping.

The fact you typed in 64GB SD but actually wanted 64 1GB SD Cards isn't Amazon's fault!

I just searched for "64Gb sd" and got 4295 hits

That's funny because I got 95,993 hits!

I then refined it by clicking on "SD cards" on the left and got 24,771 hits.

Nearly all of which on the first few pages are 64gb SD cards.

Not sure why anyone would find this difficult?

There are lots of reasons to dislike Amazon, I can't see how their website is one of them?

[b]alpin - Member

^^ also went for prime for speedy delivery. i know i have to cancel this, but there is no way of me doing so as long as i'm locked out of my account. [/b]

You don't need to be logged in to talk to Amazon. You can use live chat or they can call you back.

[url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/contact-us/general-questions.html?skip=true ]UK Amazon Contact[/url]

Just google 'Amazon customer service' in the country you are in.

I don't like the way you have to constantly keep checking if you are buying from Amazon or some random other seller who sells through Amazon.
You think you're getting free postage & they whack postage on because one item didn't qualify for free postage so you end up having to remove it and look for something similar that does qualify for free postage.....etc.

I used to really like Amazon, but I quite often give up looking for things on there & go elsewhere.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight

To them having a trade marked/patented checkout or any of the other points? OR just their need to avoid security features in checkout, did you ever need to enter the CCV a standard with all other online transactions when on Amazon?

[url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1-Click ]Sauce[/url]

That's funny because I got 95,993 hits!

I then refined it by clicking on "SD cards" on the left and got 24,771 hits.

Nearly all of which on the first few pages are 64gb SD cards.

Not sure why anyone would find this difficult?

Well, to begin with I asked to see only 64Gb SD cards, which isn't what I got. Then I wanted to sort by lowest price but sorting the 4295 that way gives me mostly cards that aren't 64 Gb. Sorting the other way, will give me cards that are overpriced, if indeed they are in fact 64Gb at all.

Not sure why anyone would think a search for 64Gb SD cards which returned loads of incorrect results was OK?

I just get irritated that the whole pages are white, with no colors, boxes, etc, looks like a printed out e-mail.

I always assumed the whole thing was designed to make it look as unappealing as possible so that people would spend hours looking at 64gb SD cards on the PC world site, using their servers, then buy them 1p cheaper in 3 clicks on Amazon who could run the entire site off a PC built in 1993 running Windows 3.1.

What are you clicking?

I found 64GB SD cards with no problem

Maybe i have magic fingers

[url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3A64Gb+SD+card&keywords=64Gb+SD+card&ie=UTF8&qid=1460644568&spIA=B0162LT9UW,B017SKS02Y,B00VLFRBHI,B00SNLIG5O ]64GB SD CARDS[/url]

I just get irritated that the whole pages are white, with no colors, boxes, etc, looks like a printed out e-mail.

I always assumed the whole thing was designed to make it look as unappealing as possible so that people would spend hours looking at 64gb SD cards on the PC world site, using their servers, then buy them 1p cheaper in 3 clicks on Amazon who could run the entire site off a PC built in 1993 running Windows 3.1.

This is for the exact same reason shopping malls and retail shops are mostly white.

Keeps your eyes on the prize, and makes that "add to shopping basket" button easier to find.

Also, it gives the website much smaller overhead, meaning its quicker to load, less data is used, less server space/time required, and therefore is more sustainable, and able to be used pleasantly on as many computers as possible.

But it's mainly about getting your money.

Amazon are very good at getting your money. Everything on that site is done on purpose and has been optimsed to the Nth degree. Check out how quick the menu is, for example, which is achieved with
trickery regarding predicting where your mouse cursor will end up so the menu doesn't close/change whilst you're using it, thus giving the illusion of speed.

Thanks, I'm actually OK for SD cards. It was more a comment on Amazon's woolly search facility but I feel you're just mocking me now so I'm off down the Co-Op to buy milk. I know where they keep the milk and they don't throw odd tins of pet food and shoe polish in the chiller just to keep me on my toes.

johnners - Member

Thanks, I'm actually OK for SD cards. It was more a comment on Amazon's woolly search facility but I feel you're just mocking me now so I'm off down the Co-Op to buy milk. I know where they keep the milk and they don't throw odd tins of pet food and shoe polish in the chiller just to keep me on my toes.

I would never mock you.....not until after we are married -X-

OP, I agree.

I can't use it, I think I'm a bit old fashioned, there's just way too much info. I don't understand the not sold by amazon bit and the choice of the same item at different prices.

I am of course in a tiny minority.

[quote=gobuchul ]I just searched for "64Gb sd" and got 4295 hits
That's funny because I got 95,993 hits!
I then refined it by clicking on "SD cards" on the left and got 24,771 hits.
Nearly all of which on the first few pages are 64gb SD cards.
Not sure why anyone would find this difficult?
There are lots of reasons to dislike Amazon, I can't see how their website is one of them?

Yeah, now sort by price and even if you have filtered you get a load of irrelevant crap to scroll through before you get to your items.

It's really crap actually, very frustrating.

Another thing is their retarded users who answer questions without actually knowing the answer, often like this.

Q What wattage is this LED?
A1 Dunno LOL but it's pretty bright!!!
A2 5w
A3 3 WATTS
A4 Bacon
A5 Not a clue but i'm answereing anyway lolz

Another thing is their retarded users who answer questions without actually knowing the answer, often like this.

Q What wattage is this LED?
A1 Dunno LOL but it's pretty bright!!!
A2 5w
A3 3 WATTS
A4 Bacon
A5 Not a clue but i'm answereing anyway lolz

All five of those guys work in Homebase.

The Vine and paid for reviews means I bypass them completely. Maybe not the intended outcome.

Another thing is their retarded users who answer questions without actually knowing the answer, often like this.

The reason for that is that Amazon decided to redirect product queries from it's own staff to customers who had previously bought the item in question. Now in theory this should be a good idea, as who else would know better than a previous purchaser, but in practice it often falls down.

This is partly the fault of Amazon, as they word the emails in a way that maybe less tech savvy users believe it's a direct communication with them from another customer. So a lot of these answers stating 'I don't know', while appearing to show someone as being a bit dim, is actually them just being polite. Also, you may have bought the item for someone else, so have no actual knowledge of the product, but again, you figure you got to be polite and say something. So again, you get a few more 'I don't know'.

....of course you have natural idiots, but then that's just life.

- they treat their warehouse workers like robots
- they pay next to nothing in tax
- they sell products that are dangerous
- they sell products illegaly e.g knifes to juveniles
- their website is purposely confusing and an affront to design
- they use dynamic pricing based on your profile

Save your soul and shop anywhere else

Save your soul and shop anywhere else

Sports Direct?

Agree with stump01, re the free postage that isn't. Products are advertised as free postage but aernt because you haven't purchased the right combination of products, and you only find out when you get to the checkout. Feels like trickery. Most frustrasting web site ive used in years. Made a personal vow never to try there again. Ebay buy it now works better for me.

they use dynamic pricing based on your profile

they use dynamic pricing based on your profile

Not sure I believe that. Easy way to check I guess. Post a link to an item, we all check it out, and there should be some price variance, no?

Thing is, a search for SD cards is going to return a lot of results because there's a metric shedload of them, and a large number of sellers. And the further down you go the woolier the search gets. Searching for "64Gb SDXC Sandisk" narrows it to ~2000. Of those some will be matching on one word of the search, but the top hits will probably be exactly what you're looking for.

I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing; the latter 1,975 hits you'll probably never look at anyway.

bongohoohaa - Member

- they use dynamic pricing based on your profile

Not sure I believe that. Easy way to check I guess. Post a link to an item, we all check it out, and there should be some price variance, no?

i believe they do... the (used/damaged packaging) car radio i was looking at came up at 158€ on my account.

logged in with the GF's ccount aand same item was 168€.

I just searched for "64Gb sd" and got 4295 hits

logged in with the GF's ccount aand same item was 168€.

Could the price have changed? Listed from a different reseller?

Like I say, easy enough to check.

I don't understand the difficulty?

64 gb SD Card.
From the results pick a department to filter by, on the LHS- say Electronics and Photo.
Pick Amazon as the seller from the left hand side filter.
Select the product you want.

You'll hopefully be told that the product is sold and dispatched by Amazon.
And you can check out the prices for other seller, on the RHS under the 'add to basket' button.

Dynamic pricing isn't used by Amazon, where the same product from Amazon itself is priced differently from two [b]concurrent[/b] users i.e. pricing depends on the user profile.
Of course user A may browse an item which could trigger a price change, but that change will be for all shoppers.

[url= http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com ]CamelCamelCamel[/url] is a very useful resource.

I used to love Amazon, well the low prices any way. Their site is not the best though. I got a 2016 184 x 44 Rockshox Monarch RT3 the other day for £90.

But like I said I used to love it until one day I had an email with no address and no return address asking me if I was happy with Amazon and what the reason was for returning the things I had returned in the previous months. They dont tell you the department they are from or give a name.

I was informed my account was "still open and available for use" and that no action would be taken this time and they hoped I would enjoy using Amazon in the future.

I have had an account for over 15 year and have spent thousands of pounds there. I replied quite angrily and asked what they are on about I can still use my account. They informed me I have been returning too many items.

I checked my account and out of over 150 purchases through the year I returned 7 things and 4 of those were because they sent me the wrong thing or was damaged on receipt.

Needless to say I was disgruntled and have hardly used them since, well no where near as much as I have in the past.

I looked into it and they can close your account at any time if they think you are returning too many items and stop you and every one else in your house hold from ever opening an Amazon account again. There are loads of people it has happened too.

bongohoohaa - Member

logged in with the GF's ccount aand same item was 168€.

Could the price have changed? Listed from a different reseller?

within the space of a few hours? plus there were 8 or 9 available.

it wouldn't surprise me. by the sounds of it they sound pretty conniving.

Some folk on here obviously struggle to use the Internet. Imagine the chaos on STW when the new forum is launched 😉