Smoke and Mirrors at Amazon.com? - Comments Page 2

Concerning the comment by Chris about Woot:
You are only partially correct about their return policy. I've been dealing with them for the better part of a decade and there is no 'Deal a Day' site I respect more. I've purchased 20 or more items, the last being a top of the line refurbished Escort radar detector (with a Woot 30 day warranty) just a couple of months ago. I've never had an issue with quality. They even have an active discussion board for each item so you can get an extremely informed opinion before you 'Woot'.

Follow-up comment:

Well, Jet gets conditional approval.

It doesn't have a lot of the items I buy, but it does have some items I would pay more for in other shopping venues. I placed a $43 order that ended up costing me (with discounts and promo code) $23.

I don't know how much I'll use it. I was annoyed at the limitation on laundry detergent--it rejected attempts to put two packages of Pods in the cart--but it may be worthwhile now and then.

Thanks for the heads up on Jet.com and the promo code. It's always good to have another option for online shopping. I comparison shop online, same as here locally with physical stores/shopping centers... except it's much faster and easier, of course. Right now, Jet doesn't seem to have the selection of things I'm in the market for, in order to really displace Amazon in the pecking order. But that could obviously change over time. I sniffed out the Amazon Prime thing pretty quickly. I bought a membership the year before it went up to $99; and considering I bought many Christmas gifts through Amazon, a few of them close to 'last minute', I feel that it was worth it. But that sentiment changed pretty quickly after the price hike... lol.

On August 18, 2015 I saw that Field and Stream was selling a Blackstone/Dash portable camping grill for $79.99....that was a sale price from there regular price of $99.
So I ck'd amazon for pricing and reviews. There 'sale' price was $119.00.....I lost sight of there original selling price when I realized there was a $40 DIFFERENCE in pricing!!! Even if Field and Stream was selling it for there ORIGINAL price, it was still a diff. of $20.
Wait it gets better......A 16.4 oz of coleman propane was $3.47 at F&S AND $5.97 for TWO at Walmarts.......ready for this?.......At Amazon it was $16.31, same size exact same product.....!!!! I called amazon and asked what was going on and was the company under new management! AND was the shipping price snuck in to there $119 price/SALE price at that? He assured me it wasn't; however I have decided to make it a point to COMPARE everything against there pricing. Something HAS changed, and unfortunately, NOT for the good....I think they will shoot themselves in the foot w/ this one.

Concerning the commwent by the varmit hunter:
If I was a varmit at your house I would have long died of boredom listening to your story.

Using Az Prime ALWAYS check the prices of "other sellers"! Sometimes even AZ itself will offer a better non-Prime price. For example, I saved 40% off of a $150.00 item because AZ Also offered it in a "damaged box"., and free shipping. When it arrived I couldn't see any damage to the box at all. I also saved $100.00 off a light bar that was offered by a manufaftuer's dealer as opposed to the Mfg itself as sold by AZ!

They're beginning to look a bit like bait and switch.

Bob: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "FREE SHIPPING". Sorry to be shouting. Even if Amazon (or whomever) owned the shipping company, shipping would not be free (they's still have to pay their staff). When you see "free shipping", here is what you should say to yourself: "This company is willing to take a reduction on their profit margin to keep me as a loyal customer". If they embed their shipping costs into the price of the product and still offer free shipping, I'd start looking for other places to purchase stuff.

Judging by wet cat food alone, Target beats Jet.com, Sam's Club, and Costco. WalMart prices are extremely close to Target's. With both Target and Walmart within 5 miles of my home none of these buying clubs make any sense. For electronics and computers etc, Best Buy (2 miles away from home) will match Amazon's best price on each item.

It pays to be an observant shopper, at Jet.com as wall as Amazon. I went directly to the TV section at Jet, and the first TV listed is a Samsung 55" 3D LED model UN55F7500, for $2247.44. The problem is that it is a four year-old model, from 2012, as indicated by the "F" in the model number. The 2013 models had a "G" designation, the 2014 models used the "H" designation, and the 2015 units have the "J" designation for HD models, and "JU" for 4K models (the "I" designation was skipped, so as not to get mixed-up with a "1")

$2247.44 for a four model year-old unit, presumably new, in a factory sealed box! The kicker is that directly to the right of that TV is a current 2015 3D model Samsung UN55JU7500 that has newer technology, with a curved screen, and is a UHD 4K unit, to boot, for $450 less, at $1797.99!

It seems as though Jet is not being entirely upfront with its customers. $450 could buy a nice sound bar and maybe also a new 3D Blu-ray player.

Am shopping for a replacement food processor so checked Jet.com. I use Consumer Reports to reference test results. The KitchenAid processor that Jet.com offers is low rated and they don't have either Breville's top ranked one or Cuisinart's second and third place finishers.

eBay had best price so far. Amazon had it priced with $30+ difference in a few listings... go figure. Buyer beware of where you spend!

Thanks for the jet info and the codes. All worked.

we also have Prime. I've noticed there are often better prices for items [delivered] then using [prime and free delivery].

Walmart.com is often cheaper than store price, BUT also sometimes higher. I found one item on dot-com that was switched at store from the advertised one.
It was a Nikon that "lost" the VR [vibration reduction] on the included telephoto lens kit. I had a work-around for that, though. I think the online ad was incorrect, "typo" maybe? because both Walmart and Sam's had no such kits.

The necessity of a low income caused me to diversify my on-line shopping experience long ago.

At one time Amazon had most all of my business, due to me living in a depressed area for shopping choice, combined with them offering good value and a wide selection.
I would always get the "Free" shipping, because it was obvious shipping had already been included in the price. But eventually they succumbed under the weight their own greed and I was left looking elsewhere.

The 'Depressed' area I live in is a product of "Wally-World" opening a Super Center, then undercutting all the local markets and smaller chains in order to eliminate the competition. Once that was done the prices went up and the shelves were cleared, to then only stock the shoddy Chinese goods they had the most profit in selling..

I just placed a $47. order with Walmart for some teas and other dry goods I could get for a good price, but not in my local store. (I checked) They were available close by in three directions, where Walmart still has some competition, but not here.

Amazon had the same for over $100 and 'Free' shipping..

I bought my chicory coffee from Amazon until they went from $5. per one pound can to $9.80 for 12 ounces. I now buy it in NOLA for $4.20 at Riley Foods.

Spices, herbals and such now come from Monterrey Bay Spice in Frisco and beans, milled grains and such come from Adobe Milling in Colorado. Sprout seeds and sprouting products come via the Sprout House ans the Sprout People on both coast.

BTW: Besides considering it a waste of money, I have a strong aversion to the supposed 'exclusivity' of buyer-clubs, groups or 'Special people'. It irks me when Food City thinks I'm gullible enough to present my card for fantastic savings over and above all those 'Common Class' customers not 'in-the-know'.

Then the register receipt is ten foot long trying yo tell me how much I "SAVED" on most every item on it. It wishes me to believe I saved $16. on a bar of soap by only paying $4. for what cost $1.39 anywhere else.

Ha! HA!! it is to laugh...

Yes, I tried Amazon Prime on their UK site once, when they offered a free trial of it. But I didn't find it saved me any money at all because the Prime prices with the free delivery included were so often matched or beaten by other sellers with good feedback scores!

I joined Prime hoping I would be able to use Prime Video as well - but I could not work out how to do it and there were no real instructions that I could find either. So I cancelled it and will never bother gain.

I agree with Dianne, above: this website is so junked up with moving objects that it's difficult to look at, let alone use. I would get a raging headache trying to place an order in spite of all the cutsie stuff.

Jet.com is only for US based shoppers. As an American living in Canada, I will say that Amazon.ca is not the "good deal" that Amazon.com is. Shipping prices are outrageous. Perhaps Canada Post is more expensive, but I think people hear are being taken advantage of. Unless someone gives me a gift card, I/we do not shop Amazon.ca except for free e-books for my Kindle app.

And here's the unhappy almost-ending to the tale of my order from Jet.

After I failed to put two of the Tide Pods into my cart, I added other items to meet the shipping threshold. I just now received an email advising me that the Tide Pods order could not be fulfilled, but my other items would be coming. I wrote to Jet, and I advised them to cancel the entire order, so that I would not have to contact my credit card company to put through a charge-back.

I'm not happy. I'll be even less happy if I have issues getting the remainder of my order cancelled and my money returned.

I'll follow-up on this as soon as I have a reply.

Most the time Amazon is higher than other sellers that sell on Amazon however they always promptly refund my money and they pay return shipping if I am not happy with a product.If you are not a Prime member they ship orders free over $35.00. but they use the slowest way possible to get you to join
Prime.I used to be a member till they raised the price.Most auto parts or 1/3 to 1/2 of the price at local chain auto parts stores.

Amazon is gouging Canadian consumers as well. Here's my experience.

Last fall Amazon.ca offered a special on Canadian Litter - a new, Canadian-based company cat litter producer. The special was a 26.5 lb. bag for $9.95, including delivery. It turned out to be fabulous litter - the best I have ever bought - so I went back a couple of months later to order more. Well, suddenly the litter was $39.99 for the same size bag! (For any non-cat-owners out there, that is an outrageous price for litter!) So I began to suspect as well that Amazon's so-called "free delivery" was not so free after all.

I emailed the manufacturer, who was unaware that Amazon.ca was charging such an inflated price. He told me that the bag of litter I wanted should retail for $17.95...still not cheap but worth it at that price. The result - I now order another type of litter from Walmart instead, and the producer of Canada Litter is looking for a new distributor.

So Bob, you are absolutely right about Amazon's smoke and mirrors act. I have seen ridiculous prices for other things on Amazon.ca as well, and lately all kinds of prices that don't even make any sense! For example, the exact same item will be listed twice with HUGELY different prices.

Methinks Amazon NEEDS some stiff competition! Maybe that will make them smarten up before they lose a lot of customers. I doubt that Jet.com is available in Canada, but I will keep my eye open for it.

As always, thanks so much for your invaluable tips and insights and all the research you do!

Thank you Bob for all your hard work. I look forward to your letters, while deleting 95% of the junk in my IN box.
Anyway, I joined Amazon Prime for the video selections included. My three year old grandson watches several shows included with the Prime membership. That alone was worth the money. As for the saving of money, this is America, shop where you like. I would rather pay more at my local hardware store where they want my business and employ some old guys who have a wealth on knowledge to help me get the wife off my back. Compared to the rest of the world, we live like kings. Enjoy it while you can.