On-line Stores & Sellers

Started by Expresso, July 02, 2007, 09:09:12 AM

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JBS

Quote from: Brian on March 27, 2019, 08:15:37 AM
Thanks, I just placed an order from the Alpha sale of stuff that's mostly out of stock so that is good to know. I'll expect the CDs to arrive some random day in the next few months  :P

If their system says "back ordered" assume it will arrive in almost exactly six weeks, the time they give themselves for back orders.

It's the stuff the system says is in stock but is not that gives a problem. 

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Brian

Hey Presto Paul, did you guys get rid of "sort results by price"?

Brian

ArkivMusic canceled my order of Salonen Cello Concerto. You know, the brand new major label release that is in stock everywhere.

My girlfriend says "it's cuz they know you have too much music."

JBS

They have yet to decide if they will ever ship the three items on backorder I ordered in March. They did ship a fourth, fortunately the only one I really wanted (Atterberg Double Concerto).

But I noticed something this evening. USPS Informed Delivery  shows shipments from Arkiv as coming from "Alliance Entertainment" in Louisville KY. Import CDs shipped a CD today, which also shows up under "Alliance Entertainment" in Louisville KY.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Mirror Image

What is going on with ArkivMusic? Are they losing it? Is management in an uproar? Are employees quitting? Something is definitely going on there to have these continuous problems.

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

Quote from: JBS on June 07, 2019, 07:38:18 PM
They have yet to decide if they will ever ship the three items on backorder I ordered in March. They did ship a fourth, fortunately the only one I really wanted (Atterberg Double Concerto).

But I noticed something this evening. USPS Informed Delivery  shows shipments from Arkiv as coming from "Alliance Entertainment" in Louisville KY. Import CDs shipped a CD today, which also shows up under "Alliance Entertainment" in Louisville KY.

They are a big fulfillment service for optical media. I seem to recall other Amazon marketplace sellers that are use them, maybe "blowitoutahere" for instance.

JBS

Quote from: Mirror Image on June 07, 2019, 07:46:35 PM
What is going on with ArkivMusic? Are they losing it? Is management in an uproar? Are employees quitting? Something is definitely going on there to have these continuous problems.

From my POV, it seems to be one basic problem that has been ongoing for quite some time; the computer system doesn't seem to correctly track inventory, so it says some stuff is in stock when it should really show "low stock" or out of stock, so you can order something and not find out it is actually a back order item until the next day (or more, if you order over the weekend). The warehouse move they made caused more problems, but those seem to resolved themselves.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Madiel

Well, I haven't bought anything today but I thought it was worth looking back at the big purchasing process that I started just over a month ago.

Why? Because I bought 10 different things on eBay, from 8 different sellers, and had no problems at all besides I think one case getting a mild crack in the post. Several used items were in outstandingly good condition.

Whereas I bought 5 different things via Amazon, either the US or Australian version, and just 2 of those 5 transactions have had satisfactory outcomes. Amazon itself sold me 2 CD-Rs (the utterly crap one they made themselves without notifying me, and another better quality arkivmusic one that Amazon itself was oblivious to), and a 3rd item simply hasn't arrived. As of today both of the replacements I bought off eBay for the CD-Rs have arrived from Europe, but the item I bought off Amazon weeks earlier has not turned up.

The failure to arrive might just be random misfortune, and the relevant seller has been great in communication about it thus far, but even there Amazon's website makes the process far more tortuous than on eBay. I actually got stuck in a loop where the option to contact the seller failed, as that part of the Amazon site couldn't retrieve or retain the order information from a page earlier. I got out of the loop by dumb luck when Amazon thought (wrongly at this point) that I wanted a refund and then demanded I contact the seller first.

Quite simply from now on Amazon will be somewhere I go as an absolute last resort if other options fail. I will always look at Presto, who continue to be reliable. I now have rarewaves as a solid eBay seller with a wide range, as well as some more boutique options for second-hand that I can trust. Melomania in Paris has proved valuable, and while I haven't bought from JPC I'll be considering them because they responded to a query in a sensible and prompt fashion.

I honestly never thought that I would consider eBay a safer and more reliable option than Amazon, but simply everything that has occurred with these transactions in the last month has shown me it's time to change my views.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

JBS

1) Does Presto still charge your card at the time you place your order, even if the item is backordered (as opposed to charging your card at time of shipment)?

2) Rarewaves is one if my favorite vendors on Amazon MP.

3)Does Amazon let you order directly from Amazon UK and the rest of Bezosworld Europa? I have found their shipping times and customer service to be better than AmazonUS.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Moonfish

Quote from: JBS on October 10, 2019, 05:52:01 PM
1) Does Presto still charge your card at the time you place your order, even if the item is backordered (as opposed to charging your card at time of shipment)?

2) Rarewaves is one if my favorite vendors on Amazon MP.

3)Does Amazon let you order directly from Amazon UK and the rest of Bezosworld Europa? I have found their shipping times and customer service to be better than AmazonUS.

I like Rarewaves as well!   :)

Your Amazon username etc works at all the European Amazons but not in the Japanese one.   Shipping time is definitely faster within the US than from Europe except on rare occasion. I'm not sure why you would say that - you amazon.com packets actually arrive later than the ones from Europe?   I'm overall quite happy with my orders from Amazon except for them taking over the market as well as a tendency to get bumps/cracks in the shipping process. The latter is way too common with deliveries from France, the UK and Germany in my experience as these sites use subpar shipping materials. Still, a much greener way to ship compared to Amazon.com or JPC for that matter that belches out styrofoam and plastic. No cracks or bumps but at a "price".  Customer service in the US is excellent - they always send a new item or let you keep the old one (at least in my experience). 
Hmm, maybe it is time to go digital like many people. I heard that cd sales are way down compared to ten-twenty years ago.  Is this the end of an era?

Thread Duty   0:)

[asin] B07C5FH6KK[/asin]
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

JBS

Amazon US waits three or four days then hurriedly ships it via its delivery sevice or USPS.  Amazon Europe (meaning A UK, France, Spain and Italy...I have yet to order from any of the others) ship within a day using the quickest international service available.

But AmazonUS does dilly dally and use the slow mail sometimes. I once placed two orders on the same day, one with AmazonUS, the other with AmazonUK.  The AmazonUK arrived several days before the AmazinUS order.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Moonfish

Quote from: JBS on October 10, 2019, 06:57:26 PM
Amazon US waits three or four days then hurriedly ships it via its delivery sevice or USPS.  Amazon Europe (meaning A UK, France, Spain and Italy...I have yet to order from any of the others) ship within a day using the quickest international service available.

But AmazonUS does dilly dally and use the slow mail sometimes. I once placed two orders on the same day, one with AmazonUS, the other with AmazonUK.  The AmazonUK arrived several days before the AmazinUS order.

I'm on Prime so perhaps that is the difference? They penalize non-prime users as an incentive to join?  >:D
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Madiel

#1252
Quote from: JBS on October 10, 2019, 05:52:01 PM
1) Does Presto still charge your card at the time you place your order, even if the item is backordered (as opposed to charging your card at time of shipment)?

2) Rarewaves is one if my favorite vendors on Amazon MP.

3)Does Amazon let you order directly from Amazon UK and the rest of Bezosworld Europa? I have found their shipping times and customer service to be better than AmazonUS.

1) Don't remember to be honest. Not something that would bother me for various reasons so I can't recall.

2) I've noticed they are on Amazon as well as eBay. And that what they offer can differ.

3) For any Amazon other than Australia, I can use it only if the seller is actually Amazon. Which would be less of a problem if every single product page didn't wrongly say that the product can ship to Australia. It's been over a year since the policy change, and they still only tell you that, actually, this CAN'T ship to Australia once you try to place the order.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

akebergv

Just a correction re jpd packaging. They don't use "styrofoam and plastic," but an organic material that dissolves in water. See for yourself by placing it under a hot water tap.

premont

Quote from: JBS on October 10, 2019, 05:52:01 PM
1) Does Presto still charge your card at the time you place your order, even if the item is backordered (as opposed to charging your card at time of shipment)?

Yes, but there are no problems with getting your money back, if you decide to cancel the order, when Presto needs a long time to provide some items.
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Madiel

#1255
You know, moderators, suddenly discovering that I've been made part of a thread I never posted on is bloody irritating.

Especially for a conversation that had ended as far as I was concerned. Indeed, it had ended for everyone. A day later, up pops this series of posts on a thread none of us actually posted on, in the list of "new replies".

Could you not just TELL people where you want conversations to be carried out instead of having this penchant for fucking rewriting history?
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Madiel

I mean, there was a reason why I posted in that thread what you've decided to move here. It was actually following on from previous things posted in that thread, not this one.

No consultation, no discussion, nothing. Just some moderator coming along days later and deciding that "moderating" consists of moving stuff around because... what? Was the thread derailed? No. Because the thread had happily carried on in its normal course. It was just a fucking power trip of some kind.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Madiel

#1257
Because, you see, you didn't move this or the 5 messages that followed it, or this or this or this and the posts following.

You didn't decide to move this or the following 2 posts either.

And of course you didn't move the original posts where I shared what I was buying. Starting here.

No, you just moved the 4th and final part of a 4-part narrative because you apparently think I'm too stupid to make an appropriate decision about which thread to post in.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

André

Quote from: akebergv on October 10, 2019, 11:15:30 PM
Just a correction re jpd packaging. They don't use "styrofoam and plastic," but an organic material that dissolves in water. See for yourself by placing it under a hot water tap.

It's made of corn, same as cheese puffs (without the flavouring and the dye). It's actually edible, although not manufactured for human consumption. The only inconvenient is that they're so light they tend to fall in all directions.

Brian

Has Europadisc been down all day for everyone else? I hope they don't pull an MDT - I had $7 in store credit...