On-line Stores & Sellers

Spotted Horses · July 02, 2023, 09:36:07 PM

I also should have mentioned deepdiscount.com, which occasionally has the best price on an item.

I came upon a seller with some low prices and free shipping, https://www.grooves-inc.com. Has anyone here had experience with them. They accept payment from PayPal which mitigates the risk of using an unknown seller.

Spotted Horses · July 21, 2023, 07:36:40 AM

Lately Amazon's much vaunted fulfillment system is failing me. I ordered the Beethoven cycle from the Ebene quartet (good price) but they said it would take a week, even though it is reported in stock and a prime shipping product. A week goes by, it says expected today, even though it has not shipped. I tried to cancel the order and it said it could not be cancel because it is being shipped, and almost a week goes by and it is still not shipped. Irritating, because I would order it elsewhere if only I could cancel the amazon order. (I can always return it, but that is another hassle.)

JBS · July 21, 2023, 09:35:49 AM

Quote from: Spotted Horses on July 21, 2023, 07:36:40 AMLately Amazon's much vaunted fulfillment system is failing me. I ordered the Beethoven cycle from the Ebene quartet (good price) but they said it would take a week, even though it is reported in stock and a prime shipping product. A week goes by, it says expected today, even though it has not shipped. I tried to cancel the order and it said it could not be cancel because it is being shipped, and almost a week goes by and it is still not shipped. Irritating, because I would order it elsewhere if only I could cancel the amazon order. (I can always return it, but that is another hassle.)

Amazon has a customer service menu that will eventually get you a live human who can look at the order from their end and if need be cancel it. I used it once to straighten out a screwed up order.

Spotted Horses · July 21, 2023, 10:18:04 AM

Quote from: JBS on July 21, 2023, 09:35:49 AMAmazon has a customer service menu that will eventually get you a live human who can look at the order from their end and if need be cancel it. I used it once to straighten out a screwed up order.

I'll give them until Monday before I go down that rabbit hole.

Spotted Horses · July 21, 2023, 01:15:06 PM

Did live chat with a representative, who told me the order is now canceled. But the web site still says the item is waiting to be shipped.

I think I will be moving my business to importcds.com whenever possible.

Spotted Horses · July 22, 2023, 09:49:12 AM

The latest twist, a day after Amazon custom service told me they successfully canceled the order, amazon has sent me an email saying there is a new arrival date, next week.

If it comes I'm fine with that, but it seems to be stuck in some sort of limbo.

Pohjolas Daughter · July 23, 2023, 05:46:16 AM

Quote from: Spotted Horses on July 22, 2023, 09:49:12 AMThe latest twist, a day after Amazon custom service told me they successfully canceled the order, amazon has sent me an email saying there is a new arrival date, next week.

If it comes I'm fine with that, but it seems to be stuck in some sort of limbo.

Classical purgatory?

PD

Spotted Horses · July 23, 2023, 05:49:42 AM

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 23, 2023, 05:46:16 AMClassical purgatory?

PD

Yes, the peculiar things it seems like this thing can't ship and can't be canceled, even by Amazon staff. Best case scenario, payment is canceled, shipment isn't. Worst case scenario, shipment is cancelled, payment isn't. Another thing is it was purchased on amazon bonus points, so it is tricky to figure out if it has actually refunded. When you purchase with a credit card payment doesn't happen until it is shipped. When you purchase on bonus points, the points seem to be used up when the order is placed.

Bottom line, don't get too stressed about a little bit of money.

Brian · July 23, 2023, 06:12:41 AM

The good news is that Amazon is never too bothered by losing inventory, for whatever reason. When I ordered the Bernstein Symphony Edition, they shipped it to another person with my full name, so I had to order it again. Then the other Brian found me and handed it off to me at a Starbucks. Amazon's reaction: we don't care, keep 'em both.

Truly their guiding principle might be "anything that saves us from having to do any additional work whatsoever."

Spotted Horses · July 23, 2023, 06:28:53 AM

Quote from: Brian on July 23, 2023, 06:12:41 AMThe good news is that Amazon is never too bothered by losing inventory, for whatever reason. When I ordered the Bernstein Symphony Edition, they shipped it to another person with my full name, so I had to order it again. Then the other Brian found me and handed it off to me at a Starbucks. Amazon's reaction: we don't care, keep 'em both.

Truly their guiding principle might be "anything that saves us from having to do any additional work whatsoever."

Somehow your shipping address got mixed up with another customer? Was it USPS or amazons own delivery system?

Brian · July 23, 2023, 06:59:12 AM

Quote from: Spotted Horses on July 23, 2023, 06:28:53 AMSomehow your shipping address got mixed up with another customer? Was it USPS or amazons own delivery system?

Good question that I never got the answer to. (I think they were using UPS at that time because the merchandise was expensive enough.) It may well have been the carrier. Certainly on my Amazon orders page, it didn't say it was delivering the package to a mystery address.

Spotted Horses · July 23, 2023, 07:10:32 AM

Quote from: Brian on July 23, 2023, 06:59:12 AMGood question that I never got the answer to. (I think they were using UPS at that time because the merchandise was expensive enough.) It may well have been the carrier. Certainly on my Amazon orders page, it didn't say it was delivering the package to a mystery address.

Weird. It occurred to me that if the shipping label got mangled the courier might have looked up the name in their database to try to route the package.

In my case, I was incessantly checking the status of my package and I could swear it briefly said "package returned by courier" (amazon itself) and refund will be issued, before returning to the "package running late, not yet shipped."

Pohjolas Daughter · July 23, 2023, 12:26:18 PM

Quote from: Spotted Horses on July 23, 2023, 05:49:42 AM...Another thing is it was purchased on amazon bonus points, so it is tricky to figure out if it has actually refunded.

Bonus points? I haven't heard about them. How does that work?

PD

Madiel · July 23, 2023, 12:28:36 PM

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 23, 2023, 12:26:18 PMBonus points? I haven't heard about them. How does that work?

PD

First you have to agree to use Amazon more than once...

Pohjolas Daughter · July 23, 2023, 12:36:26 PM

Quote from: Madiel on July 23, 2023, 12:28:36 PMFirst you have to agree to use Amazon more than once...

Huh? I've used them a bunch in the past--though not lately. Am tempted to order some things through them as the local costs are shooting through the roof...particularly for some food items. For example, I was wanting to buy a certain brand of couscous that I like. It's now over $11 for a small container. Online, I noted that it was much cheaper from Amazon; however, some of the reviewers said that it smelled stale when they opened it (as in rancid) though the majority of reviewers were giving the vendor 5 stars, so it made me leery.

PD

Spotted Horses · July 23, 2023, 12:48:55 PM

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on July 23, 2023, 12:26:18 PMBonus points? I haven't heard about them. How does that work?

PD

We have an Amazon VISA card, which pays reward points which can be redeemed on Amazon.com. We also are Amazon Prime subscribers. The combination is cost effective for us because we generally shop at Whole Foods Market. Prime members get Prime-only sale items extra savings on other sale items at Whole Foods. The Amazon VISA card pays 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods and 2% for other purchases. And of course there is free shipping from Amazon.com, which I don't frequently use for CD or book purchases, but which saves us a lot of money for toys, electronic gadgets, household good, etc. Amazon Prime has a relatively high subscription fee, but the savings pay for it many times over.

T. D. · July 23, 2023, 01:28:22 PM

Quote from: Spotted Horses on July 02, 2023, 09:36:07 PMI also should have mentioned deepdiscount.com, which occasionally has the best price on an item.

I came upon a seller with some low prices and free shipping, https://www.grooves-inc.com. Has anyone here had experience with them. They accept payment from PayPal which mitigates the risk of using an unknown seller.

I've always shied away from groovesinc because of low feedback ratings. But they're also on discogs, where they have a pretty good overall rating. I'd try them if I was in Europe, but will pass here in the US. The prices can be attractive, however.

Quote from: Spotted Horses on July 23, 2023, 12:48:55 PMWe have an Amazon VISA card, which pays reward points which can be redeemed on Amazon.com. We also are Amazon Prime subscribers. The combination is cost effective for us because we generally shop at Whole Foods Market. Prime members get Prime-only sale items extra savings on other sale items at Whole Foods. The Amazon VISA card pays 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods and 2% for other purchases. And of course there is free shipping from Amazon.com, which I don't frequently use for CD or book purchases, but which saves us a lot of money for toys, electronic gadgets, household good, etc. Amazon Prime has a relatively high subscription fee, but the savings pay for it many times over.

I've come to detest Amazon and won't buy anything from them unless the price is compelling. In the case of classical CDs, it's clear that they don't give a s**t about their customers: just look at the ridiculously garbled listing / review database. And it's clear that Amazon (apart from CDs) sells loads of crap pirate product, and that their rating system is corrupt and warped by shills.

I have an Amazon credit card through my bank, but use it mostly as a backup to my main card. It does have Amazon points, but NOT free shipping, since I never joined Prime. My main reason for occasionally using the card is to accumulate points for rare Amazon purchases.

I use importcds and deep discount occasionally. I believe they are owned by the same parent company, so essentially equivalent. It pays to compare the eBay and website listings of both entities; often one or the other is far cheaper.

Brian · July 23, 2023, 01:58:10 PM

Quote from: T. D. on July 23, 2023, 01:28:22 PMI've come to detest Amazon and won't buy anything from them unless the price is compelling. In the case of classical CDs, it's clear that they don't give a s**t about their customers: just look at the ridiculously garbled listing / review database.

Incidentally, I was just searching for the new Carlos Chavez box set and Amazon only shows it if you search only for "Chavez." Add "Carlos" and they can't find it. Especially frustrating as it's out of stock at ImportCDs already so I don't know where to buy it.

T. D. · July 23, 2023, 02:07:32 PM

Quote from: Brian on July 23, 2023, 01:58:10 PMIncidentally, I was just searching for the new Carlos Chavez box set and Amazon only shows it if you search only for "Chavez." Add "Carlos" and they can't find it. Especially frustrating as it's out of stock at ImportCDs already so I don't know where to buy it.

I see UK seller "rarewaves" has it at Amazon. I'd go for them, but first see if they're offering it on eBay yet. If so, the eBay all-in cost (with "free shipping" but adjusted price) might be favorable. I've often purchased from rarewaves, both eBay and Amazon.
Never had a problem with rarewaves. Have to wait a bit for delivery (from UK). I've had a box slightly banged up, but no CD issues.

JBS · July 23, 2023, 06:12:46 PM

Quote from: Brian on July 23, 2023, 01:58:10 PMIncidentally, I was just searching for the new Carlos Chavez box set and Amazon only shows it if you search only for "Chavez." Add "Carlos" and they can't find it. Especially frustrating as it's out of stock at ImportCDs already so I don't know where to buy it.

My copy is coming from Rarewaves. I ordered it via Amazon MP. Amazon itself is offering it for the same price as Rarewaves once you add in the shipping.
Both Presto and Arkiv are showing it in stock but a higher price plus shipping.