Buying from Amazon...

Do you have a query on how to get things done in Andalucia, where to find things, who to call? Find out by posting and hear about others experiences.
User avatar
peteroldracer
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7774
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:56 pm
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia

Buying from Amazon...

Postby peteroldracer » Sat Dec 16, 2017 10:28 am

Just a note of caution if you are looking to buy through Amazon.es. They sent me one of their “you have been looking” mails about a fridge/freezer on offer @€385 + €20 carriage, supplied by electrocosto. What caught my eye was that we had bought this same combi direct from electrocosto this month for €325 + 20........and to add insult to injury they have reduced the price by another €6,
I know Amazon must get a markup somewhere, but €60!?
Service from electrocosto was very good, except you have no online tracking for your €20, and delivery took 8 days, though 4 of those were weekend or fiesta.
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.

User avatar
costakid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5754
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:55 am
Location: malaga este

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby costakid » Sat Dec 16, 2017 10:39 am

As they say there is nothing for nothing in this world.

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby El Cid » Sat Dec 16, 2017 11:17 am

I have never found Amazon to be particularly good value for white goods. I wanted a new fridge/freezer recently and bought a Samsung from El Corte Ingles online. It was the best deal of all the electrodomesticos places and they were happy to dispose of the old one.

I use Amazon a lot and it's the convenience rather than the prices that I find attractive especially with small cheap items where trying to find a retail outlet can be difficult and time consuming.

Sid

TorreDelAguila
Resident
Posts: 1356
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:52 am
Location: Sayalonga

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby TorreDelAguila » Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:01 pm

Amazon UK have also become unpleasantly aggressive with Prime, and it's spreading to .es etc. Many items only available Prime, and if you buy one of these, you are automatically signed up to the 30-day 'free trial', at the end of which you will be charged. Previously, signing up for Prime was something you could do voluntarily - now it has become an automatic operation.

Thousands of complains on the web about this. Trick (if you need to order an item that is Prime-only) is to order it, and then immediately cancel the Prime trial/subscription.

Amazon are hiding this option somewhat, but get to it thus:

Hit 'Your Account' and the 'Your Account' option
Hit the Prime symbol (top right, the blue parcel)
Sign in
This gets you to the Manage Prime Subscription page
Terminate the trial/subscription, ignoring all pleas not to do so.
Chris

User avatar
peteroldracer
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7774
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:56 pm
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby peteroldracer » Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:10 pm

My point was of course that rather than simply accept the Amazon price, it could be worthwhile checking the price direct with their supplier....a bit like going to an hotel’s website after checking on Bookings.com or whatever.
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby El Cid » Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:11 pm

If you use Amazon Spain regularly, Prime is a bargain at €20 just for the free next day delivery on most orders.

As a Prime subscriber, I was not aware that items marked "Prime" were only available if you had a subscription, rather that if they were not "Prime" items, you did not get the free delivery.

You also have access to their streaming video service, however it has fewer films than the full UK Prime service, but that costs £79. Until recently, Amazon Spain called it Premium, now they call it Prime, but it is not the same as UK Prime, but cheaper.

Sid

User avatar
dxf
Resident
Posts: 573
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2004 5:51 pm
Location: Chiclana Cadiz
Contact:

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby dxf » Sat Dec 16, 2017 11:33 pm

TorreDelAguila wrote:Amazon UK have also become unpleasantly aggressive with Prime, and it's spreading to .es etc. Many items only available Prime, and if you buy one of these, you are automatically signed up to the 30-day 'free trial', at the end of which you will be charged. Previously, signing up for Prime was something you could do voluntarily - now it has become an automatic operation.

Thousands of complains on the web about this. Trick (if you need to order an item that is Prime-only) is to order it, and then immediately cancel the Prime trial/subscription.

Amazon are hiding this option somewhat, but get to it thus:

Hit 'Your Account' and the 'Your Account' option
Hit the Prime symbol (top right, the blue parcel)
Sign in
This gets you to the Manage Prime Subscription page
Terminate the trial/subscription, ignoring all pleas not to do so.
Hola
Thank you for that - I had just ordered 8€ worth of cable for the first time ever and you were right - I had been subscribed to Prime automatically.
I will never order form Amazon again - in my opinion they are thieves and what they are doing should be made illegal and the directors hung drawn and quartered

Davexf

TorreDelAguila
Resident
Posts: 1356
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:52 am
Location: Sayalonga

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby TorreDelAguila » Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:06 am

Amazon offer a great choice and service, but on the Prime issue they are annoying people bigtime.
Tactics must be
- complain to them via their website
- complain on the telephone (you'll have to Google them to find out a customer service phone number, which they hide)
- avoid Prime items (which can be available, but not always, from other Amazon-listed vendors)
- unsubscribe each time you have no choice but to order a Prime item

Amazon are, if nothing else, usually sensitive to customer dissatisfaction and complaint, and they also collate feedback and customer habits on a massive scale. Multiple cancellations of Prime auto-subscriptions can't be going unnoticed.

------------

Update:
In the last few days, Amazon UK have now added a new info screen, which appears just after you select your preferred payment method. This screen gives you the option of continuing with the order with or without enrolling into Prime.
Previous tiny text on the screen has been enlarged to provide clarity.

BBC Watchdog are involved in yet another investigation into Amazon, this time about Prime. For details google 'BBC Watchdog investigates Amazon'. Interesting to see the line Amazon are taking in relation to this new investigation.
Chris

Lavanda
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6191
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: Cáceres Province, Extremadura

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby Lavanda » Mon Dec 18, 2017 12:26 pm

I've never bought anything from Amazon, ever, but that is mainly because I haven't got the patience to navigate their site. I'm not that techno-savvy and like simple sites like M&S, The Book Depositary, Booking.com and EasyJet. There you have my buying-on-line list in it's entirety. However, back to Amazon. I just don't like how they treat their slaves. It puts me off using them no matter how cheap they are. I feel like a collaborator in their nasty working practices. That's just me and no offence to the Amazon fans among you.

maureenscot
Resident
Posts: 666
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:37 pm

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby maureenscot » Mon Dec 18, 2017 6:56 pm

You are right Lavanda. I need to use ir for my kindle books though

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5879
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby Wicksey » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:15 am

I have bought numerous items through Amazon, both the UK and Spanish one. The best part of the Spanish one for me, living in the campo, is that they had a choice of pick-up points which means it is easy to have things delivered. Ironically the pick-up point is the local post office where my POBox is, where they won't deliver to!

I don't find it a difficult site to use but I usually know exactly what I want which probably makes the searching easier. The only thing that isn't always clear is the postage costs, and I seem to have to go through the ordering stages before they'll say how much it is. Some suppliers charge really reasonable rates and others are a ridiculous rip-off .... I don't know how they get away with it.

User avatar
patricia
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2514
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 7:56 pm
Location: torrox Costa

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby patricia » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:44 am

Well I spent all day yesterday waiting for some items to be delivered. :thumbup: The time kept getting changed. :thumbdown: I phoned the Malaga office who told me it was being delivered, even at 7.30pm and 7.50pm they told me it was going to be delivered, and the map showed they were in the road where I live, but no sign of the van. :thumbdown: In the end I rang again only to be told the van had broken down What a load of old cobblers. :evil:
Torrox Costa "El mejor clima de Europa"

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby El Cid » Tue Dec 19, 2017 11:51 am

I have given up with deliveries via the local transport companies as they never deliver to the house so we get a phone call and pop down to meet them at the bottom of the road. That works fine, but you still sit around all day waiting for a call.

As we are Amazon Prime subscribers we get next day, free delivery on many items with the option to have them delivered to a pickup point in town. I get a text message when they have arrived and I can then collect to fit in with my schedule.

Sid

User avatar
patricia
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2514
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 7:56 pm
Location: torrox Costa

Re: Buying from Amazon...

Postby patricia » Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:18 pm

I have Amazon prime too. I think i will do that in the future. Such a waste of time hanging about for a package that may not be delivered. Last time was the same. Two days running that was, it was being delivered and then it wasnt etc...........................
Torrox Costa "El mejor clima de Europa"


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot] and 28 guests