5 ms·

Who would voluntarily use Amazon shipping? They're bad enough with their own packages.

MuffinFlavored 7y ago
I know a company that did. Amazon was 30% cheaper than heavily discount UPS rates. Sometimes, they were even cheaper than the USPS!
- adamch 7y ago
  This makes sense. My guess is that Amazon was lower prices by taking a loss on this service, trying to scale it up. They definitely have the cash necessary to sustain losses until they can drive down competition!
  - p1necone 7y ago
    Isn't this (operating at a loss until you steal enough market share from competitors to beat them) illegal?
    - kenhwang 7y ago
      Only if you succeed in becoming a monopoly. Otherwise it's just how capitalism is supposed to work.
    - annoyingnoob 7y ago
      Not with the magic of Hollywood style accounting.
derision 7y ago
I've never had an issue with anything shipping from Amazon
- kenhwang 7y ago
  I've rarely not had an issue with shipping from Amazon. Turns out when you randomly gig-hire a different person every day for delivery, they never learn how to get into an office/apartment building. USPS/UPS/FedEx have been sending the same person for years. They know where the mail room is, what the building hours are, who to call for building access when codes rotate, where the elevators are, where the emergency stairs are when the elevators are down, and where the units are. Half the time Amazon delivery just leaves the package somewhere in the lobby or not even in the building.
  - calvinbhai 7y ago
    This is much worse an issue if you live in a super new apartment in the suburbs. UPS/FedEx drivers know location very well. Amazon delivery ends up in a totally different location, marking it as delivered. I dont know how Amazon makes money when 2 out of 5 deliveries to my address were being lost or mis-delivered ️
    - kenhwang 7y ago
      If I had to guess, it's by having typically 6-figure salary delivery drivers replaced with near minimum wage gig workers. But yes, I've also noticed when my package ends up in a completely different building on the other side of town because of missed cardinal direction on the address. Our office manager has working relationship with the office manager on the other side of town with an address similar to ours because of how often they have to trade wrongly delivered/addressed packages/mail.
      - servercobra 7y ago
        Looking at Glassdoor and a couple other Google results, the median is closer to $50k than >$100k for Fedex and UPS, as well as USPS. Though the point stands that gig workers should save money, even if they mess up fairly often.
    - snapetom 7y ago
ComputerGuru 7y ago
Anyone. It was the seller’s decision, not the buyer. If it’s good enough for Amazon and you’re not selling something particularly special with exotic shipping needs due to extra fragility or handling precautions, why wouldn’t you use an option that Amazon felt was good enough for them if it cost you less?
loeg 7y ago
Amazon doesn't give you a choice at checkout.

I know a company that did. Amazon was 30% cheaper than heavily discount UPS rates. Sometimes, they were even cheaper than the USPS!

adamch 7y ago
This makes sense. My guess is that Amazon was lower prices by taking a loss on this service, trying to scale it up. They definitely have the cash necessary to sustain losses until they can drive down competition!
- p1necone 7y ago
  Isn't this (operating at a loss until you steal enough market share from competitors to beat them) illegal?
  - kenhwang 7y ago
    Only if you succeed in becoming a monopoly. Otherwise it's just how capitalism is supposed to work.
  - annoyingnoob 7y ago
    Not with the magic of Hollywood style accounting.

derision 7y ago

I've never had an issue with anything shipping from Amazon

kenhwang 7y ago
I've rarely not had an issue with shipping from Amazon. Turns out when you randomly gig-hire a different person every day for delivery, they never learn how to get into an office/apartment building. USPS/UPS/FedEx have been sending the same person for years. They know where the mail room is, what the building hours are, who to call for building access when codes rotate, where the elevators are, where the emergency stairs are when the elevators are down, and where the units are. Half the time Amazon delivery just leaves the package somewhere in the lobby or not even in the building.
- calvinbhai 7y ago
  This is much worse an issue if you live in a super new apartment in the suburbs. UPS/FedEx drivers know location very well. Amazon delivery ends up in a totally different location, marking it as delivered. I dont know how Amazon makes money when 2 out of 5 deliveries to my address were being lost or mis-delivered ️
  - kenhwang 7y ago
    If I had to guess, it's by having typically 6-figure salary delivery drivers replaced with near minimum wage gig workers. But yes, I've also noticed when my package ends up in a completely different building on the other side of town because of missed cardinal direction on the address. Our office manager has working relationship with the office manager on the other side of town with an address similar to ours because of how often they have to trade wrongly delivered/addressed packages/mail.
    - servercobra 7y ago
      Looking at Glassdoor and a couple other Google results, the median is closer to $50k than >$100k for Fedex and UPS, as well as USPS. Though the point stands that gig workers should save money, even if they mess up fairly often.
  - snapetom 7y ago

ComputerGuru 7y ago

Anyone. It was the seller’s decision, not the buyer. If it’s good enough for Amazon and you’re not selling something particularly special with exotic shipping needs due to extra fragility or handling precautions, why wouldn’t you use an option that Amazon felt was good enough for them if it cost you less?

loeg 7y ago

Amazon doesn't give you a choice at checkout.