I finally succumbed and signed up for the free prime offer during prime days last week and ordered a few things I had been eyeing… They arrived today. Ordered late PM on Wednesday, and got the dispatch notice this morning, then shortly after, another email saying delivery would be today. I thought it was a system glitch - but no, sure enough, arrived a couple of hours later.
Amazon just got bumped up my list of preferred vendors. Happy chappy.
But productreview.com.au doesn't give suspiciously positive experiences on JB Hi-Fi refunding used iPhones…
Ok - to satisfy James D policing the site for everyone (even though I am posting on the FORUM not the DEALS section of the site) - I bought 4 x 510ml Oyster Sauce at the ridiculously low rate of $2.50 each with free deliver…. and it arrived quick stix. Beat that Coles/Woolworhts/Aldi.
Amazon Prime delivery is worthy of bargain status as it actually works - I attribute a lot more value to the delivery element of Amazon purchases than Ebay as my experience with Amazon deliveries is so much better. Returns is the same.
To further this point. I like that I can actually hold Amazon to their estimated arrival time, since you can actually ask for a refund if stuff doesn’t arrived a few days past ETA.
Ebay, on the other hand, seems to use this as a suggestion and multiple times I explicitly picked AU seller with ETA of 7 days or so, only to end up with item getting drop-shipped taking 3+ weeks after making payment.
i ordered some tissues online (family member prefers a certain brand and they are all out of stock in coles / woolworths / chemist) with express shipping, 3 days later and they still haven't actually shipped it, so i check some feedback and there are a couple negs for cancelling orders and refunding due to lack of stock. they did acquiesce to my cancellation order within an hour or two, so points for that at least.
if i'm paying 15 bucks for shipping, i expect it to be shipped promptly, they even had an ebay store so it's not like this was some sidegig, it appears to be their main business. i can order on amazon and if it's sold by amazon AU i usually get the same shipping time as a normal express post (about 1 week, one of the bad things about living in Tas) even including the time that amazon takes to ship something, which is usually at least a day, if not 3, all for the low price of 7 bucks a month, not per package.
Ebay is a marketplace, you've simply encountered a seller who's gamed the system to make it display incorrect misleading info. The same can be said about Amazon Marketplace where I've encountered incorrect fakes being sold (but I'm not going to attribute Amazon to that).
When used propertly Ebay works as it should. I've shipped things via my store and they have been delivered 6 hours later in the same city. That's what it's like when someone pays for what pay for.
Yep gotta say im impressed. Kinda lost interest after they lost the GST benefit… will see how I go a few months into membership if I use it enough to justify it. But at least now they have me looking whereas before I wasnt.
they are still almost always cheaper than other options, doubly so when you consider that you get free shipping on the vast majority of items, you only have to pay with different sellers or when ordering internationally.
Amazon is rarely cheaper. They just simply match price because they've been beat.
@plmko: even without sales they are often noticeably cheaper than other retailers, at least $5 - $10 depending on the price of the item, sometimes much more.
@plmko: The primary way that I've found Amazon cheaper is if I set price alerts on CamelCamelCamel for specific items.
That way I have been lucky to catch a few 24hr price drops but generally I find their prices to be mostly price matching/beating for the items that I buy semiregularly.
There are some items that seem to go through a price cycle over a few months and, if I'm not in a hurry to buy, can result in significant savings (just make sure to check the other local places first eg staticice)
I usually find that eBay is cheaper. But I have seen plenty of people say that Amazon is cheaper, so it must depend on what you are buying.
It’s super cheap especially seeing you get free streaming video, free streaming music service, free unlimited photo back ups (only learnt about this one a few days ago), free monthly video games, free twitch, free ebooks.
As well as quick free delivery. Eg Ordered 30 cans of Pepsi for $13 one afternoon, delivered the next morning.
Plenty of times it’s been next day, even Sundays. .
Well worth the annual $69
It’s super cheap especially seeing you get free streaming video, free streaming music service, free unlimited photo back ups (only learnt about this one a few days ago), free monthly video games, free twitch, free ebooks.
In Australia there's no unlimited photo back ups - that's US Prime
Well worth the annual $69
It's $59 annually.
@Grunntt: Ah, is it only US for photos. I didn’t try it, download the app but that was it.
Thanks for the price update.
Edit, just tried and it 5GB for Australia.
@PVA: I'm happy not having the unlimited photo storage as the price for Prime in the US is $US139 ($AU 204 at current rates).
AU price is a pretty good deal just for the free delivery alone if you buy a few things from them.
@Grunntt: Really, that expensive.
We get free 5GB for photos in Australia it seems.
I think it’s worth it for free delivery, video streaming and music streaming.
Need to check prices for good, a lot of the time they aren’t cheaper, same with CostCo.
Don't forget the streaming service is included in the price.
As we are comparing Amazon with eBay:
1. Amazon delivery dates are trustworthy, whereas a lot of eBay merchants pretend to be Australian but actually bulk-ship from overseas (China) taking 3 weeks.
2. You can read customer reviews on Amazon (a lot of them are real, not fake), so you know what you are getting before you order. For some items, you can also check out the American Amazon site for more reviews, giving detailed insight about issues and features. But eBay has a lot of fake stuff from fraudulent sellers, and there is no way of reporting them (not that eBay would give a rat's arse anyway).
I usually get next day delivery, delivering on Sunday is normal
Thanks… now I know. Seriously thought it was a system glitch that it was going to be delivered today lol
My order was due today. Still waiting…
Thats odd, for me latest deliveries are before 9PM
Still waiting..
My stuff often arrives the day after I order, if not the day after that. And funnily enough I got a delivery today too. Enjoy Amazon @itunes.
Nothing new… With the sub contracting deliveries I get them Saturday and Sunday past 18 months
Meanwhile in some parts of the country it always takes a week.
Well, they don't have a fulfilment centre in Tasmania yet…….
Yes they send all on Sunday while auspost are close. 🤣😷
Amazon prime fast delivery is amazing. I got a parcel today and they left it in the safe place because I wasn't home. This delivery guy knows us well because he frequently delivers our Amazon parcels on Sunday.
Surprisingly, a replacement item that I requested 2 days ago was also in the package! I haven't returned the defective item that I bought on Prime Days back to Amazon (will do it tomorrow even though I have 30 days to do it). Never had any issue requesting a refund or replacement item with Amazon.
Meanwhile I have an Australia Post parcel sitting in the distribution center for me to collect but they are open 7-5 M-F. How do they still have opening hours from the 1980s?
Amazon is as much a delivery company as a retail company, and they seriously embarrass the encumbents. With eBay you don't know who's delivering it, and no guarantees with ATL.
because auspost are safe and don't really face any danger from amazon, for now. my local postie is good but auspost as a company are awful and i hope amazon introduces a competing parcel service eventually to drive them out of business, though they will probably end up sitting on their arse doing nothing once they have done that and be just as bad as auspost are, at least amazon have earned their position in the market through savvy business decisions whereas the auspost execs probably just got the position because they know a guy or are family with a guy and continue the status quo, nepotism is the australian way, after all.
Australia Post … are open 7-5 M-F. How do they still have opening hours from the 1980s?
The 1980s are offended by that comment. The 1950s want their opening hours back.
Aren’t you supposed to tick that “I am associated with Amazon AU” button?
Great if it's in stock at your local warehouse. Worse now if it's not. Before warehouse was open here they would send by express post. Now always seem to use regular parcel post and you know how long that takes (from east to west)
OP don't forget your Prime membership also got you access to Prime music, video and games (free games monthly).
I think the subscription fee is well worth it with the reliable free shipping and if you have use of any of the above services.
Definitely worth it, I rarely shop at Ebay now as I prefer the quick delivery from Amazon.
Amazon has been doing Sunday deliveries for years. It's not new. They use their own logistics processes both in-house (Flex) as well as third party like Dragonfly so not always reliant on AusPost.