As an Amazon Prime member, I’m used to getting items delivered pretty rapidly from the ecommerce behemoth so it’s a disappointment when instant delivery doesn’t happen.
On Saturday I realised I’d been adding a few things to my Amazon shopping basket and it was time to get on and pay for them and only once I’d paid did I realise that everything wasn’t quite as expected. Amazon’s normally impeccable next day delivery service isn’t going to happen – whilst three of the eight items I ordered are arriving on Sunday, the remaining five will turn up on random days spread over the next two weeks.
Here’s the expected delivery dates Amazon gave on their order confirmation email:
Delivery One – Standard Delivery
There’s no real surprise that this delivery won’t arrive for a couple of days as it’s from a third party retailer on Amazon. An order on Saturday isn’t likely to leave most independent retailers until Monday at the earliest but in 2016 I still find it somewhat distressing that an order placed over the weekend isn’t likely to arrive before Wednesday at the earliest and potentially as late as Friday.
Today, even the most economy of economy services are three days maximum, so what sort of delivery will take five days to arrive?
Delivery Two: Prime Priority Delivery
Amazon offer “Priority Delivery” when, ‘due to long transport distances, delivery may take longer than for other Prime items‘. Translated this most likely means that an item is in one of Amazon’s European warehouses and it’s going to take them time to fly the product to the UK and get it delivered.
It’s still somewhat disappointing that an item ordered on a Saturday that’s sold and fulfilled by Amazon themselves won’t be delivered before Wednesday.
Delivery Three – Prime One-Day Delivery
Three items on my order are arriving on Sunday. That’s the service I’ve come to expect from Amazon but it’s still pretty amazing when you think of it. I’m able to place an order on a Saturday and somehow Amazon are able to pick and pack the items, get them out to the local Amazon Logistics depot and have them transported to my house within 24 hours and all on the weekend.
I’m spoilt though, I want everything from Amazon to arrive this quickly and for only three out of eight items to arrive on Sunday feels like a bit of a let down.
Delivery Four – Prime One-Day Delivery
Two items from my order are due to be delivered on Tuesday but like Delivery Three the items are on a “Prime One-Day Delivery” service. Whilst Tuesday is two days after Sunday, it’s hard to complain at Amazon for delivering on what’s effectively the next working day after the order is placed but I feel like I should just because some of my items are arriving two days earlier.
Amazon Prime members like myself have become so accustomed to Amazon delivering the next day even it’s a Sunday. Having to wait until Tuesday (That’s three whole days, guys!) seems like an eternity.
Delivery Five – Standard Delivery
The final item on my order is from a seller who is frankly taking the mickey. Delivery is expected somewhere between Thursday this week and Monday of the following week. I though the seller of the first item was a bit tardy with their deliveries but for this one I’m almost lost for words.
Yes I know sellers like to under promise and over deliver, but a full week to get an item from somewhere in the UK to my house seems ridiculously slow.
Am I being harsh?
Of course, being Amazon I’m highly unlikely to leave feedback so, unlike on eBay, the sellers will get away with their slow deliveries. I still feel slightly hard done by though – eight items and only three of them will arrive the next day.
Am I being too demanding or have I simply been spoilt by Amazon and am now facing the reality that even they can’t delivery everything tomorrow.
9 Responses
“Delivery Five – Standard Delivery”
Chris
You clearly don’t sell on Amazon.
This is Amazon’s default delivery time and many sellers are unable to alter it.
My son is waiting for a Amazon own stocked item, on Prime One Day Delivery, ordered Wednesday & now the delivery date has been moved to Tuesday, as its now coming from a European Fulfilment centre.
We’ve had a few on these & it seems Amazon is letting the ball slip for the their One Day Delivery Prime Items
A disappointing article from someone who suppose to be an e-commerce expert, as stated by other sellers on here Amazon default delivery date are deliberately pushed out for seller not on prime pruely to make themselves look better, the item that are estimated to arrive in a week time will probably arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. You also haven’t mentioned how Amazon has moved away the commonly known best practice of including postage and packaging in the item price and clearly displaying this on item pages. It now seem common again to see items priced at stupid prices such 50p on the front page, then once you click on the item to see the seller has added £4.50 p&p, which we all know means the item is really selling for £5.00, if you put two into your baskest your charged £1 and £9.00 p&p!!!. This sort of stupid pricing was pushed out, until Amazon started to add stupid delivery charges to non prime members, so they have brougth this back!!! Also my wife who is not a prime member brougth an item from Amazon has been quoted a 2 to 3week delivery date, but next day if she purchases via prime!!!!! Obviously this is scare people into joining prime especially if they are ordering Christmas presents a couple of weeks before Christmas.
Regards items 1 & 5 I really do not understand your problem.
When your dealing with am independent retailer, they clearly show the time frame that the item will be delivered. When you purchase from them, probably because they are offering you the best price, then you are agreeing to their terms. Should you want it quicker either, buy from somebody else and pay more or pay the seller for a quicker delivery.
We show that we dispatch the item the next day send items 2nd class. In practice, most items go out the same day.
90% of orders placed, with us, on a Saturday before 11.30am go out in that days post.
We advertise all items + P&P @ £3.49 after Amazon have taken 18% we are left with £2.86, which covers the £2.57 postage and 31p for box, packing and wrapping.
Should you buy two items from us you pay just the one P&P
We do offer a 1st class service if you wish to pay extra for it.
After the item is posted, it is out of our hands, but we do find that RM have a very efficient service and often items arrive quicker than expected.
Buyers on Amazon are the most reluctant to give feedback, even after gift wrapping, at no extra cost, for two customers and sending photos of the items wrapped.
Many independent retailers do work hard to give the best service and price to the customer as they can.
Being a seller, I fully understand the frustrations FBA and Prime cause with the buy box – we can’t afford to use it for our products so we are at the mercy of amazon with our sales, but from a buyer’s point of view the prime inconsistency is just not good enough.
I wanted to order present for a friends birthday on Thursday. I have prime so thought I had plenty of time. I have tried to place the order today and the delivery date is showing as 14th – Friday! Not what I’ve come to expect from Amazon.