Amazon.Com: They Aren’t Angels, But They Sure Are Cheaper.
Monday, February 20, 2012Posted in: Amazon behaving badly?, Amazon Crack, Amazon's God Complex
But here’s the thing: Their books, dvds etc, are generally cheaper than bricks and mortar stores, and in this economy, that counts for a lot.
So it didn’t surprise me to read that it had moved up four places ratings-wise, to number four, as the brand that Americans like the most.
According to the Huffpost column:
“Amazon.com’s consumer ratings have increased significantly, moving them from 8th to 4th in the ranking of brands with the best reputations among the American public. It is now outranked only by Apple, again at number one, followed by Google and Coca-Cola.
These statistics are according to a recent Harris Poll Reputation Quotient (RQ) study, an “assessment tool that captures perceptions of corporate reputations.” Over the past 13 years, the poll has based its measurements of customer satisfaction on six categories: Social Responsibility, Emotional Appeal, Financial Performance, Products & Services, Vision & Leadership and Workplace Environment.”
Apparently, it also rated the highest of all for Emotional Appeal. The article suggest that bookstores may be surprised at this as they are after all an online store, and most people have probably never spoken to a real person at Amazon in their life. But I’m not surprised. Cheap – or at least ‘cheaper’ pricing tends to bring out my emotional side. Look at how crazy people get during sales, and let’s not mention the American Black Friday, where people actually get killed in the act of trying to grab a bargain.
“The emotional appeal of Amazon may also come as a surprise to bookstores across the country who recently have tried to start a movement boycotting the company. The opposition was in part a response to the online bookseller’s price check app, which allows users to scan items in brick-and-mortar stores and compare the cost with their own.
It may also come as a surprise to the Authors Guild, an advocate for writers’ interests, who today published a blogpost slamming Amazon’s anti-competitive practices.”
So the Author’s Guild can get as mad as they like about Amazon’s so-called “anti-competitive” practices, and their somewhat blatant under-hand tactics (is that what you kids would call an oxymoron?) but the fact remains that as long as they make buying from them as easy as picking one’s nose, and as long as they keep coming up with the cheaper prices, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. I refuse to buy books at bricks and mortar stores when I know full well that I can get them cheaper at Amazon. It pains me to admit it, but I’m a total sell-out, and my principles go to crap when I can get a bargain. And I’m sorry about that, I really am.
SarahT
February 20
3:00 pm
You’re not alone, Karen. I’ve been lectured by people for buying books, games, and DVDs from Amazon instead of giving my custom to Swiss shops, but the price difference is incredible. On average, a book (in German) purchased from Amazon.de costs me 50% less than I’d pay at a Swiss bookshop. The prices for books in English are even more extreme – usually two-thirds cheaper. Why would I pay the higher price?
Where Amazon gets a thumbs down from me is their silly surcharge on Kindle books for international customers. (I have to buy them through .com or .de, and they always cost around $2 more than an American customer would have to pay.)
ME2
February 21
1:33 am
I am an admitted cheap-@$$ (but please note, my cheapness is for things that I buy for myself, this does not mean gifts I buy for others) and Amazon 98 times out of 100 is not only cheaper, it is WAY cheaper. And I have been cut from 40 to 32 hours for the past 18+ months. So the savings do indeed help.
Sofia Harper
February 21
2:54 am
I recently bought a laptop and the first place I hit up was Amazon. I knew I could look at a variety of laptops and check the prices. I could read reviews of the product. I don’t know of any other place online I could do that all in one place.
As for being cheap…I shop at Wal-Mart not for the service but for the prices.
Lori
February 22
2:12 am
Thank you Karen. The fact is that amazon offers better prices, amazing customer service and variety. Hell, I live in Seattle and even buy groceries from them.
When someone else comes who offers the same or better then I’ll shop there too.
AztecLady
February 22
2:35 am
While I worry that always going for the cheapest alternative leads to a virtual monopoly (see Walmart) when one lives off a truly tight budget, there is little choice.
MichelleR
February 22
3:26 pm
With Kindles, people are talking to Amazon more — for replacement devices, for refunds on books, for issues with coupon codes on the special offers.
Now, Amazon CS and Kindle CS seem to be two different teams, but I’m not sure that people differentiate between the two, and I love Kindle CS.
Also, Amazon makes returns easy.
Then, we have Amazon Prime — free second day shipping, free streaming content, the ability to stream movies and TV.
The genius of this is that once you start buying from Amazon, they make it incredibly easy to keep buying from them. Not just with Prime, not just with One-Click, but by the allure of dealing with one company, having all your content come from the same source, compatible with the same devices. Buying for Amazon is, to go all folksy, as easy as falling off a log.
Low prices, good CS, easy buying, instant gratification, lots of reviews, convenient storage of your stuff…
Carolyn
February 22
9:59 pm
I agree with MichelleR. It’s just too, too convenient. And back when I couldn’t afford a Kindle, they had the Kindle for PC. God, I loved that thing,lol.
DS
February 25
10:30 pm
I’ve had contact with Amazon CS– most recently when the idiot shipper they used to send me a ream of paper dropped in on the front steps of an open business and didn’t even ring the doorbell. Of course it was stolen. No problem with Amazon though. They sent me another.
And two years ago when the same idiot shipper left a $500 cell phone on the front steps of a closed business at 6pm? Of course it was stolen. No problem with Amazon though. They sent me another one.
I haven’t seen the idiot shipper for a while, it’s been UPS, Fed-Ex and USPS only recently.
And I do have to laugh at what was probably the expression on the face of the villain who stole my paper when they ripped the package open and found a ream of high rag content cream paper that sells for $25.00 in any local office supply store and $13.50 on Amazon.