Amazon S-L-O-W shipping

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

terracore, 
That shipment tracking info probably is what puts the artificial in AI

[terracore]

They finally shipped a tool I need for a fencing project I ordered a month ago. I tried to "show them" and order somewhere else, but nobody has one in stock. I even checked stores on the Kona side. I ordered a different, more expensive tool that will do the same job from a fencing company, but rather than cancel the Amazon order, I decided to wait until I had a tool in my hand.

Long story short, the fencing company lost my order and never shipped it. Their customer service was atrocious, so I opted to get a refund rather than continue playing in that casino.

Thankfully the tool shipped UPS, so no USPS shipping it back and forth across the Pacific until it's eventually lost or destroyed.



So instead of "showing them", Amazon "showed me".

Sigh.

[terracore]

Most of the stuff that Amazon sells is from China and there's an easy way to circumvent them with Temu.

I've seen ads for Temu for a long time but I just assumed it was just another scam site, but I saw some positive reviews from sites I know that are usually accurate so I gave them a try.

In a nutshell, Temu is sort of like Amazon but the stuff is still in China when it's bought. After the order is submitted it's sent air cargo with a bunch of other orders to the USA where it clears customs, is sorted, USPS shipping labels applied, and then end delivery happens a few days later. Basically it's the same crap they sell at Amazon or eBay etc but Jeff Bezos isn't getting a cut. In my case the order took about 6 days to get from China to LAX and through customs, then another 4 days for the USPS to deliver it to Hilo. So 10 days from ordering to in my hand. I have stuff I ordered from Amazon a month ago that hasn't shipped, so Temu is super fast by comparison. The stuff can also be half the price or less. I'm wondering how much Amazon stuff I've ordered that was "in stock"... but was it really still in China? Is Amazon doing the same thing a lot of the time? I don't know.

Temu has a delivery guarantee. If you don't get the order within their window (I think it's about 16 days) they give you a $5 credit. They also have a 90 day return window (Amazon=30) and a 30 day price difference guarantee (Amazon=0). I've never used any of their guarantees so I don't know if they actually have any value or not.

Temu doesn't have any club to join like Prime. Their order minimum is $10. They don't claim to have "free shipping" but every time I've logged in they have an "order now for free shipping" with a fake timer counting down like it's going to end soon. They also have so many different coupon offerings going on at a time its impossible to keep them straight. The one I used was "$20 off any $50 order". My cart already had $30 worth of crap in it so I figured, why not? So I found an additional $20 worth and added it to cart, and it was free.

Temu isn't perfect. You have to be on your toes when ordering. Example: I was looking at solar powered security cameras and they had all the same offerings I saw on Amazon, but none of them were any cheaper. Then I saw one for $14. "What's the catch?" The Devil is in the details. It wasn't until I got to the ordering button that I realized the camera and solar panel are sold separately. The solar panel was $14, not the camera. One has to look for some "bait and switch" on the ads. Another example was a 100 watt solar panel "kit". I wasn't interested in buying it but from the picture I could tell that it was at most a 20-30 watt panel, so I clicked on it to try and figure out what the switch was. Even after looking at it I'm not entirely sure, but I think the 100 watts was pertaining to the charge controller, not the solar panel. It was pretty clear in the negative reviews though that it was NOT a 100 watt panel.

So how's the quality? I didn't order any electronics, so I can't speak to that, but I ordered durable goods like tools, bits, umbrellas, sun hats, etc and they are all as good or better than anything I've received from Amazon. The shipping is quite a bit different. Everything I got was shipped loose in a bag. Nothing was broken, but also nothing was fragile. But they definitely cut down on shipping weight by not using boxes, foam, packing materials etc, and yet somehow the stuff arrived in better condition for it.

The site has 99 cent or dollar store feel to it, and everything has cheesy "99% Off Next 3 hours!" sales themes, but there are good quality items to be found at prices that can't be beat, especially if you want to play their coupon games etc. It's not the end-all solution to online shopping but it's another option to keep in mind.

The items I purchased had "Hawaii Okay to ship" type description on them in the ordering cart, so that leads me to believe there are some items they won't ship here, but I haven't actually come across one.

['elepaio]

^^^ Awesome info Mr. Terracore >>> SALAMAT !

[leilanidude]

Interesting, terracore.
I had seen the ads for it and a couple of simple searches on TEMU mostly said scam, poor quality, not what was ordered, etc. I guess I can give it a try.

[terracore]

I knew a guy who had some products made in China. He explained to me how the manufacturers there operate.

The first production run usually has no problems other than one would expect when a new product is produced. They try to "hook" you for future business by offering good product and service.

Subsequent production runs may start running into problems as they start cutting corners and using inferior components. For example, if the original contract called for 304 stainless steel screws (or whatever), you can expect something inferior to that to be substituted when they think the spotlight on their QC is being lifted. If it isn't caught, they will eventually substitute something inferior to the substitute. At the same time they are producing your product, they have already reverse engineered how to produce a copy of it using entirely cheaper, substituted components and begin to start selling knock offs, so eventually one's product is competing with it's own knock offs, often times made in the same factory. If it's an electronic product, the knock offs could have spyware or other nefarious additives installed as well.

So, caveat emptor. Would I buy a sun hat from a discount site? Screwdriver bits? Sure. A cell phone? No way.

Interesting anecdote: One time I needed a bottle of printer ink for my Epson Eco Tank. I specifically didn't want knock-off ink, even though it's probably just as good and 1/4 the price. So I bought certified Epson ink sold and shipped by Amazon.

Almost a year later I got an email from Amazon expressing their regret that despite their "rigorous" process, they sold me counterfeit Epson ink. They refunded the purchase price and recommended that I dispose of the ink. Since I had dumped it into my printer almost a year earlier, that wasn't possible. The ink seems fine, and in the end it was free so I'm not going to complain about it. It's not like my printer burst into flames or anything. But it goes to show you that anybody can be swindled, even with "rigorous" procedures in place. Somebody is always going to try and game the system. Sites like Temu have fewer "rigorous" eyes on it, so make your purchases accordingly.

[ChunksterK]

Temu's parent company, Pinduoduo, has been labeled as a major cybersecurity risk, and Temu itself has some issues in that regard. Those Chinese apps may not be what you want on your phone. Frau Chunkster deleted Temu after reading this article:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2023/04/20/delete-temu-app-cybersecurity-expert-advice/11667796002/#:~:text=Temu%20collects%2C%20among%20other%20things%3A&text=The%20info%20you%20provide%2C%20such,%2C%20address%2C%20and%20phone%20number.&text=Details%20you%20enter%2C%20such%20as,photo%2C%20and%20social%20media%20profiles.&text=Your%20phone%20or%20computer's%20operating,it)%2C%20and%20browsing%20data.

[terracore]

As a general rule, I don't install apps on my phone if I can conduct the business with a web browser.

The Amazon app, for example, turns the microphone on my iPhone on automatically when it's launched, and without telling me. The only reason I know is the iPhone has those tiny LEDs that light up when the microphone or camera is activated.

As far as USA Today having an article disparaging Amazon's competitor:

"Amazon is a major advertiser in USA Today. In 2022, Amazon was the top advertiser in USA Today, spending an estimated $100 million on ads.

Amazon and USA Today have a partnership to sell USA Today subscriptions through Amazon's Kindle platform.

Amazon and USA Today have a partnership to produce a daily news podcast called "The Daily".

Amazon and USA Today have a partnership to produce a daily news show called "USA Today Now".

These partnerships help Amazon to reach a wider audience and to promote its products and services. They also help USA Today to generate revenue and to stay relevant in the digital age.

In addition to these formal partnerships, there are also informal links between Amazon and USA Today. For example, Amazon employees are often quoted in USA Today articles, and USA Today journalists sometimes use Amazon products and services in their reporting. These informal links help to build relationships between the two companies and to promote mutual understanding.

Overall, there are a number of links between Amazon and USA Today. These links help the two companies to achieve their respective goals and to build a mutually beneficial relationship."

Remember when Bezos couldn't get enough positive spin from the Washington Post, he bought the newspaper.

[ChunksterK]

Does Bezos also own Time Magazine?

https://time.com/6243738/temu-app-complaints/

The LA Times?

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2...-china-ban

A cybersecurity expert TV interview tells us "The real product is your data":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg_c4qiQn_c

Although not focused on the digital platform, the U.S. government isn't positive:

https://www.uscc.gov/research/shein-temu...-loopholes

Bottom line, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't.

[terracore]

Well.... you asked:

"Time magazine and Amazon have a business relationship. Amazon is a distributor of Time magazine content, and Time magazine is a content provider for Amazon. Amazon sells Time magazine subscriptions through its website, and Time magazine offers its content through Amazon's Kindle platform. Additionally, Amazon has a stake in Time's parent company, Meredith Corporation. In 2021, Amazon acquired a 20% stake in Meredith for $1.7 billion. This investment gives Amazon a seat on Meredith's board of directors and access to its vast library of content.

Here are some specific examples of the relationship between Time magazine and Amazon:

Amazon sells Time magazine subscriptions through its website.

Time magazine offers its content through Amazon's Kindle platform.

Amazon has a stake in Time's parent company, Meredith Corporation.

This relationship benefits both Time magazine and Amazon. Time magazine gains access to a wider audience through Amazon's distribution channels, and Amazon gains access to Time's high-quality content.

Here are some of the benefits of this relationship for Time magazine:

Increased reach: Amazon has a large customer base, which gives Time magazine the opportunity to reach a wider audience.

Increased revenue: Amazon generates revenue from Time magazine subscriptions and from selling Time magazine content through its Kindle platform.

Increased brand awareness: Amazon's association with Time magazine can help to raise the magazine's profile.
Here are some of the benefits of this relationship for Amazon:

High-quality content: Time magazine is a respected news and lifestyle magazine with a long history of publishing high-quality content.

Exclusive content: Amazon has access to exclusive Time magazine content, which can help to differentiate its platform from competitors.

Brand association: Amazon's association with Time magazine can help to improve its reputation and credibility..."

"The relationship between the Los Angeles Times and Amazon is complex and has evolved over time. In recent years, the two companies have had a number of business dealings, including:

In 2018, Amazon announced that it would be the exclusive distributor of the Los Angeles Times's digital products. This deal gave Amazon access to the Times's paywalled content, including news articles, opinion pieces, and photographs.
In 2020, Amazon announced that it would be investing $1 billion in the Los Angeles Times's parent company, Tronc. This investment gave Amazon a seat on Tronc's board of directors and access to the Times's newsroom.
In 2021, Amazon announced that it would be launching a new advertising platform for local news organizations. The platform, called Amazon Publisher Services, will allow local news organizations to sell advertising space on Amazon's websites and apps. The Los Angeles Times is one of the first news organizations to sign up for the platform.
These business dealings have led to some concerns about the potential for Amazon to exert undue influence over the Los Angeles Times. Some critics have argued that Amazon's ownership stake in Tronc gives the company too much control over the Times's editorial content. Others have expressed concern that Amazon's advertising platform could give the company too much power over the Times's business operations.

The Los Angeles Times has defended its relationship with Amazon, arguing that the company's investments have helped to stabilize the Times's finances and allow it to invest in its newsroom. The Times has also said that it will maintain its editorial independence from Amazon.

Only time will tell how the relationship between the Los Angeles Times and Amazon will evolve. However, it is clear that the two companies are increasingly intertwined, and their relationship will have a significant impact on the future of local journalism."