Are you an Amazon.com junkie?

[TotallyOz]

I was sitting down trying to balance ledgers today and one of the items that keep coming up on my credit card bills is Amazon.com. I cannot even tell you how many things I buy from that website in one year. I do not even live in the United States full-time and I still find Amazon.com is indispensable.

A few years back when I took an apartment in New York City, I furnish the entire apartment from Amazon.com. Well, with the exception of a bed and a sofa. Everything else, and I do mean everything else was sent to me by Amazon.com. The UPS driver made daily deliveries that filled my living room with boxes from Amazon.com.

During the holiday season, I find that I do most of my shopping@Amazon.com. I have a niece and nephew that I by many presents for and every one of them comes from Amazon.com. I don't know if that makes me a lazy ass mother fucker or not. but shopping with Amazon is easy, convenient, and I feel I get the best deal for my money.

When I had to have a case for my 27 inch iMac, I found it online and knew exactly what I wanted. Amazon had the same price as every other company in the USA. The only difference was there were no taxes that were added to the cost and because I am an Amazon.com prime member there was also free shipping.

Being an Amazon.com prime member gives you 2nd day delivery on any item you purchase that is directly shipped from Amazon.com. For me, I love the fact that I can order something one day and it's delivered in the next 2 days for free.

Do you use Amazon.com? Are there other online companies that you prefer? Do you prefer to do your shopping in person as opposed to on the Internet?

I asked mainly because I am curious as I have always hated shopping in person. Now that I can shop online, I enjoy it. But take me to the mall and asked me to buy something for myself or for someone else and my attention span lasts a maximum of 10 min.

[TownsendPLocke]

And finally you can earn miles with your Amazon purchases! Only two airlines right now-but there may be more added soon.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16753939-post1.html

[Guest hitoallusa]

I don't buy anything from Amazon except books. I once bought a hand held vacuum cleaner though. I go there and read book reviews and boy I find people who hasn't even read the book posting there. It's fun though.

[Guest EXPAT]

I also hate hate hate hate shopping malls. Amazon.com has been a real winner in avoiding shopping. And typically their prices are best in the market as well. I'm not a prime member because I usually get free shipping anyway with everything that I order. But now almost everything can be purchased at Amazon.com. When will they start a fresh green grocer section???

[lookin]

I'm a big fan. Even bigger after I returned two TV's. It took me less than two minutes to fill out the form on their website, and print the return form. They had UPS show up the next day with all the shipping forms already filled out. Easy, peasy, and they paid the return freight.

I like their review sections too. Even when I don't buy from them, I check out what others have to say about the product.

I do pay taxes though. At first, it was tempting to count it as savings, but I like the services my state provides and figured it was fair to kick in my share. When I'm doing my taxes, it's easy to go to Amazon's website and get a report of last year's purchases. I'm not sure why Amazon raises such a ruckus about collecting taxes, other than to gain what seems like an unfair pricing advantage.

The only downside is that they do siphon off business from local retailers, but the big national retail chains have already done that anyway, so it's not a huge deterrent. I keep my fingers crossed that they're not funding any unjust causes or snarky politicians, as I would miss buying from them.

[Guest JamesIvory]

I shop often online and use Amazon most of the time. I find that they are very easy to deal with. I recently made a huge mistake and purchased a iPad direct from Apple online. I didn't even pay attention that they charged me nearly $50. in tax! I would have saved that money by purchasing from Amazon.

[TampaYankee]

Amazon is my first shopping stop. I have gotten some earth-shattering bargains there like a 42in flatscreen plasma TV for $699 with free shipping when the competition was charging $200-$400 more. I get most items usally with free shipping. Occasionally, I find a better price elsewhere and buy it, but not often.

I also check Overstock.com for appropriate items. I got a queen size 10" memory foam mattress for $339 + $2 shopping. Check the local and other online quotes. Nothing close.

[Guest gcursor]

This is a topic near and very dear to my heart. I've downgraded my ordering drastically in the past few years but that's because I've already ordered so much. I'll be busy for a long time to come.

In the past 11 years, I have placed over 500 orders with AMAZON.com. These orders have had in combination over 2,000 items (books and dvds mostly) Since I don't open these items when they first arrive (I keep them in a storage unit), I had once figured that if I would open one new item every week for a year, it would take the better part of 10 years to look through everything that I have gotten.

So yes, I do love my AMAZON.COM. Just a little side story, there is this "saved items" area on the item checkout where you can save items that you might buy later on. Mine (of course) is always maxxed out as I put in things that I feel might be cool to have. Most of the things I order are based on "knowledge" I want to learn initially about (NLP, architecture, etc) or special items that somehow are unique. Anyway one day I logged in and my saved items were gone. I was furious. I take MONTHS creating these. I wrote to amazon.com and said I was a VERY loyal customer and that they should restore my "saved items". I called them and the guy said he wasn't sure what happened but there was no way he could retrieve that type of data. I explained to them how much I've bought from them and how LOYAL of a customer I am and he maintained the attitude that he couldn't restore the "saved items".

Next day as I was logging in, I noticed with utter delight that all my saved items were back in my cart. Every single one of them. An apology letter was in my email from amazon.com saying that somebody had made a programming error and thanking me for my loyalty.

the only thing I don't like about amazon.com now is that I have gone off on so many "tangents" in ordering things that the "Recommended for you" really doesn't work all that great for me any longer. Most of the time, it's stuff I've either watched, bought from somebody else or have no interest in. I actually believe that one of these days it will come up and say "We have NO recommendations for you any longer! "

[TotallyOz]

One of the things I like the most about Amazon.com's is their recommended list on my homepage every day. Sometimes I find something I want, and sometimes I do not. However, they are pretty close when it comes to my book selection.

I only buy Kindle books. I have only purchased one hard book in the last year. Other than that book, the only other hard copy books that I purchased@Amazon.com are photography books. Everything else is a book that I downloaded to my Kindle and my iPad.

Today TampaYankee mentioned a mattress that he had purchased online. I went to Amazon.com to find something similar and found many that I liked. Knowing that I will be back in the USA for several months next year, and knowing that I need a good mattress, I put this mattress in my wish list. This way when I know more of my plans all I have to do is go to my wish list and move it to my cart.

As I said before, Amazon is one of my favorite websites.I don't think I will ever reach the status of Amazon.com not having something to recommend for me to purchase.

[TampaYankee]

Today TampaYankee mentioned a mattress that he had purchased online. I went to Amazon.com to find something similar and found many that I liked. Knowing that I will be back in the USA for several months next year, and knowing that I need a good mattress, I put this mattress in my wish list. This way when I know more of my plans all I have to do is go to my wish list and move it to my cart.

I got a much better price at Overstock that day. However, that can change on any day. Keep both in mind when you get down to business.

[Lucky]

Amazon is my first shopping stop. I have gotten some earth-shattering bargains there like a 42in flatscreen plasma TV for $699 with free shipping when the competition was charging $200-$400 more. I get most items usally with free shipping. Occasionally, I find a better price elsewhere and buy it, but not often.

I also check Overstock.com for appropriate items. I got a queen size 10" memory foam mattress for $339 + $2 shopping. Check the local and other online quotes. Nothing close.

The ten inch mattress was for your dog?

[Lucky]

I'm a big fan. Even bigger after I returned two TV's. It took me less than two minutes to fill out the form on their website, and print the return form. They had UPS show up the next day with all the shipping forms already filled out. Easy, peasy, and they paid the return freight.

I like their review sections too. Even when I don't buy from them, I check out what others have to say about the product.

I do pay taxes though. At first, it was tempting to count it as savings, but I like the services my state provides and figured it was fair to kick in my share. When I'm doing my taxes, it's easy to go to Amazon's website and get a report of last year's purchases. I'm not sure why Amazon raises such a ruckus about collecting taxes, other than to gain what seems like an unfair pricing advantage.

The only downside is that they do siphon off business from local retailers, but the big national retail chains have already done that anyway, so it's not a huge deterrent. I keep my fingers crossed that they're not funding any unjust causes or snarky politicians, as I would miss buying from them.

They sold you two bad TVs and you are still a fan? I'm glad you pay your taxes, though. People who complain about bad roads, bad services, and other government failures and then try to avoid paying the taxes needed to fix the problems amaze me.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Oh my TY you are such a good and generous pet owner. I think I will just spend that money for my cat's vet fee and grooming.

The ten inch mattress was for your dog?

[lookin]

They sold you two bad TVs and you are still a fan?

They weren't actually bad. The Samsung had a shiny screen that reflected too much light, so back it went. The Sony had a slightly washed out picture, so back it went too. I realized that I was being a bit finicky, but Amazon didn't kick up the slightest fuss about taking them back and paying the return freight.

Had I continued to 'audition' TV's, their patience may have eventually worn thin.

I ended up joining Costco and getting a 3D Sony there. But that's another thread.

[Guest EXPAT]

I also bought a 47" Vizio from Amazon for $499 with free shipping and there is no tax in California. I was skeptical at first but it was a one day special only price and I happened to catch it. It came in perfect condition and is a 240Hz 1080p television. Couldn't ask for a better deal.

[TampaYankee]

Had I continued to 'audition' TV's, their patience may have eventually worn thin.

You must be hell on escorts. lol

[Lucky]

Since there is a Costco near me, I go there frequently. The most returned item I see are televisions.

[BigK]

Since there is a Costco near me, I go there frequently. The most returned item I see are televisions.

I've heard that Costco gets the most returned T.V.'s right after the super bowl.

[Lucky]

This is a topic near and very dear to my heart. I've downgraded my ordering drastically in the past few years but that's because I've already ordered so much. I'll be busy for a long time to come.

In the past 11 years, I have placed over 500 orders with AMAZON.com. These orders have had in combination over 2,000 items (books and dvds mostly) Since I don't open these items when they first arrive (I keep them in a storage unit), I had once figured that if I would open one new item every week for a year, it would take the better part of 10 years to look through everything that I have gotten.

So yes, I do love my AMAZON.COM. Just a little side story, there is this "saved items" area on the item checkout where you can save items that you might buy later on. Mine (of course) is always maxxed out as I put in things that I feel might be cool to have. Most of the things I order are based on "knowledge" I want to learn initially about (NLP, architecture, etc) or special items that somehow are unique. Anyway one day I logged in and my saved items were gone. I was furious. I take MONTHS creating these. I wrote to amazon.com and said I was a VERY loyal customer and that they should restore my "saved items". I called them and the guy said he wasn't sure what happened but there was no way he could retrieve that type of data. I explained to them how much I've bought from them and how LOYAL of a customer I am and he maintained the attitude that he couldn't restore the "saved items".

Next day as I was logging in, I noticed with utter delight that all my saved items were back in my cart. Every single one of them. An apology letter was in my email from amazon.com saying that somebody had made a programming error and thanking me for my loyalty.

the only thing I don't like about amazon.com now is that I have gone off on so many "tangents" in ordering things that the "Recommended for you" really doesn't work all that great for me any longer. Most of the time, it's stuff I've either watched, bought from somebody else or have no interest in. I actually believe that one of these days it will come up and say "We have NO recommendations for you any longer! "

Welcome back to the board. As for the topic, are you otherwise a compulsive shopper? One way to handle it might be to buy to your heart's content, but just never go to the checkout. Or else you could return what you have not opened. Lookin says Amazon is very consumer friendly on returns.

[Guest gcursor]

Nope, I'm not a compulsive shopper. I actually hate shopping in stores only going in to get what I want and then leaving. I've never considered any of this a problem Lucky as I can stop at anytime I so desire. As I've stated, my orders have dropped off dramatically during the past several months to the point of almost nothing...well a few every 3-4 months maybe. Now I do it more to send gift certificates to other people for them to enjoy or to buy them things off their wish list that they don't expect.

Originally the amazon.com thing started as a way for me to have something to do when I was bored. I set a mental goal that I wanted to have something "new" I could look at every month...then every weekend. You see, I knew I was going to be "downsized" at work eventually and I wanted to build up a "backlog" of things to do. After 10 years, the company FINALLY downsized me and I have my sizable nest egg of things to keep me busy. At some time in the future, I'll probably end up re-selling them on eBay (after I've read or watched them) as part of my retirement fund.

I have also accumulated MANY individual tv shows that I've bought on iTunes over the years. At 1.99 a show, it has cost me a lot....and yes I do it legally..I've never really understood the reason to do it any other way in my more advanced years.

BUT yes..I'm VERY contented now because I will never be able to say "I don't have anything to do." always new things to learn, new things to watch

I've found in my life that keeping myself busy in these ways is the best way that I can enjoy what is my so-called life at this point in time.

p.s. I'd tell you how many dvds I've managed to build up over the years but I don't want to put you into shock.

Welcome back to the board. As for the topic, are you otherwise a compulsive shopper? One way to handle it might be to buy to your heart's content, but just never go to the checkout. Or else you could return what you have not opened. Lookin says Amazon is very consumer friendly on returns.

[Guest hitoallusa]

It's good to know many guys here don't like shopping. There is no such thing as a gay stereotype though. I love to shop like Julia Roberts in pretty woman. Welcome back G.