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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAmazon's Next-Day Delivery System Has Brought Chaos And Carnage To America's Streets -- But The
Worlds Biggest Retailer Has A System To Escape The Blame
Deaths and devastating injuries. A litany of labor violations. Drivers forced to urinate in their vans. Here is how Amazons gigantic, decentralized, next-day delivery network brought chaos, exploitation, and danger to communities across America.
Picture of Caroline O'Donovan Caroline O'Donovan BuzzFeed News Reporter
Picture of Ken Bensinger Ken Bensinger BuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on August 31, 2019, at 4:31 a.m. ET
Valdimar Gray was delivering packages for Amazon at the height of the pre-Christmas rush when his three-ton van barreled into an 84-year-old grandmother, crushing her diaphragm, shattering several ribs, and fracturing her skull.
Oh my God! screamed Gray as he leaped out of his van. It was a bright, clear afternoon on December 22, 2016, and the 29-year-old had been at the wheel of the white Nissan since early that morning, racing to drop Amazon packages on doorsteps throughout Chicago. He stood in anguish next to Telesfora Escamilla as she lay dying, her blood pooling on the pavement just three blocks from her home. After the police arrived, Gray submitted to drug and alcohol tests, which came up clean. He would later be charged with reckless homicide.
The officers who investigated the crash didnt ask Gray about the constant pressure for speed he faced as a driver for Inpax Shipping Solutions one of hundreds of small companies that make up Amazons gigantic delivery network across America. If they had, they would have discovered that the companys drivers worked under relentless demands to deliver hundreds of packages each shift for a flat rate of around $160 a day at the direction of dispatchers who often compel them to skip meals, bathroom breaks, and any other form of rest, discouraging them from going home until the very last box is delivered.
Amazon issued Inpax hand scanners that could monitor the progress of its drivers as they delivered their packages and dictated the routes they drove. It had sent Grays bosses at Inpax a memo just days before the accident, criticizing lackluster delivery rates in the area and instituting a no package left behind policy during the critical holiday week. The number of deliveries drivers were expected to make each day was way up, and dispatchers were urged to keep as many of their vans on the road for as long as possible even if it meant driving long into the bitter winter night.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/carolineodonovan/amazon-next-day-delivery-deaths?utm_source=pocket-newtab
Bottom line in this piece is that Jeff Bezo's and Amazon are basically POS and nothing more than predatory capitalist...........who basically exploits rules...............and deflect responsibility to safety.................
wryter2000
(46,016 posts)I try to avoid them as much as possible. Unfortunately, my sister gives me a gift certificate for them every Christmas. Maybe I can figure out a way to get her to pick another retailer this year.
Calculating
(2,954 posts)They're basically an evil corporation trying to crush our traditional retail jobs and replace them with sweatshop fulfilment jobs. They pay hardly any taxes, and bezos gets richer by the year. Just say no to Amazon
dalton99a
(81,091 posts)whenever possible
Initech
(99,915 posts)So they get your money no matter how you try to skirt around it. It's the same no matter who you use - Amazon, Newegg, it goes on and on.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)roody
(10,849 posts)dalton99a
(81,091 posts)Thyla
(791 posts)But boy am I glad I got out before online shopping and parcel tracking.
And while Amazon bashing is always fun and easy the industry has bigger issues and this level of exploitation just highlights that.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)All shippers have quotas that delivery people must meet. A person that does not meet those quotas at a high rate gets fired.
Amazon has taken things to a new level in that they have drivers out who are delivering to completely strange locations, which is a bad idea if people have quotas or are doing piece-work (paid an amount for each package delivered).
moondust
(19,917 posts)I remember the Cold War when Republicans detested "big gubment" because everybody worked for the gubment and couldn't own a small business and "be their own boss." Where are they now that "big bizness" is effectively preventing so many people from owning a small business and being their own boss? I guess it no longer matters as long as their stocks are doing well and their tax cuts keep coming.
elocs
(22,477 posts)are the same ones who self-righteously declare that they never would even set foot in a Walmart.
You also likely only eat organic food and free range meat.
If only those of us who are poor and need to struggle to get by from day and day and shop where we need to shop to save a buck could be so noble.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Or Dollar stores!
mercuryblues
(14,491 posts)roody
(10,849 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)roody
(10,849 posts)ebay, often used stuff
thrift stores
hardware stores
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)I shop on Amazon and sometime shop at Walmart for my older brother. The Walmart that I go to is clean and orderly and I see expensive vehicles in the parking lot each time I go there. Amazon allows me to find stuff in a couple of minutes that I would have to drive long distances to find. Those are the realities of a "normal" life.
I often shop at a healthfood store that sells groceries. The stuff sold there is high quality and I know a little more about what I am buying than I would at a standard grocery store, but most people can't pay 2x for a container of berries that is maybe 75% the size of the one from a regular grocery store - I am single and have the extra money, a lot of people don't have those financial circumstances and aren't bad people because they have to buy the factory-farmed meat instead of the free range meat or go vegan (which has it's own downsides).
There is a lot of preaching here and honestly I fall into that in areas that I have some comfort in. But you just have to take that shit for what it is worth, you can ignore it if it becomes too overbearing.
msongs
(67,199 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)I strongly disagree that you are justified in insulting me and many millions of others that way. The most generous assumption I can make is that it stems from ignorance of this giant technological development's contribution to society.
It's not completely new. Long ago Sears-related humans waiting eagerly for their new autumn-winter catalogs were destroying many thousands of local businesses, town centers, and ways of life. BUT their standard of living increased dramatically. Unfortunate, but there are always costs associated with every positive advance in the human condition, including sometimes very painful, even tragic, ones. I can only hope future evolutions bring back town centers.
Itm, I live in a rural area, and home delivery of on-line orders of a huge range of better-quality goods for usually less cost, often much less cost, is a magnificent development. A revolution. And it's already diffused from the few initial providers to hundreds of thousands of on-line sellers. I was just shopping for Malva sylvestris seed from literally dozens of providers.
I do care about underpaid employees. But I am not their babysitter, and they need to lead the way in addressing that issue. Asking millions of customers to sacrifice this wonderful advance in their own wellbeing, and to pay more that many really can't afford in the process, is asking way, way, way too much.
Underpaid employees need to expand and/or upgrade their skills so that they have the freedom to, if they wish, spit at the door as they walk out. Like so many, I've done the back to school thing myself as changes have required I change lines of work over the decades, forced to adjust to large drops in income during the retraining as necessary. Both insurance and appraising required not only a series of college classes but two years of low-pay on-the-job experience to obtain each professional license, plus additional ongoing education and fees every year to meet renewal requirements. It never occurred to me to ask anyone else to sacrifice for me, and I don't owe any huge sacrifices to others whose job it is to invest in their own work skills.
Anyway, soon most of these jobs will be gone, replaced by robots, and that will create whole new opportunities for those inclined to demand the tide be rolled back. Instead of learning how it can be used to continue human advancement.
fleur-de-lisa
(14,616 posts)cwydro
(51,308 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)even three day delivery. I can see that with a business that has critical machinery break down, but home delivery? Why not plan ahead and get regular 5-9 day delivery?
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)And think we should institute a system to consistently pre-plan our purchases?
Ok, your opinion noted. Certainly, yes, I knew I was going to want whole Szechuan pepper, could have visited our kids in the city sooner, would have learned earlier that for some strange reason the pan-Asian markets in their area were out of whole peppers, and could have thus gone home and ordered it farther in advance of when I'd want it. Or just set the recipe aside for later.
We could order a lot of things earlier or at least be willing to wait longer. We've aged past most instant-gratification needs and are only occasionally significantly inconvenienced if next-day delivery isn't, like yesterday when the pressure valve for our well pump signaled it's about to go out.
But I'm not sure how we'd arrange for longer delivery periods. Or, frankly, how that would help warehouse workers, who'd simply be rushing to fill orders scheduled for their current day on a longer backlog. Seems to me their problem isn't that they're filling our order today instead of next Friday, but low pay and employer exploitation and abuse.
Have a nice evening.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)next day. When I have ordered from Amazon, I have a number of delivery options from next day to longer periods. Since I plan most things, I typically choose the default, longer delivery schedule. If a driver does not have a truck full of next day stuff to deliver, he or she can deliver the package at a more relaxed, but reasonable pace. I suspect that drivers in rural areas don't have that many packages to deliver, at least not compared to busy urban and Surburban areas.
I own machinery, I know very well that when something breaks unexpectantly, I will need to have something overnight, so you are not writing back at a neophyte. But I can plan 98% of my parts and do just that.
On the peppers, you know what you like to cook. I know what I cook and I can promise you that I check and have everything I need on hand when I need it, no surprises. I use Amazon the same way, order stuff that I know I will be needing before I need it, that is just how I role, I am a planner by nature and I execute from plans, in both my personal and business lives.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)at least I do. Because we have Amazon Prime, though, I seldom use their free super saver delivery. I just looked to confirm, and Amazon Prime articles don't offer a delivery choice, just say it'll arrive by so and so if ordered before x.
So-and-so is still 2-day delivery out here, btw, the occasional 1-day arrival likely resulting from bundling deliveries to our part neighborhood. On-line shopping has become common in rural and semi-rural areas now, for obvious reasons, and some customers will need fastest delivery. Trucks are going to be whizzing around our county every day whether packages are scheduled for Friday or next Tuesday.
This entire new industry is about delivery of thousands of products in the quickest possible time. That's key, and delivery times and expectations are speeding up around the globe. For better and worse. Remove speed and volume of orders collapses, but it's going the other way. Amazon's now offering 1-hour delivery in high-population areas, and others are retooling to compete, though over 3/4 of what Amazon delivers are actually third-party sales. I read somewhere that Amazon's working on self-destructing drones (to make them safer before deploying) and 1/2 hour deliveries.
In any case, abuse of employees wouldn't be eased by many millions of customers organizing their lives to create room for greater efficiency in delivery, though it would presumably increase Amazon's profits nicely and help combat global warming (in addition to what already not driving to town for more grommets already does). It would do nothing for such shocking abuses as not providing employee lockers to store personal items safely and close, adequate lunch time to eat and get to and from bathrooms, etc. What's going to "solve" these problems before collective action could, of course, is completing the mechanization of those no-longer-jobs.
Freethinker65
(9,935 posts)I also will use Amazon for certain hard to locate nearby items that I know I specifically need (parts to fix appliances and hardware fixtures, a new clasp chain for a thrift store purse, etc.).
What I refuse to do is go to brick and mortar shops to try items and ask for advice and comparisons about items only to leave and purchase them for less on Amazon. I feel if the store employee has given me useful advice and the store gave me the opportunity to visually inspect and sometimes try the products in the store, that is usually worth the extra price. Plus, I feel it is in my best interest that these stores that employ people in my community continue to do well enough to stay in the community.
At my age, I actually need to buy very little and have never been that concerned with having the latest fashion or device. I do not want to search for clothing items and shoes to buy online, and certainly not on Amazon. My son, however, orders clothes online almost monthly. Perhaps it is a generational thing. Odd thing is, we now both work in retail at on upscale mall. If customers stop shopping at physical stores, we both will be out of our jobs.
tymorial
(3,433 posts)Your approach doesn't elevate me about the masses. What are we without moral superiority?
xmas74
(29,659 posts)That we can't rent through my daughter's college. I absolutely care about and am concerned about working conditions.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)some of those textbooks to buy yet more next year? Thank goodness for readily available used texts.
I still have on my shelves an old urban economics textbook that cost in the $50s back in the 1970s. I just wish more kids these days could know I bought that book with money I earned after I dropped out of high school and became a waitress to support myself and write checks for college classes. A lot of things worked and worked well for people once, and can again.
xmas74
(29,659 posts)If no one responds on campus she will resell other ways.
Amazon has a student Prime: $49 a year for free 2 day shipping, streaming,etc. It ends up being cheaper for me to pay the Prime and save on shipping. It's not just her books,either. She uses it for her dance tights,her dance shoes, the entire guard uses it to order matching lipstick and shadow,etc. Our nearest dance shop is about an hour and makeup is either Walmart,Walgreens or Dollar General and they usually don't have what the coach demands.
Unfortunately, Amazon is how we get what we need in smaller communities.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)but these days most things we want can be purchased on line from smaller vendors.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Robots and automation have changed that forever and will push that boundary out even farther. Some people unwisely, IMO, equate the technological age that we are in with past industrial revolutions, no, not only aren't the goalposts different, we are playing on an entirely different shaped field with totally new rules. AI and robots likely make income inequality worse as billions of people within nations and outside of nations get left behind. The question is how will we fight to make things more equal, I am fully aware that the answer that the republicans that live around me give for that question is likely vastly different from the one I give.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)have any answers. Certainly none here do. Looking worried and hoping their leaders are on it is not an answer, nor is the ranting of some about how Democrats have to be stopped.
We were talking about textbooks, and one huge change is that far fewer are needed. An awful lot of teachers use on-line sources for assignments, far less expensive when not free, far more flexible in material, and far lighter to tote no matter the numbers. The last college bookstore I visited was downright depressing, full of empty shelves and aisles, instead of vibrantly busy and full of fascinating offerings in many disciplines.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)information about basic research in materials and vendors for tools that I need to buy or have built. Old sources like the Thomas Register are way out of date in terms of usefulness, a person that still use those is most likely a decade behind where I am working, if not more behind.
So, I have not been in a book store or library recently, because neither has what I need.
tymorial
(3,433 posts)Demovictory9
(32,324 posts)for $9.99. and I give the person a good tip. and i am aware of their working environment. They text me from the store when they begin shopping for my items.... my local Target.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)when packages were misdelivered to our home on a completely different road with a completely different number. Now, we weren't acquainted with the purchaser, but he'd tried to play chicken and otherwise been obnoxious on his jet ski around my fisherman husband, so my husband, normally a very giving neighbor, refused to drop them by his house.
Instead, he called Amazon to arrange for them to be properly delivered. After the scheduled pickup was missed and Amazon re-called, we were instructed that 2 of the 3 packages had been replaced and told we could just keep those misdelivered packages!
That left the third to be picked up, and we left all 3 out, but again no one showed for the scheduled pickup. We called again, and were told the third one had been refunded and we could keep it also! This took most of a week and several lengthy phone calls.
Opening someone else's packages, even if they're now supposedly "ours," is not something I'm comfortable with. But, failing dropping them at his house, which neither of us would do at this point, we felt we should know what was in them before donating them to a charity shop. His purchases merely encouraged our old-fart opinions of this jerk, without revealing anything too perverted or illegal, but it's nothing we should know and one of them would make for some entertaining gossip.
And that's the thing: Amazon's delivery system committed a huge breach of customer privacy -- and deliberately involved other customers in it.
I called and complained about the delivery person's negligence and the privacy issue, but was given no reason to expect the privacy issue will be fixed immediately, though it must be well established in law.
erronis
(14,955 posts)concerns would have required some real action.
In the libertarian wet-dream that we are currently living in, you're screwed. As well as your unfriendly neighbor's privacy.
FakeNoose
(32,356 posts)I receive Amazon packages mostly through USPS (my regular mailman) more than anything and I consider that a plus. Some packages are delivered by an unmarked white van and left on my porch, and I assumed it's an Amazon subcontract delivery. I don't believe I've gotten any Amazon packages through Fedex for at least 3 or 4 years, but I actually can't remember.
My point is, the more business that Amazon throws to the US Postal System, the better. They come to my door every day anyway. Why not bring the Amazon packages at the same time? I'd rather support the US Postal System.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Was in the news a few weeks ago. Something about a changing business model...
ecstatic
(32,567 posts)they dropped USPS like a hot potato. Like your area, FedEx hadn't been used for years and UPS was once in a blue moon (probably due to buying from a third party seller).
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)They work for a contractor that contracts with Amazon to deliver packages. Instead of hiring additional drivers and renting vehicles to handle very busy seasons, that contractor pushes its existing drivers to do more.
Jeff Bezos doesn't have anything to do with that.
I order stuff from Amazon. So does my wife. She's a Prime customer and I'm not. She expects same day or next day delivery. I do not. Instead, I typically get free delivery that can take 5-8 days to arrive. Usually, that stuff comes via USPS. She pays an annual fee for that fast delivery. I don't. I don't need everything delivered the next day.
Part of this entire issue is our insistence on getting things faster and faster. Fast delivery costs money. So, those who do the deliveries try to cut costs anywhere they can, and that can lead to overworked and overpressured delivery drivers, like those described in this article. But, those are not Amazon employees. They're employees or gig economy contractors working for another contractor to deliver Amazon package.
Blame who is to blame, not just a blanket condemnation of Amazon.
JakeBailey
(47 posts)I read the article over the weekend and felt like it was more of a hit piece on Amazon than anything else.
Example after example of the misdeeds of the contractors were being twisted to within an inch of their life to be somehow blamed on Amazon, and an objective reading would place the blame on Amazon only in the instances where they continued to work with contractors who either broke the law or came awfully close to doing so.
What it (mostly) fails to mention is that Amazon has created an entirely new industry around the timely delivery of their products - thousands of jobs and hundreds of new companies that didn't exist before - in fact they were even offering some of of those 'warehouse slaves' the opportunity to start a delivery business of their own to help meet the demand.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)They are rather predatory as a retailer, and have had a large impact on retailing that is negative for others trying to compete.
Other small businesses, though, are piggybacking on Amazon and some are doing well. Niche products that don't interest Amazon directly can be sold there in larger quanitities than you'd see operating independently.
Companies that contract with Amazon, though, have a tough job. Expectations are high, and profit margins are low. That has led to exploitation of workers at those contractors. There are a number of scams out there that prey on individuals who contract as delivery people for those contractors. The gig economy is a very, very difficult one.
Is that Amazon's fault? I don't know, really. If Amazon isn't monitoring the practices that its contractors use, then it can be Amazon's fault, at least in part.
Some are winning in this and some are losing. It's a new style of retailing. How it will all turn out, I don't know.
JakeBailey
(47 posts)not_the_one
(2,227 posts)I use Amazon a lot, and have Prime, which has a LOT of good teevee.
I would imagine that senior citizens (which is, unfortunately, what I see when I look in the mirror ) use it a lot. Good for us.
There is no stopping change. The opposite of change is... wait for it...
Conservative Republican. I am proudly a democrat, still letting my freak flag fly.
We can try to use change to positively affect as many as possible, and negatively affect as few as possible. But that is about all we can do.
Say La Vee...
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Amazon is contributing to the destruction of unions, all workers, and the country in general.
JakeBailey
(47 posts)...and I completely agree with your post.
I too am a (fervent) Amazonian and overall I think they do more good than bad - but I am more than willing to accept that others feel differently and would love to find a solution that allows a company like Amazon to do what they do but also find a way to mitigate the downsides.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Which means the price of the item has to allow for contractor expenses + profit, and delivery guy $$$.
Not to mention payment for Amazon warehouse labor.
Which means all Amazon purchases have to contribute to the total delivery system costs.
But Amazon can make profits, even with the increased delivery issues, by not having to pay what used to be normal employee related costs of medical insurance, retirement, Soc.Sec. and related taxes.
Speaking of costs...when e-readers first came out, there was much talk about very cheap e-book costs,
'cause all digital, etc.
Now I can find and buy, on Amazon, a good hardbound copy of a title, thru 3rd party, for 5.00, including shipping, where the Kindle price is around 12.00.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)with the contractors Amazon engages. Most often, they are using their own vehicles, or leasing a vehicle from the contractor they work for. Either way, that comes out of that $160. Then, they are also responsible for fuel, maintenance, tires and other costs associated with that vehicle. If it is leased from the contractor, those costs are assessed as well. Then there's commercial-grade comprehensive, liability, and property damage insurance on the vehicles, which also comes out of that $160. I know a guy who drives as a courier for a courier company. At the end of the month, he earns less than $10/hr., because of those charges that come out of his compensation. Worse, he was at the mercy of the dispatcher to provide enough profitable runs to earn even that much. Gig economy.
At every level above the guy who drives the vehicle and delivers the packages, someone is taking a cut from everything, including Amazon.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)for the supposed convenience.
A convenience that comes at a very high cost to all but Bezos.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)contractors predates Amazon by a lot. As a freelance writer since 1974, I always worked as an individual contractor. I could have worked on a magazine's staff, but I preferred my independence, despite it costing me lots of money. People like barbers, hairdressers, and others are independent contractors. Typically, they rent a chair in an established business, and that comes out of what they are paid. Couriers and other delivery people have also long worked as independent contractors, with another company getting work for them.
It's really a very old model, one that has existed for centuries, really. The auto mechanic brings his own tools to the job, as does the carpenter. Typically, they are working as a subcontractor for the main contractor on the project. In exchange for not having to run their own businesses, they accept less money to work.
Is it a fair model? That depends. Often, it is not fair at all. The piece worker, the crop picker, and many, many others are not paid a wage or salary. They are paid according to what they produce. Often, they are charged for things an employee wouldn't be charged for. The full-commission car salesman or insurance agent is also an independent contractor.
Amazon will also sell your goods on its website. In exchange for using their marketing and sales engine, you pay a commission on every sale you make. Tens of thousands of small businesses sell on Amazon's website. Most do not do that well, but would do worse if they had to create a website and attract customers to it. Some, on the other hand, do very well with specialty and niche products that do not sell in volumes high enough for Amazon to want to compete with the smaller company.
I think, perhaps, you do not understand the overall Amazon model very well. Nor do you appear to understand the role of the independent contractor in our economy. Amazon has done very well by presenting an almost unlimited range of products to the consumer in a convenient way, and then delivering those products promptly and for a price that compares with anyone else. What Amazon sells is convenience. Nothing could be easier than searching for exactly the thing you want to buy and purchasing it with a click, knowing that it will arrive at your door in short order. So, Amazon is very successful, from the consumer's point of view.
I have a book on Amazon that they publish on-demand for me as an e-book or a paperback. Once my work was done on the content of it and formatting of it, anyone can find it and buy it. I earn 70% of the list price, which I set myself. Every month, money is deposited in my checking account, based on its sales. I've also published books through traditional publishers. My royalties on those were 10% or less of the retail price. Guess which method I prefer. Of course, marketing is up to me, if I want people to go look for and buy my book, but most sales are from topic searches, not the book's title.
That's also part of Amazon's model.
I think you understand this only dimly.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)But you seem to be ignoring the many negatives about predatory capitalism for reasons partially illustrated in your reply.
And you obviously completely misunderstand the term independent contractor, and how predatory capitalists use the term to avoid any responsibilities to or for their workers.
But you seem to be fine with Amazon because you benefit financially from the arrangement, while avoiding how Amazon mistreats its workers.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)Amazon exists. Amazon has become dominant in retailing. It is a fact of life.
I don't benefit much from Amazon, aside from having a book that sells a few copies there each month. I use it, like many people do, to buy things. Most recently, I bought two parts I need for my 1996 Ford Ranger pickup. I could get them locally, but when i checked the price, it was twice as much as from a company that sells through Amazon. Worse, the local parts places didn't have the parts in stock. So, I ordered them there. Who would do otherwise? I also ordered a used copy of the Haynes repair manual for that pickup. It's being shipped via media mail from a used bookstore somewhere that sells books on Amazon. So, I'm doing business with a couple of small businesses that use Amazon to market their products.
So, I'll pay half the price for exactly the same parts. That's the difference between $70 and $140. Where would you buy those parts? Why would I look for that used book here? That would mean phone calls or drives to the bookstore, which means burning fossil fuel to do so? Likely, nobody would have that particular auto repair manual, anyhow.
I'm fine with Amazon for the same reason most people are. I get what I need at a lower price than I can locally, and it comes to my door. I save time and money. Why would I do otherwise? Why would anyone do otherwise?
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)And Amazon is a classic example of 21st century predatory capitalism, and anyone who uses it enables the model to expand.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)I'm totally done with the conversation.
stopbush
(24,378 posts)They say its not in stock...it will take three to four days...you place the order and pay in advance, they order it from Amazon with next-day delivery for $70 and sell it to you for $140.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)from the main warehouse for their company. The end result is the same, though. You pay double the price. That's why Amazon is where I get my autoparts. The warehouse or distributor still makes a profit, but they ship directly to me.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)That's the joke: it's a trillion dollar company that has spent more than it has made.
erronis
(14,955 posts)They make most of their money and profits on monetizing their incredible software, hardware, and intellectual-property - the AWS cloud and services.
I'll chime in on some of the other comments within this response.
The marketing, distribution, delivery system is constantly evolving. As others have said, Monkey Ward, Sears, Five-and-Dime stores have clobbered old retail. But the old retail stores were making $s because they were the only game.
Someone will unseat Amazon. Maybe products will be delivered into our pleasure centers of the brains foregoing packaging and disposal.
Eventually, all of this will go back to the old barter system (dog-eat-dog) when the shit-show happens.
And then, my Prime membership will be worth
ecstatic
(32,567 posts)I added my mom to my account--she doesn't even live with me. She gets the same 2 or 1 day shipping. However, Prime video isn't available on her account.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)Hotler
(11,354 posts)guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)And the employees are the serfs.
Falcata
(156 posts)can quit anytime they choose.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)In my view, the Amazon/WalMart model is predatory capitalism that relies on sub-living wage employees and large tax breaks. And both destroy small businesses.
CrispyQ
(36,236 posts)I look locally first, (not Walmart, lol). If I can't find it I order it from Amazon. You have to shop somewhere. Go local first if you can, then choose your devil.
Wawannabe
(5,580 posts)And other deliv services hire contractors too. Amazon not the only co to blame.
Also, consumers have a part in this.
The OP is very one sided in my opinion.
Captain Stern
(2,197 posts)I'm not saying there's no way there's a problem here......but this is some seriously overdramatic stuff.
Oh my God! screamed Gray as he leaped out of his van. It was a bright, clear afternoon on December 22, 2016, and the 29-year-old had been at the wheel of the white Nissan since early that morning, racing to drop Amazon packages on doorsteps throughout Chicago.
Holy shit....it was afternoon, and the guy had been working since early that morning?!? That's crazy. Nobody can do that. It's simply impossible for anyone to drive that long without killing someone.
I'm pretty sure that the people that deliver for the USPS, UPS, and FedEX get a pretty late start, and they sure aren't expected to work into the afternoon. That's why they all only work four hour shifts.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)hunter
(38,264 posts)But those lucky bastard Amazon drivers don't have to wait around for someone to open the door and pay for the pizza.
The place I was working for had a champion driver who'd stick black vinyl cutouts of cats on his front fender like a fighter pilot celebrating his kills.
Nobody was brave enough to ask how he'd earned them, or how it was he'd never been stiffed.
ecstatic
(32,567 posts)Almost all my packages are delivered by "Amazon Logistics" these days. Prior to that, Amazon had pretty much stopped using UPS and relied heavily on USPS. Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I called to complain when the logistics driver delivered my package to the wrong house. Before I could even complete my sentence, Amazon issued a full refund and that was the end of it. Several days later, a neighbor put it on my doorstep. I hate that the driver may have been fired or pressured as a result, but at the same time, that was a lot of money to just shrug off.
Setting aside Amazon's questionable practices, I just want to say: People can only treat you the way you let them. I would quit a job that treated me like that. No income is worth my life and health. Keep looking until you find the right fit. It will come.
Mariana
(14,849 posts)There was never any of that before Amazon.