l love my Prime. I stopped ordering from Walmart online after having my account hacked twice. If I use order online at Walmart, I’ll only do in store pick up and pay when I get there, but that’s a GIANT hassle so I try to avoid it. I’ve found most of those really good deals aren’t available online; they like to force you into the store for them.
I’ve actually used Amazon very little for this year’s holiday shopping. I buy on price (total including shipping) and I’ve found better prices elsewhere this year as pretty much everything I’ve bought has been through retailers directly with discounts ranging from 10-50% off and in most cases I don’t need 2 day shipping.
We are long time Amazon prime users. Started as a student account and still using it (although we had to convert to a regular account a few years ago when daughter graduated). We have occasional problems, usually things being a few days late (but the tracking typically shows it). I call when things are not delivered on the expected date. I think I am out of free month add-ons because on the last call I got a $5 credit instead.
Several years ago I ordered a DVD which just never came. The tracking just kept saying on its way. After waiting a long time, I called and they sent a replacement one. Lo and behold like 3 months after the original order the first DVD shows up on my door. I called, they said just keep it.
About a month ago, we ordered a case of tea (a type I couldn’t find in the supermarket and the price was good on Amazon.) I ordered on Friday night and it came Saturday morning, my husband jokes that when we hit order the doorbell rang with the delivery!
Ditto what Silpat said about USPS. While I usually don’t have problems with Amazon Prime, the only problems I have had is when they send that goes UPS SurePost, which means, UPS delivers to my local post office, then USPS delivers to me, My USPS is horribly unreliable. In fact, I’ve noticed that most retailers that offer “free shipping” use UPS Surepost which totally sucks for me b/c then I have to hope that once they deliver to my post office, I will actually get it. Two weeks ago, I ordered from Vineyard Vines and Lands End. I got notices from both UPS and USPS the packages delivered separately two days in a row were left on my front porch. Except they weren’t. I was home all day long both days, with dogs that alert me anytime any even walks by in the street. Nothing! Long story short (because it involved multiple phone calls to UPS and trips to USPS), they were delivered two blocks away to someone who was in bed sick for several days. She ended up bringing them to me once she was feeling better.
While I love Amazon Prime, I actually haven’t ordered much from them this season. After the missing packages fiasco two weeks ago, when I can, I have my orders shipped to my local stores for pickup (DSW, Kohls, Loft, Modells/Dicks). Fortunately they are all located in shopping centers that I frequent almost daily so not a big deal to stop and pick up packages. Much easier to do that than make multiple exasperated phone calls. I’m also trying to shop locally, supporting small business owners around here when I can.
Our USPS is a fragging MESS. No deliveries to some areas for up to 6 days after Thanksgiving. USPS marks packages as ‘delivered’ in a number of curious ways or as ‘attempted delivery’ when clearly no attempt was made. The problem stems from the fact that USPS supervisors bonuses are based on the on time delivery records. So, if they can’t actually deliver the Amazon, Walmart etc package they still mark it as such. Then miraculously, the package shows up a few days later.
USPS will mark a package as ‘delivered’ when UPS drops their SurePost off at USPS. So, technically, the package WAS delivered, just not to you. Grrrrr.
https://lifehacker.com/why-you-have-a-delivery-confirmation-and-no-package-fro-1821090068
We got a bag from Kohl’s that was UPS. It looks like it was run over by their truck, tire marks all over it. Fortunately, it was white towels and only one of the towels has a small spot on it, but still, it really doesn’t show much concern or respect for customers. The driver tossed it in our porch, honked his horn and drove off (we were home). Weird. The old UPS driver who retired after decades was MUCH better. 
We have lots of random USPS mail carriers and I don’t know any of them well.
I’ve heard a few complaints in my town about Amazon delivery people placing packages in private mail boxes. The USPS then takes the package back to the post office, leaving a bill. The person expecting the package then has to go to the post office to pay (again!) for their package. The USPS says they own the mail box.
I use my daughters Amazon Prime and have had no problems. Also love The Marvelous Mrs Mazel!! Last night they delivered a package at 10pm!! I used regular Amazon last year and it took forever for them to ship what I ordered. I have ordered 3 times from Walmart with great results. No problems. Also ordered from Target, Gap, etc… this year without any problems yet.
26 - good. The folks need to call Amazon and bust them.
" The USPS says they own the mail box."
They do not own the mailbox (it is yours), but they own the right to put Mail in it:
https://about.usps.com/news/state-releases/tx/2010/tx_2010_0909.htm
I have Amazon Prime and have not had a problem with deliveries. I live in a small town and we had the same Fedex guy’delivering stuff to us for the last few years. I asked him to put packages behind a large planter, where they would be hidden from the road.
@chercheur- if you have an Alexa, she will glow green when there is a delivery.
Our post office told us they are behind in deliveries. They need to hire some temps but their budget is frozen on new hires.
There was a hilarious FB post going around. It said:
If you need to get rid of anything this holiday season…just put it in an Amazon box and place it on your front porch ?
Forgive my ignorance on this topic, @Onward, but whey you say Alexa, does that include an Echo Dot? I got a free Echo Dot with one of my orders, and it was just delivered earlier today. I was going to give it as a gift, but maybe I should keep it!
There s a rash of stolen packages in our neighborhood. Everyone posts blurry pics of someone with a hoodie on our Nextdoor. So everyone is now leaving Amazon boxes with dog poop outside their homes and watching on their Ring cameras:)
I have to regularly order Depends to be sent to my Dad. Wonder what the thieves do with that box if they stole it?
No trouble that I can recall here, D2 and I share a Prime account. Can’t recall ever having a late shipment. Ordered one small item from Walmart this month, and it arrived quickly, too.
Never had a problem with Amazon deliveries although we do have prime. In fact, two times we were sent duplicates and I called (they’ve picked up quickly when I called) and I was told to keep the extra items.
In October I placed an order with lastcall.com and Fed Ex lost it. In November the same thing happened with UPS and Uniqlo. I had to call multiple times to make sure my account was credited with LC; Uniqlo says it’s too early to assure that I’ll be credited.
So…are you all suggesting that @jonri or I get Prime? I don’t have it either because I just don’t do much Amazon shopping. Even so…I expect to be treated with the same shipping “respect” (no I don’t expect two days…but regular shipping is fine) as those who do NOT have Prime.
I don’t think that is too much to expect.
I too love prime. 2-day shipping is great. If I’m not in a hurry, I’ll choose a slower rate and take a $5 Whole Foods credit.
The only issue I have is that there is a neighbor on another street (3 minutes away by car) that has the same house number as me.
Yesterday, USPS delivered a small Amazon package to me. Or, that’s what my text said (“your package was delivered”!) When I got home, it wasn’t in my mailbox or on my porch. I checked Amazon’s website and it said that it had been handed off directly. Pretty hard to do when I’m not there…
A quick call to my number-twin neighbor revealed that she had my package. That’s USPS’ fault, not amazon. Usually I get a picture of the delivery if Amazon uses its own delivery service. I like that! I’ve sent DH out to look for a box when he was working from home and he couldn’t find it. I looked at my order record and could see it was sitting by the side door. =))
@chercheur. I don’t have an echo dot (it is on my Christmas list) but as I understand it, it glows too for a delivery. I think I got the color wrong though. I think it glows yellow. The first time our Alexa glowed, we had to google it. I thought it was a great feature.
Never an issue here. Prime prices went up, but still worth it for video.
I’ve sold books via Amazon and there are strict expectations about shipping within 2 days or you get dinged. The seller forum is loaded with chat about that and the dings for shipment or delivery outside the window. They can drop a seller. (And considering a lot of their first layer of svc is robotic, no human to explain to.)
Lately, mostly order with Amazon Fulfillment (from the warehouse.) I check the seller ratings other times (delivery is one aspect,) to see if orders come right.
No issues with Walmart, but ordered store pickup, so I could check the glass item wasn’t broken.