Amazon getting worse?

45 comments

1. I’m somewhat feeling it too.

   I scheduled a delivery for 18:00-19:00, and came home at 17:15pm with a slip that said failed delivery at 18:00.

   I didn’t know if I should complain about it (or how to), and just rescheduled it for the next day at 19:00-20:00 instead.

   Another delivery, I had flagged “do not leave unattended”, but it was “left in a safe place” (outside the door) instead.

2. I can’t quite put my finger on it but I have a feeling that something happened in the last 3 years that made their already difficult job even harder.

3. This occurs because of “Prime Day”. It’s always 3-5 days of catching up. It should be back to normal shortly.

4. We can definitely rule out the ongoing pandemic.

5. Not really

6. Not really. They come suuuper fast around here. We do have a large fulfilment centre only about 35km away though. I can order stuff in the evening and get it next day (which is Amazon’s own delivery contractors, as you say, sketchy looking). I always tell them to leave it downstairs in the left package box, which I hope saves them a bit of time.

7. Prime day. It was Amazon’s biggest prime day ever, so they’ll probably take a week or two to catch up again. I have my last prime day package coming it next week.

8. Yeah, let’s get angry at a bunch of contract staff making subpar wages so we can get our cheap shit at exactly the time we want it.

   (Amazon prime person here, but seriously f//k off you complainers.)

   You want your cheap $hit on time? Go to the store and buy it.

9. Everyone is affected by the shortages if drivers in Japan, and not only Amazon.

10. I haven’t noticed any issues at all. My stuff always comes quickly, on time and however I request it to be delivered (contactless, or whatever)

11. That’s weird for me it’s become faster. My deliveries always come early and I have no issues. Heck, I started getting America style customer service. If I complain something is slightly damaged or I ordered the wrong version, they started to let me keep the product instead of returning it.

    It might just be your block/district. Shipping and packages tend to be divided into territories, so it might be the people assigned to your specific block are just poop.

12. When I was living in Kanagawa, had no complain with the delivery. Always came on time within chosen scheduled delivery and they followed instructions with notes or sometimes picture of where they put the package.

    However, I notice that since I moved to Tokyo, scheduled delivery especially on weekends are often late even after re-scheduling. If you live in Tokyo, I think it’s staff shortage problem.

13. My experience is different. I live in a remote island and I found this past year that expedited shipping has become possible for our area depending on the item. Popular items can arrive the next day if I order it before noon the previous day. Before, it would take two to three days for the items to arrive.

14. They have switched from using Yamato to mostly some outsourced random drivers for scheduled delivery.

    They have no-showed me a couple times already and shouting at Amazon CS did nothing at all. It’s like they don’t care.

15. Maybe it’s a problem with the person or branch in charge, so you can complain to both Amazon and their delivery.
    I complained to Amazon yesterday because they left my package without my permission when I didn’t specify a left delivery.

16. I haven’t! I even was able to get something delivered the same day I ordered it. But generally it comes the next day.

17. Those part-time Amazon people are terrible. Had one just a yesterday bring my delivery, apparently the apartment mail lockers were all full, so he just left with it. I had to reorder it and explicitly ask for it to be brought to my door.

    I know those delivery people are under tight deadlines, thanks to Amazon’s strict rules I’m sure, but it sure is dropping the quality of their service. (I say while still being able to order just about anything and get it delivered 12 hours later. So… I take the good with the bad.)

18. Delivery staffs were overloaded with orders as far as i know. Miraculously i only had 1 incident that they couldnt deliver it on the promised delivery date. But i got it the next day so it kind of delayed my schedule once so no complain. I think we should be thankful.

    Only thing that bugs me is the amount of navigation i have to do get to the item of my desire in the sea of chinese sellers with bought ratings.

    There was this chinese seller who somehow combined 2 items together (not related at all) in 1 listings and the expensive item was bumping up the ratings of the shittier item. It was bracelet combined with very expensive chair (mainly sold to Europe) which had like 4.5 stars. Took me about 5 minute to see what was going on.

19. I think the individual contactors only make up a small fraction of Amazon deliveries and they aren’t that great.

    I feel you’ve been a bit unlucky with getting them.

20. I had a slip in my door at 7:40 am Sunday morning, no doorbell ring, saying I wasn’t there. I contacted Amazon, they apologized and gave me a ¥500 credit.

    My experience is it’s been worse this year, with the odd delivery person not bothering to ring the doorbell. Usually they do, but a few times they haven’t. I work at home, so it’s annoying when I know I was home,

    It is some crap delivery dude, but I know it’s a tiresome job so I try not to get too irritated. The stuff is always in good condition and fairly prompt.

21. Amazon is trying to save a buck by not using any of the standard, well known, Japanese delivery companies, and instead outsourcing their delivery with cheap, doggy outfits, which use Amazon branded delivery slips, etc. Hence, their delivery is shit.

22. I’ve only started using it 3 years ago, but I’ve not noticed any decline. They leave the package at my doorstep if I ask, and they’re always within the time window. A few times that I’ve not been there for a scheduled morning delivery, they automatically try again in the afternoon. The drivers always seem over worked so I feel terrible for them.

23. The only problem I had was with an undelivered piece of equipment that was marked as delivered. I just complained to Amazon and they gave me Amazon bucks back. Purchased the same thing a day after and it came within a few days. I wonder what happened to that ez-curl bar? Shit wasn’t light. Someone getting bigger biceps I’d imagine lol

24. I don’t really notice but Prime Day being the other day would explain why I got someone else’s package for a completely different building in the neighborhood

25. A couple of times, I’ll get 2-3 phonecalls back to back from the Amazon deliveryperson when I’m not at home to get the package (because for whatever reason, it wasn’t possible to schedule a delivery time on the website). Then when I finally do get the package, it’ll say they came by 3 times/called multiple times. It’s very strange like, if I scheduled something and am not there, fair enough, call me. But if there’s no specific day/time scheduled, maybe chill on the calls.

26. People prefer to go to to vent about their bad experiences so asking on Reddit always carries a high risk of shouting into an echo chamber.

    I heard from other people that they had a bad experience with Amazon, but personally never had a problem. Getting to set a time frame for packages is pretty sweet. About 50% of times drivers call if I am not there. Else, the Japanese system (QR code scanning before 16:00 can do same day delivery) has worked better than anything that I experienced back in Germany.

27. Don’t have any issues at all.

28. If I recall correctly, Japanese delivery companies started complaining about the large volume of Amazon deliveries, so amazon started hiring part time delivery staff, a la Uber eats, with people using their own vehicles. This of course has led to unreliable/unprofessional workers getting paid minimum wage.

    Personally I haven’t had too many issues.

29. I can’t ever complain. Prime is about half the cost compared to back home. And even without Prime delivery comes in 1-2 days. With Prime I can literally order shit right before bed and have it come the next day, or sometimes even super early in the morning and it comes at night.

    The worst offense I have to endure is that the dudes sometimes still ring my bell even if I set it as “leave at the front door” but that doesn’t bother me too much.

30. I’ve lived in my current house for a little over 5 years now and I had never had a problem until a few weeks ago when Amazon started using “Amazon Logistics” in our area for most of the deliveries. Suddenly no one can find my house. If I’m lucky they call me and try to find out where I am but about half the time they just mark it as undeliverable, and I don’t know any of this until I start wondering why my package hasn’t arrived yet and check the tracking myself. I’ve never had these problems with Yamato or Sagawa.

31. Prime delivery is just fine… no need to be crude to suffering workers who get paid pennies. Some things may be slow because it’s not in the warehouse, and is being sent from china or something using FBA, happened to a recent package that took around a week

32. Amazon never rings my bell anymore and directly just puts my stuff into my parcel box, I think they did it after figuring out that I am a gaijin. But I am also enjoying it since I do not need to open the door for them.

33. My deliveries come on time, but I have had an issue with Amazon drivers smoking in their cars, and then my packages reek of cigarette smoke. This never happens with Sagawa or Kuroneko (I don’t think they allow their drivers to smoke in the vehicles). But since Amazon outsources their deliveries to private drivers, it doesn’t seem like there are any rules on how they need to care for the packages.

34. US u said , where worker uses diaper u said. Umm let me think. richest person whispers stfu.

35. I never had any issue after 置き配 became a thing. Before that I had a few late deliveries but that’s it.

    I mostly use Yodobashi though because they offer free next day shipping and has better selection for small stationeries. The price is more stable and often cheaper than amazon after points. I can just use the points for stationeries so it’s not a problem.

36. I don’t have any complaints. I always get the package on the day they said I would. Sometimes that isn’t exactly next day but I don’t really care. It *usually is* next day and when it’s not it’s usually the day after. I can’t really ask for much more. Occasionally it’s a week later or something but that’s because it’s not in stock or is from overseas or something which …. okay? I mean. That seems reasonable to me.

37. Mid-sized city in Kanto, deliveries are always better than they anticipate on the website. I don’t even need to join Prime to get same-day if I request something before 10 am, if it’s an item sold by Amazon.

    My workplace is a little slower, for some odd reason. Also another mid-sized city, nearby my own, so I’m not sure what causes the difference, but still acceptable delivery times.

38. Absolutely. I’ve had two delayed deliveries in the last two months (I don’t order that often, so this was probably 1/4-1/3 of my orders over that period. Can’t remember ever having any before.

    One of them did not even arrive after rescheduling twice (online), until I finally contacted their customer service, who essentially cancelled that order and created a new one.

    Look, I don’t mind deliveries taking longer. Those people who do the deliveries are working under terrible pressure as is, and if their lives can be improved by promising less fast deliveries, I don’t mind one bit to wait a day longer. Just don’t make promises you can’t keep (or need to burn out your workforce to keep). Make realistic (and humane) promises, but keep those.

39. I live in Tokyo and had an amazon worker grab my package from their truck, smoke a cig with the package in hand, then proceed to enter my apartment complex. They smelled so horrid it was one of the few times I’ve ever been compelled to contact customer support.

    I’ve also noticed the number of items with “prime shipping” not being delivered as quickly has increased, so I am wondering if they moved some of their warehouse locations to a bit further out of the area.
    Overall, I still think the service is doing alright. I hope the workers are being treated well though…

40. I’ve noticed the same.

    My biggest issue is with leaving the package at the door. I always choose it and make sure it’s chosen because sometimes the delivery person just won’t do it. I’ve missed so many packages lately because of this, all Amazon. And the packages aren’t things that would be damaged or can’t be left.

    One driver even put my package by the mailboxes at the entrance of my apartment complex. I wouldn’t have noticed but I was just coming home from walking my dog and saw him do that. I don’t understand how he mistook “front door” for “mailboxes”.

    It drives me nuts! My neighbor has a sign saying “please leave at the front door” and I think I may do the same.

41. Amazon is amazing in Japan. In Canada the person doesn’t even knock on the door and leaves the redelivery slip and asks you to pick it up half the time.

    Also a good idea to bundle your purchases to 1-3 times per-month. It reduces the environmental impact of having delivery vehicles out and around so much.

42. They stopped using third-party delivery companies because of the large volume of Amazon packages they have to deliver and it was making the lives of the workers a living hell. Sorry that your package was late, it probably was an extremely busy day. I guess direct your complaint to Amazon who promised you a delivery time they cannot fulfill.

43. I ordered a product once which never arrived, but was marked as delivered. My apartment has a number of secured boxes that only open up if you have mail in them for your specific room number and pass code, so it likely wasn’t stolen. When I tried to sort out the issue between Amazon and the delivery company, someone eventually showed up at my door with an envelope full of cash, equal to the product. I was happy to get something of a refund but the whole way that situation played out was weird.

44. Amazon has been pretty good for me. They hire many logistics company so maybe some are good, some are bad?

45. Yeah. It’s been that way for a few years now in my area though. Stuff used to come the next day, now it takes a week or more. At my old apartment that didn’t have a delivery box, an old delivery guy actually yelled at me for not being home during afternoon deliveries and requesting the re-deliveries at night. He told me I was destroying the environment and that he was going to start leaving my packages on my doorstep. I told him to fuck off.