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Thread: Amazon mini-rant

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Amazon mini-rant

    I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon, I admit. I like the selection and the quick delivery. The reviews are often helpful as long as you read between the lines a bit.

    What I don't get are the "we found an item we think you might like" emails. Say I've bought a left handed hammer, or a muffler bearing, or an insta-pot or whatever. Over the next few days and weeks, I will invariably get suggestions for a different brand/size/color, etc., of each of the above items. Usually multiple times.

    What are the chances, having bought a muffler bearing, that I'm in the market for another one? I can understand if the item is a consumable, like rubber gloves, or baking powder, or the like. But how many people buy multiple insta-pots?

    I quickly got to the point where I just delete those emails without even opening them; how can that be effective for the big A?

    Not talking about things I looked at but didn't buy; these are items I actually purchased.

    <EOR>

  2. #2
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    Interesting, my wife and I have been Prime members for years and do a whole lot of browsing and buying from Amazon.
    There must be a setting somewhere that I opted out of those early on, as I don't even get emails about the items I've looked at.
    Rockler however, is a different story.
    It's never too late to have a happy childhood.

  3. #3
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    Like Chris, we have been Amazon Prime members since early on and don't receive those emails. Check your account setup maybe?
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  4. #4
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    One of the on line retail sellers of clothes always sends me a special order code for as much as 25% off on my next order after my order is shipped.

    Most of the time my purchase is configured to qualify for free shipping so the discount isn't that big of a deal. One of my thoughs is to purchase a single item before making a big order to see if they will send me a discount code for my next order.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. I get none of those from amazon.

    What gets me, however, is if I google one thing I see ads for it for months, and then if I buy something google cannot employ its machine learning to understand that I have already bought that exact item and it is not something I am likely to buy again. A week ago I bought a replacement edge guide for my circular saw. I now see ads for edge guides for circular saws all day. Can they really not understand that I a) bought it already and b) do not want to buy another and c) bought one for a Makita saw so there is no reason to show them to me for Bosch and Dewalt and Milwaukee saws? There are so many data points that can easily be interpreted to arrive at some logical conclusions here.

  6. #6
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    Paul,

    You can elect to receive all/some/none of Amazon's promotional e-mails. Go to Your Account and under Communication and content, select Communication preferences. Under Promotional Emails, you can choose the specific kinds of marketing you wish to receive or opt out completely.
    Brett
    Peters Creek, Alaska

    Man is a tool-using animal. Nowhere do you find him without tools; without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all. — Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

  7. #7
    I receive those emails and don't mind. I learn about options that I wasn't familiar with. After looking at them, I usually delete them, but occasionally buy.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  8. #8
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    The emails that bug me are the requests to rate a purchase before I have received it. That reminds me of my other pet peeve is people who rate a product before they have used it. They give it 5 stars because it was delivered on time.

  9. #9
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    It had occurred to me to check amazon preferences but I never did it...I've now updated communications preferences, so that should help. Too bad in a way, I wouldn't mind getting useful suggestions, just not stupid and repetitious ones.

    Thanks all!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Garson View Post
    The emails that bug me are the requests to rate a purchase before I have received it. That reminds me of my other pet peeve is people who rate a product before they have used it. They give it 5 stars because it was delivered on time.
    My favorites are the Q&A. Someone will ask Will this get the BBQ sauce off my 3 wood? And they answer Sorry, I don't eat BBQ. Or Sorry, I only use my hybrid. Who has that much time on their hands to go looking for questions they can not answer??
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  11. Quote Originally Posted by Bill Carey View Post
    My favorites are the Q&A. Someone will ask Will this get the BBQ sauce off my 3 wood? And they answer Sorry, I don't eat BBQ. Or Sorry, I only use my hybrid. Who has that much time on their hands to go looking for questions they can not answer??
    I think the questions are emailed out. I have received emails like "Can you answer...'s question?"

    And I think the people replying do not really understand how the internet works and think an answer is expected of them even if their answer is not helpful.

    Also, how DO you get bbq sauce off a 3 wood? I have been looking for something for ages. That famous daves is killing my club head speed.

  12. #12
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    What gets me, however, is if I google one thing I see ads for it for months, and then if I buy something google cannot employ its machine learning to understand that I have already bought that exact item and it is not something I am likely to buy again.
    Maybe we should be thankful of Artificial Intelligence still being of lesser intelligence. With a few more improvements it might be able to convince us to buy or do things that are not really to our personal advantage.

    One of the fears some have against AI is if it becomes self aware it may see the human race as competition.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  13. #13
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    Another frightening thought…

    AI = Amazon Intelligence?

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  14. #14
    I love it when I am searching for a present for my wife and the next time either one of us uses the computer there are adds all over the place for that item!!!

  15. #15
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    If you read the emails, they’ve done their job.

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