The Gall of Amazon

[Lee DeRaud]

John was a much better student than I. All i remember from Latin class was the old saw "Latin killed the Romans and now it is killing me!"

No discussion of Latin is complete without the Eddie Izzard riff about the Roman sentry reporting the impending arrival of Hannibal and his elephants:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI8UZubOJlo
(Warning, NSFW)

[Brian Elfert]

Yes, but there are limits on what those additional family members can benefit from. (don't ask me to cite them...I don't remember now as it's been a few years)

The only benefit I have found I don’t get is Amazon Music. The main thing I use is the Prime shipping. I have Prime video set up on my Roku, but I haven’t watched anything for months.

[Roger Feeley]

Gaul? Was it from France?
Bill D.

i had to look it up because it didn’t look right.
Gall is defined as loud and impudent behavior.
Gall is a place

im not trying to pick nits. I look this stuff up because I’m getting older and I want to preserve my vocabulary.

[Tom M King]

And I seem to recall that they were divided into three parts… Omnia Gaulia divisi tres partum est. (if I am remembering the first lines of Caesar’s commentary on the Gallic wars correctly from my Latin II class in 1979.) (and autocorrect doesn’t butcher the Latin too badly)

My Latin II class was in 1966, so your memory has to be better than mine.

[Anuj Prateek]

What items are listed as Prime and fulfilled by Amazon that are shipped from overseas? I have never heard of Prime deliveries coming for overseas, but I sure don't know everything. There are certainly sellers on Amazon who ship from overseas.
.

There are many. Several times when I order, it ships from US or UK (I am in Canada). Few things: Phone screen protector, Knipex pliers, Freud blade, Waterman pen, Thor Hammer etc. All items were fulfilled by Amazon and several were sold by Amazon.

When I was in US I used to check UK website as well. Even with shipping many items ended up being cheaper.

[Bert Kemp]

I have a Prime account and I live 40 miles from a warehouse and It still takes 4 to 5 days to get what I order

[Frank Pratt]

It must have scared the Bezeezos out of them.

Hahaha! I see what you did there

[Mark Bolton]

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/10720...-k_JEGW4D4glEQ

[Lee DeRaud]

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/10720...-k_JEGW4D4glEQ

One thing to watch out for on Amazon is "renewed" items. The ones renewed by (or at least sold/shipped by) Amazon tend to be ok. But you'll occasionally run into ones renewed and sold/shipped from third-parties, with somewhat lower (think "Ebay-level") quality control and customer service policies.

[Mark Bolton]

One thing to watch out for on Amazon is "renewed" items. The ones renewed by (or at least sold/shipped by) Amazon tend to be ok. But you'll occasionally run into ones renewed and sold/shipped from third-parties, with somewhat lower (think "Ebay-level") quality control and customer service policies.

This would seem to me like a perfect example for a goodwill style model of moving returned goods at pennies on the dollar. The problem is in this disgusting market the mere cost of re-handling these items makes it cheaper to plow them into the landfill because repeat handling is too costly.

Sorry for the preach but we are in some very very very disgusting times with regards to how we value resources in the United States. The fact that the mass of the population is willing to turn a blind eye to the the cost of production (globally) and just throw brand new items in the trash?... This is something that will go down in history as the saddest commentary as it pertains to "the greatest" (I would question that deeply as it pertains to gross waste) nation.

Its an utter shame we cant see the forest through the trees on this. And as Ive said a million times.... The yachts sail off into the ocean. We are idiots.

[Jim Becker]

I have purchased Amazon renewed products with good results...typically Amazon owned/branded items for the most part, of course. But they do sell off open box and other returned items for good prices. When you have a generally liberal return policy, there needs to be a way to recoup a chunk of the cost and that's how they do it. I do agree with the caution on third party renewed.

[Mark Bolton]

I have purchased Amazon renewed products with good results...typically Amazon owned/branded items for the most part, of course. But they do sell off open box and other returned items for good prices. When you have a generally liberal return policy, there needs to be a way to recoup a chunk of the cost and that's how they do it. I do agree with the caution on third party renewed.

There is zero "recoup'ing" of the cost when it goes to the landfill. Youve lost the cost of goods sold, the return cost, the return handling cost, the landfill cost, and the "you suck as a human" cost, of throwing away perfectly saleable goods due to greed and cheap off shore manufacturing.

[Jim Becker]

True, and I strongly suspect that the majority of returns on many things is not because they are defective; rather, it's because someone ordered the wrong thing or decided they didn't need it or didn't like it or, or, or...honestly, about a third of the small number of things I've returned were because I made a mistake ordering them. But since they are "open box" at that point...they can't be sold as new.

[Mark Bolton]

True, and I strongly suspect that the majority of returns on many things is not because they are defective; rather, it's because someone ordered the wrong thing or decided they didn't need it or didn't like it or, or, or...honestly, about a third of the small number of things I've returned were because I made a mistake ordering them. But since they are "open box" at that point...they can't be sold as new.

I have literally NOT ORDERED shoes from places that I have called and asked how their shoes run size wise and they say "just order one size on either size and try them all on and return the ones you dont want"... I know for a A FACT those shoes are not opened, cleaned, re-boxed, and shipped back out to subsequent customers.

People argue tooth and nail that capitalism is some entity un-to-its-own.. its a complete untruth. Corporations are to blame for all of this mess. We are in a time right now where beef producers are screwing the consumer down the drain for two reasons.. gross profit/greed, and to defame our current leadership (rightly or wrongly) for their personal gain. This is happening in beef, poultry, hog meat, petroleum, across the board. Hog farmers are making nothing more than ever. Beef the same, petro, same.. we are being railroaded by the greed of the corporate élite.

I personally hope the keep it up until the bulk of the populous finally shed's the blinders and say enough is enough.


This is all just a corporate money grab. It has nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with pandemic, its the "market" seizing and opportunity to rape the society in which they "claim" to be "patriots". The supposed patriots of this nation are running us off a rail for the sake of their 15th home, 3rd or 4th mega yacht, on and on.

Ask your local cattle farmer if he's buying a new BMW this spring? Hog farmer if he's ordering a new tractor? They may be selling everything they have but I'll guarantee you they are not buying a vacation home.

And PS.. this is ALL ON TOPIC as it pertains to the thread of "the gaul of amazon". Spot on.

[Mel Fulks]

Mark, I’m sure you are right . But some of the things listed have been around a long long time. When I was a kid , we were directed by
Mom and Dad to scrub our feet and put on clean socks …”with no holes” before we were allowed in the car. It might be possible to buy
un-tried -on shoes ,but I have not seen an ad. Amazon often tells clothing buyers to keep stuff that doesn’t fit. I think the chance of buying
something that has been worn ,or just briefly tried on is lower now than ever before.