Author Topic: 2016 Amazon free crap thread (Read 41904 times)

pbj · « **Reply #120 on:** October 30, 2015, 12:44:28 pm »

So, turns out the drivers are suing Amazon because they're forced to wear Amazon gear but they're not actual Amazon employees. They're also agnostic to who is tipping them and how much they're getting - they just get a lump sum after so many days. Amazon is apparently paying them less saying that they'll make it back on tips, which is why Amazon is being so heavy handed about it when you place an order. If you DO feel compelled to tip them, I suggest you do it in person with cash.

BadMouth · « **Reply #121 on:** October 30, 2015, 01:21:17 pm »

I don't see Amazon winning this one. They gave the people uniforms and told them exactly where, when and how much they had to work.
They are not allowed to refuse deliveries or set boundaries for where they were willing to deliver to.

That's a textbook example of a misclassified employee.

Relying on tips to cover part of their pay is even more incriminating.

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #122 on:** October 30, 2015, 02:09:06 pm »

Well you are 100% correct BUT.... how many eating establishments get away with paying their employees less than minimum wage, using tips as an excuse for the low pay? How many of these same eating establishments classify their workers as part time even though according to the amount of hours worked they are full time?

They should really crack down on the service industry. I don't mind paying a few extra bucks on my steak if it means I don't have to worry about my waitress starving.

pbj · « **Reply #123 on:** October 30, 2015, 02:42:49 pm »

If the tips don't add up to minimum wage, the restaurant owner is supposed to supplement their pay.

That "I only make $2.13 an hour!" stuff only comes from people trying to guilt you into tipping more.

Vigo · « **Reply #124 on:** October 30, 2015, 02:53:12 pm »

As a guy who spent his whole life in the service industry, I can agree it is a broke system, but the tip wage employees are the ones who rake in the most cash. Many employees fight to get the position that makes $2.13 an hour (in states that allow) above the $10-$12 jobs because they know that they can take 12 tables per hour. All it takes is two tables per hour giving a $5 tip and they are the highest paid employee in the restaurant. In reality, our servers can rake in $100 a night in tips. 5 nights a week, add in the regular salary and that is a 31k annual job for unskilled labor. Not bad. Throw in the huge tax bonus because 90% of waitresses don't claim much of their tips. Not reporting your tips right also qualifies you for an ass ton of welfare and food stamp programs. Waitresses do just fine and grift the system regularly.

Don't feel bad for the waitresses that can work the system, feel bad for the guy in the kitchen for $8.00 / hour cleaning up your slop and wont see a cent of that tip you left.

Vigo · « **Reply #125 on:** October 30, 2015, 02:56:17 pm »

Quote from: pbj on October 30, 2015, 02:42:49 pm

If the tips don't add up to minimum wage, the restaurant owner is supposed to supplement their pay.

That "I only make $2.13 an hour!" stuff only comes from people trying to guilt you into tipping more.

Yep, restaurant owners need to pay up to minimum wage, and don't give a crap if a penny more in tips is reported.

BadMouth · « **Reply #126 on:** October 30, 2015, 03:18:45 pm »

The whole point with Amazon though is that they claim the delivery people aren't employees, but self-employed independent contractors.

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #127 on:** October 30, 2015, 03:31:02 pm »

Yeah they do the same thing in the WWE. Vince doesn't want to be obligated to pay health insurance or other benefits normally associated with a full time employee so all the wrestlers are "independent contractors" even though they are forced to sign a exclusivity clause. I doubt anyone on Raw is going home hungry, but the ones on NXT or in dark matches might.

dkersten · « **Reply #128 on:** October 31, 2015, 12:23:38 pm »

Quote from: Howard_Casto on October 30, 2015, 02:09:06 pm

Well you are 100% correct BUT.... how many eating establishments get away with paying their employees less than minimum wage, using tips as an excuse for the low pay? How many of these same eating establishments classify their workers as part time even though according to the amount of hours worked they are full time?

They should really crack down on the service industry. I don't mind paying a few extra bucks on my steak if it means I don't have to worry about my waitress starving.

It would have to be a pretty crappy restaurant to not average over minimum wage in tips over the course of an 8 hour shift. MOST people tip 10-15% at the minimum and I have never been to a place with actual waitstaff that cost less than around $8-10 per meal. Sure, if you averaged 4 tables per hour that were all single eaters you might not hit minimum wage, but then you would have time to sit around and do just about anything in that situation (play candy crush, read a book, etc.) Not exactly earning your money.

See, I don't mind paying a few dollars extra for my steak if the service is decent. But as service declines, so does my tip, regardless of whether the waiter/waitress looks like they are starving.

I spent the first couple years of my working life bussing tables at a buffet. You want to talk about a miserable restaurant job... $2.85 per hour to scrape mashed potatoes off the underside of tables and get yelled at by senior citizens that took their purse to the bathroom for 20 minutes and returned to find their table cleaned off. I have no sympathy for people who choose to work a job they don't like and complain about the pay that is probably higher than most untrained workers make. I have a friend who works at an Applebees. She isn't rich but she can afford her house, her car, to support her son, and even to pay child support to her ex husband who makes more than her but works in the mines and was laid off when he got the agreement. She always has cash in her pocket from tips that she doesn't claim. She takes home somewhere in the mid 40's, probably a little more after those unclaimed cash tips.

pbj · « **Reply #129 on:** November 02, 2015, 11:39:18 am »

So, the Amazon holiday return season has started. When you see games on sale that you want, go ahead and buy them now.

If they drop the price between now and January 31st, get an adjustment via chat. Rinse and repeat every time they drop the price. They ended up paying me $10 to keep Shadow Warrior last year.

The Metal Gear Solid game at $40 today is a good candidate for this... just be ready to hop into chat if they put it on further sale....

BadMouth · « **Reply #130 on:** November 02, 2015, 12:30:50 pm »

Quote from: pbj on November 02, 2015, 11:39:18 am

So, the Amazon holiday return season has started. When you see games on sale that you want, go ahead and buy them now.

If they drop the price between now and January 31st, get an adjustment via chat. Rinse and repeat every time they drop the price. They ended up paying me $10 to keep Shadow Warrior last year.

The Metal Gear Solid game at $40 today is a good candidate for this... just be ready to hop into chat if they put it on further sale....

Man, I just ordered a TV on Friday. $:-\$
I thought about the extended return period of the holiday season if I waited until Today, but didn't know about the price adjustment.
Might have to cancel and reorder. IIRC, the holiday season stuff states it is for items shipped after 11/1 and it hasn't shipped yet.

pbj · « **Reply #131 on:** November 02, 2015, 12:41:27 pm »

Yeah, you just threaten to return/rebuy if they won't refund the difference. I walk past drop boxes daily so it's no big deal to follow through if you have to.

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #132 on:** November 02, 2015, 01:11:36 pm »

Amazon has a chat?

HaRuMaN · « **Reply #133 on:** November 02, 2015, 02:22:17 pm »

Quote from: Howard_Casto on November 02, 2015, 01:11:36 pm

Amazon has a chat?

Customer service, yes. Have used it a couple times, pretty easy.

vwalbridge · « **Reply #134 on:** November 02, 2015, 02:24:12 pm »

Quote from: HaRuMaN on November 02, 2015, 02:22:17 pm

Quote from: Howard_Casto on November 02, 2015, 01:11:36 pm
Amazon has a chat?

Customer service, yes. Have used it a couple times, pretty easy.

+1, I've used it and it's great if you are never in the mood to pick up the phone like me.

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #135 on:** November 02, 2015, 02:32:49 pm »

I did not know that.

I've always used email for the few times I've had trouble.

So if I buy something and it gets discounted I can chime in a get a refund is what you are saying..... There have been a few games I wanted to pick up but I was waiting for the sales. ......

pbj · « **Reply #136 on:** November 02, 2015, 02:36:15 pm »

That is exactly what I am saying. Right now the return window is extended to January 31st. In my anecdotal experience, game prices tend to drop in the next week or two, stabilize, and then drop again mid-January.

BadMouth · « **Reply #137 on:** November 05, 2015, 09:23:05 am »

$80 price drop on TV, $80 refund.

pbj · « **Reply #138 on:** November 05, 2015, 10:26:06 am »

Yes... yes... squeeze them for everything.... yes....

jennifer · « **Reply #139 on:** November 06, 2015, 10:44:32 am »

Cheapskate much?...

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #140 on:** November 06, 2015, 12:02:15 pm »

Hey! He's insuring quality service by reminding amazon workers of their price matching quality. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

pbj · « **Reply #141 on:** November 12, 2015, 05:22:18 pm »

Quote from: Vigo on October 30, 2015, 02:53:12 pm

Don't feel bad for the waitresses that can work the system, feel bad for the guy in the kitchen for $8.00 / hour cleaning up your slop and wont see a cent of that tip you left.

So, I saw in the news today that Joe's Crab Shack is transitioning to "no tips." They're going to pay the servers ~$12 an hour and increase their food prices 15%. I haven't been into one of those places in years, but I don't recall them being inexpensive. Seems like a server could very easily make more than $12/hr in that place, and a 15% price hike is way more than necessary to cover that wage.

So... if you've got any money tied up Ignite Restaurant Group, cash out now. They're obviously about to go bust.

Edit: http://consumerist.com/2015/11/10/joes-crab-shack-tests-no-tipping-policy-raises-server-wages-to-14hour/

vwalbridge · « **Reply #142 on:** November 12, 2015, 05:36:36 pm »

I love the idea of living in a country without tipping. When I visited Italy, it was not necessary and it was a breath of fresh air.

I praise what Joe's Crab Shack is doing. They are attempting to pave the road. However, what sounds good on paper doesn't always work in reality. It would be great to see others follow suit but I seriously doubt we will see a system-wide change to something that has rooted its way in for decades.

(In addition, Joe's is the last place that should be doing this because they obviously have to raise the prices of their food to do it. And their food can NOT support the price hike. I was NOT impressed the last time I ate there....spoiler...it was the first time I ate there. )

pbj · « **Reply #143 on:** November 12, 2015, 05:48:55 pm »

Eh, I see it as a cash grab by a desperate company under the auspices of doing right by their employees. I figure a typical tab in that place is $40-50 for two people, and a server is probably doing 5-8 tables an hour. At a miserly 10% tip rate, they're easily pulling in ~$25-40 an hour in tips during peak times. I've never seen that place not full of drunk people. I'd be really surprised if servers didn't see a reduction in their actual take homes, even assuming they're being honest on their taxes now. The good ones will go elsewhere, and these places will be full of duds that can't pull that $12 elsewhere.

We'll see....

BadMouth · « **Reply #144 on:** November 13, 2015, 08:03:28 pm »

11 hours into my 9am to 9pm delivery window for my tv from Amazon. The truck driver did call me out of courtesy this morning and give me a smaller 3 hour window so I didn't have to waste most of my day. That window has passed.

This is the first tv I've bought from Amazon. I'm regretting not just loading one from the local best buy into my own truck and bringing it home myself.

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #145 on:** November 13, 2015, 08:09:30 pm »

Unless it's super cheap I won't buy anything that is fragile and requires special shipping online. I mean it'll probably turn out fine, it just makes me nervous.

yotsuya · « **Reply #146 on:** November 13, 2015, 08:35:12 pm »

Quote from: Howard_Casto on November 13, 2015, 08:09:30 pm

Unless it's super cheap I won't buy anything that is fragile and requires special shipping online. I mean it'll probably turn out fine, it just makes me nervous.

I bought a 50 inch Samsung from Dell. It was shipped by some small carrier, but there were no issues.

BadMouth · « **Reply #147 on:** November 13, 2015, 10:41:44 pm »

Normally I'd have bought it locally so if I had a problem it would be easier to return, but Amazon was offering 2 years no interest and a 30 day price guarantee that with the holiday shipping season becomes a two month price guarantee. I normally wouldn't finance something like a TV, but for some reason it sweetened the deal just enough for me to bite now instead of a month from now.

The TV arrived around 8:40. One small 20 something girl in a van. She was nice enough, but the paperwork I had to sign off on said that I was affirming that it was delivered by a two person delivery team. Also had a bunch of crazy stuff like affirming that the remote works. I don't expect a delivery driver to wait around and find out. Especially not at 9pm. I only initialed the part that said the TV wasn't busted.
Overall, meh. I'd had a better experience just driving to best buy and bringing it home in my own truck when it was convenient for me.

Howard_Casto · « **Reply #148 on:** November 14, 2015, 12:52:18 am »

I wish small 20 something girls would bring me TVs. I've never seen a female delivery lady the whole time I've lived here and even the men are 50+ and 300lbs+

jennifer · « **Reply #149 on:** November 14, 2015, 12:55:28 am »

I just bought a TIG welder on amazon, and couldn't be more pleased....

BadMouth · « **Reply #150 on:** November 25, 2015, 09:11:36 am »

On Sunday Target had the TV I bought from Amazon for $100 cheaper than I've already price matched to, but I didn't find out until Monday so didn't get the price match refund

I check the price every damn work day through google shopping. It had to be on a friggin Sunday.
Bitches caught me slippin' I should have set up a slickdeals price alert.

Walmart has it $80 cheaper today so that almost makes up for it, but not quite.
Hoping it turns up even cheaper on black Friday or Cyber Monday.
I imagine Amazon customer service is going to be pounded then.

pbj · « **Reply #151 on:** November 25, 2015, 10:16:43 am »

Keep getting that price adjusted. You may get lucky and they'll double dip a refund.

I've purchased 3 TVs from Amazon. The first included "white glove" which meant they were supposed to plug it in and verify that the remote control works. They got quite salty that I actually made them do it but you are ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- if you don't get the OEM remote with your TV. Vizio is the only manufacturer I've encountered that a remote will work 100% across their models.

Now a days? Meh. There's a problem and they get to send their delivery monkeys back out to get it.

Picked up a couple of games from Game Fly yesterday... got down to $10/shipped. What a fantastic modern age we live in.... not even worth the effort of piracy anymore.

BadMouth · « **Reply #152 on:** November 25, 2015, 10:33:57 am »

Quote

Please know that we can honor price match for TV only once.

Upon checking your order, I see that you've already been issued a refund of $84.80 for the price match.

Hence as an exception, I'm issuing a refund in the amount of $95.20

Guess I should be happy that I've gotten $180 refunded already, but it sounds like they're going to be asses about any further refunds.

pbj · « **Reply #153 on:** November 25, 2015, 10:38:59 am »

Yep, tell them you will be delighted to return the item and purchase it again at the lower price. They use pretty abrupt language in their scripts, don't take it personally or as a sign of their convictions. One of them e-mailed me a personalized apology after I told him I was offended by his use of the word "exception" when I asked him to honor Amazon policy and wanted to chat with his supervisor.

No mercy.

pbj · « **Reply #154 on:** February 06, 2016, 02:38:50 pm »

Job is doing a "power of vitality" program and I'm earning 10-15 cents a day by waddling around with a Fitbit. You get bonus points for taking "online health courses" and such and everyone is encouraged to do it on the clock.

So between various incentives, bonuses, and wandering in traffic I made $30 in Amazon gift cards his week.

Sleeping Dogs definitive edition is $10 right now. Slow shipping bonus credits count towards it and we all live in Bear, Delaware when making digital game purchases.

Downloading my free game.... And my wife's goofy Valentines present arrives Tuesday.

Malenko · « **Reply #155 on:** February 09, 2016, 10:43:46 am »

Quote from: pbj on February 06, 2016, 02:38:50 pm

Slow shipping bonus credits count towards it and we all live in Bear, Delaware when making digital game purchases.

I live right next to Bear,Delaware

pbj · « **Reply #156 on:** February 09, 2016, 12:01:38 pm »

Everything is right next to each other in Delaware. The greater Houston area is five times the size of Delaware.

Malenko · « **Reply #157 on:** February 09, 2016, 12:21:26 pm »

Quote from: pbj on February 09, 2016, 12:01:38 pm

Everything is right next to each other in Delaware. The greater Houston area is five times the size of Delaware.

"right next to" as in neighboring town , I know Delaware is only 96 miles tall but no one from north DE claims to be from (or right next to) slower lower Delaware =D

harveybirdman · « **Reply #158 on:** February 09, 2016, 08:08:49 pm »

Everytime I read this thread I imagine pbj more and more like this....

And no, I don't want to borrow his pajamas.

BadMouth · « **Reply #159 on:** February 09, 2016, 10:39:59 pm »

Tomorrow is the last day of my Amazon Prime membership before I let it expire.
I really thought they'd be begging me to stay the closer it got to running out, but nothing.

The reliably quick shipping has really fallen off and on the cheap stuff they're adding extra shipping costs by charging more for Prime items vs a duplicate listing for the same item without Prime.
I'd probably have had another 8 months if I'd bugged them for a free month every time a delivery was late this year. (only did it once)

Gonna try and get by waiting until I want $35 worth of stuff before I order. $:-\$


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