Not a Deal on Amazon

[babyzolo]

UPDATE: After filling out the CS survey, they called me back. And the 3rd rep finally did credit me $7 towards my next Amazon purchase, as a ONE time exception. I still think that the service and approach was shoddy, especially for what they consider a good customer - since 1999. However, I will go back to Amazon for the sheer convenience and mostly lower prices. (And I was not aware of their approach of prices changing constantly, as people mention below. I only thought they changed for a specific promotion, e.g., Fisher Price sale.)


NOT SO BAD after they made good, but their attitude on the phone was not one of treating customer's with respect.
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I wanted to share my VERY POOR customer experience on Amazon. I ordered the FP Animal Sounds Farm for DS 3 days ago and received it yesterday. It was 38.54. I noticed this am that the price dropped to 31.5. I am a frequent Amazon shopper and have S&S. I asked for a refund in difference. I spoke to a supervisor. They refused. I threatened to cancel my S&S orders, stop ordering from them, and write on blogs. They refused. So I did cancel my S&S orders. I am going to Diapers.com. Buyer Beware of the horrible customer service.

[azazela]

I am a frequent Amazon shopper as well and have rarely had to use their customer service so I can't really speak to that. HOWEVER Amazon is well known for their constantly changing prices, so much so in fact that there are whole websites devoted to tracking the prices for different products and sending notifications. Maybe it's just me but I would never expect Amazon to pricematch, even to their own sale price. It's just not their business model.

[sewarsh]

I'm sorry you feel that way, but in order for Amazon to have such great prices they do not offer price adjustments. Its just their policy and although I understand you being upset, I think you have to think of all the money you save from Amazon in the big scheme of things. I've contacted Amazon no less than 10 times on various CS issues and have always been happy.

You win some, you lose some...
Sorry, still stinks though!

[lovebargains]

I will not buy anything from amazon unless it's already bottom price. If unsure, I add it to my shopping cart, and each day it updates me on the price when I check my cart. I "save it for later" until the price is low enough to jump. They fluctuate their prices ALOT, so I might keep something in my cart for a few weeks until I am sure of the lowest price, but even then it goes lower sometimes.

[TwinFoxes]

Originally Posted by sewarsh

I'm sorry you feel that way, but in order for Amazon to have such great prices they do not offer price adjustments. Its just their policy.

I shop at Amazon a LOT, I had no idea this is their policy. I guess I'm not too surprised though.

[jvs195]

I have to agree with the PP, if it was low enough for you to buy it then that was the price you were willing to pay. I think it's well known Amazon does not do price adjustments. I don't think that your experience qualifies for bad customer service just because they would not bend their policies (but in the end did which will ultimately result in higher prices for the rest of us). Once I buy something I don't look at it again so I don't feel badly if the price drops.

[Multimama]

I completely understand why Amazon doesn't offer price adjustment. If they did they would have people calling them every 5 minutes because that's how often their prices change!

If you want to know before you buy something if the price you are purchasing at is the lowest an item is going to go you can use websites like camelcamelcamel.com and that will give you a pretty good idea. With Amazon you have to decide if the price right now is the right price for you. if you need the item right now and not next week, it probably is. If you can wait, then look at the graph and wait until it drops back down to lowest price.

[TwinFoxes]

I was curious about this policy because i was pretty sure i had gotten price adjustment on a big ticket item in the past. Apparently they used to have a 30 day price adjust policy, but changed it when the economy started going south. A lot of stores/sites changed their return/price adjust policies to save money.

Personally I wouldn't stop shopping there, but in general I don't ask for price adjustments unless it's a big difference.

[lmwbasye]

Originally Posted by Multimama

I completely understand why Amazon doesn't offer price adjustment. If they did they would have people calling them every 5 minutes because that's how often their prices change!

If you want to know before you buy something if the price you are purchasing at is the lowest an item is going to go you can use websites like camelcamelcamel.com and that will give you a pretty good idea. With Amazon you have to decide if the price right now is the right price for you. if you need the item right now and not next week, it probably is. If you can wait, then look at the graph and wait until it drops back down to lowest price.

Yep...this. Every business is run differently and they already offer so much to the customer (great shipping, reasonable prices and very often great deals, etc)...I don't think it's poor customer service to not offer a PA but just a company policy that other stores have as well.

[Melbel]

Originally Posted by TwinFoxes

I was curious about this policy because i was pretty sure i had gotten price adjustment on a big ticket item in the past. Apparently they used to have a 30 day price adjust policy, but changed it when the economy started going south. A lot of stores/sites changed their return/price adjust policies to save money.

Personally I wouldn't stop shopping there, but in general I don't ask for price adjustments unless it's a big difference.

Amazon stopped doing PAs at least a year ago. It was well publicized, especially on the bargain type boards. I agree with a PP that it is not bad customer service for amazon to simply enforce its policy. The website clearly and unequivocally states:

Post-Order Price Match Policy


We do not offer post-order price matching when an item's price drops after you buy it. Our prices regularly change, and the price you paid when your order shipped was the lowest price we were able to offer at the time. We consistently offer competitive prices on everything we carry because we know low prices are very important to our customers.

I know its frustrating when you buy something and the price drops. However, considering that amazon went outside its policy to please the OP, amazon showed good, not bad, customer service. I guess I do not quite "get" the OP's point.