NudgeCast 7/2/08

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Notebook advice and Amazon shipping.

Download the mp3 here.

Where's My Stuff?

I've been waiting for my Actiontec Powerline networking gear for over a week now to get my network up again. It was supposed to arrive on Monday, but there's still no sign of it. So, I decide to check on it via the tracking system of the Amazon site.

I had previously seen that the item was in New Jersey on 6/17. As I'm in New York, I figured it should have been here soon thereafter. Nothing on the track for days, and now imagine my surprise that somehow my package ended up going to the wrong coast. That's right, my box is in California! I've provided an image of the tracking info with some things whited out:


All right, I can understand that sometimes not everything goes to plan. Errors do occur. However, if the item is overdue, and floating around California, when it should be in NY, Amazon should do something to make it right.

I emailed Amazon customer service yesterday, and today. All they could tell me on both occasions was that the item "may arrive soon," which is kind of impossible if it's on the other coast for no good reason. I'm told they can order me another one, but can't do so before the close of business on June 26th, even though I've got a better chance of the Dodgers coming back to the Empire State than I do my Actiontec gear in a timely fashion.

I had better luck with Amazon when their stuff used to ship UPS, and not postal service. I'll keep you posted when it doesn't arrive tomorrow. Have I mentioned my network is still dead and waiting for this? Maybe this is an argument to shop B&M!

Jonas

Seriously Super Saver Shipping

So I've ordered my new antenna from Amazon. It seems these days they're more aggressively trying to get you to upgrade the shipping option. I ordered it on 3/6. When I put the order through, it said that I would receive the item 3/18 to 3/25. As this still beats the digital transition date, I figured this was ok, and it saved me $7 over standard shipping, which is 3 to 5 days.

Today I checked on my order, and I've tracked the package to Pittsburgh, with an arrival date of 3/11. Even if it's a day late, this still is more like the 3 to 5 day shipping, so what are those folks paying extra for?

Is this an isolated event? I'm pretty sure not as when I ordered stuff in January, including a Zune 80, they again threatened to ship it almost two weeks later. I held tight, and the package arrived in less than a week from order.

I think in the end that there is little difference in the time that the package will be received from standard shipping, or super saver shipping. Maybe they should rename standard shipping to "sucker shipping?" Keep this in mind with your next order.

Jonas

It's Here!

After dealing with Wal-Mart's Site To Store, I'm pleased to report that Amazon came through- and quickly! Even though I only ordered it Monday evening, and chose super saver shipping, the Philips 3575 arrived today. I even had some time to hook it up. It's too early to form a final opinion, but it did work right out of the box. The interface is clunky, and I needed to read the manual to figure out how to record something. However, the playback was smooth, and the hard drive was just about silent. Stay tuned as I put this baby through the paces, and we share if it is worth three Franklin's of our cash.

--Jonas

Site To Store

The purpose of this post is twofold. The first is to share that I'm purchasing a video hardware recorder. The second is to share how I'm planning on getting it.

There has not exactly been an overwhelming array of choices in the set top TV recorder arena if you don't want the Tivo logo, and the associated monthly fee. In fact, only Wal-Mart sells two of these devices. Of the two, the cheaper one is a Polaroid, and is widely regarded as a piece of junk. After my experience last year, I can confirm this. The other is a Phillips model which goes for $300. Not exactly cheap, but when compared to building a PC based home theater, it starts to look affordable.

The companies that previously made these devices claim there isn't much of a market for them. I'd have to disagree.

With the Fall television season starting next month, I decided that it was time to take the plunge. I noticed last time I was in Wal-Mart that they didn't have any on the shelf. With gas still skirting $3 a gallon, I decided to let my fingers do the walking, and figured out online that many of the Wal-Marts in my area are completely out of this thing! No market, hey? I think the other companies, like Panasonic, bailed too soon on this category of device.

What to do? Now I'm getting to the second part of the post. One option is to drive to the next state as it is listed as having "limited supplies" of the item of interest. I'm thinking that when I get there, there may only be one or two, and what if they are in a broken box, or returned. Nah!

This is where the "Site To Store" logo comes in. Back before the internet, we used to buy stuff at Sears and their lengthy catalog. In order to save money, we would ship it to the store to save on the shipping costs. For those that remember, Sears was the original Amazon, and they stupidly eliminated their catalog at a time when they should have been putting it online.

Anyway, when I went to order this at the Wal-Mart site, they gave me the option of shipping the item to the store. In the process, we save around $7 in shipping costs. No big deal, but if I'm heading over there anyway, I might as well save the dough for something else. Also, I can return it right to the store, and not have the hassle of shipping it back if things don't work out as expected. Reportedly, the item is picked up in customer service. To safeguard my purchase, I have to bring a photo ID, and the email letting me know its arrived. So far, this appears to be one of the better ideas a B&M retailer has come up with, and I'm wondering why more retailers haven't embraced a similar system (although Circuit City is one of the few others that has), rather than just whining that they can't compete with online offerings constantly.

Stay tuned, we'll let you know how this turns out. BTW, I'm getting this Phillips recorder.

--Jonas

What Can Brown Do For Me?

So I ordered that new HDTV from Amazon on Monday this week. I was originally told by Amazon that it would ship on June 11th, and to expect it on June 18th to the 22nd. Was that accurate information? Naahh! After a few day delay because I didn't pony up the extra dough for overnight shipping, they decide to ship it last night, and I expected it at the local distribution center overnight some time.

First thing this morn', I'm online checking how far the new TV made it overnight. I found out that it hit my local UPS center at around 3 AM, and was on a truck for final delivery at 3:45 AM. WOW, I think, special thanks to those overnight Keebler elves that stayed up late to get my purchase to me.

At 8 AM this morn, I get a phone call from the UPS computer to inform me that the package will be delivered from 7 AM to 8 PM today, and it will need to be signed for. Seriously, I appreciate the phone call, but that is a thirteen hour window! Can't they do any better than that? Am I supposed to stay at home all day long? While I want the purchase, I really need to go to work to pay for the darn thing!

Of course, I'm thinking that if it was on the early truck, it should be coming in the morning. Let's just say that the UPS guy didn't quite make it for breakfast today, and the Starbuck's got cold. Ditto for lunch, or even dinner. No, the brown truck didn't roll up until 7 PM this eve.

In this day and age, didn't they know that they wouldn't deliver it until night was falling? Why call me so early? Couldn't they give me a more specific window? Does everyone stay at home for these deliveries? Why put it on the truck at 3 AM if it's not coming for another 16 hours?

The good news is that the TV arrived in one piece, although it was only in the Samsung box, and not another outside box. Stay tuned as I (hopefully) enter the digital era.

--Jonas