Amazon is Screwing With My Mind

[Ben]

So I've seen this new "multiples" pricing thing for items at Amazon (i.e., purchase either one, two, three, four, etc. of the item at once). Only it's some kind of bizarro pricing scheme. Example is the electric timer Dogmush linked to in the other thread here: Buy one for $13.99 or three for $55.47. What?

http://www.amazon.com/GE-7-Day-Digital-Timer-Outlet/dp/B0035GAXA8/ref=sr_1_12?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1439214230&sr=1-12&keywords=christmas+light+timer

Another is that Condor knife I just wrote about purchasing. Buy one for $36.04 or buy two for $177.90.

http://www.amazon.com/Condor-Bushlore-4-375-Inch-Walnut-Leather/dp/B002CC6BPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439217838&sr=8-1&keywords=condor+knife

Someone at Amazon is playing games. Not only that, but this week's episode of "Hell on Wheels" on Instant is two freakin' days late and still not available. Bastards.

[Tallpine]

You can fool some of the people all of the time 

[HankB]

Nothing new here - my Dad told me that right after WWII, he worked for a time at The Cotton Shops, a clothing store. Once they had a sale on women's dresses - $6 each, or special 3 for $20.

Lots of women bought 3. 

And if you go to the grocery store today, check the price per ounce of, well, just about anything that's canned or bottled. The largest size is not always cheapest per ounce.

[dogmush]

Different Vendors.

If you click the different package sizes, it is a different seller, and they have a different  per item price.

Remember there's "sold by Amazon", and "sold in the Amazon Marketplace"

[AJ Dual]

Also a lot of the screwy or bad pricing on Amazon is not actual intent to deceive or whatnot. With the millions of items, most pricing is done programmatically by various formulas and schedules based on sales, stock on hand, the volume moving etc. and it doesn't always work right.

[Ben]

I didn't believe they were trying to deceive. I just thought it was funny because of how it shows up. You would think though, that they would have caught it by now and eliminated showing the pricing that way. They've always had "other sellers" on the right side of the item page.

There have also always been weird prices from third party vendors on Amazon. You just normally have to dig around to find them, or stumble upon them. That HDMI cable that goes for like $700 comes to mind. :)

[K Frame]

I would bet that the single comes from one company, while the multiple (3) comes from another company that has its own pricing structure.

Yep, that's exactly it. The single is Amazon Prime, the 3 pack is NOT prime and comes from Ron's Hardware.


Edit in -- OK, other people have identified the vendor thing...

[grampster]

While driving to Florida one year we saw a sign that said "Watermelons: 25cents each, 3 for a dollar.  Decided to stop and watch.  There was quite a number of folks buying 'em by the threes.

[KD5NRH]

I would bet that the single comes from one company, while the multiple (3) comes from another company that has its own pricing structure.

Yep, that's exactly it. The single is Amazon Prime, the 3 pack is NOT prime and comes from Ron's Hardware.

Still makes no sense; why would you want a worse price, when surely Amazon is capable of calculating that they can put three in a box more cheaply than the other company will.

[Ben]

Still makes no sense; why would you want a worse price, when surely Amazon is capable of calculating that they can put three in a box more cheaply than the other company will.

My guess would be that like the government,  once you become a behemoth, stuff starts to slip through the cracks.

[230RN]

Also a lot of the screwy or bad pricing on Amazon is not actual intent to deceive or whatnot. With the millions of items, most pricing is done programmatically by various formulas and schedules based on sales, stock on hand, the volume moving etc. and it doesn't always work right.

Orrrrrr, somebody keyed something in as if it were a telephone touch pad instead of a computer number pad.

123
456
789  (Telephone)
v
789
456
123  (Computin' Engine)

Don't know how many times I've screwed that up.  That's why whenever I do any cypherin' on boards I usually add "If my arithmetic is correct."

Sometimes it are and sometimes it aren't.  And if it aren't that's always a good excuse.

Terry, 890RN

[K Frame]

Still makes no sense; why would you want a worse price, when surely Amazon is capable of calculating that they can put three in a box more cheaply than the other company will.

I doubt if Amazon's algorithms do that, or that they even really care about doing that. If someone can't figure that out for themselves, then they deserve to pay the stupid is as stupid does penalty.

Amazon doesn't promise to give you the very bestest prices you can find anywhere.

They just promise that you can get it from them.
 

[KD5NRH]

I doubt if Amazon's algorithms do that, or that they even really care about doing that. If someone can't figure that out for themselves, then they deserve to pay the stupid is as stupid does penalty.

But is that necessarily better for Amazon?  Yes, their seller fees are ridiculous, so I doubt they're losing money by giving the sale to the third party, but breaking the continuity of a varied purchase should be considered a bad thing in terms of customer experience; separate shipments, Prime user paying for shipping, longer transit times, etc.

[K Frame]

You know, somewhere, at some time, people HAVE to do a little bit for themselves and not expect someone else to do it for them.

I'm sure Amazon could be extremely successful with a service that you order on line and it comes around and wipes your ass for you, but they're not doing that, either.

I'm sure someone, somewhere, has pointed out that Amazon is missing a HUGE revenue stream by not doing this.

[SADShooter]

You know, somewhere, at some time, people HAVE to do a little bit for themselves and not expect someone else to do it for them.

I'm sure Amazon could be extremely successful with a service that you order on line and it comes around and wipes your ass for you, but they're not doing that, either.

I'm sure someone, somewhere, has pointed out that Amazon is missing a HUGE revenue stream by not doing this.

They're missing more streams than just revenue.

[KD5NRH]

You know, somewhere, at some time, people HAVE to do a little bit for themselves and not expect someone else to do it for them.

Tell that to pretty much every Obama voter and our entire sales team.

I'm sure Amazon could be extremely successful with a service that you order on line and it comes around and wipes your ass for you, but they're not doing that, either.

Give it time.  That's how they'll finally overcome the convenience of WalMart.

[Ben]

Give it time.  That's how they'll finally overcome the convenience of WalMart.

Not sure if serious. I find Amazon Prime much more convenient than fighting through the people of Walmart. I only go to Walmart for stuff like cleaning supplies once in a while, or if I happen to need some general purpose item right now. Otherwise point and click is much more convenient. Plus no weirdos.

Though I will say that I'm finding I have to doublecheck Amazon prices more often nowadays. Regarding that Nicholson file I'm going to pick up, I checked Amazon figuring it would be cheaper than Home Despot. $12 at Amazon (Prime), $8 at the HD. Enough to make it worth waiting until the next time I'm in the vicinity of the HD to buy it there.

[TechMan]

Not sure if serious. I find Amazon Prime much more convenient than fighting through the people of Walmart. I only go to Walmart for stuff like cleaning supplies once in a while, or if I happen to need some general purpose item right now. Otherwise point and click is much more convenient. Plus no weirdos.

Though I will say that I'm finding I have to doublecheck Amazon prices more often nowadays. Regarding that Nicholson file I'm going to pick up, I checked Amazon figuring it would be cheaper than Home Despot. $12 at Amazon (Prime), $8 at the HD. Enough to make it worth waiting until the next time I'm in the vicinity of the HD to buy it there.

Except for the one that is doing the point and clicking, but that goes with out saying.

[Hawkmoon]

I'm sure Amazon could be extremely successful with a service that you order on line and it comes around and wipes your ass for you, but they're not doing that, either.

They would be in competition with our government, which is already full of asswipes being paid by the taxpayers.

[Boomhauer]

I've seen just as many crazy good deals as rediculously high prices on Amazon

Also CamelCamelCamel is your friend

[Tallpine]

Amazon is Screwing With My Mind

Amazon takes you down to a place by the river ....

[TechMan]

I've seen just as many crazy good deals as rediculously high prices on Amazon

Also CamelCamelCamel is your friend

Quoted for truth