[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

Ran into this with Target. I needed a headset for conference calls, and of the 3 models that would have worked nicely all were listed by their website as "in stock" at the store near me. When I got to the store 30 minutes after the website visit, not a one of them was in stock. In the case of 2 of the 3, there wasn't even a stocking location or tag for them anywhere. I even had the very helpful staffer check the storeroom. That's some piss-poor inventory management. Real-time tracking isn't a realistic expectation, but it should be obvious that they have to do better than "not even fucking close." For that big of an error there would have to be really slow (or nonexistent) updates, or lots of errors, or both. Since every item is tracked everywhere it goes by a variety of automated means, there's no reason - other than ineptitude or apathy - for such inaccuracy. Very frustrating.

Totally agreed. It's probably not going to be addressed. But in this current climate where we're told not to make unnecessary trips, the fact these companies are so sloppy with their inventory systems is causing unnecessary trips as many times there are no other higher priced substitutes.

With Target, it's highly inexcusable. Target has their stores on total lock down with security cameras every where. You can't scratch your ass without a camera recording it. So the probability of theft from employees or shoppers is minimal. Which leads to either gross incompetence or intentional bait and switch.

And another thing I've found with Target is the inconsistencies of their pricing in store and on their website. That is also another bone of contention I have with Target. One item I bought had a $30 delta.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

Totally agreed. It's probably not going to be addressed. But in this current climate where we're told not to make unnecessary trips, the fact these companies are so sloppy with their inventory systems is causing unnecessary trips as many times there are no other higher priced substitutes.

With Target, it's highly inexcusable. Target has their stores on total lock down with security cameras every where. You can't scratch your ass without a camera recording it. So the probability of theft from employees or shoppers is minimal. Which leads to either gross incompetence or intentional bait and switch.

And another thing I've found with Target is the inconsistencies of their pricing in store and on their website. That is also another bone of contention I have with Target. One item I bought had a $30 delta.

Having done a 3+ year stint as a software consultant at a major retailer, I got a pretty good look "behind the curtain" so to speak. They had done some serious investment in technical capabilities at their HQ and their online business channels, but their store operations were an utter shit-show.

My team built an application for managing in-store consultation appointments. After a great pilot and a successful launch it fell into disuse after only 6 months or so because in most cases no store employee was available to honor the appointment when the customer showed up. In other cases the employee who showed up to help you pick out a refrigerator was a 19-year old pimple-faced booger-eating dweeb from the console gaming department whose expertise in refrigerators consisted of knowing that a.) there was one in the kitchen at home, and b.) it was where Mommy stashed the Hot Pockets and frozen pizzas. They shut down the whole program, out of embarrassment. When something's got over a thousand rage-filled 1-star reviews on the website, it's time to cut bait.

Retail operations are some of the least sexy, lowest-status, lowest paying gigs around. Shitty hours and zero job security or company loyalty. Very few opportunities for advancement...and is "Assistant Chief Customer Ass-kisser," and a pair of knee pads with the company logo on them, really an advancement?

If Google software engineering and Wall Street law firm jobs are a "100" on the talent magnet scale, retail operations are probably a "5." Right down there with used car sales and waiting tables at a truck stop; a small notch above street-corner hand-job vendor.

Point being, the results you and I have experienced are not surprising in any way, unfortunately.

[IllSic_Design]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

What you're talking about are promotions or sales which I do understand if I miss out, oh well. What I've been observing are items which are not on sale or don't have promotion have more price fluctuation than the current stock market. Now that should never happen. I've tracked items change in price literally every few hours. And these are not some items that are driven by any type of marketing programs or promotions. One such item is a replacement piece for a motorcycle chain removal/riveting tool. That part has swung from a low of around $18 to a high of $24. Another was a Gentex auto dimming/Homelink rear view mirror. I watched it go from a low of $169 to the current $214.

There's definitely something wrong with the whole stupid pricing system on Amazon when you have a dedicated website called camelcamelcamel that provides historical price tracking of a particular item. Go check out a particular item on that website. Depending on the item, the amount of price variability will shock you.

I explained this earlier as I sell on Amazon. Items listed for sale on Amazon are not only sold by Amazon, in fact most items on Amazon are sold by a third party. And these sellers can set the price to whatever they want and adjust it to whatever they want as often as they want to change it. It is the way it is, amazon doesn't set these prices and doesn't care to make sure prices stay at a certain price or range, in fact they probably don't mind when sellers up the price because then they(amazon) make even more money from that order because each item that is on Amazon, Amazon takes 15% of the sale price.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

I explained this earlier as I sell on Amazon. Items listed for sale on Amazon are not only sold by Amazon, in fact most items on Amazon are sold by a third party. And these sellers can set the price to whatever they want and adjust it to whatever they want as often as they want to change it. It is the way it is, amazon doesn't set these prices and doesn't care to make sure prices stay at a certain price or range, in fact they probably don't mind when sellers up the price because then they(amazon) make even more money from that order because each item that is on Amazon, Amazon takes 15% of the sale price.

I figured you would respond again. And I'll say it again, Amazon can choose to not follow what market sellers are selling their product for. In fact for a long time, they were establishing themselves as the preferred vendor by consistently pricing an item below what third party sellers are listing their product for. But lately, Amazon has just been following suit with this idiotic stock market like pricing scheme. I go to shop and choose with one criteria being price when I purchase. I'm buying a product. Not a commodity futures stock. It's getting so bad that now brick and mortar stores are becoming more attractive in terms of convenience, service, and pricing. The subject of this thread says it all that Amazon is no longer doing a price guarantee which they did before.

[eluded]

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

, in fact most items on Amazon are sold by a third party.

Amazon treats their 3rd party sellers so great

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by eluded

Amazon treats their 3rd party sellers so great

I have heard some horror stories.

[IllSic_Design]

Originally Posted by eluded

Amazon treats their 3rd party sellers so great

Yeah buyers always have the upper hand and sellers get screwed a lot.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

I explained this earlier as I sell on Amazon. Items listed for sale on Amazon are not only sold by Amazon, in fact most items on Amazon are sold by a third party. And these sellers can set the price to whatever they want and adjust it to whatever they want as often as they want to change it. It is the way it is, amazon doesn't set these prices and doesn't care to make sure prices stay at a certain price or range, in fact they probably don't mind when sellers up the price because then they(amazon) make even more money from that order because each item that is on Amazon, Amazon takes 15% of the sale price.

Believe it or not sellers can't always sell for whatever they want. We had a product we sold on amazon. We manufactured it and were the only seller. We normally sold it for $85, however at some point we dropped the price to try different price points. At some point we decided to up the price back to $85... amazon killed our buy box even though we were the ONLY seller. Their algorithm deemed the price too high based on previous pricing I guess.

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

Yeah buyers always have the upper hand and sellers get screwed a lot.

We use to sell tires on amazon. Fuckers would return used tires or get a blowout and claim the tire was defective of course amazon would side with the customer most of the time. They don't give a fuck about the seller.

[IllSic_Design]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Believe it or not sellers can't always sell for whatever they want. We had a product we sold on amazon. We manufactured it and were the only seller. We normally sold it for $85, however at some point we dropped the price to try different price points. At some point we decided to up the price back to $85... amazon killed our buy box even though we were the ONLY seller. Their algorithm deemed the price too high based on previous pricing I guess.

Yes you are right, not any price, but within a reasonable limit of the "normal/average" price. Was just trying to point out to people that Amazon doesn't/can't set prices for products(atleast not all), but they will deactivate listing for people trying to price gouge a little too much.

[Reborn_]

I’ve also seen a dip in amazon over the past year. Original prime member with tons of time shopping on amazon. First, prime shipping started showing up 3 days later when it used to be 1-2. Then weekends stopped counting as days since your order was placed. Then ‘rona hit.

But most importantly, amazon is becoming the nouveau eBay. Too much fake shit and bait and switch. I haven’t purchased anything from Best Buy in well over 5 years. I just placed many orders with them over the past week for Nintendo games. Everything on Amazon was used and price gouged or grey market. Half the stuff I buy I double check the comments and deduce there’s a probability that a knockoff will show up.

[AlpineWhite_SJ]

I’m a Prime member and they’ve lost a pretty steady stream of business from me between Amazon.com and Whole Foods.

Amazon.com isn’t where I buy something like what they’re prioritizing right now unless they’re the only ones that have it in stock. Most of the stuff I’d be looking to get is either out of stock or non-priority so not shipping until some later date.

Whole Foods just became a shit show for availability of basics like produce. No one in that store was following social distancing and navigating the human obstacle course got old, especially when there were no limits to how many people were in the store and you ended up getting only a fraction of what you were trying to get. Upped costco purchases and visit the local chain supermarket that is way less crowded and often better stocked.