Amazon strange shipping

I've been noticing something odd with Amazon shipping. If I order free or ground shipping, they just hold on to it for extra days and then still ship it 2-day or overnight. Most recently, I ordered a $26 dollar item with free super saver last Thursday the 7th. It didn't ship until the 13th, but then I received it the 14th. How can they be making any money when items with $5 markup get shipped overnight? I've had similar things with other items going 2-day. Just seems like an odd way of doing business.

Do you have Prime account?
If not, then the free shipping they offer for anything over $25 is ground shipping.
They may ship it 2-day or faster but it will not be their priority #1 to pack and ship the same day.
There are lots of Prime account customers and that's their priority #1.

I have noticed the same thing, something in stock and shipped via amazon will take 3-4 days to get pulled. Yet when I trialed their prime shipping, things were pulled same day. I guess its there way of making you want to pay for better service. I just have learned to preplan a little more. I HATE paying for shipping.

I don't have prime.

I don't mind how long it takes, because they advertise super saver as taking up to 6 days, but I just thing it is odd they wouldn't just drop it in cheapo ground-rate shipping now instead of having to go overnight later.

tkbslc wrote in post #15718159
I don't have prime.

I don't mind how long it takes, because they advertise super saver as taking up to 6 days, but I just thing it is odd they wouldn't just drop it in cheapo ground-rate shipping now instead of having to go overnight later.

My thoughts as well. I just ordered a new plug for my laptop, took 4 days for them to pull and ship, then I had it the next day. However I have had times it takes 3-4 days to pull then another 5-6 to ship so when going with free shipping I leave myself lots of time now.

Like Littlejon said I think that it is their way of getting customers to pay for faster shipping. I ordered a filter from them a couple of weeks ago with free super saver shipping. When I placed the order there were 3 items left in stock. By the time they started preparing the order for shipping they had sold all three items and my order got placed on hold until more stock arrived. I canceled the order and reordered from another seller through Amazon with the same shipping and it came in a couple of days. I typically only like ordering items that are "sold and shipped by Amazon" because they will take anything back and pay for return shipping. In this case I needed (wanted really bad) the filter for a weekend trip I was taking

Are they the largest internet seller in the US? I suspect they get some pretty good rates on overnight shipping. They don't pull your order in a timely manner to influence you to pay for Prime.

I guess, I just don't see how it's an incentive to upgrade when it still gets here as promised.

I am a Prime member, but what drives me nuts about Amazon's shipping is sometimes, I'll order something Amazon Prime, with the free 2 day delivery on a Saturday. Instead, they'll send it overnight and it'll be at my door Friday. One problem, I'm not home Friday, so I then don't get it until Monday. When I order something with 2 day shipping, and saturday delivery, it's because I know I'll be home on Saturday to sign for it.... They've done this to me quite a few times lately, and it drives me nuts.

Sometimes, if you leave a note on your door authorizing them to leave it, then they'll drop it.

va_rider wrote in post #15718239
I am a Prime member, but what drives me nuts about Amazon's shipping is sometimes, I'll order something Amazon Prime, with the free 2 day delivery on a Saturday. Instead, they'll send it overnight and it'll be at my door Friday. One problem, I'm not home Friday, so I then don't get it until Monday. When I order something with 2 day shipping, and saturday delivery, it's because I know I'll be home on Saturday to sign for it.... They've done this to me quite a few times lately, and it drives me nuts.

va_rider wrote in post #15718239
I am a Prime member, but what drives me nuts about Amazon's shipping is sometimes, I'll order something Amazon Prime, with the free 2 day delivery on a Saturday. Instead, they'll send it overnight and it'll be at my door Friday. One problem, I'm not home Friday, so I then don't get it until Monday. When I order something with 2 day shipping, and saturday delivery, it's because I know I'll be home on Saturday to sign for it.... They've done this to me quite a few times lately, and it drives me nuts.

I have yet to have to sign for anything from Amazon, is there a dollar amount they make you sign above.

tkbslc wrote in post #15718236
I guess, I just don't see how it's an incentive to upgrade when it still gets here as promised.

If you have a .edu email address, then you can get Prime for half price.
I have Prime the last 8 years or so and it has paid for it self. I get some of my groceries (i.e. shampoos, diapers, soap), car stuffs (i.e. oil filters, air filters), photo stuffs, shoes, clothes etc.

The beauty of having a Prime is the 2 day free shipping - which is convenient when they have this crazy sale. For example, an item costs $200 and went for $100 for just a few minutes. My observation is, a Prime account holder will get the item but not the non-Prime holder. Also, I can buy any Prime product even if they cost a buck and I still get them in 2 days. From October to January, Amazon sells toys, shoes and clothes for dirt cheap, sometimes 80% off - I get to buy toys for my kids for the whole year (I keep them in my basement and give one toy at a time).

are you sure it's actually overnight?

amazon often uses private shipping contractors to move stuff before it gets tracked.

since you ordered on the 7th, it was probably packed and ready for the shipper by the 10, and shipped on the 11th.

Prime member here as well. Wifey and I both have our own Amazon accounts, but we get to share the Prime for shipping. We buy *tons* of stuff from Amazon, so it pays for itself pretty quickly. I ordered an RS strap yesterday and it's on the truck for delivery today. Can't beat that. The Prime movie perk comes in handy every now and then, too.

For me, it depends on where they are shipping it from. I think relatively recently, Amazon setup some kind of warehouse nearby so shipping ground usually just takes a day.