Has Amazon decreased their lens selection

I just took a look at lenses on Amazon and noticed they no longer carry lenses (direct) like the 50mm L and the 84mm L. Has anyone else noticed this?

If they go out of stock, they sometimes don't show it as being sold by them. When I was looking at the 17-40 a while back it looked like Amazon stopped carrying it and then it popped back up again.

There are other times when they still show amazon as a seller but it gives you the message that the item is not in stock and they will notify you....

I wish I knew the method to Amazon's madness.

CosmoKid wrote in post #8771047
If they go out of stock, they sometimes don't show it as being sold by them. When I was looking at the 17-40 a while back it looked like Amazon stopped carrying it and then it popped back up again.

There are other times when they still show amazon as a seller but it gives you the message that the item is not in stock and they will notify you....

I wish I knew the method to Amazon's madness.

Yes, I've seen this a few times.

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I find Amazon is trying to change their business model. Persoanlly, I think they are heading in the wrong direction. Many people buy from Amazon because of a level of trust. When they "broker" the deal there is the risk that the vendor will not be as customer service oriented as Amazon.
I purchased a case that took 5 weeks to arrive and was listed as in stock. When I called, Amazon said they would look into it but could not control the vendors.

Addicted2EOS wrote in post #8778399
I find Amazon is trying to change their business model. Persoanlly, I think they are heading in the wrong direction. Many people buy from Amazon because of a level of trust. When they "broker" the deal there is the risk that the vendor will not be as customer service oriented as Amazon.
I purchased a case that took 5 weeks to arrive and was listed as in stock. When I called, Amazon said they would look into it but could not control the vendors.

I hope they aren't trying to outsource everything because I have never and probably wouldn't buy from a vendor that is just brokered by Amazon.

SunTsu wrote in post #8781054
I hope they aren't trying to outsource everything because I have never and probably wouldn't buy from a vendor that is just brokered by Amazon.

I agree. Sometimes you get a great sub-vendor. for example, Adorama sells thru Amazon. Unfortunately, you also get some real losers and I have had some poor experiences lately.
I really do not purchase much from Amazon any more (except books) because of this!

Just stick to buying directly from Amazon or from vendors you know and trust that sell through amazon (adorama, J&R, etc).

Amazon is my most used site. But I stick mostly to Amazon direct for my purchases. I have a Prime account and have for over 3 years. Their customer service has been top notch for me.

CosmoKid wrote in post #8783634
Just stick to buying directly from Amazon or from vendors you know and trust that sell through amazon (adorama, J&R, etc).

Amazon is my most used site. But I stick mostly to Amazon direct for my purchases. I have a Prime account and have for over 3 years. Their customer service has been top notch for me.

Maybe you can clear something up for me. I have never understood Amazon PRIME. I get free shipping on most of the things I order from Amazon anyway. What is the attraction/benefit of paying $79 for Amazon Prime. What am I missing? Thanks in advance.

Addicted2EOS wrote in post #8783647
Maybe you can clear something up for me. I have never understood Amazon PRIME. I get free shipping on most of the things I order from Amazon anyway. What is the attraction/benefit of paying $79 for Amazon Prime. What am I missing? Thanks in advance.

There are a few reasons I use prime (free 2nd day shipping)...

1- I never have to worry about free shipping at $25. I can order a $5 CD and I get it to my house in 2 days. Do you know how many times I used to want something for $22 and I would order something else I didn't really need to hit that magic $25 number?

2- I buy a LOT of stuff from Amazon. Most of my Blu-ray's, my 40d, half of my lenses, filters, etc., K-cups, diapers, etc. I hate waiting for a week for free super saver shipping. If you saw how much I ordered from them and figured out how much shipping would have been, I MORE than make up for it.

3- Christmas shopping - I buy anything I can from Amazon. I did 90% of my Christmas shopping there last year. I can order on December 22nd and get it on time or even order on the 23rd and pay $3.99 for overnight shipping.

In reality, a lot of what is shipped in 2 days gets to my house in a day. I was going to Napa Valley in May and decided I wanted an UWA for the trip at the last minute. I ordered it on a Wednesday at 4pm and had it at my door the following morning.

$80 sounds like a lot up front, but it works out for me. Others it may not. If I can spend $55 a year on a Costco membership when stuff isn't, in reality, cheaper than other alternatives, than I can spend $80 to get stuff with no tax and super quickly from amazon when I know their prices are always competitive.

Sounds like it is an economy of scale benefit. I used to order frequently from Amazon. Mostly books. Borders and Barnes and Noble email me so many coupons that I now just stop bye on the way home from work.
I can certainly see the benfits if I was ordering regularly. Thanks for the detailed explanation!