Buying online

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I keep hearing about the virtues of buying online (say, at Amazon) as opposed to going into a brick-and-mortar store, one of them being that it saves gas. But when you buy something online, isn't gas still being used for you to get your product? You yourself may not be using gas, but the delivery person is, right?

There is a lot of data that indicates that online shopping has a greater environmental impact than brick and mortar

 

[mharrington]

Either way gas is being used, by you or the Amazon delivery van, and by the way, there are some Amazon electric delivery vehicles.

[...]

if you think WDW is magical, let me tell you Amazon is magical!

Click on something in the morning and it’s at your door step the same day!

Amazon is much more magical than WDW.

If it's as magical as you say it is, then the product I ordered should show up immediately and not take any time at all, and it just doesn't work that way. Sometimes, it takes two days or even longer to show up. What's more, when I buy something from Amazon, I like to know where exactly it came from.

I've tried to look up the exact process of ordering, but I can't seem to figure out how these people actually receive the order. Is there someone watching a computer at all times?

 

[StarWarsGirl]

If it's as magical as you say it is, then the product I ordered should show up immediately and not take any time at all, and it just doesn't work that way

Well, unfortunately, the transporter technology from Star Trek hasn't yet been invented, but I'm sure they're working on it.

 

[mharrington]

Well, unfortunately, the transporter technology from Star Trek hasn't yet been invented, but I'm sure they're working on it.

I wasn't joking about how long it takes to ship.

 

[lazyboy97o]

If it's as magical as you say it is, then the product I ordered should show up immediately and not take any time at all, and it just doesn't work that way. Sometimes, it takes two days or even longer to show up. What's more, when I buy something from Amazon, I like to know where exactly it came from.

I've tried to look up the exact process of ordering, but I can't seem to figure out how these people actually receive the order. Is there someone watching a computer at all times?

You seem to be confusing and conflating different offerings.

Amazon tells you where products come from on the product page. It’s usually under the product name.

Products sold by Amazon are just that, they’re sold by Amazon. The product comes from an Amazon warehouse. Some items are available for same day delivery.

Then there are products Fulfilled by Amazon. These are sold by other companies but they pay Amazon to use their website and warehouses, so they too come from an Amazon warehouse.

Third is items sold through Amazon Marketplace. These companies just pay Amazon to sell things on the website. They handle shipping themselves so when you order something it can come from a warehouse to a person’s house and anything in between.


Yes, there are people working in Amazon warehouses at all times fulfilling orders. There are entire teams of people and robots moving, boxing and shipping orders.

 

[mharrington]

Amazon tells you where products come from on the product page. It’s usually under the product name.

Products sold by Amazon are just that, they’re sold by Amazon. The product comes from an Amazon warehouse. Some items are available for same day delivery.

For stuff that actually comes from an Amazon warehouse, it doesn't tell me which specific warehouse it comes from, only where to ship it. It usually seems to wait until after I place the order before telling me the location it ships from.

 

[lazyboy97o]

For stuff that actually comes from an Amazon warehouse, it doesn't tell me which specific warehouse it comes from, only where to ship it. It usually seems to wait until after I place the order before telling me the location it ships from.

Why would they list the warehouse? Does it really matter if it comes from Warehouse A versus Warehouse B?

 

[Disstevefan1]

If it's as magical as you say it is, then the product I ordered should show up immediately and not take any time at all, and it just doesn't work that way. Sometimes, it takes two days or even longer to show up. What's more, when I buy something from Amazon, I like to know where exactly it came from.

I've tried to look up the exact process of ordering, but I can't seem to figure out how these people actually receive the order. Is there someone watching a computer at all times?

It is pretty magical when I click on something at 8 AM and its at my door that evening. It does of course depend what it is; obviously the item that comes the same day is an item that they have in the local distribution center. Obviously not everything will be the same day, but it’s magical when it happens.

I can’t remember what it was that was one of the same day items, but I was pleasantly surprised when it said it was coming the same day.

 

[mharrington]

Why would they list the warehouse? Does it really matter if it comes from Warehouse A versus Warehouse B?

Yes, it does, because I would like to understand where it comes from, how they are able to get my order and send it, and finally how long it takes to get there.

It is pretty magical when I click on something at 8 AM and its at my door that evening. It does of course depend what it is; obviously the item that comes the same day is an item that they have in the local distribution center. Obviously not everything will be the same day, but it’s magical when it happens.

There has to be a logical explanation for the process. I guess wherever it came from in your case, it has to have been pretty close.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I wasn't joking about how long it takes to ship.

Do you actually pay for Prime? Because if you're not paying for Prime, you're not going to get faster shipping over the customers who are actually paying for Prime. And if you are paying for Prime, you either 1. are buying items that are not Prime eligible or 2. live in a rural area where you're not going to get the fastest shipping available.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I keep hearing about the virtues of buying online (say, at Amazon) as opposed to going into a brick-and-mortar store, one of them being that it saves gas. But when you buy something online, isn't gas still being used for you to get your product? You yourself may not be using gas, but the delivery person is, right?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/12/13/store-online-shop-emissions/

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yes, it does, because I would like to understand where it comes from, how they are able to get my order and send it, and finally how long it takes to get there.

You can find information on how fulfillment centers work online. If you really want, Amazon offers live and virtual tours.

https://amazontours.com/na

There has to be a logical explanation for the process. I guess wherever it came from in your case, it has to have been pretty close.

Items are sitting on a shelf in a warehouse, when you order something a combination of people and robots retrieve the item, pack it up for shipping and ship it. Since Amazon now has their own delivery fleet with certain items they can do all of that within a few hours.

 

[mharrington]

Items are sitting on a shelf in a warehouse, when you order something a combination of people and robots retrieve the item, pack it up for shipping and ship it. Since Amazon now has their own delivery fleet with certain items they can do all of that within a few hours.

I don't know where that warehouse is until after I buy the product. I don't believe they ever divulge the exact location of the product beforehand. When you place an order, all you get is where to ship the product to (i.e., your door), not where the product ships from. And all it says is "Ships from: Amazon".

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don't know where that warehouse is until after I buy the product. I don't believe they ever divulge the exact location of the product beforehand. When you place an order, all you get is where to ship the product to (i.e., your door), not where the product ships from. And all it says is "Ships from: Amazon".

They don’t tell you because most people don’t care. That it is coming from Amazon is the part most people would consider important, if they are even paying attention to that much.

 

[DryerLintFan]

There is a lot of data that indicates that online shopping has a greater environmental impact than brick and mortar

A lot of that is on the back end. When you shop online you order three sizes of the same shirt, for example, because you can return one. But the returns don’t go back on shelves. Most of them go straight to the landfill.

 

[DryerLintFan]

This might be the weirdest thread I’ve ever participated in on this forum.

 

[mharrington]

A lot of that is on the back end. When you shop online you order three sizes of the same shirt, for example, because you can return one. But the returns don’t go back on shelves. Most of them go straight to the landfill.

I had accidentally gotten a duplicate of a Villainous game for Christmas and I returned it to Amazon by way of Whole Foods. It was never even opened. Are you saying that they're just going throw it away?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

A lot of that is on the back end. When you shop online you order three sizes of the same shirt, for example, because you can return one. But the returns don’t go back on shelves. Most of them go straight to the landfill.

Correct.
But it’s also the egregious packaging/foresting and plastic production…

And of course, many of the drones that drop it into your backyard 18 minutes after you ordered it are French and they strike at least 3 times a day…and the garbage piles up on the streets of Paris

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This might be the weirdest thread I’ve ever participated in on this forum.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don't know where that warehouse is until after I buy the product. I don't believe they ever divulge the exact location of the product beforehand. When you place an order, all you get is where to ship the product to (i.e., your door), not where the product ships from. And all it says is "Ships from: Amazon".

Amazon has gotten so much backlash for building too many warehouses…that they now build them with fake names/details/color schemes on the outside to disguise them.

So they look like Amazon warehouses with stupid color schemes and panels over the 167 truck bays