Amazon and Preordering

ShadowyFigure · Apr 25, 2008

Belorin said:
I've gotten pretty good service with Amazon.com so far. I preordered the R&C and W&M previews and the both arrived on the street date.

Bel

Thank god someone who isn't a doom sayer, I may be able to restrain going to amazon now with a rusty fork.

smathis · Apr 25, 2008

I upped my shipping to "Standard Shipping" because the pre-order said that the Free Shipping would not go out until the 10th. With Standard Shipping, I should get the books before the Free Shipping books would've been shipped.

I felt that was worth the $3.

I may go ahead and pick up an extra copy of the PHB, though. If I'm serious about running this game (and I am), it never hurts to have an extra one.

And if I wind up playing, it will be nice to have a bang around copy that I can get scuffed up without having to worry about it...

ShadowyFigure · Apr 25, 2008

Hmm I wonder if at first class they ship it early for release date... My freind seems conviced it says on his it will be delivered on the day.

Zaruthustran · Apr 25, 2008

ShadowyFigure said:
So what if there not high priority as a customer I expect my preordered product on release, thats why I preorder, so I don't have to go to a store to find all the copies gone.

The difference between a week and nine days.

IM NOT WAITING 5 MINUTES MORE THEN THE 6TH BEFORE GETTING VIOLENT

Can't tell if you're being serious or not, but assuming you are: you have unreasonable expectations.

A reasonable expectation is that all retailers receive shipment from the distributor at the same time, so that the product can be put on shelves on the street date.

For a dirt store like Borders, that means that on the street date you can walk into the store, pick up the product from a store shelf, and purchase the product.

For an online store like Amazon, that means that on the street date UPS can walk into the warehouse, pick up your product from a warehouse shelf, put it on a truck for delivery to a UPS hub, and from there put your product on a plane or truck for delivery to another UPS distribution center near your home, before finally being put on another truck for delivery to your home.

In other words: UPS normally is only able to pick up product from Amazon's warehouse the same day customers can pick up product from Borders. UPS has to then get the product to you. This takes time, of course--though I hear UPS is investing heavily in teleportation research. ;p

For extremely high profile products like Harry Potter books, Amazon and UPS and the distributor and the publisher will all work together (at tremendous investment of time and money) to arrange things so that your pre-order will be delivered the same day they become available for sale in dirt stores. As someone else mentioned, it's unlikely 4E will get this treatment.

Now, if for some reason Amazon gets stock well in advance of street date (it happens, especially when the publisher isn't terribly concerned about a retailer breaking the street date) then they may go ahead and ship product early, and time things so that your book arrives on the street date. I've seen it happen, but it's unreasonable to expect that to happen every time.

-z, former Amazonian

frankthedm · Apr 25, 2008

Won't be playing the game for at least three weeks after release, so I'm in no big hurry.

Mistwell · Apr 25, 2008

Mercule said:
I'd caution you on upgrading, or at least paying very much to do so. D&D books aren't a high-priority "new release"

On the contrary, they are highly ranked on Amazon's bestseller list.

ShadowyFigure · Apr 25, 2008

I am 100% sure that the 4e book are high priority and will be delivered on the release date. Also how is it unreasonable that I expect, a product I preorder to be available on the day? I can go into a store and preorder something to be co0llected on the day.

Why can't they just ship it that bit early for those people who take the time to show devotion to a product.

ShadowyFigure · Apr 26, 2008

Dear Customer

Thank you for writing to Amazon.co.uk regarding the item "Player's Handbook: A 4th Edition Core Rulebook: 1 (D&d Core Rulebook): 1 (Dungeons & Dragons) (Hardcover)".

We do understand your interest in purchasing this item.

Our latest information indicates that this title has not yet
been released, and estimated to be released on June 06,2008.

We will pre-order this title from our supplier, and expect to obtain
copies directly following its release.

Once we begun to receive copies from our supplier we will fulfill our customer orders as quickly as we can on a first-come, first-served basis.

You will be able to view the details of this title at the following link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Players-Handbook-Rulebook-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/0786948671/

We will do our best to keep our website updated with any changes in
availability.

If you wish to order this title, simply click on the "Pre-Order"
button, and this will take you to the online order form. On the date
of dispatch, you would receive an e-mail message confirming the date,
contents and method of your delivery. As per our standard policy, we
do not charge you for an order until the time of dispatch.

Thank you for shopping at Amazon.co.uk.

Please let us know if this e-mail answered your question:

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If not, click here:
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Amazon.co.uk

I see... Interesting any way that was there reply to my enquiry.

Nikosandros · Apr 26, 2008

Last year I did place a pre-order for some D&D items from Amazon.com. They were shipped the day before the street date using priority international courier and they arrived at my house in two days.