Last week, we talked about Amazon’s plans to speed up its delivery times and increase the number of items it offers for same-day delivery. But no matter how many warehouses Amazon builds or how many trucks it leases, it will never be as awesome as the purely theoretical “Amazon Yesterday” shipping. [More]
AMAZON
Online Sales Tax For (Almost) All Inches Closer To Reality
By 7.18.12
The halcyon days of not paying sales tax (even though you’re obliged to) on your Amazon purchases may be coming to an end once and for all, as members of Congress are doing more than just talking about the issue. Next Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the merits of creating a law allowing states to compel online retailers to collect sales taxes. [More]
Amazon’s Same-Day Delivery Could Make Bricks-And-Mortar Retailers Even More Irrelevant
By 7.13.12
One of the few knocks against online retailers is the difficulty in getting your purchase immediately, meaning people continue to go to bricks-and-mortar stores when they need to get their hands on an item right away. But it looks like Amazon could take away that advantage from its competitors by expanding the number of warehouses it has around the country. [More]
Since We’re Bad At Paying Online Sales Taxes On Our Own, States Want Retailers To Take Charge
By 7.9.12
If the ongoing battle between online retail giant Amazon and individual states has taught us anything, it’s that there’s a lot of money to be made from e-sales taxes. And since we as customers aren’t so great when it comes to paying those on our own, states across the country are ramping up efforts to have those taxes levied by the retailers themselves. [More]
I Want To Reunite Lost Kindle And Its Owner, But Amazon Won’t Help
By 7.6.12
Matt is trying to do a nice thing. The previous occupant of his seat on a plane left a Kindle behind in the seatback pocket. He took it with him, planning to reunite the device with its owner. But that person has a very common name, and Amazon has no interest in being a go-between to help reunite lost Kindles with their owners. [More]
Amazon Makes Sure Sharpie Shipment Arrives Very, Very, Very Safely
By 7.3.12
UPS delivered a large, light, somewhat damaged box to Erick’s workplace. What was inside? Gosh, what if it was damaged when the box was dented? Better open it to make sure. [More]
Barnes & Noble, Amazon Know Which Sections Of Fifty Shades Of Grey You’re Reading Over And Over
By 6.29.12
While anyone with a Kindle or Nook knows they can download e-books from the Internet, not everyone is mindful of the fact that they are also sending information back to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (or Google, or Apple). It’s not just so that you can switch between your e-reader, laptop, phone and tablet without losing your bookmarks and notes; it’s also so that these e-book sellers can share this information with the publishers of the books you’re reading. [More]
