Amazon’s Delivery Dates: Are They Just Clickbait?

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m officially frustrated with Amazon. It happened again. I needed a new laptop quickly, my old one decided to give up the ghost at the worst possible time (naturally). So, I hopped on Amazon, found the perfect replacement, and what do I see? “Delivery in two days”! Music to my ears, right? Wrong.

I placed the order, feeling that familiar sense of relief, only to receive a shipping confirmation with a delivery date now possibly a whole seven days later. Seven! What happened to those two days? Did they get lost in the Amazon warehouse?

This isn’t the first time this has happened either. It seems like more times than not I need something urgently and rely on Amazon’s speedy delivery promises, I end up disappointed. It feels like a classic bait-and-switch tactic. Get you excited about a quick delivery, hook you into making the purchase, and then…bam! Delayed delivery.

And I know I’m not alone. A quick search online reveals countless complaints from other frustrated customers.

• Reddit is full of threads from people sharing similar experiences. (Do a search on Reddit – you’ll see what I mean!) People are reporting everything from delayed deliveries to packages being left in the rain to missing items. It seems like Amazon’s delivery service is becoming increasingly unreliable.
• Consumer Reports even did a study that found Amazon to be one of the worst offenders when it comes to missed delivery promises.
• And don’t even get me started on the Better Business Bureau. They’ve received a mountain of complaints about Amazon’s delivery practices.

So, what’s the deal, Amazon? Are these “fast delivery” promises just a way to lure us in? Are we being tricked into clicking that “Buy Now” button?

I’m starting to think so. And honestly, it’s not cool. We rely on you, Amazon. Especially when we need something quickly. It’s time to step up your game and deliver on your promises, literally.

Until then, I guess I’ll be double-checking those delivery dates and maybe even exploring other options. Anyone else feeling the same way?