Monday, February 20, 2012

Amazon purchases with their amazon points card - not so convenient

You are now connected to Sharanya from Amazon.com.
Me:I cannot add to my gift card balance using Chase Amazon points, nor can I purchase books for my kindle using points. The entire reason I purchased the kindle was so that I could use points to buy books on it. I am very dissatisfied with your new policies and procedures for using points.11:27:11 AM
Sharanya: Hello, my name is Sharanya . I'll be happy to look into your question. 11:27:25 AM
Sharanya:I'm so sorry about this. 11:29:01 AM
Sharanya:Let me connect you to a member of our kindle team. It will only take a moment.11:29:17 AM
A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.
You are now connected to Lisa from Amazon.com.
A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.
You are now connected to Stacey from Amazon.com.
Stacey:Hello Lee , my name is Stacey. 11:46:46 AM
Me:Hi Stacey. I'm disappointed that Amazon seems to think my problem so unimportant that they leave me in the chat queue for 15 minutes.11:47:18 AM
Stacey:I am sorry about that, we are very busy today. 11:47:40 AM
Stacey:Digital products can be purchased with Amazon.com gift cards and the following credit or debit cards:11:47:55 AM
Stacey:-- American Express11:47:55 AM
Stacey:-- Diners Club (U.S. orders only)11:47:55 AM
Stacey:-- Discover11:47:55 AM
Stacey:-- MasterCard11:47:55 AM
Stacey:-- Visa, Visa Electron, and Visa Check Cards11:47:55 AM
Stacey:-- Amazon Store Card: Excluding Games & Software Downloads, Prime memberships, and Newspaper/Magazine Subscriptions 11:47:55 AM
Stacey:You will not be able to purchase Kindle books using your points11:48:09 AM
Me:I have amazon store card with points. I used to be able to purchase gift cards with those points. It does not seem like that is an option any more.11:48:28 AM
Stacey:Oh... gift cards.. 11:48:45 AM
Stacey:hmmm.11:48:47 AM
Me:I would regularly refresh my gift card balance from my amazon points.11:48:49 AM
Me:And use the gift card balance to purchase what I wanted on amazon.11:49:01 AM
Me:If you can tell me a way I can purchase a gift card using points I would happily do so. 11:49:33 AM
Me:Otherwise I want a refund for my kindle and all the digital media I've purchased on it since at the time of my purchase I could use the points to be able to purchase content and now I cannot. That seems Like a bait and switch to me.11:50:10 AM
Me:I will use my refund to go buy a nook.11:50:29 AM
Stacey:That is actually though Chase. They are the ones who take care of the points and what you can get with them11:50:33 AM
Me:Bull.11:50:39 AM
Me:I can purchase all sorts of things directly with points on amazon.11:50:55 AM
Me:Except for digital media items.11:51:02 AM
Me:That IS YOUR POLICY11:51:09 AM
Me:So you and Chase have obviously gotten together to prevent the ability to purchase digital media using points in any way.11:51:40 AM
Stacey:Correct, but you were talking about gift cards11:51:43 AM
Stacey:You cannot order digital content with your points11:52:02 AM
Me:I cannot go on amazons site, purchase a gift card and pay for it with points.11:52:08 AM
Me:I used to be able to do this.11:52:17 AM
Me:Thus YOU changed your policy - not Chase.11:52:26 AM
Me:In addition, you've since added mp3s and apps to the list of things you cannot buy with points.11:53:20 AM
Stacey:Digital items have never been able to be purchased with points.11:53:46 AM
Me:Digital items could always be purchased with a gift card balance however.11:54:02 AM
Stacey:I am checking on the gift card purchases.. just a moment11:54:09 AM
Me:Something which it is now impossible to do.11:54:15 AM
Stacey:Found it.11:55:24 AM
Stacey:Physical gift cards can be purchased using Shopping with Points. However, gift cards printed at home or sent via e-mail cannot be purchased using Shop with Points.11:55:27 AM
Me:So the only thing I can do is physically mail myself a gift card, costing you extra money and me doing an extra inconvenience, and giving me a lot of time to go shop the item elsewhere - like Barnes and Noble's for example.11:56:17 AM
Me:Does that make any sense to you?11:56:23 AM
Stacey:I think shipping is free on gift cardxz11:56:40 AM
Stacey:cards*11:56:43 AM
Me:It's free to me - but not to you.11:56:47 AM
Me:It makes no sense.11:56:53 AM
Me:Unless of course you are TRYING To make it inconvenient.11:57:09 AM
Stacey:I can definitely pass your feedback along.11:57:17 AM
Me:Please get me your supervisor.11:57:25 AM
Me:I'd like to pass my feedback along to them personally.11:57:34 AM
Stacey:Sure, just a moment while I see if someone is available 11:57:50 AM
Me:Otherwise, I would like a personal response from the person who makes these policies.11:57:57 AM
Stacey:I am sorry for the long wait, I am still trying to find an available supervisor.12:01:27 PM
Stacey:I found you one. it will take just another moment to get you transferred to him12:02:19 PM
Stacey:Okay, ready to transfer you, 12:05:19 PM
A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.
You are now connected to Amazon from Amazon.com.
Amazon:Hello, is this Keith?12:08:33 PM
Me:No, Lee Drake, whom am I speaking to please?12:08:45 PM
Amazon:Hi Lee, I'm Donald, I'm a member of the Leadership team here at Amazon12:09:06 PM
Me:Hi Donald, have you had time to read my comments above?12:09:22 PM
Amazon:I was advised by Stacy there were some feedback about being able to shop with points to buy a gift certificate, but I have not yet read the previous conversations.12:10:05 PM
Me:Please take a few minutes to read over the chat log so I don't have to repeat myself.12:10:24 PM
Amazon:Alright Lee, sorry about that delay, I was able to read what's happened previously.12:12:03 PM
Me:no worries, it seemed more efficient than me explaining it all over.12:12:32 PM
Amazon:Absolutely!12:12:48 PM
Me:I want to know WHY it is no longer easy to transfer my amazon points into gift cards.12:12:51 PM
Me:And WHY amazon makes it impossible to buy digital media with points.12:13:05 PM
Me:The whole point of having the (heavily advertised) amazon credit card is so that points can be used to purchase things. But you make it extremely inconvenient to do so.12:13:41 PM
Amazon:Yeah it is, I completely understand how the situation would be frustrating and inconvenient when you're shopping with your points and want to use them towards your Kindle books.12:14:01 PM
Me:Or MP3s. Or Apps from the android store12:14:16 PM
Me:Or anything else you've pushed into Must Use One-click land.12:14:32 PM
Me:So, if you understand why it's frustrating - why is that so?12:14:49 PM
Amazon:So the main reason, overall, the shop with points is not usable with digital purchases is because you need to go through the full checkout process and select the points to be used, similar to using a promotional credit of some type.12:15:04 PM
Me:No - that is not the case. I can use a gift card balance to pay for those things and that requires going through the checkout process to.12:15:43 PM
Me:And even if that WERE so it doesn't explain why I can't just email myself a gift card.12:15:55 PM
Me:Instead I have to wait days while you mail me one snail mail - at a greater cost to you.12:16:17 PM
Amazon:The reason you can't email a gift card to yourself is because it's still considered a digital transaction and not a physical one.12:16:28 PM
Me:So?12:16:38 PM
Me:what difference does that make.12:16:48 PM
Amazon:Yeah, it's definitely not the best system in place for anyone who wants to purchase digital content.12:16:49 PM
Me:Then why don't you change it.12:16:58 PM
Me:I write software, including ecommerce systems for a living. A system does not arrive at a "no digital content using points" process unless someone consciously chose to make it inconvenient for a reason.12:17:50 PM
Amazon:To be honest Lee, I'm not sure why it makes a difference, historically it's been the choice of the bank who publishes the card. I think it'd be beneficial to have the shopping with points option available for digital purchases too though. I'd like to submit feedback to our business teams about this problem for you.12:18:10 PM
Me:Baloney - the bank that publishes the card used to email me gift certificates automatically.12:18:28 PM
Me:Then they started snail mailing them.12:18:54 PM
Me:Then they started making it freaking impossible to even do that.12:19:04 PM
Amazon:That has been the truth before Lee, I can't really argue it with you, but I would like to help you to the best resolution possible.12:19:13 PM
Me:The whole point of buying the kindle is that i can use my points to purchase books easily and quickly for it. Now I have to wait for someone to mail me something before I can buy something. Maybe I'll just go buy it at barnes and nobles instead - I can drive across town and pick it up in less time than it takes for you to mail me something.12:20:02 PM
Amazon:You can certainly order a physical gift card, we'll pay for the shipping and that will get you to the goal we're trying to reach even though there's a delay in the shipping in getting it to you.12:20:06 PM
Me:Digital product purchases are not about "waiting several days while we mail you something".12:20:36 PM
Me:I would like a reply from the actual people that make this policy, explaining to me why I should continue to use their products when they are purposefully making it inconvenient for me.12:21:07 PM
Me:And why I'm not entitled to a full refund of everything I've purchased through the kindle.12:21:41 PM
Amazon:I know this current process is a pain, Lee, I'm really sorry about that.12:21:57 PM
Me:Since I originally purchased it with the intention of using my amazon points to buy books on it.12:22:11 PM
Amazon:Believe me, we are in the business in taking money for products, we really want you to be able to purchase anything, from A-Z, as easily as possible!12:22:32 PM
Me:Please state - in writing, because this WILL be going up on my blog later today - that you will have them contact me.12:22:40 PM
Me:Then put your credit card points where your mouth is.12:22:54 PM
Me:email is xxxxx 12:23:24 PM
Amazon:I will inform our business team in charge of working with banks, policies and shopping methods of this process that really isn't customer friendly.12:24:03 PM
Me:No, that isn't adequate.12:24:13 PM
Me:I want a promise that someone will get back to me to pursue this issue.12:24:22 PM
Me:You may not close my ticket until I get a response.12:24:31 PM
Amazon:At the moment though the best resolution I can provide you is to order the physical gift card.12:24:43 PM
Me:"I will pass it on" is not the same as "someone will follow up with you"12:24:44 PM
Amazon:I'd be happy to follow up with you via email, xxxxxxxx, as soon as I get correspondence.12:25:53 PM
Me:I will be posting this conversation online, and all follow up conversations. Amazon customers deserve an answer to this issue, and one that follows your policy of making purchases convenient.12:27:02 PM
Amazon:Alright Lee, once again I'm sorry about the inconvenience, overall from this whole experience. Is there anything else Amazon could do for you today?12:28:41 PM
Me:Yes, you could allow me to purchase electronic items with points :)12:29:27 PM
Me:FAcebook post posted. I have several thousand followers. Just letting you know.12:29:41 PM
Amazon:Yeah, that's what I'm going to go to work on right now for you.12:29:42 PM
Me:Blog post will be next.12:30:10 PM
Amazon:Alright, I do appreciate you being this upwards, if we don't know about these problems or issues it makes it much more difficult for us to fix them! :)12:30:25 PM
Me:thank you for your time - I look forward to a reply ASAP. Be sure that I will follow up if I do not get one Donald.12:31:08 PM
Me:Barnes and Nobles has a gift card, and a perfectly suitable reader. Perhaps I should shop around.12:31:44 PM
Amazon:Barnes & Noble certainly have both, I'm always a big fan of competition and while I feel the Kindle is the best ereader and Amazon certainly has a great library, you always have to do what works best for you.12:32:48 PM
Amazon:Is there anything else I can do for you today?12:33:20 PM
Me:nope