Tag: Amazon.com

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Scam Calls: This is Amazon…

I’ve received scam calls from scammers pretending to be from Amazon.com:

“This is Amazon. This call is to authorize the payment of $799 for the recent order of iPhone 11 on your Amazon account. If you do not authorize this payment, please press one to speak to our customer support representative. Thank you.”

A number of people told me that they too received similar calls. Unfortunately, some of them fell for the scam and gave the scammer access to their computer.

The scammer insists on “verifying” your Amazon account or gave them access to your computer remotely.

Should you receive calls like these, do not panic, don’t forget to bring a towel…

Do not press anything to speak to the fake customer support, simply hang up.

You can always check your Amazon.com account for any activities.

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AmazonSmile

I have recently made aware of AmazonSmile, which apparently has just launched at the end of October, 2013.

What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support.

…….

How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges.

Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile?
Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.

How can I learn more about AmazonSmile?
Please see complete AmazonSmile program details.

Amazon Smile

Personal note:

I am now using AmazonSmile with an Animal Care Center as my charity of choice.

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Disclaimer:
The Amazon.com link here is laced with an Amazon Associates tag, thus we get a small kickback every time you use it to purchase products from Amazon.com.

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Amazon.com to the Rescue

I received a call from a client who was having issues with the newly purchased Epson WorkFoce WF-2540 All-in-One printer. Upon inspections, I noticed the data ribbon was damaged by the ink cartridge carrier.

Epson WF-2540 Mangled Data Ribbon

The printer was delivered from Amazon.com a few days earlier, so it is still under manufacturer warranty. I tried calling Epson customer support, unfortunately no one was available to answer the call on Saturday.

I then called Amazon.com customer service and within 10 minutes they emailed the return label for the defective unit and dispatched the replacement.

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Amazon.com Honors Chromecast-Netflix Promotion

Amazon Customer Service scores another point. One satisfied customer reports that Amazon.com sent him the Chromecast-Netflix Promotional code even after his order was canceled.

The customer was originally told by that his Chromecast order was not eligible for the Netflix promotional code because it was placed after 5:31 p.m. PST on July 24, 2013. Subsequently the order was canceled after contacting Amazon.com Customer Service and getting no resolutions. The customer citing that at the time the order was placed, Amazon.com and Google promised that the order was eligible for the promotional offer. In addition to that, Google Play stated that orders of Chromecast placed before 1PM PT on 7/25 will receive their promotion code once their order ships; 18 hours and 29 minutes later than Amazon.com cut-off time.

A few days later the customer received an email from Amazon.com:

Dear Amazon.com Customer,

Thank you for your recent Chromecast purchase. Your purchase has qualified you to receive a 3-month Netflix gift code. Your code will be emailed to you 5 days after your Chromecast ships.

Apparently Amazon.com had changed the cut-off time to 5:31 p.m. PST on July 25, 2013; 24 hours later than its original cut-off time.

The customer contacted Amazon.com Customer Service asking if his order could be re-instated; Amazon.com replied:

Unfortunately, we don’t have any more stock of ‘Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player’ right now, and we’re not sure when we’ll be able to get more.

Despite all of that, the customer also received an email from Amazon.com that said:

Hello,

As your order is eligible for this promotion, here is Netflix promotional code: XXXXXXXXXXXX

Follow the instructions below to redeem your code:
1) Go to netflix.com/chromecast.
2) Enter the Netflix code from your email and click ‘Continue’.
3) If you are a new member, you will be asked to create a Netflix account. No billing information is required.
4) If you are an existing Netflix member, login into your Netflix account and your subscription will be credited for 3 month’s worth of streaming services.

Yes, Amazon.com gave the customer the Netflix promotional code even though they could not fulfill the order. Anecdotal story like this really shows how much Amazon.com cares about their customers.

If only I had ordered a Chromecast from Amazon.com.

By the way, Google is to blame for botching the Chromecast launch.

Amazon Honors Chromecast Netflix Promotion

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Amazon changed Chromecast-Netflix Promotion Cut-off Time

Amazon now says that customer who purchased Google Chromecast before 5:30 p.m. on July 25, 2013 are eligible for the Netflix Promotion.

Amazon-Chromecast-Google-Blunder-Update

Initially Amazon said:

Netflix Promotion No Longer Available
Please note that the Netflix promotional offer (which was available in limited supply) has now ended. Customers who ordered their Chromecast prior to 5:31 PM PST on July 24, 2013 will receive a Netflix gift code via email within 5 days of their product’s ship date.

Initially Amazon customers who purchased Google Chromecast after 5:31 p.m. on July 24, 2013 were told that they were not eligible for the Netflix Promotion. Disappointed Amazon customers were reportedly cancelled their orders citing that the Netflix Promotion influenced their decision in purchasing Google Chromecast.

Amazon is reportedly sending emails to customers who already cancelled their Chromecast orders that they qualified to receive the Netflix promotion.

Amazon-Chromecast-Netflix-Update

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Google Abruptly Ends Chromecast-Netflix Promo

Chromecast-no-Netflix-Promo

UPDATE:

From Chromecast page at Google Play:

Please note that the Netflix promotional offer (which was available in limited supply) has now ended. Orders placed before 1PM PST on 7/25 will receive their promotion code once their order ships.

Does anyone remember what Google Play said before regarding the Netflix Promo? Did it say “limited”?

From Amazon.com:

Netflix Promotion No Longer Available
Please note that the Netflix promotional offer (which was available in limited supply) has now ended. Customers who ordered their Chromecast prior to 5:31 PM PST on July 24, 2013 will receive a Netflix gift code via email within 5 days of their product’s ship date.

Why do Amazon.com and Google have different cut-off time?

How many customers bought Chromecast because of the Netflix deal?
I certainly am one of them.

Another question regarding this shortlived Chromecast-Netflix promotion:
Is it Google who fronted all the bills for the promotion, Netflix or both?

My guess is that Google is the one paying Netflix for the Promotion and was surprised with the amount of orders. If only Google would release the sales figure of Chromecast from before and after the Netflix promo ended.

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From Google Chromecast Offer page:

Please note that the Netflix promotional offer (which was available in limited supply) has now ended.

Google-terminates-Chromecast-Netflix-Promo

Los Angeles Times reports:

[Update 4:30 p.m. July 25: Google clarified that users who purchased Chromecast before the promotion ran out will still be able to redeem their Netflix promotion code for three free months of the video streaming service.]

Does that include all users who purchased Chromecast but were put on back-orders on Thursday July 24, 2013? Amazon was still taking orders on late Thursday and wouldn’t be shipping the unit to customers until later date.