Hating Amazon.com since November, 2009
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "I hate Amazon.com" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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09:01 am
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TV
Off all day, and home alone, and waiting for my toast to get toasted, so it inspires to write about tv that's currently interesting me.
Dollhouse - I'm currently watching some right now. I feel like the first half of each season had too many filler stand-alone episodes, but the second half of the seasons made up for it. On some level it's sad that it's ending, but really I'm just happy that we got what we did and that we're going to get a proper finish.
Lost - In anticipation for the super-exciting final season starting 2/2, and taking advantage of the fact that I can watch (well, mostly listen) to shows while working, I've been rewatching every Lost episode. I'm almost at the end of season 3 now, and, really, it's even a better show than I remembered. If you haven't been watching it, you're insane. You still have time to catch up! Quick!
Doctor Who - Speaking of shows I love ending, Doctor Who is going to have the end of it's current era in the next week. Two specials are airing in the UK on Christimas and New Year's, and for the first time they're airing on BBC America just a day later, which means I won't have to kill myself trying to download it. The show's going to continue next spring with an entirely new creative team and actors (and, honestly, if you're new to Doctor Who you might be best just waiting til it starts fresh to get into it), but these last two episodes of the (usually very excellent) current era are super exciting and I'm quite looking forward to them (as I suspect most of the UK, and very few people here, also are).
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09:33 pm
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Why I hate Amazon.com (and you should, too)
So, A few weeks ago, Amazon had a deal where if you spent $80 on two or more selected video games, you would receive a $40 credit by e-mail a week later (You can read about the offer at http://consumerist.com/5391505/give-amazon-80-get-video-games-and-40-credit, or see Amazon's page about it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000443011. I'm just getting back into video games after not playing for a while, so I decided to buy some Wii games. One of the games I really wanted was "Wii Sports Resort", and I was happy to see it was on their list (and, as of now, it currently still is). When you click on it in the list,you get to it's product page (http://www.amazon.com/Wii-Sports-Resort-Nintendo/dp/B001COQW14/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=videogames&qid=1258162342&sr=1-2) where at the time I ordered there was a box where you could choose your edition: "Standard" or "2 WiiMotion Plus Bundle" (it's gone now, apparently because they've sold out of the "2 WiiMotion Plus Bundle", but you can see it at this page: http://www.amazon.com/Limited-Wii-Sports-Resort-MotionPlus-Nintendo/dp/B002I0GEQ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1258428470&sr=1-2). I knew my wife and I would both want to play, so I went with the 2 WiiMotion Plus bundle. There was no mention of the special offer when I checked out, but I expected that, since the terms of the offer said "The savings will not be messaged at checkout". I was a little nervous to order without having proof I was
getting the credit, but I've never had problems with Amazon before, so I trusted them.
Flash forward a week, and I've gotten the games and am enjoying them. After 7 business days, I didn't get my $40 credit, so I e-mailed Amazon and asked why. This was the response:
"Hello,
Your order didn't meet all of the qualifications for receiving this
promotional certificate. Specifically, as Limited-Edition Wii Sports
Resort Bundle with Two Wii MotionPlus was not a qualifying item, your
order did not meet the $80.00 minimum.
The restrictions for this promotion are on our website here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000443011
Restrictions for promotional offers vary, so I recommend reading the
"fine print" details.
I hope this helps. We look forward to seeing you again soon."
I did check the "fine print" details as they suggested, and there was nothing in them about only certain editions qualifying.
Even after I explained the situation, they refused to change their mind, so, no, they won't be seeing me again soon and I thought people should be warned - DO NOT TRUST Amazon.com Promotional offers, since they apparently think it's perfectly ok to link to a webpage that lets you choose two versions of a product, only offer the special offer on one version, and not communicate this to the buyer in any way.
So, in short, my new mission in life is to let everybody know what jerks Amazon are, so they lose a lot more than the stupid $40 they won't give me. Join me, spread the word, DON'T SHOP AMAZON!
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07:25 pm
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Job!
As I mentioned on Twitter and Facebook, I'm officially going to have a permanent job again on August 17th. I'm rather pleased. The hourly salary is (by a little bit) the most I've ever made, although it's only 37.5 hours a week so my yearly salary is slightly less than I made a year ago (but a lot more than I'm making right now)(and, every Thursday morning off! And good benefits! 4% 401(k) matching AND an extra 5% contribution by the company!) And there seems to be lots of room for advancement. So, it's all really good. What's new with you?
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08:08 pm
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Boston/VT Trip, new phone, etc
1) Our New England trip is now totally booked. Here are all the details, for those who care:
Fly from O'Hare to Logan, arriving 1:40 p.m. on 12/9
Take either the T or the hotel shuttle (I haven't decided) to the Doubletree Club Boston Bay
Do something or other in Boston for a few days
Around noon Friday the 11th, take the T to Harvard Square and rent a car.
Drive to Windsor, VT, and stay at The Juniper Hill Inn
Go to a wedding and do whatever else people in Vermont do.
Drive back to Boston Sunday morning, drop the car off at the airport, and fly out at around 4:00 p.m.
Thoughts?
2) I got a new cell phone, after my last one got washed. To a big cell user, my new phone (an LG CF360) probably isn't the most exciting thing in the world, but for me, I quite like it. Best looking phone I've ever had, and I like how it feels. Plus, if I get a microSD card it can play music, that's rather exciting. If I should have your number, feel free to give it to me, since I lost all my old ones.
3) I really like Barack Obama, especially when he's reminding the whole world who his baseball team is.
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07:41 am
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Cell phone Qs
So, my cell phone got washed (oops) and now it's dead (well, actually slightly alive and possessed, which is just scary). Anyway, I don't have much hope for ever using it again. It was just a low-level Samsung, and we're on AT&T. Now, my question is about swapping SIM cards, which I've never really had any reason to look into before. I know people do it, but I don't quite get how it works. If I can get my hands on another old phone that (hopefully) my family or friends have sitting around taking space, and put my SIM card in it, will it work? Or does it depend on the phone/network? I know things like iPhones and Blackberries are sometimes locked to certian networks, but are even cheap crappy phones like that?
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08:59 pm
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I'm alive
Just noticed I hadn't posted in 6 weeks. That's pretty much a good thing, though, because it's because I've been very busy because I've been working, which is good because it means I've been working. Still temporary, but all signs point to it not ending any time soon (and based on somebody else, might lead to a full time job in a few months). I work for an insurance company, doing data entry of new apps and some followup stuff (mainly on the web and in Word) for apps we have questions on. I know it sounds lame, but I actually quite like the job. Let's hope it continues to last.
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07:23 am
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Yawn
I don't have too much to say, and I'm way too early (7:00 a.m. on a Saturday? WTF?) because Maura woke up and I'm being the good husband and letting Marisa sleep, so I'll post.
Work seems to be going well. It's a much bigger company than I've ever worked at before, but like I always said I wanted that. 9-6 is a really long day, but I'm sure I'll get used to it (but I really liked yesterday when I got to go home early because the AC was broken). My only major complaint is the pay, but hopefully I'll get hired on and that'll go up at some point.
Hmm, what else is new? Tinted Windows and The Hold Steady are both playing (different nights) at Taste Of Randolph Street, for $10 each I'd really like to go to at least one (but I bet I won't).
The White Sox kinda suck lately, but at least they're still in a horrible division so it'll be ok. We still have a chance.
That's about it, I guess.
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01:47 pm
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Good news, everybody!
So, after months of NOTHING, I finally got myself a new job out of nowhere. It's an temp job (of indefinite length) at Trustmark Insurance in Lake Forest, doing mainly data entry stuff.
Bad news: It pays a lot less than I'd like (and, once daycare is factored in, I'll be making less than I am now on unemployment).
Good news: Unemployment wouldn't last forever, so I have to take what I can get. And if they do hire me on, apparently the salary goes up. And it's a 41.25 hour work week, which helps a tiny bit with the money. And I've always said that the only way I could ever get a job is getting into a company and proving myself without having to interview, because I'm horrible at interviews, and I'm getting that chance. And Maura will get more time with her friends at daycare. And, best of all, it starts 4/21, right after a bunch of White Sox day games, so I won't miss them!
So, yeah, I guess the good outweights the bad. We'll see how it goes.
(Hint: if you read my Twitter or Facebook, you'd have known this yesterday. Just saying, that's all.)
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09:27 am
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Stuff
Been a while since I posted anything, partially because I post a bunch of stuff on Twitter, and partially because I don't have too much going on. But, I'll try...
- Yay Iowa! Maybe it's not such a lame state after all.
- Any Belle and Sebastian fan has to check out "God Help The Girl", their new sideproject thing. Not quite as exciting as actual new B&S would be, but it sounds like it might be pretty good.
- Almost time for BASEBALL. I'm super excited. Honestly, I'm not sure the Sox are that great, but they weren't that great last year and they still came through with an amazingly exciting finish and won the division. The division isn't any better this year, so we still have a shot.
- TV stuff - BSG ending wasn't perfect, but it was really good. I didn't like the last Lost very much, but it's still very good this season. Doctor Who Easter Special in a week, woo! And for those who've never seen Torchwood (which I recommend), it starts from the first episode tomorrow on BBC America
- Maura - Obviously, I'm still biased, but I still think she's really cute and smart and funny (and not just funny where she doesn't know what she's saying, she seriously has a sense of humor (sadly, more her mom's than mine, but I'll deal)). She talks a ton, remembers everything, and is doing really well with her potty training. The only downside are the tantrums, but, eh, she's 2, I guess I have to expect them.
- Still no real job news. But, hey, at least I'll get to watch day baseball, right?
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07:38 pm
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BSG
So, last Battlestar Galactica tomorrow (well, except for the upcoming TV movie, and the prequel series, but both are set earlier so they don't really count, so I thought I'd say something. I came to BSG VERY late (this half season is actually the first season I'm watching live), but I generally quite like it. It's a very frustrating show - sometimes it's really great, and other times it's very frustrating and spends way too much time on issues that aren't interesting while ignoring things that could be very interesting. Anyway, though, it's a good show, and I highly recommend checking it out (from the beginning, of course) one day. I can't say I have very high hopes for tomorrow, though, since it's been made clear that what I'm interested in (the story) isn't what the creator is as interested in (the characters). Oh well.
In related news, some of my favorite series finales:
Star Trek: TNG - It wasn't a finale that was really going to END anything, because they knew they had movies to come, but it was still great. I love shows that end by going back to the beginning, and I love time travel stories, and I love future stories, and so I quite loved this.
The Office (UK) - I'm counting the Christmas special as the finale cause, well, it's my list. The Office was pretty much the perfect series, and I really think it had a pretty perfect ending.
Arrested Development - Ended way too soon, of course, but again did the "go back to the beginning" thing, and had a pretty surprising reveal of who was really behind much of the series...
Six Feet Under - This might be one of my favorites, and it's pretty much entirely for the end. I don't even remember what happened in the first 50 minutes or so, but the big montage at the end is about the most amazing thing ever in terms of really feeling like a satisfying ending. Honestly, just thinking about it again gives me some chills. Great series, great ending.
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10:29 am
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Contest!
The prize? Well, nothing. But, it's fun!
Pretend you are ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) badlydrawnjeff (for those of you who don't know him, pretend you're the most far right person you can think of) (and this is open even to people who ARE badlydrawnjeff) and defend Fox News (or find a way to debunk it) after reading this story and watching the video: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/16/fox-news-fundamentals/
Go!
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09:57 am
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Oh happy day
Common sense prevails for once:
http://startelegramsports.typepad.com/foul_territory/2009/03/rangers-scrap-twotone-helmets.html
The red and blue helmets the Rangers unveiled will never see the light of day. The Rangers have scrapped the idea, and will instead wear blue helmets for most of their games. The Rangers will wear red helmets for the 16 games they wear red uniforms.
The news was apparently good for the players. Hank Blalock said the new helmets made the players look like clowns.
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10:25 am
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Twitter
So, I'm wondering what people think of the whole "automatically posting Twitter things here" thing. If they're already on Twitter and Facebook, would it be annoying to have it here too?
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03:38 pm
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Dumb press release of the day
"Caprica, the highly anticipated prequel to "Battlestar Galactica," will enjoy its world premiere exclusively on DVD on April 21, 2009 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. In a groundbreaking move sure to delight fans of the long-running television phenomenon, the feature-length prequel will be available on DVD as a limited-edition uncut and unrated version before the series' broadcast premiere on the SCI FI Channel in 2010."
Yes, it's going to "delight" people that you want to them to pay to see it, instead of just, you know, SHOWING IT ON TV. Whatever, I'll get it from the library or bittorrent it (as I'm sure many people will).
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12:52 pm
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25 things
The Facebook sensation, now here on LJ!
1. I only have a few of the 25 things written (in my head) at this point, and I don’t know how I’ll get to 25, but if everybody else finds a way I guess I can too.
2. Even though I was very against it for years, I think I’m coming around to being ok with digital-only music. I certainly like it better than vinyl-only music. The issue I still have is PAYING for digital music – luckily, I’ve always had gift cards or free credits, so I haven’t had to do it so far.
3. I guess it’s just me getting older and having other things to worry about, but I’m not nearly as much into music as I used to be.
4. That said, I probably listen to as much or more music than I ever have lately, but as more of an obligation than a desire. I’ve been selling a lot, and I have a rule for myself that I have to listen to something one last time when I sell it.
5. A lot of times when I go out to the library or a store lately, I’ll bring my iPod and headphones. I hate earbuds, and they are pretty big headphones. I know I look like a dork, but I don’t care.
6. My entire life as it is now exists because of R.E.M., but the funny part is that at no point where they ever really my favorite band. I started on the R.E.M. newsgroup mainly to annoy my friend, who was a big poster there, and I just liked the people. The band grew on me a lot, but I’m not the obsessed fan some probably think I am.
7. My favorite currently airing scripted tv shows are all sci-fi (Lost, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica) or comedies (The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs)
8. I watch a lot of tv lately (mostly British) via torrents. Unlike mp3 downloads, I feel no shame at all over this. It’s tv, it airs free, I’m not paying for it. Period.
9. I voted for Rod Blagojevich twice, and, even knowing what I do now, I’d still have voted the same way.
10. My wife and I gave $15 to Barack Obama to get a car magnet (which was then stolen). It’s the only money I’ve ever given to a candidate.
11. I’ve never voted anything but Democratic for anything over the county level.
12. I married the only person I ever dated.
13. I’ve always been very shy, and I hate talking to strangers.
14. But, once I know somebody well, I talk way too much.
15. I’ve been unemployed since December (and also in July and August). It’s really not so bad, though, because when you take into account unemployment and paying less for daycare, as well as various side jobs I’ve done, I come out at or above where I was with a job.
16. I love libraries. I worked at one from sophomore year in high school to the summer after sophomore year of college. I often wish I’d found a way to make a career in a library.
17. I use the library a ton, too. Lots of different libraries. 10 or so in just the last few months. Every one has different DVDs and books, and their own character. I take Maura to lots of storytimes at them lately, too.
18. While I’m unemployed, I spend most of the week watching Maura. It’s going ok, I guess.
19. When we first put her in daycare, we were kind of hesitant about it, but it’s funny, now we wish she was there full time again. She has lots of friends there, and she learns a lot.
20. So, I’m probably biased, and I don’t have that much to compare her to, but I think Maura is very very smart. It’s amazing how quickly she picks up on stuff.
21. When I was in high school, I was kind of obsessed with amusement parks (and specifically Six Flags Great America). My family took a few trips to different parks, and I even had a Great America webpage (until I got a cease and desist letter from Time Warner).
22. I’m generally a very unhealthy eater, but my wife has made me a lot better than I was.
23. Same with what foods I eat – I’m generally very picky, and used to not eat any ethnic foods at all, but I try more now, and I love Chinese and Mexican, which I used to never eat at all except for the very most basic things.
24. I don’t really care about my car at all, as long as it runs. Looks, keeping it clean, eh, who has the time?
25. I vaguely follow the University of Illinois basketball and football teams, and the Bears when they’re good, but the only team I really can say I care about day in and day out is the White Sox.
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12:34 pm
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Free stuff
I'll probably regret this, but...
From flavobean:
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
- What I create will be just for you.
- It'll be done this year.
- You have no clue what it's going to be.
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to repost. We can all make stuff!!
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10:26 am
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What was our president thinking about on his first night?
What was the President of the United States thinking about on his first night in office?
Very important stuff (starts about 2 minutes in):
Current Mood:  ecstatic
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11:06 am
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Wow
It's hard to believe, but it's true. President Barack Obama. Who would have expected that when he was just running for Senate back in 2004? Let's hope this turns out better than the last President, eh?
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07:07 am
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!!!!!!!
I can't believe it - today is Bush's last full day ever as president. I can't believe it's finally here.
Tomorrow is obvious. Obama!
And Wednesday? Lost!
It's going to be an exciting few days.
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08:52 pm
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Good news/Bad news
Good news: Radiohead Reissues! A few minor complaints, but over all, really good tracklisting for a major label reissue series.
Bad news (and it's old, but I just read about it): Sara Lee discontinuing Best Kosher hot dogs! This is super horrible. They were among my favorites especially at White Sox games, where they were a staple as long as I can remember. What's life going to be without a Best Kosher dog with onions? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
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