Still waiting for my christmas present from amazon.co.uk

My Perception: Amazon don't care as they haven't even bothered to apologise. They have lost an awful lot of brownie points with me and I will now conciously give another online bookseller a try.

Posted by: Mac on January 16, 2003 04:10 AM

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Mac,

I recently tried WH Smith, here in the UK, and they're worse than Amazon. I've also just tried Tesco's online bookstore (prices beat Amazon and Smiths nearly every time). I was promised delivery by Friday, so I'm waiting to see how good they are at keeping their word.

Posted by: Alan Fisher on January 16, 2003 04:59 AM

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Alan,

I have found a new method that seems to work, what happens is this: A Company buys or rents a building in an area where lots of people congregate. They have 'real' books displayed in the building and anyone can go in and look around. if you see a book you like, you can pay for it using a number of different methods, after which you can take the book home then and there!

If they don't have a book you want then you can order it and pick it up the next time you are passing.

You have to pay a little bit more for your books but I think this approach might just catch on.

Posted by: Mac on January 16, 2003 08:16 AM

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There are even some buildings with books you can borrow and then return later :)

Posted by: daniel szuc on January 16, 2003 09:29 AM

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Look, I was being serious, but if you're going to start making silly stories up...

Posted by: Alan Fisher on January 16, 2003 11:11 AM

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Daniel, that sounds fantastic! I wonder if they would consider doing the same thing with music and films.

Posted by: Mac on January 16, 2003 03:06 PM

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Mac, imagine the possibilities of such a scheme. Why, I bet they could also offer tables and chairs so you could read the books thoroughly before making a decision. It could even be a little social thing that you do with friends. Or, wait! You could meet someone entirely new, and have a conversation. Wow. A little old-school, but definitely worth a glance.

Posted by: Lydia on January 16, 2003 09:12 PM

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And people take the mickey out of me when I call myself an 'Enlightened Luddite'.

Posted by: Mac on January 17, 2003 03:34 AM

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But to make these type of places really trustworthy, they'd have to have someone who stopped you at the door and said 'Welcome' and told you what their mission statement is. You know, just like all good websites do...

Posted by: Alan Fisher on January 17, 2003 04:12 AM

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When you picked up a book, someone could leap out in front of you and do a 'mime' for a product. But you could pay a small child to follow you around and punch the mimers before they got too annoying.

Every third person you see could ask you your age and enquire as to whether you would be interested in pe**** enlargement.

When you went back after a few months they could have moved the building and shoved all the books into bookshelves hanging from the ceiling.

If they gave you some kind of card that recorded your personal details it could be used to speed up the check-in/out process.

Posted by: Mac on January 17, 2003 05:13 AM

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Mac,

There's only 3 asterisks in pe***. Unless you don't get the same kind of spam that I do - 'pebble enlargement' perhaps, for gardeners who want a rockery but can't afford real rocks?

Anyway, I think we're onto a winning concept here. Know any venture capitalists?

Posted by: Alan Fisher on January 17, 2003 06:13 AM

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Alan, I think that my 'river in Egypt' ending must come from a better class of spammer.

Posted by: Mac on January 17, 2003 06:53 AM

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Alright, we're done here. Go home, kids.

Posted by: MadMan on January 17, 2003 03:21 PM

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spoilsport

Posted by: Mac on January 20, 2003 03:25 PM

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By the way, Mac - Tesco failed to deliver the books I ordered by the date they promised, but they have now delivered them (3 days late). I think I'll give them another try.

Posted by: Alan Fisher on January 21, 2003 11:12 AM

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