How are WHSmith still in business?

biscit

Oh never mind...

barvid

Copy of an email I've had several times from Amazon throughout most of 2009:

==

Dear Customer,

Greetings from Amazon.co.uk.

We regret to inform you that the following items have been delayed as we are still awaiting stock from our suppliers :

XXXX
Estimated arrival date: January 05 2010 - January 13 2010

One of Amazon's aims is to provide a convenient and efficient service; in this case, we have fallen short. Please accept our sincere apologies.

You have not been charged for this item. We do not debit money from your payment card until just before your items are dispatched. We will send you a dispatch confirmation email on the date of dispatch.

Thank you for shopping at Amazon.co.uk, we hope to see you again.

Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address that
cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message.

Sincerely,

Customer Service Department
Amazon.co.uk
http://www.amazon.co.uk

WHY WAS THE DELIVERY ESTIMATE CHANGED?
While we do our best to adhere to these estimates, our inventory is constantly changing based on information we receive directly from our suppliers. Occasionally, unexpected fluctuations in supply or changes in release dates for new products will add time to our original availability estimate.

==

The original publication date was sometime in the spring of 2009 - now they're telling me it's not going to be until Jan 2010. Given the number of times this has changed, I don't expect it will be.

Point is, suppliers and publishers change dates enormously and it affects all booksellers. I'm not particularly pro WHS and don't really buy books there, but just wanted to point out that any retailer is vulnerable if the book isn't published when it was originally expected to be. I don't blame Amazon for this.

lufcgirl

Newcastle Airport, where I am at least twice a month, has no other place than WH Smith to buy magazines/newspapers etc

So they have a monopoly and must make a huge profit from it. They have three stores in one airport! And I totally begrudge paying £1.59 for a bottle of Coca-Cola thats 99p in Greggs downstairs but you can't take it through security.

augustsmummy

I have voted with my feet om this issue, and no longer shop there. The reason being last time I attempted to go in there I was approached repeatedly by electricity sales people! I wanted a magazine, not to change my provider for my electricity!
It was a struggle for me to speak (having just had a molar removed about 10 minutes before, and having had 4 doses of anaesthetic as it was so bad :eek: I was very numb!) so after the first mummbled "no thanks", I shook my head when asked. The sales person then turned to his collegue and commented on how rude I was!
Erm.. you pounced on customers, even ater they had said no, you went back to them again and again.
I will not return to a shop where I am hassled to that extent, and then called rude when I refuse.

I much prefer to get my magazines with my weekly shop now, and I get clubcard points as an added bonus!

reehsetin

had to endure the post office & whs combo yesterday...it's like the idiots leading the idiots!!