> In Germany Amazon usually delivers next day. So does just about everyone else
YMMV. I order Amazon/Others about 70/30. The vast majority of shops I order from have longer delivery times, 3-4 days from the time of ordering is what I’m used to.
And then there is Amazon Logistics which recently started becoming a thing in Lübeck. They are on the level of DHL and sometimes surpass them, with other stores you sometimes have to live with the horror of Hermes or DPD. Hermes and DPD are high-risk carriers that only usually deliver and if they do, who knows when. DHL at least is good most of the time. Amazon Logistics is super fast, usually has live GPS tracking and when someone couldn’t find my entrance yesterday (it’s a bit complicated), I got a call, explained where exactly it is, and they set a marker on their internal app for my address.
And while Amazon also still uses DPD or Hermes, if their delivery doesn't work or they brought it to a shop kilometers away, you can just get a replacement from Amazon and will get a refund for the other item once it's back with them. Other sellers threaten to block you for that. I get that it incurs an extra cost on them but I just don't have to time to spend an hour just to pick up a delivery even though I was home all day.
Not in my experience. Most shops ship with DHL, so I order delivery to one of my Packstationen. If DHL brings it into a Postsubsidiary or somewhere inconvenient I just leave it there until it's sent back and reorder.
Interesting how these things have a variable performance between countries -- in the UK DPD is one of the better couriers (informing you of a 1 hour slot when delivery will happen, including a mini-map and 'you are delivery 46, van currently doing delivery 24' info on the status page) whereas Amazon Logistics' rep is somewhere between 'merely OK' and 'worse than average'.
YMMV. I order Amazon/Others about 70/30. The vast majority of shops I order from have longer delivery times, 3-4 days from the time of ordering is what I’m used to.
And then there is Amazon Logistics which recently started becoming a thing in Lübeck. They are on the level of DHL and sometimes surpass them, with other stores you sometimes have to live with the horror of Hermes or DPD. Hermes and DPD are high-risk carriers that only usually deliver and if they do, who knows when. DHL at least is good most of the time. Amazon Logistics is super fast, usually has live GPS tracking and when someone couldn’t find my entrance yesterday (it’s a bit complicated), I got a call, explained where exactly it is, and they set a marker on their internal app for my address.