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Technology Stocks : Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rob S. who wrote (10098)	7/12/1998 2:43:00 PM
From: IMPRISTlNE	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 164684

re: " What they have not concentrated on and where they have critical weakness in experience and "motus operandi" is in concentrating on having a very low cost structure that matches the pricing pressures and low margins that are an inevitable outcome of doing business on the net. " Hi Rob, IMO, the biz will look further in to the future...based on the challenges of the past. Horrific gut wrenching growing pains are a part of an ultra successful biz. IMO, The economies of scale will allow this biz to thrive. It is difficult to discount parabolic demand. Now is not the time for AMAZON to be complacent. It is kill or be killed. To me it is all about Demand and Marketing. I say triple the friggin marketing expense and let the Shorties scream some more. GOD BLESS AMERICA

To: Rob S. who wrote (10098)	7/12/1998 3:04:00 PM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 164684

I don't think it was a "planned scam" from the beginning. Rob, I agree with this 100%. There was a major effort to make a viable company. I think it is more "business culture ignorance" than plan that is Amazon's downfall. They are blissfully grinning about how wonderful the huge growth is and adding employees rapidly in a very tight job market - they "get the net" but don't "get the competitive environment" It seems a lot of resources were placed into programing, advertising and other methods in which to grow revenue. The missing link is hiring experienced retailers that can tell what will or will not turn a profit in terms of marketing. Clearly, too may dollars were spend advertising online prior to the net becoming main stream. This money is spent and gone with not much to show for it. I am of the opinion Barnes and Noble and Borders were not in a hurry to be on the net until the net was not such a segmented audience. Why throw millions of dollars at a very small percentage of the population. The net is now becoming a larger percentageof the population so those dollars will pay off. There has been so much discussion about Amazon being first. In retail, being first means nothing. Ask Kmart<G> Customers have little loyalty in retail and the better marketer will win even if they are decades later. Both BGP and BKS hired high quality programming talent and set up a differnet division for their on-line stores. They did move some of their experienced marketers to those on-line divisions. The marketing is not guess work for these stores. Their largest problem, was the web page writing. I have been in touch with customer service at Border.com since they went on-line sooner than planned. The web pages did not have all the bugs worked out. Their plan was to open in September. I am posting some correspondence I have had with the very nice people there and one can see the effort they are making to improve the web site. Execution as far as delivery is not a problem for them. "Thank you for your kind interest in Borders.com. Our technical staff is looking into the problem you have experienced. It may be a few days before we have diagnosed the problem and are able to fix it. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and for taking the time to communicate the exact details of what you experienced to us. This is a huge help in correcting the problem. Please let us know if we can assist you further in this or any other matter. Sincerely, Ruth Borders.com Customer Service borders.com Up to 40% off hardcovers. Up to 80% off Bargain books. > ---------- > From: Glenn D. Rudolph[SMTP:grudolph@toolcity.net] > Sent: Thursday, July 09, 1998 7:22 PM > To: Borders.com Customer Service > Subject: Re: Problems with your Borders.com order. > > Dear Ruth, > > I appreciate you getting back to me. I use the stored credit card > method. I > have in the past re-entered my account and changed the expiration on > the > card. The sites appears to have accepted the change. However, when I > place > an order, the old expiration is still there. I will try and edit that > card > again today. I suspect there is a bug in the card editing software on > the > site that may need addressed. > > I wish you and your firm the best. I am pleased to see Borders.com on > the > web and very much appreciate you taking the time to address this > issue. > > Thank you. > > > Very truly yours, > > Glenn D. Rudolph > > FAX 814 337-0754 > > ---------- > >From: "Borders.com Customer Service" <CustomerService@borders.com> > >To: "'Glenn D. Rudolph'" <grudolph@toolcity.net> > >Subject: RE: Problems with your Borders.com order. > >Date: Wed, Jul 8, 1998, 3:07 PM > > > > >Thank you for contacting Borders.com. > > > >I would like to apologize for the difficulties you have been having > >ordering from our site. I would like to ask you to check something > for > >me. If you have stored any credit card numbers for future use in the > >commerce area, please check to make sure that the expirations are > >correct. I realize that this is an intrusion on your time but > because > >this information is secure, only you can modify it. > > > >If the credit card information has changed, please modify that > >information for us. This will prevent the wrong expiration date > going > >through again. Although customer service representatives can change > >your credit card information for a specific order, they cannot change > >your stored information. This is because that information is only > open > >to you. > > > >If you have entering your credit card "fresh" with each completed > order, > >please let us know about that too. There is a flag that is supposed > to > >reject expired credit cards when you enter them during the completion > >process. > > > >Please let us know which process you are using - stored credit cards > or > >entering them fresh during order completion. This information is > >necessary for us to determine where the problem lies. > >Thank you for your interest in Borders.com. Please let us know if we > >can assist you further with this or anything else. > >Sincerely, > >Ruth > >Borders.com Customer Service > >http://www.Borders.com > >Up to 40% off hardcovers. Up to 80% off Bargain books. > > > > > >> ---------- > >> From: Glenn D. Rudolph[SMTP:grudolph@toolcity.net] > >> Sent: Monday, July 06, 1998 6:56 AM > >> To: customerservice@borders.com > >> Subject: Re: Problems with your Borders.com order. > >> > >> Dear Sir or Madam: > >> > >> I am sorry to tell you that you need to correct your web site > >> software. This > >> was the third time that I have had to call and tell customer > service > >> to have > >> them update my credit card so it shows the current expiration of > >> **. > >> Each time I have placed an order, I get the same automated reply > that > >> my > >> card has expired. > >> I would appreciate an explanation of your problem. Either by email > or > >> you > >> may call at ****. > >> > >> > >> Very truly yours, > >> > >> Glenn D. Rudolph > >> > >> FAX 814 337-0754 > >> > >> ---------- > >> >From: customerservice@borders.com > >> >To: grudolph@toolcity.net > >> >Subject: Problems with your Borders.com order. > >> >Date: Sun, Jul 5, 1998, 8:07 PM > >> > > >> > >> >Thank you for placing an order with Borders.com. We're sorry to > tell > >> you > >> that we've canceled your order because we were unable to authorize > >> your > >> credit card. To reactivate your order please call our 24 hour > >> Customer > >> Service Center at 1-800-770-7811. Please have the order > information > >> listed > >> below available for our Customer Service Representative. > >> > > >> > --Borders Online Customer Service > >> > > >> > > >> >Your order # is: 37450 > >> >On July 04, 1998 you ordered the following items: > >> > > >> >1 copy of "Grease" > >> > Kleiser, Randal/Arden, Eve/Avalo; $17.95 > >> >1 copy of "Judgment at Nuremburg" > >> > Kramer, Stanley/Clift, Montgomer; $22.48 > >> >1 copy of "Psycho" > >> > Hitchcock, Alfred/Albertson, Fra; $17.98 > >> >1 copy of "Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The" > >> > Leone, Sergio; $22.48 > >> > > >> > > >> >Order Subtotal: $ 80.89 > >> >Subtotal reflects merchandise totals only, not shipping or > applicable > >> tax. > >> > > >> >Ship to: Glenn D. Rudolph > >> >at: > >> > ********* > >> > UNITED STATES > >> > > >> >Ship via: U.S. Standard (3-7 days) > >> > > >> >For order related questions you may email us at > >> CustomerService@Borders.com > >> or call our 24 hour Customer Service Center at 1-800-770-7811. > >> > > >> >For title related questions, please visit our Info Desk! > >> >http://www.borders.com/cust_infodesk.html > >> > > >> >Thank you for shopping at Borders.com! > >> > > >> >10 million Books, CDs, & Videos. In stock. Available now > >> >Borders.com > >> >The best selection in the world > >> >http://www.Borders.com > >> > > >> > >> > > > > "