What happened to Amazon?

I have been a huge fan of Amazon.com and a loyal customer for many years. However, recently their value and customer service has plummeted. Their online chat customer service is now a joke. Generally I get transferred to at least 5 or 6 different customer service representatives before being helped--sometimes the person who finally helps me is the original customer service rep who transferred me! Amazon.com used to care about their service quality; what happened?  :(

In addition, Many of the items I buy have recently jumped up in price 10-25%. One of the reasons I have been a loyal Amazon customer is because they consistently had the best price. Now, if you look at the Amazon Prime prices, sometimes they are even 25-50% higher than other sellers selling the same item new through Amazon (check the "used and new" link an inch or two below the add to cart button)! For example, by searching other Amazon sellers I just bought a textbook for $155 new (after delivery charges); whereas, Amazon Prime is charging $212 for the same book. So disappointing...

I doubt Amazon was losing money, so why raise the prices so much? Why skimp on proper customer service? Amazon used to have all the best products, prices, and service. Now it's missing two of the three.

Considering Amazon.com is known for having the most comprehensive reviews system, certainly they should've known that changing their prices, service, and value wouldn't be overlooked by internet bloggers.

For what it's worth, I am a paying Amazon Prime member ($79/yr) and planned to purchase all my Christmas presents through Amazon; now I am looking at other options....

Tattoos

It was a gorgeous day today so it wasn't surprising to see two shirtless guys riding their bicycles. They had very nice bodies and attractive faces, yet I was completely repulsed by their tattoos. Having tattoos isn't the way to be individualistic anymore--it is conformity. Tattoos can ruin a nice body. There have been limited exceptions of tattoos which don't turn me off--but they are few and far between. Unless the tattooed person is incredibly special or has the most perfect cock, it isn't possible for me to be sexually aroused by someone with a lot of ink. Yuck!

Brandon has not been forgotten

Today, someone I knew should've been turning 26. Instead, he was murdered almost 6 years ago. Brandon had just moved to San Francisco a few weeks before he was killed. His story has been publicized a lot, his mother flies banners over the city he was killed in a few times per year asking for help, and yet still nobody has come forth.

His death might have been a gang initiation or it might've been mistaken identity. He wasn't a troublemaker and didn't associate himself with those who were. He was a good kid, ethical, loving, and wasn't involved with gangs or hard drugs. This was a random killing. Some cold stranger extinguished the life of a kind loving soul who preached peace and happiness everywhere he went.

It's impossible to explain the anguish a mother feels when her child dies. That is compounded by knowing her son was murdered. This story cannot go away. If people keep talking about it, eventually the killer will be caught.

http://justiceforbrandon.com/

Please help. If you know something, please come forward. It was a shooting near Golden Gate Park in November 2008. There is a huge reward available.

If you don't have any information to help directly, please write to America's Most Wanted and request that they accept this story to help bring Brandon's killer to justice.

Gregory Howell, Associate Producer
America's Most Wanted
E-mail: ghowell@amw.com

America’s Most Wanted
PO Box Crime TV
Washington DC 20016

It will only take 5 minutes of your time and might catch a cold-blooded killer. Thank you.