This and That

[callmemadam]

Has anyone else tried Matt’s Terrific Bread, which Cornflower has been baking? No-knead bread, left for twenty four hours and then baked in a Le Creuset casserole. It works! Another time I’d add more salt and sprinkle less flour on the top.

I’m really fed up with Amazon, and not just for the reasons Jane Badger gives here. It’s their insistence on having packets signed for which is bugging me. It’s not too bad when they use Royal Mail; you know roughly when the delivery will be and the postman knows you and your house. City Link is another matter. Yesterday, I put a large notice on the door announcing that I was IN yet later found a card thrown down outside the front door saying that I was out. What are you supposed to do; spend the whole day sitting watching for them? I complained to Amazon, who responded quickly but didn’t get it. I said I’d stop buying from them if they continued to use City Link. None of these problems with The Book Depository, which I think will be getting my custom in future.

ETA The package was redelivered today and out of the blue Amazon emailed to say they wil refund me £10.00 because of my poor experience. No more than I deserve for the inconvenience :-)

Easter eggs
[Poll #1545602]

Comments

[minniemoll.livejournal.com]

I've just read Jane's post, Amazon have really lost the plot this time. I have no idea how they'll police it. So glad I gave up selling on there a long time ago.

The signing for thing hasn't hit me, I've had a couple of parcels from them recently which have just come through the door in the usual fashion. I did complain years ago when I ordered my Palm from them, and it was left in a huge box on the doorstep in full view of the road (despite there being an open porch oh, inches away), they just said that they were happy with their delivery service and if anything went missing they'd replace it. Which just made me wish I'd told them it hadn't arrived.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Jane's written some more today about bookselling problems with Abe. I can't believe that stuff about not being able to advertise yourself at all. Yet Amazon allows those terrible sellers who have a one size fits all formula for every book they claim to offer: 'book may be, may have etc.' Who buys on a description like that?

It's maddening having to be on edge today wondering about that package. I've occasionally had a parcel left in the box (which is outside the house) with 'signed for by postman' on it! I don't mind that.

[minniemoll.livejournal.com]

As I said on Jane's post, it's coming to something when ebay are the best of a bad bunch.

I want to know how Amazon finds out that you are sending out promotional material - do they email buyers and ask them to snitch on sellers? It's all very big brother-ish.

I had another look at abe at the time of the free postage fiasco, but their antiquated software put me off, I'm glad it did with recent developments. Turbolister isn't perfect, but it's definitely better than Homebase, and I can put in paragraphs and several photos very easily.

My posties sometimes leave things in the recycling box in the porch, which is fine by me, but it seems to depend which one I get.

[lurpak.livejournal.com]

I will happily scoff most chocolate but I can't stand the creme egg filling so I never buy them. That bread looks gorgeous.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

The eggs are too sickly for me, really. I bought a couple to put in egg cups as decorations and they disappeared inside the cups.

The bread is slightly heavy but very good.

[lizarfau.livejournal.com]

I haven't had to sign for anything from Amazon (I only order DVDs from them, because of Book Depository offering free delivery to Australia) and I don't think my mom (in England)has either, when I've had things delivered to her; I'll ask her.

Amazon had a run-in with Macmillan recently because they (Amazon) wanted to set the prices for e-books, but they had to back down.

Without being aware of all the Abebooks stuff Jane mentions in her post, I had noticed that it had got a lot less user-friendly for buyers over recent months and that one or two of my favourite sellers had disappeared from there. A shame, because Abebooks used to be good.

I don't think I've eaten a creme egg since the early 1980s (they're very over-rated, IMO), but they do look smaller than they did back then.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Different countries, different policies, I suppose. I'm surprised Macmillan beat Amazon!

Agree about Abe. Their website is still awful after all these years and they've made it harder for the buyer to contact the seller. I used to buy there quite a lot but now hardly ever.

[lizarfau.livejournal.com]

Here's a link to the Macmillan/Amazon spat: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/technology/companies/01amazonweb.html. Amazon removed all Macmillan's titles for a little while.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Goodness me! I love the weasel expressions they put in like because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles, as if that were somehow unfair. It all comes down to caveat emptor, anyway.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

Also I have it on good authority that the white and yellow bits used to taste different from each other.

Bread looks lovely!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Really?

It is!

[gghost.livejournal.com]

Perfect timing! I've been looking for a no-knead yeast bread recipe, and this one looks and sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That recipe is whizzing round the world!

[ramblingfancy.livejournal.com]

I get infuriated with amazon too! Thank goodness for my dear Uncle (what are people who work all day meant to do esp if you can't use your work address for deliveries?). Sometimes though he's having an afternoon nap and doesn't hear the door. I would be quite happy to have most books etc left in the porch, but nowhere do they seem to give you that option. Sigh! Still, there are loads of advantages to Amazon for the buyer - selection, speed and price not least. What I hate is when Amazon sellers keep asking you for feedback if you buy a secondhand book off them (or perhaps I'm being unfair is it automatically generated?) which is probably unkind of me, but honestly can't be bothered to tick more boxes.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I don't see the need for a signature! And you really can't be expected to be on the qui vive all day for a delivery.

I think those feedback requests are automatically generated. I've noticed that people bother much less about feedback on Amazon than on eBay.

[white_hart]

I rarely use Amazon these days, mostly because they just don't seem to understand that the reason I choose First Class Delivery (rather than the free delivery) is not because I want my order to arrive more quickly but because if things are sent by Royal Mail they will be left in the cupboard behind our bins if there's no-one in and they don't fit through the door, or at a pinch they'll be taken to the sorting office which is ten minutes' walk away. Instead they send them by overnight muppet and getting hold of them becomes so frustrating I lose all ability to enjoy my purchases once I've actually got hold of them.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

*shares frustration*
There's plenty of room in my postbox for a book. If I *have* to pick up a Royal Mail parcel, it's an annoying waste of time but feasible. To collect from one of their courier's depots is a forty minute round trip. So much for the convenience of home delivery!