
Amazon Invades India - tokenadult
http://fortune.com/amazon-india-jeff-bezos/
======
pkd
Amazon's service is head and shoulders above any other ecommerce player in
India. Despite its late entry, it has largely replaced Flipkart as the
provider of choice. This is almost exclusively due to the stellar service and
customer support from Amazon. I've had to deal with customer support multiple
times due to rescheduling delivery or returns, and have had a 100% pleasant
experience. Compared to Flipkart, where the customer support people have very
little to zero idea about every non trivial problem, it's amazing how Amazon
has been functioning.

~~~
pinkunicorn
Actually I've had 1 unpleasant experience out of 3 so far. I wanted to buy an
item at a lower cost(because it was a lot cheaper on other sites) and asked an
exec about the same. He could've said something like "Just monitor the prices,
they might come down" and I would've done it, instead he said "I'll personally
keep a tab on the prices for you and will intimate you in case the price falls
to your expectations". While it definitely looked like a false promise, I
assumed from all the online reviews that he actually would follow up. But what
alerted me was a BuyHatke monitor when the prices fell down. The prices stayed
low for two days and I waited to see if the customer exec would really follow-
through, but he didn't.

There was no real loss to me, but it was just an unpleasant experience. I am
pretty sure that wouldn't happen if it was a refund/return.

~~~
ignoramous
Some CS reps might not actually do whatever is promised, and that's a cause of
frustration on top of the customer loosing trust in Amazon, which is not
acceptable at all.

You should consider writing to them cis@amazon.in, and if you know the name of
customer associate that interacted you with, the better. You could also,
alternatively, utilize Amazon's chat-based customer service, as you can
actually "keep a record" of things they said and things you said. If what was
promised isn't delivered, you can sure make enough noise by directing the
query to cis@amazon.in, and/or jeff@ and amit@

------
sagargv
A few months ago, Amazon's competitor Flipkart started asking users to order
via the app rather than through the browser. That's when a lot of my friends
and I switched to Amazon. I never really understood the reason for insisting
on ordering via the app.

Apps don't have a good way to convey that they are using HTTPS, so I don't
like the idea of entering my credit card details in an app. Most internet
banking gateways in India aren't yet mobile optimized, so that's inconvenient
too. (Internet banking is a popular alternative to debit cards in India;
merchants re-direct users to their bank's website where users can login and
agree to paying the merchant. It's actually a lot more convenient than credit
cards because you only have to remember your bank account's username and
password.)

~~~
eklavya
That is the most brain damaged idea I have seen from an e-commerce player yet.

~~~
vram22
I've stopped using Flipkart on mobile because of that. Only use it from my
laptop now.

------
jsudhams
The only reason to switch from flipkart to Amazon was that flipkart is pushing
the app in users throat. I dont know what the use of the pushing a user witj
"Open in App" Ad when i am on desktop and shopping experience is bad on mobile
device. I want to read reviews on internet on side while I shop. Also most
offers are on App . I dont know if the flipkart wants sell app or goods. But
recently amazon is also starting to push that path as well here is what i
started doing. Read reviews and note the the price on PC and go to local
reatiler ask him to give at that price or 50 bugs extra as it is immediate
delivery it is ok to add 50 bugs and take it. But till now i amazon did not
disappoint but shopping in app, no way.....Because apart from small screen ad
unable to see product pic clearly. Every app in mobile is able to intercept
communication and keystroke etc... an no way of know if bank transaction is
secure like gold padlock on PC. And i dont if there is a issue like cross site
scripting on mobile as cross app because after i finish banking transaction
that session statys and flipkart comes on top.

------
gtirloni
The article doesn't mention anything about imports so I'm wondering what is
the situation in India.

Here in Brazil, I don't have a lot to complain about the e-commerce websites,
they do a good job. The import taxes on the other hand are ridiculous.

Amazon.in seems to have very competitive prices compared to Amazon.com. A LG
Nexus 5X sells for $348 vs. $329 in the US. In Brazil, the same phone costs
around $580 USD. That would've been around $775 in the beginning of the year
(BRL depreciated quickly this year due to internal turmoil).

I initially hoped Amazon would disrupt the Brazilian market but it seems the
taxes are the biggest problem and they can't do much to fix that. In the
retail area, they will get fierce competition since that are many entrenched
players already. That might be a reason they have limited themselves to
selling books and Kindles for now.

~~~
wtmt
Electronic items are India's third largest import (after crude oil and gold).
The duties are generally around 30%, and generally electronic products, like
smartphones, tablets, computers and others, do cost a lot more in India when
compared to the U.S. There are some exceptions, like hard drives, that cost
almost the same. Maybe it's also a matter of how the manufacturers price
things in different markets.

------
chdir
Amazon has deep pockets and they are doling out incredible offers on top of
great customer service. Once they establish dominance or once the smaller
players run out of wall street sponsored discounts, the Amazon offers will
also disappear. Then it'll be a fair comparison.

There's a grim side to the booming multi-billion dollar e-commerce - the
delivery guys. They are carrying huge, heavy bags on motorcycles [0][1],
rushing to meet their delivery targets, braving the elements, earning a measly
salary with little or no health benefits. There should be laws to regulate how
much weight/size of bags they can carry. They are delivering smiles to
millions of homes, but they can hardly feed a family.

[0]
[http://media2.intoday.in/btmt/images/stories/jabong_660_1222...](http://media2.intoday.in/btmt/images/stories/jabong_660_122214052620.jpg)

[1]
[http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vZh5ZbMGlpU/U8qEZ9eN4wI/AAAAAAAAAX...](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vZh5ZbMGlpU/U8qEZ9eN4wI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/_JXPG-w4MNo/s1600/Edit+IMG_20140711_093424.jpg)

P.S. Some more articles on the state of delivery guys :

[http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-e-commerce-can-be-a-big-
pain...](http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-e-commerce-can-be-a-big-pain-for-
indias-deliverymen-1427679248)

[http://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/how-j...](http://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/how-
jobs-with-e-commerce-companies-like-flipkart-is-taking-toll-on-the-delivery-
men/48419152)

[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/We-have-
no...](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/We-have-no-loos-
basic-facilities-complain-Flipkart-delivery-boys/articleshow/48279539.cms)

~~~
rohitnair
> Once they establish dominance or once the smaller players run out of wall
> street sponsored discounts, the Amazon offers will also disappear.

My experience as an Amazon customer in the US has been contrary. Amazon is
actually one of the rare companies that values loyalty and rewards existing
customers. Most other startups (even ones outside e-commerce, like Uber/Ola
etc. have offers that aggressively target new customers, but rarely offer
anything for existing customers) Compare that to the experience of an Amazon
Prime account holder. What started as free 2 day shipping now covers free 2
hour shipping, access to lots of media etc. at no added charge. A majority of
the offers and discounts are also made available to all customers, not just
new ones. Is this not the case in India?

------
lifeisstillgood
The economist podcast covered similar issues, and noted that there is ~4%
credit card penetration in India - that the local delivery services had had to
work out how to take cash on delivery as the main means on income - I shudder
to think of Amazons CFO shuddering to think of that.

I will be surprised if Amazon can do more than maintain a token presence
outside of major cities, but I am sure they have plans.

~~~
pinkunicorn
They already do. I live(rather work from home) in a remote village in Southern
India. Ordered a Nikon camera recently which the local stores said will take
atleast 7 days to procure, and Amazon delivered in 3 days. The item was
shipped all the way from Northern India(Nagpur) and guess what, it was 500INR
cheaper on Amazon.

While on one hand I was more than happy to get it in three days and a little
cheaper, I also realized that this won't last forever. Amazon's capital has
gotta run out at some point in time and the cheap/fast service will stop
there.

~~~
devdas
Nagpur is close to the center of India, not the north.

~~~
pinkunicorn
You have my apologies. We often joke that anything northern than Bangalore is
North India!

~~~
radmuzom
Well then Chennai is North India!! A lot of people don't realize that
Bangalore is actually south of Chennai.

------
TazeTSchnitzel
> obligatory two-step authentication

That sounds like a _good_ thing to me.

~~~
neximo4
It sounds good. Except as was the case today for me where you enter an OTP pin
and its expired (HDFC Bank) because each bank has its own OTP system.

Keep in mind this is something that any bank can use (3D secure). It is up to
the merchant on whether they want this or not. There is an additional discount
on the transaction fees if you use this.

Problem is of course, every bank has their own interface that doesn't always
work. Customers give up on their transactions. You can't have subscriptions.
You have _no choice_ on whether you can disable OTP, even though you are the
customer. You can also not save your card (keep in mind you can have direct
debits anyway for subscriptions via a bank debit agreement)

It also sucks when you want to buy something and your phone is dead. It also
makes integration quite tedious as you have to support dozens of payment
methods.

Honestly, it sucks. It's nice to have that sense of security but it comes at
the cost of taking care of 1/100 customers ad the expense of 99 of the others
by forcing them to use 2 factor auth (or more if you look at the lost ones).

~~~
ignoramous
I'd trade all of those inefficiencies for secure 2FA, anyday. YMMV.

~~~
Tarang
You can if you want, simply ask your bank to require 3D secure for all
transactions. Can't say it'll always go through as not all websites/apps will
support it.

All I'm saying is it would be good if there was a choice to it as a customer
holding a cr/dedit card

------
known
Amazon has to sail through most racist people on earth
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/15...](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/15/a-fascinating-
map-of-the-worlds-most-and-least-racially-tolerant-countries/)

~~~
bluishgreen
Ah..the bullshit map!, read the footnote as well as the follow up. It has more
shades to it and is not black and white.
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/05/17...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/05/17/5-insights-
on-the-racial-tolerance-and-ethnicity-maps-from-an-ethnic-conflict-professor/)

------
somberi
The past month I realized (wish it was earlier), the arbitrage that existed
between the same book between Amazon USA (I am a Amazon prime member) and
India - India is cheaper but ~60%. Once I realised it I have ordered one book
a day :)

Having said that Amazon India, charged me twice for an Iphone ordered and I
just happen to catch it. I chalk this up to process tightening and not malice.

~~~
wavefunction
I have visited India a few times and one of those times I found myself in
Bangalore and visited the famous Higginbotham's bookstore and bought $100
worth of math and computer textbooks that would likely would have set me back
at least several hundred dollars if not over a thousand.

------
chetangole
From the article : "The Tata Group is launching its e-commerce platform in
February!"

~~~
wtmt
It's probably far too late in the game. If it has Croma (the electronic store
arm of Tata) like prices, which are comparatively higher than other stores,
then there's absolutely no hope at all.

------
known
AMZN return policy is the best

------
wtmt
[Long rant ahead] Amazon India's chat customer service has usually, but not
always, been helpful and easily reachable. That's really a great comfort when
it's needed. On the other hand, I don't know if Flipkart even has something as
prompt and useful. The rest of the players hide behind email addresses (no
phone numbers) for customer support. If there's one thing competitors must
learn, it's the _value of putting customers first and providing them
assistance as quickly, as conveniently (for the customer) and as efficiently
as possible._

> He (Piacentini) and Agarwal tell me Bezos has given them wide freedom to run
> India without his intervention, accepting that it could take years for the
> billions of dollars in investment to show returns. “His solicitations are
> never, ‘When will we make money?’ ” Piacentini says. “It’s always, ‘Are we
> investing enough?’ ”

I don't know what to make of this. Maybe Amazon India is investing a lot in
getting more sellers on board, in improving its warehouse and fulfillment
operations, and marketing. But one area where it has been severely and
pathetically lacking is in the "findability" of products and refinement of
searches for what someone is looking for. I find it baffling, exhausting and
extremely frustrating that Amazon India cannot even get "sort by price"
correctly. If you know exactly what to search for, it's possible that you
might find it. If not, prepare to wade through multiple pages because a "sort
price - low to high" may have some lower priced items later on or on the
second or third page. It's really shameful and unbelievably terrible that a
company like Amazon cannot get this right! As an example on search refinement
and filtering, you want to narrow searches only to hard drives that are 1TB
and larger in size? Choose that option and find 500GB and other sizes also
listed in the results. Wade through the list one again and waste your time. _I
have repeatedly provided feedback on these for the last few years_ , but have
not seen any improvement at all. If anyone in Amazon.in is reading this or if
Jeff Bezos bumps into this comment, you really need to get your act together
seriously and hire some competent people who can get this done. You people
don't seem dedicated to what Amazon claims it wants to achieve. Stop wasting
our time and putting us off your site! Look at Newegg if you want to see how
to get product search and filtering done better.

On to other players, my recent favorite is Paytm (paytm.com). It's also a
market place. It does not have an Amazon India like customer service option
(just an email address). Its product descriptions and details are glaringly
inadequate in many cases. Its search and refinement options are close to
Amazon India, sometimes better and sometimes worse. But where Paytm excels is
in cashbacks on products. Unlike cashbacks from Amazon or Flipkart where you'd
get a gift card to shop from the same site, Paytm cashback can be used for
paying phone bills, paying cable bills, booking Uber cabs, buying bus tickets,
and several other things from other merchants. Its digital wallet comes in
handy to transfer money to or request money from other people instantaneously.

After Amazon, I think Paytm is the one to watch out for in the Indian space.
It has deep pockets (all those cashbacks are really mind boggling) and will
trounce others very soon. In my experience, Flipkart has always been the most
expensive for products, and its push for the app only shopping part is highly
immature and not thought out well at all. People who do compare prices across
other sellers will migrate out of Flipkart. My experience with Snapdeal is
very limited, but its somewhat similar to Paytm in lacking product
descriptions and details. I've also read some horror stories about product
delivery, fraud, etc., online (this didn't happen in my purchase experience
with Snapdeal though).

~~~
known
180030009009 is better

