Amazon to employees: We'll pay you to quit and haul packages

[brooklynite]

Source: Seattle Times

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we’ll help you start a business delivering Amazon packages.

The offer, announced Monday, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. The company sees the new incentive as a way to get more packages delivered to shoppers’ doorsteps faster.

Amazon says it will cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for employees who are accepted into the program and leave their jobs. The company says it will also pay them three months’ worth of their salary. The offer is open to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers who pack and ship orders. Whole Foods employees are not eligible to receive the new incentives.

Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. declined to say how many employees it expects to take them up on the offer.

Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-to-its-own-employees-well-pay-you-to-quit-and-haul-packages/

[TheBlackAdder]

1. Let's see. Amazon tried to scam NYC, when their plan is to fully automate that facility in 3 years.

.

Now, they want to get rid of people, perhaps cheaper than laying them off, and create gig employees.

They will get paid pennies a package for delivery, and will probably suffer the same fate as Uber drivers.

They'll get stuck with a truck payment, and all of the costs and labor of final segment delivery, the most expensive part of delivering a package, and something the USPS got roped into as a way of Privatizing Profits and Socializing Expenses.

.

[progree]

4. Amazon has a delivery service and it sucks for drivers

Amazon Is Hell On Wheels For Delivery Drivers, Forbes, 9/13/18
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittainladd/2018/09/13/hell-on-wheels-what-its-like-to-be-a-delivery-driver-for-amazon/#5e9235f5219a

Missing wages, grueling shifts, and bottles of urine: The disturbing accounts of Amazon delivery drivers may reveal the true human cost of 'free' shipping, Business Insider, 9/11/18
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-delivery-drivers-reveal-claims-of-disturbing-work-conditions-2018-8

She Drove for Amazon Flex, Quickly Came to Regret It, ~6/25/18
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/amazon-flex-workers/563444/

[TheBlackAdder]

5. It sounds like they want to cut them loose and make delivery performed by contract workers.

.

I see the Amazon trucks pull up in my area, and the workers scramble to drop off the package as they are timed and punished if they underperform against their co-workers. Those delivery trucks are shitty and always break down. It's time to shift all those burdens on someone who is desperate for a job and soak them for every last dollar in their household.

.

[demosincebirth]

28. Contract workers. Oh boy! Wait until they start working eighteen hrs

A day with no overtime

[3Hotdogs]

2. And when we get our drone service up and running, well, just balls to you.

[TheBlackAdder]

3. Yep. Bezos is one sick motherfucker to think of ways to fuck people over. That's why Trump hates him

.

Trump sees himself in Bezos' eyes. Two sociopaths who just want to rule the world and crush the little guy.

All the while playing the role of the Pied Piper and getting as many children following him into oblivion.

.

[paleotn]

24. Drone service? They have a word for that in most rural areas.....

......PULL!!

[SergeStorms]

6. I'm an Amazon Prime member...

and Amazon's promise of "two day shipping" is a myth. Very seldom do I get a package from Amazon in less than 3-4 days, and those are the packages delivered by the popular delivery services. If an item says "Fulfilled by Amazon" I can expect a week's delay in receiving it.

Now, I do not live out in the sticks where there are 20 miles between houses. I live in a suburban area in western New York. Amazon's "Free two day shipping" is a myth, and it's gotten so much worse over the past few years. And just try to talk to a human being at Amazon! It's damned near impossible. When I do get a person to talk to in customer service they never resolve the issue. They just don't give a shit.

This is my last year as an Amazon Prime customer. After 6 years of watching service steadily decline, and the price of "Prime" increasing every year, I've had enough. Up yours, Bezos.

[Hortensis]

13. We get many deliveries within the 2-day period, but

enough not that we're not surprised. A week's delay if we're promised 2-day is almost unheard of. We live in a semi-rural area about 8 minutes at 50-60 mph from the nearest supermarket, significantly farther from decent shopping.

Living where we do, we love what home delivery like Amazon's means to us and only winced but didn't hesitate to renew when prime membership rate increased. It saves us a lot.

I wouldn't envy anyone who tried to make decent money on this route, though.

[paleotn]

25. Same here....

And I've never seen anyone but USPS deliver to our place along with our usual mail. Our usual mail person or their sub. Out here in the boonies it make sense.

[moonscape]

16. I haven't needed to call Amazon lately, but every time

I've had an issue they have been great. My experience is the opposite. Maybe I got lucky.

[SergeStorms]

17. Are you talking about...

deliveries or just talking to someone at customer service?

[CaptainTruth]

19. Wow, sorry to hear that. Seems like their delivery service isn't consistent.

My wife & I have ordered a lot of Prime items the past few years & every one has been delivered on time. There have even been several times I've ordered things in the afternoon with 2 day delivery & they arrived the next morning, in less than 24 hours.

It sounds like they need to work on doing that everywhere.

[SergeStorms]

32. You must...

live next door to a "fulfillment" warehouse! Like I said, it's not like I live in the sticks, but I think the nearest fulfillment warehouse is in New York City, around 350 miles away. Otherwise everything else seems to ship from Kentucky for me.

[DeminPennswoods]

20. "Business days" is the kicker

If it's ordered on a Friday, 2 days doesn't mean Sunday delivery, it's more like Monday or Tuesday.

[SergeStorms]

33. Yes, they're supposed to deliver on Sundays.

I've received quite a few packages on Sundays.

[Baclava]

22. huh, mine ALWAYS gets here in 2 days, and if I don't like something, free returns

And of course free shipping. No questions asked on returns, print a mailing label and drop it off, it's done, much better than standing in line in some stupid store

I HATE standing in line lol

Of course I use Prime for more than packages, I have a million songs downloaded and saved and With Prime movies and firestick 4K I can watch anything. You get free books to read too. Works for me.

[SergeStorms]

34. I take advantage...

of a lot of the "perks" associated with "Prime", but it always irks me when I order something that's a "Prime" purchase and I don't receive it for a week because it was shipped with "Amazon fulfillment".

[Baclava]

37. I always check the actual delivery date they show on checkout, I'll pass if it's not 2 days

It's not like there aren't 20 other product choices just about the same, I'm picky as hell, lol

[SergeStorms]

41. I'm going to start...

contacting the seller and asking them which shipping method they plan to use. If it's "Amazon Fulfillment", forget it. Like you say, there's plenty of sellers to choose from.

[DeminPennswoods]

40. TBH, there's no such thing as "free shipping"

It's priced into the cost of each product to a greater or lesser extent.

[TwilightZone]

29. I get almost everything within two days.

But then, we live 25 miles from a major distribution center, so a lot of it probably comes from there.

[EX500rider]

30. I suspect the wait is proportional to the distance to the nearest Fulfillment Center..

We have one near in my area (31 miles from my house) and I get 1 or 2 day delivery pretty much always, that's on 32 items ordered last 6 months.
I have been a Amazon member since 1999 and have had zero problems so far and use them a lot for many different items.

[SergeStorms]

35. I've been ordering from Amazon...

for many, many years, but just joined "Prime" in 2010 when my first grandchild was born. It started off at $79 a year, and it's up to $116 now. At first I received most of my packages on time, but in the past year things seem to have really gone downhill. Like I said, this is the last of "Prime" for me. You'd think after the number of complaints I've called in within the past year they'd offer to throw me a bone, just to shut me up, but nothing. Not even an apology. I'll stop being such a lazy ass and go shop locally from now on. For harder to find things I'll shop elsewhere.

[DeminPennswoods]

39. That seems to be true

Was just looking at a map of Amazon distribution centers and they are mostly clustered around big metro areas or population centers. There are virtually none in the middle and upper midwest.

[brush]

7. 10k is a drop in the bucket to start a business. I'd be very wary in excepting that offer.

It sounds like Amazon is trying to go the "Uber" route by shifting responsibility for on-time delivery and vehicle maintenance and expenses—insurance, gas etc.—onto its contractors.

[OnlinePoker]

8. Probably for this reason (another article)

Exclusive: Amazon rolls out machines that pack orders and replace jobs

The company started adding technology to a handful of warehouses in recent years, which scans goods coming down a conveyor belt and envelopes them seconds later in boxes custom-built for each item, two people who worked on the project told Reuters.

Amazon has considered installing two machines at dozens more warehouses, removing at least 24 roles at each one, these people said. These facilities typically employ more than 2,000 people.

That would amount to more than 1,300 cuts across 55 U.S. fulfillment centers for standard-sized inventory. Amazon would expect to recover the costs in under two years, at $1 million per machine plus operational expenses, they said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-automation-exclusive-idUSKCN1SJ0X1?utm_source=reddit.com

---------------------

Leave your job to start your own business and we don't have to pay severance.

[turbinetree]

9. Lets see start the business, have no fucking health insurnace, then you have to pay taxes

then you have to pay for your own Social Security and Medicare tax, that is not, I repeat not shared by AMAZON, then wear and tear on your vehicle, pay for gas, automobile insurance, while at the same time good old Bezo, paid nothing in taxes.............................and all you are is a contract worker........................join a UNION and demand that Amazon, that made over, here lets see...............................232 billion last year (2018), pay for everything if they want there fucking packages delivered


https://www.statista.com/statistics/266282/annual-net-revenue-of-amazoncom/


I am not a Facebook user and I do not use Amazon...........................not quite into these monopolies........................and guess what, Amazon wants to sell you your drugs for a delivery fee............................called PILLPACK......................and what do the drug companies think of this, not much since they have on average have had prices go up on some drugs 8,000 percent, so just add Amazon into the mix...............................for a fee................

[OnlinePoker]

11. To be fair, they "only" made $11.2 billion in profits

Last edited Tue May 14, 2019, 08:50 AM - Edit history (1)

Of course, through the miracle of the U.S. tax code, they actually got a rebate of over $100 million on those profits.

[EX500rider]

31. "To be fair, they "only" made $11.2 billion in profits"

On sales of $233 billion that's not a very good profit margin. 4.8%

[orleans]

10. great thread

with added links

amazon kind of sucks

i've tried not to use them for awhile now

[msongs]

12. using a personal vehicle to run amazon will get your insurance cancelled for fraud under most

insurance policies, one suspects. and if you get in a wreck your insurance company will refuse to pay out, then drop you

[Hortensis]

14. Well, filing a claim would be fraud in those cases,

wouldn't it? I used to work in property and casualty insurance, and though I sympathize with tight budgets I do not admire people who set out to defraud their insurers or sympathize with them when their claims are denied and their policies canceled for cause.

These businesses will require commercial insurance. Of course.

[DeminPennswoods]

21. I think Amazon provides the delivery trucks

if I read the story correctly.

[Hortensis]

15. CBS: " Pros and cons of that $10,000 Amazon delivery business offer"

If you've always dreamed of starting your own business, Amazon (AMZN) has a deal for you. But you may want to think twice before you accept it. ...

Why is Amazon's requirement that you hire, rather than contract with, drivers so onerous? Because it subjects the delivery company to a wide array of expenses, from employment taxes, workers compensation and unemployment insurance levies, as well as to substantial additional liability. ...

Then, too, to make the kind of money Amazon is talking about requires an extraordinary amount of work. You've got to find 20 to 40 fit and responsible individuals with good driving records to operate your vans, do background checks and process employment paperwork and then manage the mind-boggling job of scheduling not only their time, but the delivery of thousands of packages per month within tight allotted time frames. "It is a 24/7 management commitment," he says. "It would be interesting to see what your pay would work out to on an hourly basis."

That said, Schlactus says there's never been a better time to be a delivery driver or operate a delivery business. Because more sales are happening online and more companies are trying to compete on service as well as sales, delivery drivers are in high demand. "There is a shortage of commercial drivers, which means they can command better terms and better conditions than any time in recent memory," he adds. Solo delivery drivers can earn $30,000 to $50,000 annually with nothing more than a passenger car, he says. If you have a van, you can earn twice as much.

Notably, you can even drive for Amazon without starting a business. ...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pros-and-cons-of-amazon-delivery-business-offer/

[canetoad]

18. Extremely interesting article about Amazon. NY Mag.

Talking to the Law Student With a Novel Theory About Amazon’s Power

snip/

In your paper, you also argue that Amazon might be concealing information about its expenses that would help shed light on this strategy.

“Concealing” is kind of a nefarious word. But right now, there’s no regulation that forces companies to disclose their cost structures to regulators. So, absent meaningful regulation, they can engage in certain kinds of activities without us really knowing that it’s taking place. We can only assume that it might be happening, but we have no conclusive evidence.

And what are the possibly shady activities you theorize could be taking place?

There’s this idea in antitrust law called “monopsony.” While a monopoly is aimed at the consumer market — the people who buy the product downstream from the firm — monopsony refers to what happens upstream, where the firm is sitting in the middle between the consumers and the suppliers or manufacturers. A classic example would be health insurance, which sits between me and you and the hospitals. When a company leverages its power upwards unlawfully, it’s engaging in monopsonistic activities.

Long article, well worth reading. http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/05/amazon-antitrust-monopoly.html

[DeminPennswoods]

23. Monopsony as I learned it is

1 buyer and many sellers. The buyer is so large and powerful, sellers have no choice but to agree to its terms. This fits Amazon, but Walmart would also fit this definition.

[PoliticAverse]

26. It's a trap!! n/t

[democratisphere]

27. $10,000.00 startup costs ain't sh't.

Automation and robots must be displacing the Amazon workers jobs.

[customerserviceguy]

36. I quit Amazon completely

If I want something that I can't easily get in a local store, I find it on eBay.

[Flaleftist]

38. Now if only they can figure out how to 1099 their warehouse workers

until they replace them with robots.

[Sherman A1]

42. Precisely

And then the driving jobs will be automated as soon as they can do so.