[Editor's note: Suffice to say that when Amazon changed banks it caused
some problems for their customers ...]
(1)---------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:52:37 -0400
From: Cindy Steinhoff <cksteinhoff_at_aacc.edu>
Subject: RE - Amazon.com billing problems
We've been using a Visa procurement card for several years with Amazon
and it has been almost completely problem free. I can remember only one
instance where the card was declined. The college purchasing office
contacted the bank that handles our cards and they could find no cause.
They suggested that we ask Amazon to try it one more time. Amazon did
and the transaction was successful. The bank concluded that it was some
sort of electronic "blip" at the point the approval request was sent
from Amazon, which, the bank says, does sometimes happen. Might be worth
it to try your procurement card again, as it sounds as though that is
less of a problem than handling invoices.
Cynthia Steinhoff
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD
(2)--------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:05:53 -0400
From: Debra Thomson <DThomson_at_ric.edu>
Subject: RE - Amazon.com billing problems
This has been an ongoing problem for me. Amazon lost out on a lot
of business from our library this year because they don't invoice
individual shipments. We expected to spend about $25,000 with Amazon,
but they set our credit limit at $4,000. Then they didn't bill until
the end of the month, and it normally takes our checks about a month
to be sent, so they were cutting us off because we were over the limit.
Then a payment was applied incorrectly, because the college has several
accounts with Amazon and there were a lot of mistakes as to which account
the payments were applied to, so I was again cut off from ordering. I
finally reallocated the funds I had planned to use with Amazon to Barnes &
Noble and Alibris, both of whom send invoices for each individual shipment
instead of a monthly statement. Their books may cost a little more, but at
least I can order whenever I need to and pay for each shipment as it arrives.
After several months of this we finally got it all straightened out, and
I can finally place orders with Amazon again, but I only do it when absolutely
necessary.
Debra Thomson
Library Purchasing Manager
Rhode Island College Library
600 Mt. Pleasant Ave.
Providence, RI 02908
Phone 401-456-9651 * Fax 401-456-2715
(3)--------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:37:29 -0400
From: Martha Smith <msmith_at_fcsl.edu>
Subject: RE - Amazon.com billing problems
When Amazon changed banks, our corporate account became defunct.
I found this out when I tried to order and was required to provide
a credit card. They said they notified corporate account managers,
but we were in the midst of losing our acquisitions librarian, so
I'm not sure if we received notice or not. I've tried several times
to reestablish a corporate account with GE Money Bank, but have had
no luck. Either the form has been a problem, or I've been refused.
After several years with a corporate account, it's been very
frustrating.
Martha Smith
Florida Coastal School of Law
msmith_at_fcsl.edu
(4)-------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:44:52 -0400
From: George Flexman <GFlexman_at_imcpl.org>
Subject: RE - Amazon.com billing problems
I have certainly had some problems with Amazon.
They changed banks from Citibank to GE Money. They also changed the
terms of our account without notifying us of the change.
Between the total pigheadedness of everyone at GE Money and considerable
bumbling in our accounting department we finally ended up closing our
credit account with Amazon/GE Money, and changing all purchases from
Amazon to a corporate MasterCard.
The person who enticed me back to Amazon corporate credit after the
first fiasco with them (they canceled $1,000 worth of outstanding
orders due to a dispute over less than $1),is no longer with Amazon.
I have been unable to find anyone else at Amazon who wants to help.
We have moved as much business as possible from Amazon to any available
alternatives. Two of our secondary vendors, Emery-Pratt and the Book
House, say they will purchase from Amazon themselves and save us the
headaches. This means no discount, no returns, and a slight delay in
receiving material.
If anyone has a better solution, or a contact at Amazon who might be
helpful, I'd also like to hear about it.
George Flexman
Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
317-275-4716
fax: 317-269-5319
(5)-------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:34:27 -0400
From: Diane Carroll <carroldi_at_wsu.edu>
Subject: RE - Amazon.com billing problems
WSU stopped using the Amazon account when it went from a monthly account
to a credit card. By law, we are not allowed to pay the interest rates.
We also saw a shortened period from purchase to payment date which
caused increased charges. We immediately contacted our Accounting staff
and they confirmed we could not legally be part of this account any
more. We closed the account immediately.
We do have a purchase card program at WSU and as far as I am aware, we
are having no problems using WSU's purchase card on Amazon.
Diane
Diane Carroll PhD
Head, Collections and Acquisitions
Washington State University Libraries
PO Box 645610
Pullman, WA 99164-5610
carroldi_at_wsu.edu
(509) 335-7151
(6)---------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:06:26 -0400
From: Anne Ellis <aellis_at_ccpa.net>
Subject: RE - Amazon.com billing problems
We had to stop using our Amazon corporate account when they shifted
their billing to GE Money Bank. They do send invoices out - not with the
books, but once a month. The big problem is that the due date from the
day the invoice is sent is only 20 days. There's just no way for the
invoice to reach us, go through our billing procedures, and get back to
them with a check before the due date. When the invoice takes (as it
usually does) ten days to get to us, it's impossible to have the check
to them in time. When I explained this to the woman in their billing
department, she just said that it's not really her problem.
So, if the payment is even a single day late, they freeze your account.
On top of this, they will slap you with a $29 late fee. My experience is
that if you call and make a stink, they'll take this off, but then it
will magically reappear on your statement the next month, and you'll
have to call again, and it's just endless frustration.
We still order from Amazon (sometimes it's the only place to get
something) but instead of using the corporate account, I use a credit
card.
Hope this helps,
Anne Ellis
Cumberland County Library System
aellis_at_ccpa.net
-----Original Message-----
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:23:33 -0500
From: Sarah D. Tusa (Lamar U.) <Sarah.Tusa_at_lamar.edu>
Subject: Amazon.com billing problems
Hi,
I finally remembered to re-subscribe to ACQNET after too many years.
What spurred me on, finally, is a problem with Amazon.com. When we
try to use our procurement card, it works sometimes, and sometimes
it gets rejected by Amazon.com. We received a message from them
several months ago indicating that we had to have an account through
GE Money Bank in order to use purchase orders.
That was bad enough, but now they don't send invoices, so my
direct-apply person has been printing an invoice from the My Account
page (or somewhere thereabouts.) That version of the invoice, however,
does not have the remit-to address, so she has been writing or typing
the remit-to address that is indicated on the Amazon.com site. This
practice does not make our Accounts Payable people happy.
Has anyone else had problems with Amazon.com - particularly with billing
-- lately?
Sarah Tusa, Associate Professor
Coordinator of Collection Development & Acquisitions
Mary & John Gray Library, Lamar University
PO Box 10021
Beaumont, TX 77710-0021
Ph: 409/880-8125
Fax: 409/880-8225
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Received on Sun Apr 27 2008 - 17:59:07 EDT