RE: [ALCTS-acqnet] Amazon and credit card reporting trouble

Hi Maynelle,

This is a huge issue for us also. I noticed it about the same time that you did.

We usually order between $3,000-$5,000 a month with Amazon (sometimes more) so reconciling my credit card statement has become even more of a monster than it already was.

Prior to this problem, I had always checked the choice to bundle the items into fewer packages and the choice for longer shipping (when I could) so that I would get fewer shipments for each order.

I've noticed that the bundle the items into fewer packages option is no longer there. I'm now selecting the 2 day shipping (we have Prime) in hopes that it will help the problem. We'll see.

I also thought about just ordering each title as a separate order but with the amount of ordering that we do, that would be a paper nightmare, too.

I gave our contact in our Accounts Payable department a heads up about the issue. I'm sure he'll be none too pleased when he sees my December expense report!

Here's to hoping that Amazon goes back to the old way of billing.

Best,


Dawn M. Harris, MSIS
Acquisitions and Cataloging Librarian
University Library
Texas A&M University - Central Texas
1001 Leadership Place
Killeen, TX 76549
(254)519-8716

dawnharris_at_tamuct.edu<mailto:dawnharris_at_tamuct.edu>



From: acqnet-request_at_lists.ala.org [mailto:acqnet-request_at_lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Marynelle Chew
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2017 12:22 PM
To: acqnet_at_lists.ala.org
Subject: [ALCTS-acqnet] Amazon and credit card reporting trouble

Aloha all,

Is anyone who uses a university credit card or purchasing card having trouble with the information Amazon is sending to the credit card company for reconciliation purposes?

Beginning mid-November, the amounts Amazon reported to the credit card company as the debit have not been matching the order invoices one can retrieve from Amazon. Nor do the items listed in the debit details match the Amazon invoices correctly. In the past, the titles reported to the credit card may not have matched, but the amounts debited matched correctly, which we could live with.

Actually, even the Amazon invoice itself doesn't match what was debited, based on the debit summary that appears on the bottom of the big order invoice. It looks like they're mixing up the titles from an order at random. I was hoping it was only a November issue, but I see that it is continuing in December, alas.

We're not missing any items. (Yay!) I can balance the two reports out (my credit card report and the Amazon order report). But it is a lot of extra work for me to reconcile the two. And a phenomenal waste of trees, which my business office requires. Although, it's not helpful, because as I mentioned, even Amazon's own order summary is goofy. While we're certainly not their biggest customer, it's enough to make me stop using Amazon. That, or order every single title as an individual order so Amazon is forced to debit each title individually.

I called Amazon and asked to speak with someone in accounting (in the US). While I was transferred to a native speaker, that person said Amazon does not have an accounting department. Really? A business without an accounting department?!? Does anyone have a telephone number for Amazon accounting?

Note: This is not an issue with any other vendor from whom I made online purchases in the past two months.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice.

Marynelle
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Marynelle Chew
Head, Access & Collections Services
Joseph F. Smith Library
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
55-220 Kulanui St., Bldg 29 #1966
Laie, HI  96762

Email: marynelle.chew_at_byuh.edu<mailto:marynelle.chew_at_byuh.edu>
Voice: 808-675-3863
Fax: 808-675-3877