Tag Archives: Amazon

Amazon Seller Charging Me $158 (i.e., 50%) For A Vacuum Cleaner Return.

by Anura Guruge
on May 12, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Click to ENLARGE. E-mail I received from Amazon.

I am NOT making this up. See the e-mail (above).

When I ordered, it said that fulfilment was by Amazon & there was NOTHING in the refund policy that talked about ANY TYPE of restocking fee.

To be honest, I would pay a $50 restocking fee! I understand that returns cost money.

We returned this because the SUCTION was nowhere close to what had been described. It was pathetic. Flaccid. Wasn’t paying $300 for a vacuum cleaner that had poor suction.

Yes, I called up Amazon. They were marginally helpful. They said they will see what they can do — but it would take them up to 72 hours to look into it.

It appears that it is ‘Honest Penny‘ that is extorting me.

I am APPALLED.

As some of you know I am a HUGE Amazon fan. I, personally, do 98% of all my shopping ONLINE. I hate going out to shop. Shopping online is so, so much easier — & of course, much, much less time-consuming.

IF such return policies persists I will STOP shopping Amazon. I kid you not.

I will keep you updated.

This is NOT funny. At least NOT for us.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

48 Of My ‘Bold Coast’ Books Ready To Be Delivered To ‘Dockside Treasures’, In ‘Lubec’, Maine.

by Anura Guruge
on May 11, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Click to ENLARGE.

Always NICE to piles of your own book. SMILE.

24 copies of the ‘Ambling Guide for Seniors‘. This is THE most popular. I am THRILLED. I did have any expectations for that book! Wow. I am so chuffed. OK … I will let you into a SECRET. I v. rarely tell folks, even family, as to what my next book will be. I don’t like to tempt fate. But, on June 1, 2024, I plan to start writing ANOTHER ‘Ambling Guide for Seniors‘. No, NOT for the Bold Coast — but it somewhere else in Maine. I am getting nagged to write one for THIS area, i.e., ‘Lake Winnipesaukee‘. That might have to be next year. SMILE.

12 copies each of the ‘Two Days or Less‘ & ‘Souvenir & Guide‘. That is COOL. The lady who runs the ‘Dockside Treasures‘ is a consummate retailed. She knows her stuff. WOW. She knows exactly what sells. So, the title she orders, & the quantities, give me the BEST gauge of what sells. I am very grateful.

So, YES, I am off to Lubec next week to deliver the books. Smile. Yes, of course, I could have had the books shipped, BUT this gives me an excuse to visit Lubec, & how can I resist that.

I ordered a few more books, for MYSELF, to give away as gifts. That is ANOTHER joy & privilege of being an author.

SMILE.

‘Bold Coast’ books (now available). Click on images for details.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Google’s Dividend (& Stock Buyback): I Am V. Leery.

by Anura Guruge
on April 26, 2024

Click to ENLARGE. News snippets from ‘Google News‘.

Successful, high-flying HIGH TECH stocks never gave dividends.

This goes back to the ‘dot.com’ era of the late 1990s — which I was lucky enough to live through & benefit from.

Amazon still does NOT do a dividend & unlikely to do so anytime soon.

Announcing a dividend (along with a massive stock buyback) is a ‘cheap’ way to make one’s stock attractive.

That Google is doing this now makes me leery. IF all is GOOD when it comes to AI etc. they didn’t NEED to do this. Unnecessary. This feels like an attempt to prop up the stock because they are concerned that they might be losing ground.

Oh, I own Google. So, this is NOT sour grapes. But, it is because of this that I am concerned. So, we are GOOD for now, but what about next year? That is the question.

Amazon’s Shipping Algorithm Still Has Pockets Of ‘Artificial Stupidity’ (i.e., Opposite Of ‘AI’).

by Anura Guruge
on April 26, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Click to ENLARGE. This is from the last 36 hours.

Amazon’s shipping REALLY hasn’t got that much better over the last 6 months — despite their claims that they are using more & more Artificial Intelligence (AI). They have got better at playing games.

The above was beyond stupid. I ordered 12 copies of the SAME BOOK (as author copies). They SPLIT the order in TWO. Yes, split it in TWO — but not even 6 + 6. Instead 11 + 1. They printed 11 in one location & ONE in another. Shipped them SEPARATELY.

How does that make SENSE?

Two shipping costs to THEM. Stupid.

This, alas, is NOT the only example. I have talked about others too. See below.

From late last year.

Click to ENLARGE. Post from 4-months ago. You can, EASILY, see the STUPIDITY.

From May 20, 2023. An even earlier post.

This is beyond CRAZY.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

I Bought 4 Shares Of ‘Chipotle’ Today — For Option Trading After The 50-to-1 Stock Split In June 2024.

by Anura Guruge
on April 12, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Click to ENLARGE. Base chart from ‘MarketWatch‘ (of course, of course).

I LOVE stock splits that give me MORE opportunity for option trading — my acknowledged addiction. When I heard of the 50-to-1 SPLIT I knew I had to buy some. With that split I only needed 2 shares to give me the necessary 100 shares for BIG BOY, ‘proper’ option trading.

Markets were down today. Chipotle was down just over 1%. 1% down is usually my threshold for buying a stock on the dip. I only needed 2. I bought 4, 2 for I … 2 for my 18 year old daughter (in her account). I might buy a few more prior to the split. Plenty of time.

As I have PROVED, contrary to what you might hear/read in the media there is NO ‘ex-‘ date for a split. Yes, you will hear folks talking of an ‘ex-‘ date & people will buy ahead of that. Then, the price drops AFTER that ‘ex-‘ date. I swoop in. SMILE. Pays to have my experience and savvy.

Chipotle is the ONLY NON-TECH I own! Ditto my daughter given that I do her investments. I LOVE TECH. I understand tech. I have done OK with tech.

My daughter of late has started eating at Chipotle. She is fussy as to what she eats and where she will eat. So, that was slight incentive. I like her to OWN shares in companies she uses, i.e., Amazon, Netflix, Google, Microsoft. Makes sense. SMILE.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Cracks Me Up To Receive Royalties On Web Technology Books I Wrote 20+ Years Ago (That Are Totally Out Of Date).

by Anura Guruge
on March 21, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

Click to ENLARGE.

Click to ENLARGE.
Available, of course, of Amazon — here & there.

It is very clear when the books were written. Plus they can Preview them + RETURN THEM.

But, a few buy them & keep them. I am happy — though they are (these days) only buying the (much cheaper) eBook editions. That is OK. I am happy.

I got paid ADVANCES for both these books — & I was HAPPY just with what I got upfront. [By now, 20+ years later, I have fully paid back those advances, why I get these checks.] Obviously, the Royalty Check isn’t for much. Pays for 2 weeks of wine (now that I don’t drink as much). So, that is OK. Better than a kick in the teeth.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

I Now Have 23 Audiobooks On ‘Audible’.

by Anura Guruge
on March 4, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

You can find then on ‘Audible.com‘.

Click to ENLARGE. From an internal Amazon report.

As I have already stated a couple of times I am very happy that ‘Amazon‘ made it possible for me to convert my print/eBooks into audiobooks. My books work great in audiobook form. Folks will be able to listen them while driving or ambling. This is wonderful.

They have also started selling — though they have only been available in the last 2.5 weeks. Wow. Not great — but, as I always say, it is better than a kick in the teeth.

As expected my ‘Orgasm’ book has DONE BEST. That makes sense.

Then TWO of my Pope books.

SMILE. GRIN.

This has to be my ONLY claim to fame. I am sure there is no one else that has published books about both popes and orgasms. SMILE.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

3 Of My ‘Bold Coast’ Books Are Now Available As Audiobooks On ‘Audible’.

by Anura Guruge
on February 25, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

You can find then on ‘Audible.com‘.

This makes me VERY HAPPY. These books work great in audiobook form. Folks will be able to listen them while driving or ambling. This is wonderful.

My ‘Bold Coast — In Color‘ will NOT work as an audiobook. So, I will not have that converted. I am not sure about the ‘Bold Coast — Souvenir & Guide‘. That has a lot of pictures too and pictures don’t get conveyed in audiobooks.

So, I might just leave it at that, i.e., just these three ‘Bold Coast’ books. I am happy. Thank YOU, Amazon.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

My ‘ORGASMS: 101 Facts & Trivia’ Book Is Getting A Whole New Lease Of Life As An Audiobook. WOW!

by Anura Guruge
on February 19, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

You can find it on ‘Audible.com‘.

Since it became available on ‘Audible‘, as an ‘audiobook‘, it has been selling a copy a day! That is NOT great (or that much), BUT it is selling & that is always better than a kick in the teeth.

It is another of my books that is ideally suited for AUDIO.

I have a very basic, uncomplicated writing style. I write conversationally. Like I am talking to you, face-to-face. Remember I spent 20 years of my life presenting professional SEMINARS. I would stand up & talk (without notes).

That was the basis for my first book, i.e., ‘SNA: Theory and Practice‘. I used to do (a very popular) 5-day (yes, 5-day) seminar on SNA (in the early 1980s). The publisher said just transcribe your seminar into words. That is what I basically did. That book was a BESTSELLER! SMILE. Defined my life.

You can listen to it FOR FREE on ‘Audible’. Check it out. SMILE.

You will LOVE it. You really will. How could you not. If you like orgasms, this book is FOR YOU.

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

So HAPPY To Have My ‘Central Pain’ Book In Audio Form, On ‘Audible’.

by Anura Guruge
on February 17, 2024

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com

You can find it on ‘Audible.com‘.

This book, which I wrote in 2017, continues to sell. Not a bestseller (alas), but a few copies continue to get bought, each month, & this has been the case since it was published.

As you can see from the reviews people like it.

It is IDEALLY suited to be an AUDIOBOOK. So, I am so, so delighted that it is. This will HELP PEOPLE. I am happy. I am NOT concerned about the ‘royaltes.

** ** ** **

At Christmas I also published a $1 print version of it.

So, I created this new PDF today. It is in color. Check it out. There is a PREVIEW.

Click image to get the book for a $1 at ‘PayHip‘. There is also a PREVIEW.

Click to ENLARGE. Amazon listing for my ‘Central Pain’ book.

Click to ENLARGE.

IF you have pain make sure it is NOT Central Pain (or Central Sensitization).

Follow Anura Guruge on WordPress.com