Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle

Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by meko on Monday May 07, 2018 @04:26PM (#17016209)

Until they become a monopoly and all that good customer service dissolves down the drain. It's already happening in the US.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by ryanmarsh on Monday May 07, 2018 @08:10PM (#17017624)

Thank god I haven’t had that happen yet. I’ve had Amazon give above-and-beyond customer service twice recently. They gave me discounts and credits I wasn’t even asking for. I hope it doesn’t go down the drain but I suppose at some point it’s bound to happen.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by ekianjo on Monday May 07, 2018 @08:19PM (#17017678)

we keep hearing this yet there is hardly good evidence for this. And if if occurs then more opportiunities open for their competitors.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by beiller on Monday May 07, 2018 @08:25PM (#17017718)

How about cable companies? Some argue Amazon is subsidized in the same way, by having USPS shipping cheaply to the outskirts.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by bonesss on Tuesday May 08, 2018 @02:50AM (#17019304)

USPS negotiates rates with companies that engage in bulk transactions at scale. The claim that Amazon is ripping off the USPS is... well that's "fake news":

> [Amazons] rates are kept under wraps. That said, we do know the Amazon deal is at least a break-even venture.

> That’s because the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act made it illegal for USPS to price parcel delivery below its cost.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/apr/...

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by freehunter on Tuesday May 08, 2018 @09:15AM (#17020646)

I didn't read it as "Amazon is ripping off the USPS" but rather "Amazon is benefiting from the USPS needing to deliver everywhere in the US, even places where UPS wouldn't deliver".

I live three blocks from the post office, my grandma lives 25 miles and down a dirt road from her nearest post office. It's hard to argue that my deliveries cost the same as hers, yet we pay the same price for postage.

--edit: I hold no opinion either way on the subject, just clarifying based on what I understood from reading it.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by freeone3000 on Tuesday May 08, 2018 @10:09AM (#17020971)

"Amazon is benefiting from the postal service's reliable, universal delivery" seems like one of those stock phrases we tout out as to why investing in infrastructure is a good idea.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by chillwaves on Tuesday May 08, 2018 @12:34PM (#17022248)

Sounds like it is the consumers who are benefiting. I don't see the problem.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by cthalupa on Tuesday May 08, 2018 @12:07AM (#17018749)

My understanding is that this argument is not a particularly good one.

I may be incorrect, but my understanding is that while Amazon pays a discounted rate, this is the same as any other bulk shipper for USPS, and in fact, without Amazon, many routes would not be profitable for USPS without Amazon.

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by pravinva on Tuesday May 08, 2018 @06:11AM (#17019921)

Cable companies have bureaucracy granted turf protection. Nonsuch exists in retail. You really ought to examine the business model of Amazon

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Re:Walmart Beats Amazon in $15B Flipkart Battle by ekianjo on Tuesday May 08, 2018 @12:04AM (#17018735)

cable tv you mean? Its not comparable since many have local monopolies in practice.

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