Defensively shopping at amazon.com

A few days ago, I wrote about my experience using the new Amazon MP3 Download store. Perhaps the most important point I raised was that it was possible to purchase songs without having to enter an Amazon userid/password, let alone a credit card number. I have purchased many things from Amazon over a number of years and this was a first for me.

Two days after my posting, fellow computer griper Ed Foster, of Gripe to Ed fame, wrote about the issue of logging off Amazon.com in more detail. See Amazon Makes You Lie to Log Off.

Ed's article includes this quote from Amazon, which gets to the heart of the defensive computing aspect:

"If the particular system which you are using is being shared with any another user, and if you leave your system with out logging out from your account of Amazon.com, they will be able to view your account information and also will able to place an order from your account."

Place an order? Up until a few days ago, I thought that leaving myself logged in to Amazon.com was no big deal, since every purchase required entry of a userid and password. But this quote confirms what I experienced, this is no longer the case, at least not always.

To triple check, I purchased another song from Amazon's MP3 Downloads using Internet Explorer (the first time around I had used Firefox). Again, I purchased a song without entering any information at all.

This is a shame. I've been a happy Amazon customer and don't appreciate their choosing ease of use over security.

This time I ran across another purchasing issue. Using IE6 on Windows XP, the browser issued a warning and initially blocked Amazon from downloading my MP3 file. The warning was a yellow stripe just under the address bar. At the point where the warning is issued, you have already purchased the song, but not downloaded it. Not good.

Even in beta, Amazon should have some warning about this. I knew what to do, but I'm a computer nerd. Not everyone knows how to respond to this warning, if they even notice it at all (click on the yellow stripe and allow IE to download the file). Many web sites that download files include up-front instructions and warnings about this IE yellow stripe. But not Amazon.

The beta (read "unfinished") status also shows in the song previews which seem to always be the first 20 or 25 seconds of a song. Many of the live performances I checked out started with an instrument tune-up session that had nothing to do with the upcoming song, rendering the preview useless. In the track I downloaded today, the performer asks the audience if they are ready for some rock and roll a minute and 35 seconds into it. The first recognizable note of the song comes at 2:09. Turns out this wasn't the live performance I was looking for. Needless to say, there are no returns.

But to end an important note, always log out of Amazon.com.

[ethelflaed]

Another problem with Amazon Mp3

I was tremendously excited for Amazon Mp3 and rushed to buy from them. I purchased several songs with no problem and then decided to purchase an entire album. I had already downloaded the helper application, so there should have been no problem, but the album never downloaded. Maybe the problem was with the yellow bar you mention - I never saw it. The *real* problem here, though, is that I contacted Amazon's customer service about this and they have not responded, even after several days. They did, of course, take the $9.99 I paid them right away.

Now I'm not sure I'll buy anything else from them. Why can't they be like eMusic and just let me try to download again? I paid them for the album, not for a chance at the album. Tehy should make sure I receive what I pay for, or give me a refund or store credit, or hell, just respond!

[tenc21]

Different Folks, Different Strokes

I wonder who is hitting what keystrokes, because the CNET blog Matter/Anti-Matter on MP3 shopping at Amazon (10/3/07) states there was a login confirmation requirement prior to purchase.
Some would you can't make this stuff up...but someone obviously is!

[tenc21]

Blogger Feeding Frenzy

The lure cast by the Amazon MP3 Download Store must be really enticing because it seems every blogger and his father-in-law has bitten and is writing about his/her experiences with it. The latest is a New York Newsday article by Personal Technology Columnist Michael Himowitz (10/14/07-p. F8),

He says "buying..." is "entirely too complicated--a three step process that requires selecting the song, confirming a credit card, and confirming a shipping address..." So, where is the lack of confirmation that Blogger Horowitz complains about? Two of his peers have directly contradicted him.

The question is not whether, but why is Horowitz making this stuff up?

[Zen-Masta]

tenc21 I do believe there was a login confirmation when I purchased. ethelflaed, that's really a shame. When I had downloading problems I was able to call the tech support and instantly speak to a rep who was able to reset the download for me. I agree as someone else said, a download app would help it compete with the other guys, OR a way that allows people to add to cart so they dont have to one track at a time, I think it would be a little faster to queue up a bunch and then buy the whole cart.