My 2 Days Without Amazon


You know how we constantly hear about the problems with people spending too much time on Social Media? Checking their email on vacation? Eating and texting? Well, what about this one?

What do you think you would feel like if Amazon cut off communication for 2 days? That's what happened to me. I went from feeling all the shopping power with mere taps on my smart phone any moment of the day to feeling like a powerless, currency-less speck in the powerful Borg.

It all started out as a typical day in class when a professor mentions a book we should add to our library that will be useful in practice. I quickly find the book on my Amazon account and click
"place order". When I entered my email address, I got the error message that Amazon did not recognize my email. Say what? I tried a few more times and frustratedly waited for a break to call customer service and resolve this problem.

Mind you, I couldn't email customer service because that would require me going through my Amazon account that suddenly no longer recognized my email. Although upon opening up my account, I was welcomed back by name. I had not received an email letting me know there was a problem with my account.

I ended up speaking to 3 reluctant customer service people who each said the same thing. The supervisor and the manager had equal decision-making ability with the front line person: no one could provide me a reason why my account was canceled except they could see that there had been a "violation of Amazon policy". No one could tell me what inspired them to detect such activity, nor what date this occurred, much less what a "violation" was. There was consistent training: Each person told me a form would be completed and sent to another department that would evaluate my issue and email me back in 1-2 days. If they found that they were in error, the cancelation would be revoked.

Suddenly, I felt alone in a world full of internet connections that no longer included me. And I wasn't allowed to know why. That's when I realized how much I have come to rely upon Amazon. I call it Amazon Creep. Slowly, one inch at a time over the past few years I have bought more and more online and less in brick and mortar stores. My love of convenience has increased ten-fold especially with my crazy schedule. I could solve anything with a tap and a click. I felt ignored as I waited the  long 2 days.

Of course I began counting the 2 days as of lunch on Monday so when lunch time on Wednesday arrived and I still hadn't heard, I began trying to figure out how I could contact Amazon's top leaders. You know, the guys who earn 22 million per year. And then I felt even less significant. I was one small time customer. My orders - however much they seem to me - probably total what they make per second. It was me against the uncaring, impersonal world of technology.

Lo and behold, the chronological 2nd day arrived (3rd day to me) and I received two emails from Amazon (one from the UK?) telling me I was good to go. One told me there had been "suspicious activity from prior orders" that they had to investigate but I could now order. Huh?

So, 4 days after I tried to order that book, I was able to complete my transaction. All is right with the world. Or...is this a hint of things to come in the globalization of our online activity?

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