Amazon's 1-Click is Pure Evil

1-Click is a Amazon solution for shopping with just 1 click. No one else can use as it's patented like it would be rocket science or brain surgery. Well, in fact it's dumb and can catch you out. Basically it adds a button next to an item and if you click that, it does everything in one step: Add To Basket, CheckOut, Purchase, Confirm, Thank you for purchasing! Of course, it only works if you have purchased on the site before and your details are on the file.

It was obviously designed to speed up things. And sometimes it does. But some other times in fails dramatically and it's better turned off. Which you can do from Your Account. Turn the damn patented thing off.

Here's how it can mess up. Imagine you haven't shop in a while and your details are changed slightly. Imagine your address is old. Your transaction completes immediately, you get the "Thank You" and the item is dispatched to the wrong address. You don't get any confirmation, you don't get asked if your details are correct... straight to the "Thank You", please!

And if you're using Amazon's Marketplace (which is a sort of market for 3rd parties where anyone can open up a shop and sell used books), then you're really in trouble. And this is because the order completes immediately, your details are sent to the Seller and YOU CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING ANYMORE. You can't change you address, you don't have the seller's details (except the feedback others' left). At that point you realise that the seller’s slate is not immaculate, there were problems before with people trying to cancel. And these sellers are not regulated, they can be anyone, provide any quality of service they want. Still Amazon chooses to endorse them, by suggesting you should buy from them on their main website.

However, when you call Amazon's customer support (which by the way, it's all outsourced to INDIA) they'll tell you that they can't do anything about that and suggest you write an email to the seller. Needless to say these sellers operate from their own garages and no one can really know who they are and what they offer.

So there you are, knowing about the problem but not being able to do anything about it. In the end, the seller will send the items to the wrong address. It's an outrageous behaviour towards the customer. Claiming your money back can take months and you might never get your money back.

I am into this situation now. In the end, the frustration gets to you. I have decided not to use 1-Click or Amazon Marketplace ever again. And Amazon is seriously downgraded in my books (no pun intended!). Continue to use them at your own risk!