On the Beat

I am going to see Lloyd Cole tomorrow night, so I had a look at his latest album on Amazon just now.

Amazon has this little facility that tells you other things you might be interested based on whatever object you are looking at just now.

This always plays silly games with me. For instance, I was once looking at Bobby Hutcherson's CD "Oblique", and Amazon told me I might be interested in a perfume called "Oblique". Because obviously I am interested in things called "Oblique". (Or maybe I just like being oblique.)

Anyhow, please guess what Amazon thought I would be interested in just because I was interested in Lloyd Cole.

( The answer is behind the cut, just to build up the suspense... )

Yesterday, I decided to buy some CDs and a book on Amazon – largely because my wife’s birthday is looming.

The book is about clouds – and since that is what she commonly paints, I thought she’d appreciate it.

So I pile all these things into my “shopping cart” and head to the “checkout”.

Only to find that delivery is guaranteed “within four to six weeks”. Too late, too late!

I look through my purchases, and all the CDs are delivered in one to two days… but the book would take up to six weeks.

I remove the book (which was the one thing I knew I wanted!) from the order, and complete that (oh, they make it so easy to spend money!), and then I google the book title.

Another site had it for sale, so I click through to their checkout – and it takes me to Amazon. Where the book is cheaper, and available in one to two days!

I didn’t buy it there and then since once I added on the postage it would cost the same as in a bookshop, but really, what are they thinking?

In Waterstone’s and Blackwell’s today, neither had it in stock; so I guess it might be something to do with the publisher or something, and maybe not Amazon’s fault – but then why would they tell me I could get it when I arrived via another site?!