Amazon launches Counter package pickup locations in the US

[Shawn Knight]

Recap: Counter was trialed in the UK and Italy where it was positively received by both shoppers and partner stores who received additional foot traffic and thus, the potential for incidental sales.

Amazon on Thursday announced that Counter, its in-store network of package pickup locations, is now live in the US.

From today, Amazon shoppers can have their packages shipped to one of more than a hundred Ride Aid stores across the country. The service works with same-day, one-day, two-day and standard shipping services and is available at no additional cost.

Having your package delivered anywhere besides your home may seem counterintuitive but for some, it’d no doubt be a more desirable option. Package theft is a serious issue in some neighborhoods. It would also be useful for auto-shipping Prime Pantry deliveries scheduled for when you may be out of town.

Customers have 14 days to collect their package from a Counter pickup location.

To use it, just select one of the Counter pickup points available within your ZIP code during checkout. When the package arrives, you'll receive an e-mail with a unique barcode. Simply present the barcode to the store staff and they’ll retrieve your package.

Counter is part of the Amazon Hub family which also includes Locker, Locker+ and Apartment Locker delivery options.

Amazon said it plans to expand the service to 1,500 Rite Aid locations by the end of the year and is actively looking for small to midsized businesses and other large chains interested in participating.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/80700-amazon-launches-counter-package-pickup-locations-us.html

 

[HofyPC]

Great, now all we need is a Rite Aid.

 

[Uncle Al]

It's fine as long as YOU get to decide if and when to use it and not the seller/shipper .....

 

[mailpup]

Too bad you can't send returns through them as well.

 

[captaincranky]

Too bad you can't send returns through them as well.

This is something Walmart has had all over Amazon for like, forever. Walmart has ship to favorite store. (Which in my case saves 2% extra city sales tax). Plus you can take a defective or any other reason return, directly to the store's customer service line.

Walmart's customer service line isn't always the most pleasant of shopping experiences, but it sure beats waiting for a UPS pickup, or a do it yourself UPS drop off

I went through the current Amazon routine last week. I ordered a left handed 12 string guitar, they sent me 2 right handed units in a row.

I missed the UPS guy the 1st time, (he did leave me the preprinted shipping label) , which resulted in a 14 mile round trip to behind Philly International.

The 2nd time I caught the UPS driver, but to my chagrin, he stickered the guitar with a label to some off the wall auto parts company. Luckily for me, he had pretty much no idea what he was doing, and was still out in front of my house when I discovered the error.

That circus, coupled with 4 customer service calls to Amazon. The best part was, the guitars they originally claimed were left handed turned out to be right handed. In the meantime the dealer cost went up, and the selling price went up a hundred dollars. When I pointed out they might actually have a left handed guitar in stock, two customer service agents in a row tried to claim, "that was another seller" It wasn't, and I explained that Bezos was one of the richest men in the world, and I sincerely doubted that taking a beating on this one transaction, would have him pushing a shopping cart and living out of a cardboard box.

The one upside was, that guitars 2 & 3 (finally the correct one), were shipped UPS air overnight. UPS also got those returns back to Amazon in Hebron KY, a hellin'.