Where are you located? Not specifically, but urban, suburban, rural, remote?
Anecodtally: I am in a super-urban location. I order Prime 2-day, on average, twice a week. It has been late maybe once in the past year; often, it comes a day early.
As somebody located outside the few main western market centres (US, EU, perhaps Australia), and thus having most Amazon orders also incur added domestic tax, plus shipping, plus wait-time, most of the advantages of Amazon are stripped away.
Once you can no longer get every cheap bauble under the sun delivered tomorrow for free, suddenly it all looks so much more like undesirable, wall-to-wall crap.
I’m within 15 miles of two Amazon warehouses and still share the poor-delivery experience.
I see more of the new Rivian Amazon vans than any other vehicle on the road in the morning, and yet somehow, every other item I order gets unexpectedly delayed for days and days.
That's my experience, and yes I am in an urban location. And returns are so easy too. In fact, I tried to return something the other day, and they said it was not returnable so they were like you just keep it and we will refund the money.
Small city (~70k). I’ve also ordered to some of my friends/families houses who live in suburbs and large cities. The only time I ever didn’t have issues is when I lived in NYC and ordered to Amazon lockers
it can vary pretty tremendously within the same city. i lived 3 miles from the "downtown" part of Seattle in a house, and 50% of my Amazon deliveries were late by 1-3 days. my friends lived 2 miles further out from the downtown in the same direction, but in a 100-unit apartment and they never had issues.
not that 4 day delivery is bad. but promising to deliver something, and then regularly failing, is. i'd make plans for the thing being here by the promised day and just regularly be screwed.
Anecodtally: I am in a super-urban location. I order Prime 2-day, on average, twice a week. It has been late maybe once in the past year; often, it comes a day early.