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Online stores now have to ship your orders on time, or else
Internet stores can sometimes be far too optimistic about the time it takes to ship your order -- just ask the scores of gift givers whose packages arrived late last year. They'll have to be much more pragmatic from now on, though. The FTC has issued new rules requiring that retailers ship within a "reasonable" selected timeframe, or within 30 days if they can't provide a date. If they don't meet their targets, they'll have to either get your permission for a delay or issue a prompt refund. You can still change your mind even if you agree to wait, and saying nothing will still get your money back. The new guidelines take effect on December 8th, so you can buy your holiday presents online with a little more confidence this time around. [Image credit: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma]
Etsy bans sale of questionable Washington Redskins merch
The debate over the appropriateness of the Washington Redskins' name has been raging for what seems like ages now, and even homegrown e-commerce operations are feeling the effects. Consider Etsy, for instance. The fast-growing purveyor of neat and offbeat products recently updated its policies to ban the sale of any merch with the Redskins' name or logo. Washington's trademark burgundy and gold are still in the clear, as is the word "Washington" itself... and that's about it. Etsy has already started reaching out to sellers whose wares run afoul of the new rule, but it'll probably be a while before the site is fully purged. Just take a look: here's still plenty of seemingly verboten Redskins-branded swag to be found on Etsy at this point, while sellers of more innocuous wares (like a HTTR "Hail to the Redskins" wristband that doesn't actually say "Redskins") are being told they're out of luck. It's possible that the furor over the Redskins name could come to a close soon - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell threw his support behind Redskins' owner Daniel Snyder, but his tenure might not last much longer as a result of his handling of Ray Rice's domestic abuse controversy.
Amazon's new Drone Store caters to all your robotic needs
Amazon is apparently an even bigger fan of robotic vehicles than we first thought. The online retailer has just launched the Drone Store, a section dedicated solely to these remote-controlled machines. Besides selling you vehicles and accessories from the likes of DJI and Parrot, the storefront also includes buyers' guides, flying tips and previews of hardware coming down the pipeline. Frankly, Amazon is being a bit optimistic here -- most of the nicer offerings in the mini-shop aren't exactly impulse purchases, even if you're a veteran pilot. Still, this should be one of the better ways to get started with drones if you'd rather not scour the whole internet looking for advice.
Apple is reportedly teaming up with American Express on iPhone payments (update: MasterCard too)
Those longstanding rumors of Apple building a mobile payment service may be coming true sooner than you think. Recode's sources claim that the folks in Cupertino have struck a deal with American Express to work on an iPhone payment system, hot on the heels of The Information's report of a similar agreement with Visa. Details of the system aren't clear beyond a tie-in with the next iPhone (and likely your iTunes account), but Apple is supposedly ready to spill the beans at its September 9th event -- if the leak is accurate, you're going to get the full story pretty quickly.
Square's appointment booking makes sure that you never miss a haircut
Booking time at the hair salon or dentist's can be a decidedly low-tech affair. You often have to do it over the phone, and you may not even get a courtesy call, let alone email. That may not be an issue for much longer now that Square has just launched its Appointments service. The system lets you request an appointment through a simple web form that automatically adds to a shop's calendar. After that, you can get email or text reminders that will help you arrive on time.
Amazon's same-day delivery expands in six cities
If you're the sort who just can't wait to get household goods but cringe at having to brave the lines at the local store, today might be your lucky day. Amazon has officially expanded its same-day delivery options in six cities that include Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. You can now order from a catalog of a million common items (such as movies, games and supplies) and expect to get the shipment within hours. You can pull the trigger as late as 12:15PM in most places, and up to 1PM in Baltimore and Washington. Just be prepared to pay for those urgent arrivals. As before, same-day shipping costs $10 (plus 99 cents for every extra item) if you're an ordinary customer, and $6 for all items if you're a Prime subscriber.
Amazon is reportedly making a Square-like payment card reader
Amazon's business may revolve around online shopping, but the company apparently has some interest in brick-and-mortar retail -- there are now hints that it's launching a Square-style payment card reader. The crew at 9to5Mac has obtained documents from Staples showing that a $10 "Amazon Card Reader" is launching sometime in the near future. While there's no exact release date on hand, the office supply store is expected to start advertising Amazon's gadget on August 12th; logic suggests the peripheral would go on sale around then.
Starbucks wants you to use its app for payments in other stores
Starbucks' mobile apps could soon let you buy much more than your next grande latte. The coffee shop's digital lead, Adam Brotman, tells Recode that the coffee shop giant is talking to companies about using its app for payments and loyalty programs in other stores. He's not naming any would-be allies, but the strategy would turn a fairly ordinary restaurant app into more of a universal digital wallet that just happens to focus on drinks. And even if that doesn't pan out, Starbucks is still committed to expanding the role of its software -- it's determined to offer coffee pre-orders across the US, regardless how long it takes to make the feature work.
Visa's latest stab at online payments is all about checking out faster
Remember V.me, Visa's big attempt at conquering the online payment space? You'll be forgiven if you don't -- it quickly fizzled out, in part because it was a digital wallet that sometimes made shopping more complicated. The company may have learned its lesson, though. It just launched Checkout, a considerably simpler approach to e-commerce. The focus here is purely on getting through the checkout process as quickly as possible. Once you've put in the details of supported credit or debit cards (including non-Visa cards), you just have to log in to complete a purchase, whether it's on a website, Android or iOS. There's no in-between wallet, and you won't get kicked over to another page just to wrap up a transaction.
Sotheby's teams up with eBay to stream luxury auctions worldwide
Sotheby's auctions can be prohibitively expensive, but part of the problem is getting there in the first place; not everyone can send people to bid on their behalf. Distance shouldn't be an issue in the near future, though. The company has struck a deal that will have eBay launch a special section for "rare, unique and premium" (i.e. costly) goods where Sotheby's will stream live auctions worldwide, complete with real-time bidding. The section will be limited to New York auctions when it launches in the fall, and it won't include the biggest sales. In short, you won't be scoring a Monet from the comfort of your couch. Sotheby's will eventually expand to other locations, however, so you might not be stuck if some valuable antique goes up for grabs in Hong Kong.
Twitter's 'Buy Now' shopping button shows up in tweets
It looks like Twitter''s leaked 'Buy Now' button is more than just a proposal, after all. Recode has spotted the button (since yanked) lurking in tweets seen from the mobile app, enticing people into making impulse purchases when browsing their social feeds. While the shopping link was frequently broken, one tipster reports getting a checkout page in-app; apparently, it wouldn't take long to buy whatever caught your attention. Neither Twitter nor its project collaborator, Fancy.com, are commenting on the inadvertent leak or their future plans. However, the appearance confirms that 'Buy Now' has at least made it far enough to become yet another Twitter experiment. The real question is whether or not it will survive beyond that stage -- Twitter is known to shelve features in testing if they don't pan out. [Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images]
US book publishers now make more money from online sales than physical stores
Brick-and-mortar book stores have clearly been on the decline for a while -- just look at Barnes & Noble's rocky finances. However, there's now some tangible evidence that the pendulum has swung in favor of internet-based sales. BookStats estimates that US publishers made more money from online orders and e-books in 2013 ($7.54 billion) than they did from old-fashioned physical retail ($7.12 billion). While the difference isn't huge, it suggests that a large chunk of the American population is content with buying books that it hasn't seen in person.
Amazon and Warner Bros. reach truce over movie pricing
Well, that didn't last long. A couple of weeks after Amazon stopped taking pre-orders for Warner Bros. Blu-ray and DVD movies to extract a better pricing arrangement, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the two sides have reached a truce. Swing by Amazon and you'll once again find pre-orders for disc-based versions of The Lego Movie, Transcendence and other upcoming releases. The exact nature of the deal is hush-hush, but it wouldn't be shocking if Amazon got the upper hand -- movies are just a small part of the online retail giant's business, while Warner Bros. would lose an important source of revenue. Whether or not you approve of Amazon's tactics, this is good news if you prefer hard copies of movies over downloads and streams. Now if Amazon and Hachette could only negotiate their own peace regarding books...
eBay's same-day delivery service stalls out
When we checked in on eBay Now last fall, its leaders were brimming with optimism, announcing plans to bring the same-day delivery option to 25 more cities by the end of 2014. Skip forward to today, however, and it's apparently a different story. VentureBeat sources claim that the service is in serious trouble; in addition to losing executives and getting rid of first-party drivers, eBay Now is reportedly "blowing a ton of resources" and may be near shutting down. While the speedy courier option has done well during busy holiday shopping seasons, it reportedly doesn't have enough day-to-day business to stay afloat.
Amazon steps up pressure on Hachette for better e-book pricing
For months, Amazon has been applying relatively subtle pressure on Hachette an apparent bid to get better pricing on e-books; unnecessary shipping delays and reduced discounts on paper books have been common. Well, it's not subtle any more. The company has started pulling pre-orders for Hachette titles, either listing them as "unavailable" or removing product pages outright. The dispute leaves many caught in the crossfire -- authors lose revenue, while customers have to track down smaller stores that will take advance purchases.
Google Wallet on Android now juggles all your internet accounts
As good as Google Wallet might be for payments, you've so far been locked into using one Google account; that's not so hot if a family member needs to borrow your phone to send some cash. That won't be an issue after today, since Google has updated Wallet's Android app with a tweaked interface that lets you use multiple Google accounts. You'll also get shipment updates for orders from distant retailers.
Alibaba's massive IPO plans shift the focus from Silicon Valley to China
The recent big tech IPOs of companies like Facebook, Twitter and Tesla could all soon be dwarfed by a company with roots far outside Silicon Valley. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group just filed documents for its own offering (choosing to trade its stock in the US over Hong Kong) and while its value has not been determined, it could result in the biggest IPO ever when it's all said and done. Alibaba built its empire on a number of online sales platforms described as a blend of Amazon, eBay and Paypal, and its reach is starting to include the US, thanks to investments in companies like Lyft.
Amazon's same-day delivery service adds two cities, but loses one
Amazon's same-day delivery option has been a boon to impatient shoppers in those few areas where it's available, and it's significantly expanding its reach today -- with one notable exception. The speedy shipping is now available in Dallas and San Francisco, letting locals get some of their orders on a given day by 9PM that night. If you're not an early riser, you'll also be happy to know that cutoff times for same-day ordering are getting later. Those in Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle can purchase as late as 12:15PM and still expect a package by the evening. Indianapolis residents, meanwhile, can check out by 11:30AM instead of the previous (and not very realistic) 7AM.
Yelp now shows the local businesses that let you pay with Bitcoin
Some online retailers are quick to say whether or not they'll accept Bitcoins, but local shops aren't always so forthcoming -- and community mapping efforts like CoinMap only reveal so much. It might not be hard to find a cryptocurrency-friendly store in the near future, though. Yelp has added a flag that lets business owners identify themselves as Bitcoin-friendly, making it easier to spot places that take virtual cash.
Amazon is setting up a US delivery network to ship your orders faster
Amazon isn't waiting for the advent of courier drones to ship your orders faster than usual: the Wall Street Journal reports that the e-commerce giant has been testing its own US delivery network in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Described in job listings as Last Mile, the initiative is meant to outperform established shippers like FedEx and UPS. These companies are increasing costs, can't always meet capacity and are "impeding innovation in delivery services," Amazon says in one job description.
