Dear Amazon - What Happened to You?

So, I ordered a complete TV series the other day from Amazon and got it in the mail (surprisingly in only 5 days).  The USPS workers must finally be off their August-January vacation.  I pop in the first disc and half-way into the second episode, it freezes.  I skip past that part and it promptly freezes again.

I check the discs and they are all scratched.  Nice.  So, I have to return the things.  Turns out Amazon has recently changed their return policy making it ridiculously laborious and burdensome upon the customer.  Here's an email I fired off to them a few minutes ago:

What has happened to your usually great returns policy?  It used to be as simple as printing out a shipping label, and dropping it off at the Post Office, and I could expect a refund nearly immediately upon notification of return.

Now, I have to pay up front in postage for a return (of a completely defective item), only be reimbursed for what you spent on delivering the item (which due to my LOW volume, I could not dream of matching), and be held liable in case the extremely ‘reliable’ Army Postal System screws up delivery.

All this to correct being defrauded by this vendor you front, selling me an item that is completely, and obviously defective.

I used to be a very highly satisfied Amazon customer, but I’m starting to branch out in my online ordering due to these significant changes and several dissatisfying orders.  Most of this, I’m convinced, has resulted since you all became the world-wide front company for every 30-something living in his mom’s basement selling stuff on the side to fund his garage band.  You all have descended to around the level of E-bay, only slightly above Craigs list.

-Josh