I applied in-person. The process took 1+ week. I interviewed at Amazon (Allentown, PA) in Oct 2012
Interview
They asked me questions about my work history and about my personal problem-solving skills. It was very nice, friendly and to the point. It was by far one of the easiest and most casual Interviews I've ever participated in.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Name one time that I encountered an obstacle to a goal and how I Solved the Problem.
No interview at all, you go into the hiring center, take your drug test, fill out some preliminary paperwork, verify the building and schedule you want, your start date and that's it.
Not too bad pretty easy and straightforward, simple question surrounding handling and moving. Make sure you know basic safety rules as they will ask you, for example how do you carry heavy items.
Apply online, go to the on-site office for oral drug swab and ID picture. Start date is assigned once background check comes back. The actual start date will depend on how fast the check comes back but isn't normally delayed.