nocents
Member
+++what others have chimed in...my BIL is a post master in a small town and he said that Amazon is pretty much the dog that wags the tail when it comes to the usps
Amazon Prime - Opinions?
- Thread starter kwselke
- Start date
Triathloncoach
Member
Yup. Those Amazon Boxes pile up fast. I use the Prime Music when I work out too. Prime Video at night in bed on my iPad after Wife goes to sleep. It's a fantastic deal. Amazon is reaching into so many businesses. Someday Amazon is going to get nailed for Anti-Trust violations. Not that I want them too.
We use Amazon a lot. Love the free shipping. Prime member here, and enjoy the videos and such. Free music, too, although I use Spotify.
Here's my Amazon story:
Last year, early summer, I am in my Oregon place, living room area, having my morning coffee, when my cell phone rings on the kitchen counter across the room. I get up, walk over, glance at the phone screen. Whoever is calling me, it's an unknown number.
I figger what the heck, and pick up anyway:
"Hello, " sez I.
"I am believer Amazon!," says the excited guy on the other end.
Incredulously, I say, "You are an Amazon believer?!"
(I am thinking, "Whoa! Pretty strange. Now Amazon is a religion and they proselytize?!")
"Yes!," says the voice breathlessly but firmly.
("Far out!," I think.)
Then, firmly, the voice in my ear says, "I am a deeleaver Amazon!"
I realize then he is a non-native speaker of English, and that he wants to say he is delivering a package to me. Turns out the issue is he can't figure out where I am. Turns out he is across the street, with my box, and then he is right there, at my place, along with his trainee, both smiling like crazy, trying to please, handing me my box, in less than a minute.
Nice guys. Working hard and trying to make it in America. Bet they do.
Gave me a good laugh.
Here's my Amazon story:
Last year, early summer, I am in my Oregon place, living room area, having my morning coffee, when my cell phone rings on the kitchen counter across the room. I get up, walk over, glance at the phone screen. Whoever is calling me, it's an unknown number.
I figger what the heck, and pick up anyway:
"Hello, " sez I.
"I am believer Amazon!," says the excited guy on the other end.
Incredulously, I say, "You are an Amazon believer?!"
(I am thinking, "Whoa! Pretty strange. Now Amazon is a religion and they proselytize?!")
"Yes!," says the voice breathlessly but firmly.
("Far out!," I think.)
Then, firmly, the voice in my ear says, "I am a deeleaver Amazon!"
I realize then he is a non-native speaker of English, and that he wants to say he is delivering a package to me. Turns out the issue is he can't figure out where I am. Turns out he is across the street, with my box, and then he is right there, at my place, along with his trainee, both smiling like crazy, trying to please, handing me my box, in less than a minute.
Nice guys. Working hard and trying to make it in America. Bet they do.
Gave me a good laugh.
Last edited:
rick1085
Member
Is it just me? There is something about paying Jeff B. for the privilege of doing business with Amazon that I just can't seem to accept.
I don't download music online (I like to have a CD and liner notes) and much of what I listen to -- folk and acoustic music, singer-songwriters, world music -- is not to be found at my local mall music store...so I buy from Amazon.
I love Prime! Quick delivery, free shipping...what's not to love?
I love Prime! Quick delivery, free shipping...what's not to love?
...I realize then he is a non-native speaker of English, and that he wants to say he is delivering a package to me....Nice guys. Working hard and trying to make it in America. Bet they do.
Gave me a good laugh.
My mother's best friend (from the time they were little girls) was the daughter of Italian immigrants. My "Aunt Connie" loved to tell the story about the time her father was stopped by the police for breaking some traffic law, not long after they'd arrived in this country...
Cop: Where you from?
Joe (in thick accent): Italy.
Cop: Yeah, well, didn't you drive in Italy?
Joe: Yeah, I drive in Italy!
Cop: And what did you drive in Italy?
Joe: *******!
It's a free country. Many many businesses are owned and operated by people I don't agree with. Yet we don't investigate each and every one and we would have a heck of a lot less to choose from if we did.
He has also spent millions on this and hasn't even made a profit yet. Blue Origin
Sorry for the thread rift.
Big fan of Amazon Prime. First, totally shop for Christmas on Prime...which saves me going out shopping which I hate. Malls are nothing but evil. Love the prime movies...and most recently...now that my employer is banning Spotify on work computers...I can get on Amazon Prime Music and listen to music at my cubicle when I can.
OP
kwselke
Member
For those who believe that my decision as to whether or not to pay for Amazon Prime should take into consideration Mr. Bezos, I made a quick review of AMZN on Yahoo Finance. Insiders own less than 18% of the stock in the company. Institutions own over 67% of Amazon.com. Institutions means Vangaurd, Fildelity, Capital Research & Mngt. among others. If you have stock mutual funds it's quite possible you own a bit of AMZN. Also, Amazon did turn a profit last year... finally.
ChattanoogaPhil
Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2009
- Messages
- 14,601
- Reaction score
- 20,622
We use Prime.
With Prime, there's enough things we purchase with a lower delivered price than we can find elsewhere that it saves more than the $99 yearly price tag. Until that changes we will continue to pay the $99 fee-- economic no-brainer. But Prime doesn't take the "no-brainer" out of all purchases. There's still lots of stuff we purchase elsewhere online with a lower delivered price than Prime.
With Prime, there's enough things we purchase with a lower delivered price than we can find elsewhere that it saves more than the $99 yearly price tag. Until that changes we will continue to pay the $99 fee-- economic no-brainer. But Prime doesn't take the "no-brainer" out of all purchases. There's still lots of stuff we purchase elsewhere online with a lower delivered price than Prime.
dirty & hairy
Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2016
- Messages
- 443
- Reaction score
- 1,184
Sometime last year my wife signed up with Amazon Prime "for a free month" so we could watch a television show (Bosh). We enjoyed the show but forgot to cancel, and after our "free" 30 days they charged out credit card $99. I was livid, but whatcha gonna do, right?
Since then we have grown to LOVE Amazon Prime. Free shipping on stuff and the quality of entertainment is top notch. Grand Tour, Man in the high Castle, and my favorite so far Sneaky Pete. Heck, I've already saved money with the free shipping. The entertainment aspect of it all is a bonus.
Went from hating to loving it. Will happily re-up our membership when the time comes.
Since then we have grown to LOVE Amazon Prime. Free shipping on stuff and the quality of entertainment is top notch. Grand Tour, Man in the high Castle, and my favorite so far Sneaky Pete. Heck, I've already saved money with the free shipping. The entertainment aspect of it all is a bonus.
Went from hating to loving it. Will happily re-up our membership when the time comes.
Between the free shipping and the binge watching on TV (I don't have cable), the price of Amazon Prime is worth it to me. Although if you're really frugal, sometimes you can find better prices on stuff you're buying even if you have to pay for shipping from somewhere else. I also buy a lot of used stuff from half.com, abebooks.com and and another book place I can't remember. Just picked up a used copy of "The Secret Life of Henry Ford" for ten bucks when other used copies were going for double and triple or more than that. And the copy that came happened to be signed too.
cmort666
Member
I ordered a tripod quick release plate through Amazon Prime yesterday. It came a day early.
I've got no complaints at all.
I've got no complaints at all.
OP
kwselke
Member
I took action on the issue. I set my account up to remind me via email on 2/14 that on 2/17 my Cr. card will be charged the $99 fee if I do nothing.
If I lived in the suburbs or in a rural area there is no question I'd utilize Prime a lot. Within two miles of my home there are five major grocery stores, a Super Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Office Depot, Academy, the Houston Galleria shopping mall, and countless specialty stores. I walk to do most of my shopping, so gas cost is not an issue. I'm not sure I will buy all that much from Amazon because they have some tough local to me competition.
My recent purchases have been mid-level Spyderco knives, Mini-Maglite Pro flashlights, and a high quality can of Saber Pepper Spray with belt holster. They were all good deals, but it could be years before I make more purchases like that. I am leaning in favor of Prime, but then I think that $99 will cover most of the cost of a Spyderco Para 3 pocket knife when they are readily available for $119 in a few months or so.
If I lived in the suburbs or in a rural area there is no question I'd utilize Prime a lot. Within two miles of my home there are five major grocery stores, a Super Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Office Depot, Academy, the Houston Galleria shopping mall, and countless specialty stores. I walk to do most of my shopping, so gas cost is not an issue. I'm not sure I will buy all that much from Amazon because they have some tough local to me competition.
My recent purchases have been mid-level Spyderco knives, Mini-Maglite Pro flashlights, and a high quality can of Saber Pepper Spray with belt holster. They were all good deals, but it could be years before I make more purchases like that. I am leaning in favor of Prime, but then I think that $99 will cover most of the cost of a Spyderco Para 3 pocket knife when they are readily available for $119 in a few months or so.
Last edited:
cmort666
Member
I HAVE to use Amazon (or some form of mail order).
Most of what I buy consists of books, photographic equipment, and occasionally computer parts and equipment.
Now that Wings Hobby Shop and Borders are out of business, there is literally NOWHERE this side of Wright-Patterson AFB to get Squadron-Signal aviation books.
Since the guy who used to sell them at the Berea gun show stopped coming years ago, there's NOWHERE to buy a Collector Grade gun book, of which I'm aware.
Most of the camera stores in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties have closed, including a bunch of Dodd Camera stores. The only ones left either have limited selection or outrageous prices.
When it comes to computer parts, if MicroCenter doesn't have it, you're out of luck.
For me, it's not a question of preferring Amazon Prime, in many cases, it's my ONLY choice.
mcoe74
US Veteran
We've had Amazon Prime for a few years and really like it. We've easily paid for the membership through shipping savings. Like the TV and books too.
Don't forget the Harry Bosch series. Excellent show, I've read most of the books.
Here are four areas where I use Amazon Prime:
Hardware and related items
I'll be up front and say that I really miss an actual small town hardware store. They are a breed that is nearly extinct. Lowe's etc just doesn't cut it. I can spend half a day looking for a piece of hardware and still never find it. Or I can just order it off amazon and have to show up on my front porch 2 days later. It's cheaper and a lot simpler in the end - I just have to plan 2 days in advance.
Shooting stuff
I'll also say that I miss good old fashioned gun shops just about as much. I honestly haven't seen one I liked since I left South Dakota (Teton River Traders). Around here, most of them close early on Saturday, are closed Sunday and Monday. And when I get in there after work on Tuesday afternoon, the odds are they won't have it anyway.
If they do have it, I get charged about 100% over wholesale (which I'm willing to pay to support a local gun shop) but if not the response I get is along the lines of "We can order it for you". Unfortunately, that means it'll arrive about two weeks after they next put in an order, which may not be for a week or two. SO I wait 2-4 weeks and then pay 100% over wholesale.
In contrast, I can usually find what I want on Amazon prime, order I Saturday night and still have on Monday afternoon by the time I'm off work and ready to shoot. My end cost is also usually much better than the LGS price.
This actually bothers me as Amazon Prime will ship to them same as me. For example, if I want to buy a grip that costs them $15 wholesale (that Amazon will sell for $20 with free shipping) and they can get it in 2 days with about 30 seconds worth of "one click purchase" effort, why can't they order it for me on the spot and sell it to me for $25 and make $5 bucks on the deal? Instead, I get the 2-4 week full retail price routine. Ok...don't take my money...
Archery Stuff
Archery is the same way. Try to find an archery shop in Greenville NC. There are a couple places like Dicks and Academy Sports that sell some more common shaft sizes and some odds and ends, but try to find a berger button or something less ordinary like a 600 spline arrow for a 40 pound recurve and you'll be looking in vain.
There is an archery shop about 10 miles on the other side of town with limited hours that means I end up traveling 40 miles round trip, with half that in rush hour traffic. It would be worth it except of course the shop has never actually been open when I got there. Two strikes is enough, they won't get a third. Calling ahead is a non starter as they never answer the phone and the voice mail is full. Once again, Amazon Prime to the rescue, order it and it magically arrives Fed Ex in 2 days.
Books and Movies.
I travel to DC a lot more often than I'd like for work, and occasionally have to spend a week doing evaluations in the field and I've found that Amazon Prime movies downloaded on my Kindle Fire (with an added 64 Gb card) keep me entertained enroute and in the evenings. In the last couple years I've only bought or rented a couple of them, as the free selections are numerous enough to fill the bill. Many of the books I read on my Fire are also free with Kindle unlimited so it's worth every penny as well.
Hardware and related items
I'll be up front and say that I really miss an actual small town hardware store. They are a breed that is nearly extinct. Lowe's etc just doesn't cut it. I can spend half a day looking for a piece of hardware and still never find it. Or I can just order it off amazon and have to show up on my front porch 2 days later. It's cheaper and a lot simpler in the end - I just have to plan 2 days in advance.
Shooting stuff
I'll also say that I miss good old fashioned gun shops just about as much. I honestly haven't seen one I liked since I left South Dakota (Teton River Traders). Around here, most of them close early on Saturday, are closed Sunday and Monday. And when I get in there after work on Tuesday afternoon, the odds are they won't have it anyway.
If they do have it, I get charged about 100% over wholesale (which I'm willing to pay to support a local gun shop) but if not the response I get is along the lines of "We can order it for you". Unfortunately, that means it'll arrive about two weeks after they next put in an order, which may not be for a week or two. SO I wait 2-4 weeks and then pay 100% over wholesale.
In contrast, I can usually find what I want on Amazon prime, order I Saturday night and still have on Monday afternoon by the time I'm off work and ready to shoot. My end cost is also usually much better than the LGS price.
This actually bothers me as Amazon Prime will ship to them same as me. For example, if I want to buy a grip that costs them $15 wholesale (that Amazon will sell for $20 with free shipping) and they can get it in 2 days with about 30 seconds worth of "one click purchase" effort, why can't they order it for me on the spot and sell it to me for $25 and make $5 bucks on the deal? Instead, I get the 2-4 week full retail price routine. Ok...don't take my money...
Archery Stuff
Archery is the same way. Try to find an archery shop in Greenville NC. There are a couple places like Dicks and Academy Sports that sell some more common shaft sizes and some odds and ends, but try to find a berger button or something less ordinary like a 600 spline arrow for a 40 pound recurve and you'll be looking in vain.
There is an archery shop about 10 miles on the other side of town with limited hours that means I end up traveling 40 miles round trip, with half that in rush hour traffic. It would be worth it except of course the shop has never actually been open when I got there. Two strikes is enough, they won't get a third. Calling ahead is a non starter as they never answer the phone and the voice mail is full. Once again, Amazon Prime to the rescue, order it and it magically arrives Fed Ex in 2 days.
Books and Movies.
I travel to DC a lot more often than I'd like for work, and occasionally have to spend a week doing evaluations in the field and I've found that Amazon Prime movies downloaded on my Kindle Fire (with an added 64 Gb card) keep me entertained enroute and in the evenings. In the last couple years I've only bought or rented a couple of them, as the free selections are numerous enough to fill the bill. Many of the books I read on my Fire are also free with Kindle unlimited so it's worth every penny as well.
