Amazon Shipping

[finesse_r]

It looks like Amazon is raising the minimum limit for free shipping from $35.00 to $49.00. I remember when it was $25.00 not too long ago. This seems to be their way to "encourage" people to pay for their annual free shipping program. When will companies like this ever learn. They have a near monopoly in on line buying right now. If they keep trying to increase their profits and keep trying to make their business less and less attractive to customers, they will get competitors.

One of the oldest principles in business is that profits breed competition and excess profits breed ruinous competition. Don't they teach this stuff any longer?

 

[Wenzomatic]

I pay no shipping with Prime membership...

 

[Leonard]

Was a prime member didn't care for there streaming service, seems like everything of interest was extra, went back to Netflex.

The shipping did not at least for me justify the fees, seems everything is taxed and they are not very often the lowest price. The only real positive is they made shopping quick and easy.

 

[vt_shooter]

My next order to Amazon I'll be signing up for Amazon Prime. Until now I've been okay with the free shipping, which sometimes uses standard UPS ground, and other times uses the awful Fedex Smartpost, which usually runs about 10 days. My last order shipped via that dreadful Fedex Smart post, and I have to wait another 9 days for it. Mo more of that.

 

[Onomea]

I like Amazon Prime for the free domestic shipping, but also find their video programming service pretty good.

I like their original crime series "Bosch," a show based on the novels by Michael Connelly featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. Second season is out now. Good stuff.

Amazon's music streaming service is also part of the Prime deal, although I use Spotify for my music listening. I guess it depends on your consuming habits, but I think Amazon Prime is a pretty good deal.

I also have Netflix. Between the two, much more interesting programming available to stream than I care to spend time watching, but I enjoy having a wide selection available for when I do want to watch.

One difference between the services is that since last year you can download a lot of the Amazon Prime stuff, not all, for later viewing. This is handy if you will be out of WiFi range.

And I read Amazon's Kindle books on my iPad.

 

[rjm6120]

I am pulling my Amazon Prime membership at the end of the year (probably). They pulled a stunt a few months ago when they started this "Amazon Pantry" nonsense. Essentially they put gobs of "everyday" products for the home into the pantry category, and it's a flat rate of $5.99 shipping, whether it's 1 or 25 or whatever number of pantry items that you can fit into your "pantry" box. It doesn't matter if you have Prime---it doesn't count if an item you want is a pantry item---you pay $5.99 shipping. I was a huge fan of Amazon Prime until that started.

 

[Kanewpadle]

If people expect to find the perfect online shopping service, stop now. They don't exist.

Been with Amazon for three years now. We have saved money by buying smart and using the free shipping. Heck I've bought stuff for my dad and had it shipped to him directly in Alaska for less than he could buy it for there.

We also stream movies.

Amazon isn't going anywhere soon. They just built a HUGE warehouse down the street a few miles.

 

[cmore]

Amazon prime really pays off around christmas. I can just
buy something and it is there 2 days later. do it again whenever I find
something I want, or for some else. waiting till I have $50 worth is a pita.

 

[Kanewpadle]

It looks like Amazon is raising the minimum limit for free shipping from $35.00 to $49.00. I remember when it was $25.00 not too long ago. This seems to be their way to "encourage" people to pay for their annual free shipping program. When will companies like this ever learn. They have a near monopoly in on line buying right now. If they keep trying to increase their profits and keep trying to make their business less and less attractive to customers, they will get competitors.

One of the oldest principles in business is that profits breed competition and excess profits breed ruinous competition. Don't they teach this stuff any longer?

Amazon is not to blame. Instead blame the shipping companies. This is one big reason Amazon is leasing cargo aircraft.

 

[bountyhunter]

It looks like Amazon is raising the minimum limit for free shipping from $35.00 to $49.00. I remember when it was $25.00 not too long ago. This seems to be their way to "encourage" people to pay for their annual free shipping program. When will companies like this ever learn. They have a near monopoly in on line buying right now. If they keep trying to increase their profits and keep trying to make their business less and less attractive to customers, they will get competitors.

One of the oldest principles in business is that profits breed competition and excess profits breed ruinous competition. Don't they teach this stuff any longer?

Scamazon already seriously ticked me off when they started collaborating with California to illegally collect state sales tax on out of state purchases. Strike two was that bogus amazon prime thing I tried where you get "free shipping" on select items.... where all the select items have their base price jacked up just enough to cover the cost of shipping.

I think I am done with scamazon.

 

[Bullet Bob]

When will companies like this ever learn. They have a near monopoly in on line buying right now. "

Sounds like they've already learned

Not expecting something for nothing, I think Amazon is great.

 

[Aden67]

I have been a prime member for at least five years now. I hate to shop and going out looking for gifts for kids/family at Christmas is something I dread. I get about 90% of the stuff I need from Amazon and like the free 2-day shipping. The kids and I like their movies and such...so it is a big bonus for me.

 

[kozmic]

They had to raise their minimum dollar purchase for free shipping because gas is so expensive...no wait!

They gave me a month of Prime and I had 2 orders shipped free. I don't stream movies and have never taken advantage of any of the Prime "benefits". They were both big enough to have been free shipping anyway. I will cancel the Prime when it expires as i see no real use for us.

In General, Amazon is a very useful buying tool for darn near anything. I can get 3 water filters for our fridge water dispenser shipped to my house for 3 bucks more than buying 1 locally. They do have some good deals.

 

[Targets Guy]

I remain happy with Amazon Prime. I like the fact folks are cancelling so they will take my membership more seriously.



P.S. Bosch's second season was pretty good.

 

[BAM-BAM]

One nice thing about Amazon is the ability to quickly and easily find a product you need......I've saved so much time in "not looking" and not driving around...........Prime pays for itself........ and my Prime gets me the product in 2 days.........

 

[Bozz10mm]

Amazon also raised the price of "Prime" recently from $79 to $99. I've only had prime for a couple of years, but I like being able to order small or inexpensive items and having it show up at my house two days later. Sometimes even on Sunday. I have Netflix, and Amazon Prime video doesn't offer much over that.

When the minimum for free shipping was $25, I took advantage of that. I would wait until I needed $25 worth of stuff to order. When it went to $35, I found myself ordering extra things I didn't really need just to get the free shipping, LOL. Kinda stupid, but I bet lots of folks do it. So, the $99 a year for Prime might be saving me a little money. And the stuff I order arrives in 2 days instead of 10....most of the time. There are still a lot of items that ship directly from the manufacturer or a third party retailer, and those can take anywhere from 2 days to over a week to arrive.

 

[HoleCarder]

I'm a Amazon Prime member since the beginning; probably will be for life.

I don't think Amazon is the "money saver" it used to be, but it remains an exceptional "time saver". And time is a damn valuable commodity.

 

[H Richard]

I avoided the "Prime" for a few years, but I have found I have saved several times my annual fee in shipping costs or other perks, and I love my "Alexa".

 

[bountyhunter]

Amazon also raised the price of "Prime" recently from $79 to $99. I've only had prime for a couple of years, but I like being able to order small or inexpensive items and having it show up at my house two days later.

I tried a Prime" trial thinking the "free shipping" sounded OK. First thing I looked for was replacement bulbs for my garage light. Since they sell for about $8, I wasn't going to buy them if I had to pay $7 shipping. So I do the search and find exactly what I am looking for from five different sources...... three of them are "amazon prime" eligible and their price is $16. On the two not eligible, the price was $8 which is what they actually cost.

Gee..... let's see if we can figure this out. Offer "free" shipping on small items and then put the shipping into the price...... what a bargain.

The bottom line is that prime doesn't give free shipping on items that didn't have free shipping to begin with.... it gives you an upgrade to faster shipping if you have to have it in two days and can't wait five.

I guess I never saw the point.

 

[bountyhunter]

One nice thing about Amazon is the ability to find quickly and easily find a product you need......

Now that is true. I always use the amazon site as a search engine and then go find the product somewhere else to save money. As I said before, since Amazon illegally charges California sales tax on my items, that's a 9.25% over charge right there to begin with and I almost always find the items other places for less money.

 

[flyerdoc]

I agree with the Amazon Prime folk. Free shipping/two day delivery, you can't beat it. Yes, its $100 but that is very easy to get value on if you do any sort of ordering (I do more and more...hate going to the stores!) Plus returns are so easy, heck the last thing I returned they gave an IMMEDIATE credit and told me to get it back within a month I think...free return shipping too!

And yes, their movies are great, much more recent than Netflix so between the two you get a great selection.

You can get great deals on anything from dietary supplements to scabbards for your home protection Mossberg 590 pistol grip shotgun

 

[Watchdog]

It looks like Amazon is raising the minimum limit for free shipping from $35.00 to $49.00. I remember when it was $25.00 not too long ago.

I remember when gasoline was $0.17 a gallon and a bag of Sugar Babies candy was $0.03 at the corner store.

And Amazon increases their price. So? It's known as "capitalism". It's often mentioned in the same breath as "market economy".

This seems to be their way to "encourage" people to pay for their annual free shipping program.

Amazon doesn't really need to "encourage" anyone to do anything. You either use them or you don't. They could lose two million or so customers and it wouldn't even be a downtick on their quarterly profits graph.

Some prices go up. Gas here is up $0.12 a gallon from last week. Some prices go down. I just picked up a loaf of whole wheat bread for $0.99 today, down from $1.79 last week.

Prices fluctuate. Unless it's something really drastic, it isn't even newsworthy.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Not a Prime person, yet. I do order regular from the Big River and am generally satisfied.
My Dau gives it a thumbs up, and looks like most of you
guys benefit from it.
I could go Prime anytime!
Hopefully without going reaching critical mass.

 

[bigride]

Prime member. My wife does most of her shopping via Amazon because of health issues, including probably 95% of the Christmas shopping. We also enjoy the video streaming, and I enjoy Prime music as well.

 

[RJJ 1971]

I'm too cheap to pay for Prime.
My wife on the other hand, isn't.

 

[amazingflapjack]

I like the prime shipping-didn't even know about the other bennies (?)

 

[bountyhunter]

The backlash begins:


Backlash from Amazon Prime price hike may be worse than Amazon thought, report finds - GeekWire


"Based on immediate Prime member reactions, they may have underestimated the negative effects of the increase," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a customer loyalty research consultancy.

Amazon's 25 percent rate hike is just steep enough that it's making customers second guess whether it's worth it.

Amazon is known for its cheap prices, and with the $20-price-hike looming, customers are doing the math. They are pointing out that many are now paying for sales tax in some states, where they weren't before; and they aren't watching the 40,000 TV shows and movies that come bundled with the membership; and that often two-day shipping takes more time than promised.

According to a survey conducted by Brand Keys, which measures brand engagement and customer loyalty, Amazon's rating fell from 93 percent to 83 percent in the two days following the price hike. The survey, which was reported earlier by CNBC, was conducted among 1,050 Prime members from March 14 to March 16.

In the forum, another customer raised questions about whether Prime eligible items were the cheapest way to shop: "I realize that shipping costs have risen over time, but I've also noticed that the prices of "prime-eligible" products are higher (sometimes considerably higher!) than ones that don't qualify for prime. The way I see it, Amazon has already been compensating for higher shipping costs through price increases for quite some time."

 

[rags]

The backlash began:


Backlash from Amazon Prime price hike may be worse than Amazon thought, report finds - GeekWire


"Based on immediate Prime member reactions, they may have underestimated the negative effects of the increase," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, a customer loyalty research consultancy.

Amazon's 25 percent rate hike is just steep enough that it's making customers second guess whether it's worth it.

Amazon is known for its cheap prices, and with the $20-price-hike looming, customers are doing the math. They are pointing out that many are now paying for sales tax in some states, where they weren't before; and they aren't watching the 40,000 TV shows and movies that come bundled with the membership; and that often two-day shipping takes more time than promised.

According to a survey conducted by Brand Keys, which measures brand engagement and customer loyalty, Amazon's rating fell from 93 percent to 83 percent in the two days following the price hike. The survey, which was reported earlier by CNBC, was conducted among 1,050 Prime members from March 14 to March 16.

In the forum, another customer raised questions about whether Prime eligible items were the cheapest way to shop: "I realize that shipping costs have risen over time, but I've also noticed that the prices of "prime-eligible" products are higher (sometimes considerably higher!) than ones that don't qualify for prime. The way I see it, Amazon has already been compensating for higher shipping costs through price increases for quite some time."

Fixed it for you. That was 2 years ago!

 

[finesse_r]

I know this last big hike in minimum amount for free shipping will cut way down on my purchases from Amazon. I don't think I am alone in this. Still if they make enough from the price hike to off set the customer purchase loses, they will keep it in place.

 

[RJJ 1971]

I don't use prime and usually find the items with low or free shipping. Longest thing I waited on was a CD I ordered (I know who has cd's anymore - lol) that took 3 weeks to get here from California - really???
Everything else I have ordered over the last 8 years has came in 3 to 5 days, and I didn't have to pay for a membership for it to get here faster. I still have a little patience.
Yeah my wife gets mad at me when I remind her of that every year, when she pays for prime.