Amazon Prime price increase!

[rennigade]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/26/technology/business/amazon-prime-cost-increase/index.html

Looks like amazon is increasing prime membership from $99/year to $119/year...a $20 increase.

Im surprised considering places like walmart and best buy offer free 2 day shipping if you meet the spending requirements...and they price match amazon.

I doubt they'll lose many subscribers. People will make the argument they want to order a $4 tube of toothpaste and have it shipped in 2 days instead of having to meet a minimum spending requirement to get free shipping. Or they'll make the argument they can watch shows for "free."

Ill keep using my friends prime account. I give him $10/year...he has around 10 different people who've been using it for years.

[disneysteve]

Im surprised considering places like walmart and best buy offer free 2 day shipping if you meet the spending requirements

This is the key difference, though. There is no spending requirement with Prime. I can order anything at all, no matter how cheap, and have it in a day or two. The convenience of that is worth the cost to me personally. All 3 of us use Amazon on a regular basis and it's just really nice to not have to wait until we have $35 of stuff in the cart before we can place an order.

[rennigade]

This is the key difference, though. There is no spending requirement with Prime. I can order anything at all, no matter how cheap, and have it in a day or two. The convenience of that is worth the cost to me personally. All 3 of us use Amazon on a regular basis and it's just really nice to not have to wait until we have $35 of stuff in the cart before we can place an order.

There is a spending requirement...its called prime. Its just a clever way to fool people.

[corn18]

There is a spending requirement...its called prime. Its just a clever way to fool people.

Huh? I bought a $0.99 something or the other and it shipped for free.

[Jluke]

Didn’t Amazon just sign a deal with the NFL for carrying Thursday night games? Maybe there’s a connection. I dunno.

[disneysteve]

There is a spending requirement...its called prime. Its just a clever way to fool people.

I realize that but there is a big convenience factor to us to pay that fee once and not have to worry about it each and every time we buy something. Plus, as you noted, Prime also includes streaming video and some other stuff (books for Kindle and more).

[QuarterMillionMan]

[msomnipotent]

Huh? I bought a $0.99 something or the other and it shipped for free.

But it really isn't free if you pay $119 a year to have Prime. If you order once a month, that is just shy of $10 extra per shipment. Sure, the costs go down the more you use Prime services, but it isn't shipped for free.

[corn18]

But it really isn't free if you pay $119 a year to have Prime. If you order once a month, that is just shy of $10 extra per shipment. Sure, the costs go down the more you use Prime services, but it isn't shipped for free.

I placed 190 orders in 2017. That averages out to $0.52 shipping / order. My daughter also uses the prime music and video. I use the Kindle unlimited.

I deem the $99 as good value.

YMMV.

[Tabs]

I currently have Amazon Prime, but I have also tested both walmart.com and Google Express, and I have found that while they advertise two day free shipping, they don't always come through. My last two orders took roughly 4 days for it to arrive at my door, though to be perfectly fair, my more recent Amazon orders are starting to take just as long, especially when it is sent via USPS.

Another thing of note is that I recall the competition having a minimum order amount before they will apply the free shipping, whereas Prime doesn't... but I don't have to pre-pay for membership so to speak when I use walmart.com or Google Express so maybe it all works out in the end.

Also, even at this stage, I find Google Express, and especially walmart.com to be limited in selection.

Prices also seems to be a bit higher from the competitors? It may have something to do with the more limited selection and therefore not having internal competition.

Oh, and another thing is that Google Express seems to be fairly generous with their discount coupons, which helps, but we all know that is just limited promos.

Despite the price hike, I find that Amazon Prime is still a better value for me because I also use Amazon instant video semi-regularly, and I also hang out on Twitch once in a while.

That being said, I would like to see better competition coming from other outlets such as Google Express. If they can improve their selection somehow, and actually make 2 day shipping stick, I wouldn't mind switching at all.

[msomnipotent]

I placed 190 orders in 2017. That averages out to $0.52 shipping / order. My daughter also uses the prime music and video. I use the Kindle unlimited.

I deem the $99 as good value.

YMMV.

That's the main reason why I canceled Prime. I was making about the same amount of purchases you were, and it was getting odd. I was buying hammocks and dog costumes and soap making kits towards the end. I'm saving money by not using Prime. Not saying that you spend your time buying dog costumes, but I only buy something that I really need now. I still havent paid any shipping to Amazon. I have paid shipping to a seller in Japan for some candy, but I would have had to pay it even with Prime.

I haven't heard of Google Express. I will look into it. I'm PO'd at both Walmart and Amazon and need to find something better.

[GoodSteward]

But it really isn't free if you pay $119 a year to have Prime. If you order once a month, that is just shy of $10 extra per shipment. Sure, the costs go down the more you use Prime services, but it isn't shipped for free.

There is a spending requirement...its called prime. Its just a clever way to fool people.

If you are comparing this just for the cost of shipping, you have to order a fair amount to make it worth it. However, the idea behind it is video streaming, music streaming (though not unlimited without extra money), and two-day shipping. I don't use the music, but I use prime video a good bit (Grand tour!), and I order a stinking ton off there. I hate having to go to Walmart unless I need it now. Also, often the things I get Walmart doesn't sell, or you can get much better on Amazon(electronics, cables, etc). I just ordered a good quality HDMI 6ft cable for 1.95 shipped. Walmart would be $10+. The cost savings of some of it, or the ability to buy a better quality item for the same price, is worth the "fee" for prime if you use the system.

There is an option to merge with a family member. I merged my prime with my dad's, and we split the cost. It keeps the accounts separate.

[rennigade]

I currently have Amazon Prime, but I have also tested both walmart.com and Google Express, and I have found that while they advertise two day free shipping, they don't always come through. My last two orders took roughly 4 days for it to arrive at my door, though to be perfectly fair, my more recent Amazon orders are starting to take just as long, especially when it is sent via USPS.

I cringe whenever I see USPS handling the package. Its always a toss up whether it will arrive in the specified 2 days or an extra day. When its UPS its always 2 days.

[GoodSteward]

I cringe whenever I see USPS handling the package. Its always a toss up whether it will arrive in the specified 2 days or an extra day. When its UPS its always 2 days.

I have the same feeling, especially if it's a Saturday delivery. Our local post office sends the Saturday delivers via a different postal worker. This guy is an alcoholic, and often just avoids coming to the house and leaves a "sorry we missed you" letter in the mail. We live in a little subdivision where the mailboxes are bunched together away from the houses. One time I came home and saw a box sitting on top of my mailbox that was too big to put in the mailbox, but he didn't want to drive up to my house around the corner. It had an electronic in it and could have been easily stolen. Every time we complain, the post office apologizes and confirmes others complain. They told my wife alcoholism is considered a disease, and you can't be fired from the post office for it. That's insane! Someone can keep their job when they continuously do a bad job because they are an alcoholic, but also are protected by it as well. This doesn't compute at all with me.

[Thrif-t]

We have Amazon Prime but only because we have college students and get it for 1/2 price. I probably won't continue my membership once the last one leaves college and we have to pay full price.

Right now it's worth it for them, but I don't really buy anything on there that I can't get at a store. And as the kids get older and I get older, I actually have more time to go to a store to get stuff.

I can see going back to just doing the 30 day free trial around Christmas to avoid stores, did that for years and it was fine for our needs.