Amazon prime or not

**disneysteve** · 06-28-2018, 11:00 AM

We shop on Amazon all the time. They have everything and almost always have the best price on everything. It is so convenient to just drop something in the cart and buy it and have it in hand in 24-48 hours. They have been expanding 1-day shipping so the wait is minimal for most things. Even if the price isn't quite the lowest, not having to get in the car and drive to the store and buy the item (or discover that they don't have it) is worth paying a small premium.

So yes, we are keeping Prime.

**corn18** · 06-28-2018, 12:52 PM

We've been averaging about $10k/year at Amazon the last 3 years. So yup, we're keeping Prime. My daughters use the prime video and music as well.

**MonkeyMama** · 06-28-2018, 01:00 PM

I personally wouldn't renew prime just for the shipping, but we aren't shoppers.

I'd just go over the math to make a decision. If you aren't going to save $119 in shipping costs, why bother? Don't they still ship free if you buy $25 at a time?

{We have Prime, but we subscribe for the video streaming. The 2-day shipping is very convenient, but we just don't use enough to justify even at the $99 price}.

**msomnipotent** · 06-28-2018, 01:16 PM

I used to spend a lot at Amazon when I had Prime. I'm savings money now that I canceled it. If I can't find it cheaper somewhere else, I wait the 5 days for free shipping. Plus, I find that I don't buy stupid things anymore, like Sammy Suckerpunch.

**Thrif-t** · 06-28-2018, 07:57 PM

Is it really $119??? No I'd not keep it for that much. I don't find that I use it all that much. Some hard to find things or if I'm too lazy to go to the store I'll order.

But we have Amazon Student so it's 1/2 price, so for the $49 that I'm paying, ya I'll keep it. It's handy when you have a college student who lives away from home. Plus the kids rent their textbooks.

When the college years are over, I'll go back to doing what I always did, get the 30 day free trial around Christmas. I do like it to shop Christmas, hate going to the store then.

**~bs** · 06-28-2018, 08:24 PM

maybe get it if you need a video streaming service. If i didnt have netflix, I'd probably think about getting it.

the shipping thing isn't even that big of a deal. If you meet the threshold, it's free anyways, but just take a little longer to get to you. So makes sense to get if you're an instant gratification type of person. It seriously doesnt' make sense if you're just using it for the shipping thing.

If anyone in your family has a student email address, i think it might be good for a free year prime, not sure.

i think they still offer 1 month prime for free, so you can see if its something you're interested in.

**sblatner** · 06-28-2018, 08:49 PM

We have Prime and do shop online but I think it makes it too easy to buy stuff. I wonder if we didn't have it, if we would spend less money.

We do stream videos but also have Netflix. Sometimes we switch to Amazon on a Saturday night when Netflix is overwhelmed!

**scfr** · 07-01-2018, 08:32 AM

I agree with Monkey Mama, make your decision based on the numbers.
I've never had Prime beyond a free trial. I don't use video streaming, don't shop on-line a ton, and am willing to accept slower free shipment when I do shop online with Amazon.

**~bs** · 07-01-2018, 10:52 AM

I didnt think about it, but amazon owns whole foods. is there extra benefits for prime members?

also if you have an amazon credit card, the cash back is boosted from 3% (what I have) to 5%. forgot about that.

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 07-04-2018, 09:55 PM

I can't wait to get rid of prime. I dont' use it enough. My DH can learn to wait.

**Gailete** · 07-05-2018, 08:54 PM

I have it currently. I get a free book every month for my Kindle that I don't have to give back. But for us the free shipping is the draw. I buy business supplies from Amazon and things I can't find very conveniently, and my son that lives on his own can use my account and get free shipping as well, so it is worth it between the two of us as we usually buy gifts for family members off of their wish lists and my son and DIL and soon the baby, we can send things straight to them without dealing having it come here and then shipping it on like if you buy something and pay through PayPal. I think $119 is way too high, but for some reason I had a problem with an order and they gave me money off my next renewal.

If I need something for the business right away and we are having a blizzard, for sure I will buy it online and if it is only $10 we would normally have to pay for shipping, but with Prime no problem.

By the way Prime Day is July 16 for those that want to go looking for deals.

**Thrif-t** · 07-06-2018, 02:41 PM

Ya know, I've read on other boards that when prime members don't get their shipments in 2 days they call and complain.

What happens is they get a credit on their account.

I never call and complain, I guess I should and I probably will when I have to pay full price. It will help defray the yearly fee.

**Gailete** · 07-06-2018, 04:55 PM

Originally posted by Thrif-t View Post

Ya know, I've read on other boards that when prime members don't get their shipments in 2 days they call and complain.

What happens is they get a credit on their account.

I never call and complain, I guess I should and I probably will when I have to pay full price. It will help defray the yearly fee.

I think that is why I got credit towards my next renewal. I ordered something prior to the weekend that I think Monday was a holiday but I still didn't get the item until Thursday. I ordered something on Monday and got it Wednesday. I sell on Amazon and except for a wicked blizzard that I wouldn't put my mail lady to the dangers of trying to get to the house to pick it up, I ship everything within 24 hours or less of the order.

Some folks won't ship until 3 days are over or even longer - you have to pay attention to that on their listing. This is their call and okay by Amazon, but some of them have some weird ways of thinking. Such as some sellers think that if someone buys and pays for expedited shipping, to them that doesn't mean the buyer gets priority or anything else that might cost the shipper part of that extra that is paid, it means they move that order to the head of the queue of their other orders so it will go out first. Of course Amazon doesn't clarify what expedited means so I guess it is perfectly okay to do that. My feeling is if I spend several dollars extra, I expect Priority shipping and that my order goes out in 24 hours or less.

I'd be curious as to what you guys definition of and expectation of expedited shipping is when it comes to Amazon and Amazon Prime.

I don't like to complain, but these days I have found it is worthwhile to complain when a company doesn't match what they are supposed to be doing, like when we were left for 4 days over New Year's with no heating fuel in bitter cold and snow when we were on automatic fuel fill-ups! Or if a Prime item doesn't get shiped for a week. If we pay our money for something, we should get what we pay for. I don't mean scamming sellers like some like to do, but those things where someone actually fell in accomplishing what was promised.

**Thrif-t** · 07-06-2018, 05:54 PM

To me Gailette expedited shipping means it goes out NOW, not move me to the head of the class!!

I honestly don't pay much attention to when my items come. There aren't to many things that I HAVE to have in 2 days. And at busy times, like Christmas, I know my things are late because of the holiday, so I don't call and complain.

Now I guess if I needed something in 2 days and didn't get it, then I wouldn't feel bad about complaining. But I generally give myself plenty of time before I actually need whatever item, so being a day or so late doesn't affect me.

Amazon prime or not