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Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

videogamer.com

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Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#71

Post by mikeash »

throwanem wrote: post #39
zzleeper wrote: post #28

Is there a reason for non-console players to even buy in DVD form anymore, instead of Steam or similar markets? I mean, I get that if you live in Canada or Australia your bandwidth sucks and you have caps, but for most cases download speeds are way faster than DVD shipping speeds.

I've heard a few people express concerns around whether they actually own Steam games, and whether those games might suddenly be pulled or otherwise made unavailable without the courtesy of a purchase price refund. I'm not entirely unsympathetic, but on the other hand, to the best of my knowledge that's never actually happened, so...

If you dispute a credit card charge with Steam, they'll ban your entire account even if the charge just relates to one game out of many in your library.

There's also the possibility of bugs or other errors causing items to disappear from the library. Searching around, it sounds like it's happened to a few people.

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#72

Post by mikeash »

comex wrote: post #70
mikeash wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that it's crap, but why would you use the Super Saver Slow Shipping for something you needed the next day?

It sounds like they needed it the next day after they called support, at which point they had already waited some time without it shipping.

Good point. Still sounds like the commenter expected it before the guaranteed date, but maybe Amazon just screwed it up that badly.

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#73

Post by the_mitsuhiko »

gdulli wrote: post #13

Ever since there started being discounts for Prime-only members I knew it was the beginning of the end of my using Amazon. My last online order was with Walgreens. I never tried them before but I googled for the product I had in my Amazon cart, it was cheaper at Walgreens, I added a few things to get up to $35 for free shipping, those things were also cheaper than on Amazon. I got the delivery faster than my last few…

> Ever since there started being discounts for Prime-only members I knew it was the beginning of the end of my using Amazon.

For me the opposite happened: i'm now shopping more at amazon than before because I decided to subscribe to prime again. Here (Austria) prime now delivers in one or two days even to the most remote regions which previously was something they did not really do. I also get instant video, amazon music and a bunch of other stuff thrown in for free and the returns are amazing.

The value I get out of it is very much worth it. I don't see any other online store catching up with this service any time soon.

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#74

Post by tamana »

hullo wrote: post #51
inoop wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calm down. Probably some engineer made a mistake that caused a bunch of items to be incorrectly labeled as prime-only. A bunch of vidya nerds couldn't buy they favorite shooter anymore, made a post about it, and Amazon rolled back. As others have pointed out in this thread, this makes no sense as a deliberate move.

Completely deliberate. As others pointed out, they've already been doing it, on less popular products that caused no backlash. It's there in the article up top, pre roll-back: UPDATE: Amazon has provided VideoGamer.com with the following statement in response to this story: "One of the many benefits of Amazon Prime is access to exclusive selection on a number of great products. Customers who are not Prime members can…

For a company that calls itself "The Everything Store", becoming the "Everything except if we think we can squeeze you for more money" is going to push people into the waiting arms of Walmart and Jet and Google Shopping intermediary.

Costco charges everyone $50/year. If Amazon wants to do that, just drop the non-Prime offering entirely, give everyone a 1 year free trial, and stop the nonsense games.

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#75

Post by waspleg »

mikeash wrote: post #15

Amazon put a lot of effort over the years into establishing themselves as the best place to buy nearly everything online. Now they seem bound and determined to throw that title away. Between rising prices, add-on items, confusing marketplace sellers, a refusal to sell certain products that compete with Amazon branded products, and now this ridiculous Prime tie-in, I find it more and more difficult to find a reason to…

Completely agree. I was an original Prime member when it first came out which was before price increases, add on items, restrictions and bullshit. After learning about how they treat their workers as well as them adding sales tax on to things that were previously untaxed (state law). I look elsewhere for a lot of things and if I can't find something other than on Amazon I buy from the 3rd party retailer. Paying for the shipping is still cheaper adding shit I don't need/want to meet the $35 threshold and faster.

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#76

Post by the_mitsuhiko »

Cozumel wrote: post #32

Only seems to be the US site, at least for now! It really makes no sense though! https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KL4AROO/ref=s9_simh_g...

Amazon UK had prime exclusive content for a while already. Some baby products for sure.

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#77

Post by tamana »

zzleeper wrote: post #28

Is there a reason for non-console players to even buy in DVD form anymore, instead of Steam or similar markets? I mean, I get that if you live in Canada or Australia your bandwidth sucks and you have caps, but for most cases download speeds are way faster than DVD shipping speeds.

And DVDs are often incomplete anyway, so you still have to download updates and authenticate to a keyserver to play.

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#78

Post by [deleted] »

jerf wrote: post #62
inoop wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calm down. Probably some engineer made a mistake that caused a bunch of items to be incorrectly labeled as prime-only. A bunch of vidya nerds couldn't buy they favorite shooter anymore, made a post about it, and Amazon rolled back. As others have pointed out in this thread, this makes no sense as a deliberate move.

"Calm down." An attempt to claim the higher ground by casting someone as hysterical. Why do you feel the need reach for such a pointlessly large rhetorical stick for such a little discussion? (Yes, I'm doing a bit of a higher ground play myself. I don't deny it. You earned it.)

[deleted]

Re: Amazon blocks non-Prime members from buying certain video games

#80

Post by Filligree »

6581 wrote: post #54
Filligree wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no Amazon site for Ireland. I can buy things from any of their sites. However... - Amazon.co.uk refuses to ship a number of items outside of Great Britain. - Amazon.com has expensive shipping (obviously), and now this thing. - Amazon.de doesn't usually help. Besides, I can't read German. Looking at the Grand Theft Auto example, it's available from Amazon.com but not Amazon.co.uk; the latter, as mentioned, re…

> Amazon.de doesn't usually help. Besides, I can't read German. The German Amazon site is available in English too. http://www.amazon.de/gp/switch-language/homepage.html/ref=cs...

Well, the site controls are. The item descriptions usually aren't.
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