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Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

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Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#121

Post by mwfunk »

cylinder wrote: post #77
codegeek wrote: post #17

I am amazed at how amazon remains doing business with so low margins or no profits. We love amazon at my house and being Prime members, we are almost ordering everything under the sun from Amazon that we possibly can. Here is why we love it: - The reviews are actually useful. I just bought a 70 inch TV through amazon and the critical and helpful reviews really helped me get going with settings on the TV that would ha…

I love Prime, but there's no way that shipping a 20-roll pack of paper towels[1] that cost less than the store, in a giant cardboard box, in two days via an airplane to my door, is sustainable. They are taking a loss, even factoring in the membership fees, and at some point they won't be able to get away with it any longer. [1] Or a big heavy television. Or anything else you can find on Amazon.

I don't know why this got any downvotes, it's absolutely true. If someone's going to downvote something, they should always at least comment on what they don't like about it.

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#122

Post by chiph »

simplemath wrote: post #113
Spooky23 wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also we compared the prices and it is almost impossible to beat amazon for these things as well. Huh? Where did you look? For formula, diapers, wipes, etc. Amazon didn't come close to Target, even without coupons. Amazon was like $23 for diapers that were $19.99 at Target. I've been a prime member forever, and wanted to use Amazon, but it easily cost 10-20% more, even with automatic ordering. Combine Target retail…

Costco. Even if all you bought at Costco was formula and diapers, you'd more than subsidize the $50 membership over the course of a year vs. what you'd pay basically anywhere else. Of course the economy of scale applies to that membership fee. Scaling across more kids makes a better value prop.

Plus, if you get the Costco Amex card, you'd get cash back. I got $170 back last year with my $110 Executive membership, and I didn't even try very hard.

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#123

Post by ck2 »

School-Cotton wrote: post #116
ck2 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that sellers can have any review deleted. So lack of negative reviews is meaningless on Amazon.

I don't think this is true -- it sounds completely antithetical to Amazon's values. Do you have something to back it up?

We sold some books on amazon as a publisher a few years ago (not just a third party but the actual listing owner) and Amazon happily removed any derogatory review we requested without hesitation.

To be fair, there is good reason for this but I am sure it is easily abused, but it is not like they checked the review, the action was near immediate when they got the request.

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#124

Post by blisterpeanuts »

hyperbovine wrote: post #114
blisterpeanuts wrote: post #96

Sales taxes are going to bite into their business. My state (Massachusetts) has forced them to charge sales tax starting some time later this year, and that's bound to affect sales. Tax-free New Hampshire is 45 minutes away from Boston, and I suspect that once the sales tax kicks in, all those malls and outlets up north are going to see an uptick in business. In fact, probably that's why they're squeezing the shippin…

For a $2000 plasma, maybe. But you're going to drive 45 minutes to avoid paying $7 in taxes on a pair of shoes? I really doubt that. The scenario you outline would be true if people did a large amount of shopping once a month, but Amazon customers are now accustomed to making hundreds of little purchases throughout the year.

Probably you're right, and actually in the case of shoes I would patronize my local running shoe store because they're awesome people (also, most types of shoes are not taxed in Mass. so it's not the best example :).

But it might alter our shopping behavior and start being more disciplined and saving up lists of stuff to get, and then the trip starts to become worthwhile. (It doesn't hurt that I have a Prius now, 50 mpg/22kpl).

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#125

Post by simplemath »

chiph wrote: post #122
simplemath wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Costco. Even if all you bought at Costco was formula and diapers, you'd more than subsidize the $50 membership over the course of a year vs. what you'd pay basically anywhere else. Of course the economy of scale applies to that membership fee. Scaling across more kids makes a better value prop.

Plus, if you get the Costco Amex card, you'd get cash back. I got $170 back last year with my $110 Executive membership, and I didn't even try very hard.

Besides the not-inconsiderable saving money part, more valuable to me is it allows me to compress shopping trips.

Shaving 2-3 hours a month off the shopping time budget? F yes. I hate shopping.

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#126

Post by bloodorange »

swalsh wrote: post #22

As a prime member, I didn't even realize there was a minimum... Anyways, if I need to buy something I usually buy it on amazon both because its cheaper, but also i love seeing the box on my porch :D

For some odd reason I read that as "As a prime number"...

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#127

Post by oskee80 »

ck2 wrote: post #102
codegeek wrote: post #17

I am amazed at how amazon remains doing business with so low margins or no profits. We love amazon at my house and being Prime members, we are almost ordering everything under the sun from Amazon that we possibly can. Here is why we love it: - The reviews are actually useful. I just bought a 70 inch TV through amazon and the critical and helpful reviews really helped me get going with settings on the TV that would ha…

Note that sellers can have any review deleted. So lack of negative reviews is meaningless on Amazon.

I see very highly rated negative reviews all the time. They even make a point to show you helpful critical reviews.

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#128

Post by leef »

bskap wrote: post #57
leef wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Add-On items are items that are not economical enough to be in the Prime program by themselves but can be thrown in a box already on it's way to you. Without the Add-On program they would not be Prime shippable at all. Therefore Add-On items are just an improvement to Prime.

Not true. I just placed an order with two add-on items (totaling $7) and one non-add-on item ($20). The two add-on items were shipped separately. Also, I'm pretty sure everything that's actually sitting in an Amazon warehouse is prime-eligible. The stuff that isn't is the stuff going through 3rd party sellers that don't use fulfillment by Amazon.

The intent is for add-ons to ship in a box with the main Prime order. This doesn't always happen due to the combination of what you order and the locations of the items across Amazon's fulfillment network. When this happens Amazon is eating the cost of those extra shipments and is considered a 'miss' by the inventory folks.

Everything in the warehouse is not prime. If fact, an item can flip from prime to not prime in near real time if the most accessible inventory is used up and all that is left is the stuff in the 'reserve' areas of the warehouse. This is the area where the giant boxes of inventory stored. Grabbing inventory from there involves pulling it down, opening, pulling apart eaches, and then stowing in fast access areas.

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#129

Post by whalesalad »

Lost_BiomedE wrote: post #108
whalesalad wrote: post #43

I abuse Amazon Prime to no end. I live in the boonies and don't have a car so they're actually my lifeline. Bought a pack of 50 machine screws the other day and including the free 2-day shipping to my door it was only $1.35. Unbelievable. But I am glad Amazon is raising prices. I don't want them to falter and hope they continue what they're doing. I'd be screwed without em.

The deal is even better if you are living in Hawaii. It is not 2 day delivery, but it is fast.

I used to live on Oahu and back then Amazon Prime wasn't as friendly down there, but glad to see it's caught up.

Re: Amazon's minimum order size for free shipping is now $35

#130

Post by peckrob »

drjesusphd wrote: post #105
peckrob wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing that's really annoying about the whole "Add-On Items" bit is that they won't ship them AT ALL, even if I want to pay to have them shipped. Forget the free shipping thing - they won't even let me pay shipping and just send it to me. One of the great utilities of Prime (and Amazon in general) is that it saves me a trip to Wal-Mart for smaller items. Need a pack of Sharpies? Ship it from Amazon, because a trip…

Every time I've seen an add-on item, I've always seen a separate listing for an identical item at a higher price. Is this not universal?

I think it's dependent on whether or not a 3rd party seller in Amazon's marketplace is offering the same item.

Amazon also sometimes has a "bulk" item at a higher price.

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