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Amazon Allowance

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Re: Amazon Allowance

#41

Post by mentat »

dc-tech-fan wrote: post #21

I want this for something like Fiverr. Instead of my kids accumulating more junk, they learn the skills of hiring and delegating. Don't want to mow the lawn in this heat? Use your allowance to somebody else to do it. As long as the job is done they will earn their allowance. I just need a way to make sure they're not outsourcing their homework or paying somebody buy them alcohol.

I find this disturbing in a way I can't quite quantify. Kids should do things, not just appear to do things because they're clever about outsourcing to someone worse off.

Re: Amazon Allowance

#42

Post by jusben1369 »

olympus wrote: post #2

I applaud the effort Amazon is making to expand its influence, and giving kids an Amazon allowance would lock them in because it doesn't look too easy to convert that money back to real cash. But I don't think this one will stick around for very long. Prepaid cash/debit cards and automated deposits are an older and more proven way of doing this (not to mention just handing your kids $20 in cash every week). By giving…

I wonder if it's solving for my problem where my kids buy a lot of video on demand. I'd like to cap that for each of them each month. It wouldn't hurt if it also was funds they could then use to replace the iPhone charger they break or lose each month.

Re: Amazon Allowance

#43

Post by sombremesa »

elmin wrote: post #10
sombremesa wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is Amazon we're talking about. The company that doesn't give employees prime, free hardware to take home, or a real employee discount.

Amazons margins are so narrow an employee discount without some sort of cap would be ridiculous.

There is no veil here, and no reason to pretend there is something legitimate preventing Amazon from treating people like human beings. I'm not going to argue with you, unless you tell me you've worked there. Then at least I will attempt to understand why you believed such treatment is acceptable.

Re: Amazon Allowance

#44

Post by robotresearcher »

codeonfire wrote: post #31
taeric wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't that essentially mean free prime? Also... it beats the discount I got back when I worked fast food. Not saying some places don't do better, but I do fear the entitlement of my peers here.

No, prime has music, instant video, free shipping, discounts, etc. It is a loss leader that can costs Amazon way more than $100 per member. Otherwise Amazon would scrap the 10% and give all its employees prime. On entitlement, It's not entitlement. If Amazon can't compete or doesn't want to compete on perks, that is their preprogative. Entitlement is not in Amazon's vocabulary. They have no concept of entitlement. Wh…

Previous poster meant that the dollars saved via the discount could be used to purchase prime.

Re: Amazon Allowance

#45

Post by codeonfire »

robotresearcher wrote: post #44
codeonfire wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, prime has music, instant video, free shipping, discounts, etc. It is a loss leader that can costs Amazon way more than $100 per member. Otherwise Amazon would scrap the 10% and give all its employees prime. On entitlement, It's not entitlement. If Amazon can't compete or doesn't want to compete on perks, that is their preprogative. Entitlement is not in Amazon's vocabulary. They have no concept of entitlement. Wh…

Previous poster meant that the dollars saved via the discount could be used to purchase prime.

Yes if you buy $1000 of merchandise, you will end up spending $900 and then you can buy prime with the $100 you saved. However, you have to buy the $1000 of merchandise first. In reality that $100 is eaten by sales tax since if you work at Amazon you are going to be in a state where they have tax nexus.

Re: Amazon Allowance

#46

Post by mynameisjohn »

superuser2 wrote: post #24
olympus wrote: post #2

I applaud the effort Amazon is making to expand its influence, and giving kids an Amazon allowance would lock them in because it doesn't look too easy to convert that money back to real cash. But I don't think this one will stick around for very long. Prepaid cash/debit cards and automated deposits are an older and more proven way of doing this (not to mention just handing your kids $20 in cash every week). By giving…

If you give teenagers cash, they can't spend it online. Thanks to KYC rules and bank policies, you have to be 18 to get anything that looks like a credit card. Best plan for teenagers is a joint checking account (dedicated to the child's use) at your bank, with a debit card they can use for day-to-day spending. You can do allowance, etc with transfers, and most bankd will play ball as long as one person on the accoun…

Wells Fargo gave me an account incl. debit card at 16.

Re: Amazon Allowance

#47

Post by patmcc »

smnrchrds wrote: post #37
superuser2 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Activation requires you to (pretend to) be 18, AFAIK. Also they have quite hefty fees; a checking accout is free as long as you don't overdraft.

Checking account are free? Well, chequing accounts are not :( Among the downsides of being in Canada is paying higher prices for anything that is not health care.

Look at your local credit union - many (not all, sadly) offer a free chequing account.

Re: Amazon Allowance

#48

Post by rifung »

elmin wrote: post #10
sombremesa wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is Amazon we're talking about. The company that doesn't give employees prime, free hardware to take home, or a real employee discount.

Amazons margins are so narrow an employee discount without some sort of cap would be ridiculous.

Indeed that may be true. But it's still pretty pitiful that they only let you apply your discount to $1000 worth of products a year. That means you save.. $100 each year!

Re: Amazon Allowance

#50

Post by derefr »

superuser2 wrote: post #35
w1ntermute wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you give teenagers cash, they can't spend it online. Thanks to KYC rules and bank policies, you have to be 18 to get anything that looks like a credit card. What about those prepaid cards you can buy for cash at B&M stores? I'm pretty sure you can use those online.

Activation requires you to (pretend to) be 18, AFAIK. Also they have quite hefty fees; a checking accout is free as long as you don't overdraft.

Are people also not technically allowed to use a prepaid credit card registered in someone else's name? A parent could activate the card and then give it to the child.
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