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Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

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Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#61

Post by robryan »

choppaface wrote: post #38
deftnerd wrote: post #9

This is just assuming that they'll even let you order $49 worth of items in one box. I let my Amazon Prime lapse because I was rarely using it. A few weeks ago I decided to do a bulk order. I ordered 18 items with a total of $110. They split my shipment into three packages of approximately $50, $50, and one item by itself in another box for $10. Since one of the boxes didn't have $35, they tried to charge me shipping…

Customer service is way all over the place. I had a shaver that I wanted to return. It was a gift bought from a Prime-connected account. After 3-4 emails of getting nowhere, one rep finally told me that shavers can't be returned due to health hazards and they refunded the buyer the full cost of the shaver. Since then I've also had them unexpectedly give me 2-3 full refunds for things I threatened to return. I think t…

If something can't be resold they save money by not having to deal with the return you make. That kind of situation is a tough call, in theory they could simply not offer you anything, in practise they don't want to lose customers.

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#62

Post by dotch »

thirdsun wrote: post #56
ajmurmann wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The non-amazon shipped stuff on Amazon honestly had been a pain ever since they introduced it. If you have prime it mostly is just a huge nuisance.

Same here, unless it's the only option and I really need the product, I'll only buy Prime-enabled products. I really don't want Amazon to turn into eBay or Alibaba, but for many categories it already is if you scroll/paginate far enough.

Same. Especially with items like Apple accessories, this is really starting to hurt Amazon's reputation. Most of the reviewers for those products complain about receiving knock-off products and have no clue that they need to select the ones sold directly by Amazon to get the original one.

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#63

Post by copperx »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #47
sirkneeland wrote: post #6

First reaction: "NOOOOOOOO" Second reaction: "It appears this does NOT apply to Amazon Prime." I am assuming this is gamed to drive further conversion to Prime membership then.

Likely. Amazon seems to have made it clear that if you don't have Prime, they'd :RATHER: you shopped somewhere else. Arbitrary sets of items like certain Blu-ray discs or even like... razor blade replacements and diapers will randomly get set as "Prime exclusive items" for no reason with no warning. Suddenly, buying a $10 Blu-ray requires you buy a $100 Prime subscription to go with it. And customers have found that…

That's true, but without the 15% profit margin cap that wholesale clubs have. Lately I've found that certain Prime items (home decor and kitchen stuff) are 20-25% more expensive than what I can get them for locally.

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#64

Post by x0x0 »

kdamken wrote: post #7

They are really trying to force you into signing up for prime, aren't they? I cancelled my prime subscription at the start of the year. Some thoughts: - I buy less stuff on impulse. Since the price limit is (or was) $35 for free shipping, I usually have to wait until there are enough things I really want/need before ordering. - The pricing is often better other places. Normally Amazon's non prime price will be compar…

I have a different reaction. I view prime plus the occasional markup as a convenience fee. I'm paying to not spend an hour to 90 minutes of my life driving to the (poorly stocked) Target near me, hunting for the item I want that they may or may not have in stock, checking out, and driving back home. And I'm ok with that.

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#65

Post by dsp1234 »

thirdsun wrote: post #56
ajmurmann wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The non-amazon shipped stuff on Amazon honestly had been a pain ever since they introduced it. If you have prime it mostly is just a huge nuisance.

Same here, unless it's the only option and I really need the product, I'll only buy Prime-enabled products. I really don't want Amazon to turn into eBay or Alibaba, but for many categories it already is if you scroll/paginate far enough.

A friend of mine who does online arbitrage takes advantage of this. She'll take the lowest non-prime eligible price, mark it up 5% then set it to be 'fulfilled by amazon'. She knows that people will prefer Prime, even if a lower total cost item is available via free shipping.

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#66

Post by ocdtrekkie »

thirdsun wrote: post #57
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Likely. Amazon seems to have made it clear that if you don't have Prime, they'd :RATHER: you shopped somewhere else. Arbitrary sets of items like certain Blu-ray discs or even like... razor blade replacements and diapers will randomly get set as "Prime exclusive items" for no reason with no warning. Suddenly, buying a $10 Blu-ray requires you buy a $100 Prime subscription to go with it. And customers have found that…

Frankly, I think it's a fair deal. I gladly pay the Prime fee and in return can be very sure that products will arrive tomorrow. I value that certainty and immediate availability. And that's not even considering the video and music services which I don't use that much.

I never said it wasn't a fair deal. It is, if you want it. But if arrival timing isn't critical, and you don't order enough time sensitive items for it to be worth it, and you don't watch Prime Video, it may not be a good purchase for you.

Prime is a very good service, but it isn't for everyone. Amazon is seemingly telling everyone who it isn't for to take a hike.

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#68

Post by copperx »

ianai wrote: post #42
esaym wrote: post #28

I figured this would happen soon enough. I just hope they leave Prime alone. I try hard not to "abuse" it any. I normally try to select the free no rush shipping and save the free 2 day shipping to the things I actually do need quickly when/if that need pops up. Having free shipping on any order has certainly changed my online shopping habits over the years. Other than food, I pretty much don't even go to the store f…

I don't consider using Prime to be abuse...but I also place a preference on buying locally when I can.

I don't think it's abuse either, but back when Prime was $79 and small items shipped free, I cringed at the thought of buying, say, a pack of razors from Amazon. It felt wrong.

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#69

Post by autopov »

Gustomaximus wrote: post #12
dangrossman wrote: post #4

"Profit was held back by a big jump in fulfillment costs, which increased 32.8% year-over-year in the fourth quarter and nearly 25% for the full year. Amazon spent $4.55 billion in the fourth quarter to fulfill customers’ orders, up from $3.4 billion in the same quarter a year ago, and the increase cannot be explained away by increases in Amazon sales, as the percentage of revenues spent on shipping also increased, f…

> The average cost to handle a parcel was about $8 last year. Thats still Amazing low cost considering what has to be done to deliver a parcel. Though I'm more surprised Amazon hasn't set up an Argos style business in high density cities. For those that dont know Argos it's in the UK and its basically a collection shopfront with catalogues infromt of the counter. You browse the catalogue, write down the numbers and s…

In the States there was a similar company[0]: Best Products Company. You'd go in, browse the display models or thumb through a catalog, and if you wanted to buy you'd go to the sales counter, place your order, the clerk would fill out a form in triplicate, make a call, and about twenty minutes later, your item would come from the stock room on a long conveyor belt.

As a kid, it was great fun to watch, but I wouldn't put up with it these days. If I have to fight traffic and go to a shop, I like to get in and get out as fast as possible.

Best was best (ahem) known for its funky stores' architecture. The one in Sacramento, California, was especially interesting[1]. A corner of the building was literally removed to open the showroom then put back at night to close up shop.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_Products [1] http://www.emporis.com/buildings/1260719/best-products-showr...

Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49

#70

Post by CodeWriter23 »

kdamken wrote: post #7

They are really trying to force you into signing up for prime, aren't they? I cancelled my prime subscription at the start of the year. Some thoughts: - I buy less stuff on impulse. Since the price limit is (or was) $35 for free shipping, I usually have to wait until there are enough things I really want/need before ordering. - The pricing is often better other places. Normally Amazon's non prime price will be compar…

I dumped Prime when they raised the price to $99/yr. I have been able to get just about everything I need via eBay with Fast 'n Free shipping and usually pretty quickly if I shop around a bit and look for merchants close to me. I logged into my Amazon account to look up a part number the other day and discovered I hadn't bought a single thing from them for over a year.
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