Amazon free shipping is now $49 minimum order????

[4wheeldog]

Amazon is finally showing profits, over the last year or so, after many years "Building".

Why do most of you think they should not charge enough to make a profit? Free enterprise needs to turn a profit, or it will go teets up.

 

[Bud]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Prime is now $100/year.

But it includes free two day shipping as well as videos and music.

I had over 80 Amazon orders last year, more than a dozen in December alone. I use the two day shipping to send presents to family members for multiple occasions, including, for example, Keurig K-cups to my daughter in medical school, Legos to my nephews for Christmas, and shooting supplies to my brother.

I do shop price, and when Amazon is substantially more than other vendors, or when Amazon doesn't carry a product, I go with other vendors. When I need something that day, I will shop and buy locally.

I've been able to get a good price on car parts on Amazon, and the net cost of shipping, when amortizing the Prime membership over all my orders, is less than the cost of driving my car to shop for that item.

When you consider the value of my time that I save in being able to shop and ship with Prime, it's a screaming deal.

Confidentially, I ordered some watch band pins, a set of electronic shooting muffs for my wife, and a Garmin mount, just before logging onto BITOG. They will arrive Tuesday, and saved me the time and gas looking in three different stores for those things.

And given my historic order patterns, that savings in time and gas cost about $1.00 of my annual Prime membership.


I agree about Prime. I love it, but I am also a heavy user of Amazon. The more I can stay out of stores locally the better I like it.

 

[MNgopher]

Surprised it took them this long...

And as others have reported, the "free" shipping usually meant it took 6-10 days to get, at least in my experience. Fine if I had the time, otherwise I paid or went elsewhere...

Just like anything else, don't like the costs, shop elsewhere. Been killing it on Advance auto stuff lately with in store pickup. Best of both worlds - shop online, have it in a 1/2 hour.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
It doesn't matter because the free shipping is ridiculously slow. Last two times I ordered free shipping it took over a week to get the item.

I order from Amazon quite a bit and I haven't noticed that.

I always check on both ebay and amazon.

 

[Mr Nice]

For me it doesn't matter if I get the items I ordered in 7-8 days, it's not something so important.

I absolutely hate going to any retail store to shop..... especially going to a mall and shop.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
The honeymoon's over. Remember $25?


Sure do.

It always seemed to take forever, but free shipping (in my case) usually means USPS so a long transit time isnt very surprising. Usually I am not in a hurry.. just anxious to get whatever it is so the wait isnt a huge deal.

 

[JustinH]

Cost of shipping is still high guys.

I shipped a laptop cable, one cable in a small box.

From Texas to Michigan.

11 Dollars for Standard UPS ground with no insurance.

Now I bet Amazon gets 75 percent off my rate, but still.

 

[pdxglocker9mm]

I have prime thru a prime member.
They don't use the video stuff either because they have satellite internet and streaming like 4 shows would tap out their account for the month. (20gb) peak. 20 gb non peak.
I get their video subscription thru the fire TV or stick. With their log in.
Our prime account is a separate thing and we are responsible for it. Because it is a SUB account it does not get prime videos and such but as I stated we PINCH off theirs for those services.
Most items we get come in two days. Sometimes we do the no rush shipping to get the dollar credit.
Example I didn't need the 5000iu vitamin d3 in two days I had a dozen left so I got credit for pay per view movies.
Amazon is by no means always cheapest but....once you have found what you want you can easily price check the item on other sites I see Amazon as a spring board start there and dive in. One example is I was looking for insoles to make some boots a little more comfy. Well Amazon prime was 7.99 price instore at Walmart was 2.00 for the exact same thing and it wasn't close out. Some things you can find much cheaper on eBay.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
The honeymoon's over. Remember $25?


Yep ... the economy is 'booming'. Can't even get a $5 foot long sub from Subway anymore. I've noticed a lot of businesses are slowly raising their prices.

Originally Posted By: 04SE
What gives? Trying to force prime memberships?


Probably ... see the last sentence in their free shipping info.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/d...p;nodeId=527692

 

[HTSS_TR]

Amazon is just do the way any successful company would do, started with low price and lot of benefits and good customer service to have a very large customer base, then slowly raise price and reduce benefits(free shipping with minimum purchase or low cost Prime membership). Many shoppers don't notice reduced benefits nor price increase.

Amazon sacrificed profit for many years, now they think they can start to make some money after having millions Prime members with quarterly revenue of billions dollar.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Amazon is just do the way any successful company would do, started with low price and lot of benefits and good customer service to have a very large customer base, then slowly raise price and reduce benefits(free shipping with minimum purchase or low cost Prime membership). Many shoppers don't notice reduced benefits nor price increase.

Amazon sacrificed profit for many years, now they think they can start to make some money after having millions Prime members with quarterly revenue of billions dollar.


Home Depot did pretty much the same thing, lower prices and slowly drove many of the mom and pop hardware stores and small lumberyards out of business. Every time I walk into a Home Depot in my neighborhood I'm amazed they're still in business. They have the worst help I've ever seen in a retail store. Now if I go to a Home Depot in Upstate NY, Washington State, NJ, Florida, California, or the Carolina's [a few I've visited in the past few years] I'm impressed.

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
It doesn't matter because the free shipping is ridiculously slow. Last two times I ordered free shipping it took over a week to get the item.

I order from Amazon quite a bit and I haven't noticed that.

I always check on both ebay and amazon.


I order $300 worth off stuff the night of February 2nd about 10 items with standard free shipping which it all qualified for and it all was delivered in one package on February 10th.

 

[901Memphis]

This past Thursday I started another prime trial ordered two things on Thursday night and they got here today on a Saturday. I almost always get the prime stuff when it says but standard shipping has been awful for me

 

[Mr Nice]

demarpaint,

My sister was at a Home Depot and asked for some advice (forgot the exact topic) and the employee told her to just read the instructions on the box...

 

[bdcardinal]

I have Prime and use it all the time for things. Amazon opened a pickup location in Isla Vista that I have use a few times. My work has me order things we can't get from normal vendors. I ordered a Ford Racing part for a customer yesterday from Amazon and I got a text this morning saying it was ready for pick-up in IV around 9am.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
demarpaint,

My sister was at a Home Depot and asked for some advice (forgot the exact topic) and the employee told her to just read the instructions on the box...



I'm not one bit surprised. That's actually better than the treatment we get here. We might get a similar reply if we can find someone and peel them away from their cell phone.

I asked for help and was told by someone working for HD, and sending a text, "can't you see I'm busy?" I guess my age is showing. I'm no longer surprised, I expect it.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Home Depot did pretty much the same thing, lower prices and slowly drove many of the mom and pop hardware stores and small lumberyards out of business. Every time I walk into a Home Depot in my neighborhood I'm amazed they're still in business. They have the worst help I've ever seen in a retail store. Now if I go to a Home Depot in Upstate NY, Washington State, NJ, Florida, California, or the Carolina's [a few I've visited in the past few years] I'm impressed.

Home Depots in Southern California, especially the ones in Orange County, have very good customer service. I always had good customer service experience with local HD and Lowes.

Sorry to hear that your local HD customer service is not up to industry standard.

 

[RazorsEdge]

This will make no difference at all for me.

Like I said before,I'll shop Amazon,before I EVER step foot in a Walmart store.

 

[Joe1]

I usually find better deals on ebay than Amazon. Most eBay vendors ship fast while Amazon free shipping is often slow. With the 49 dollar threshold for free shipping, l will not order from Amazon very often. I refuse to sign up for their prime service.

 

[daves87rs]

Use it for videos and shows, and shipping stuff once in a while....

If/when I lose prime, sure I will find other deals....