Amazon Free Super Saver shipping now $35?

[ssawka]

I find this change really interesting. Wasn't there an article a few months ago where they were thinking about giving free shipping for ANY purchase because their studies showed that people spent more money in the long run when they didn't have to pay for shipping?

Maggie

I think that would hurt them in the long run since less people would be willing to pay for Prime.

It might hurt sales, especially spur of the moment type purchases. Before you had to wait till you had $25 worth of qualifying merchadise to get the free shipping and now the wait will be longer, giving you more time to decide you don't really need the item or to find it elsewhere. But I also have read over the years how profitability has been lagging at Amazon, and I imagine shipping costs add up to quite a bit of money there. So maybe they found that this level of purchase helps them make up for the free shipping profit-wise.

But, I bet they see an increase in Prime memberships.

The biggest change that annoys me, and nothing that Amazon can control, is that they now have to charge sales tax.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

That stinks.

We are prime members, so no impact for us. One thing to keep in mind if you are considering prime is the streaming movie/tv show offering. We don't have cable...we just use regular broadcast tv, the Amazon Prime app on our "smart TV" and stuff we download onto our Home Theater PC (our tv is basically hooked up to a computer and works like a giant computer monitor which has movies and shows uploaded to it).

We previously subscribed to Netflix streaming but we cancelled it when we saw how much was offered on Amazon Prime's tv app.

 

[okeydokey]

They have not raised the price in years and years so I can't blame them. Shipping costs have gone up steadily in this time. I think 35 is still reasonable.

 

[timmac]

I find this change really interesting. Wasn't there an article a few months ago where they were thinking about giving free shipping for ANY purchase because their studies showed that people spent more money in the long run when they didn't have to pay for shipping?

How much people spend isn't the variable they are optimizing, however; it's profit they want to maximize. The two don't necessarily go hand-in-hand when you throw a freebie into the mix.

 

[chalee94]

They have not raised the price in years and years so I can't blame them. Shipping costs have gone up steadily in this time. I think 35 is still reasonable.

agreed.

 

[JuneChickie]

What is an add on ? Do they make one do this for Prime for some reason ?

I am on a 30 day trial so I guess I should know what this means before I decide to keep Prime or not.

Thanks

 

[Shagley]

I could understand it, if I thought the shipping was really "free" when they were offering it when it was $25 worth of purchases. But usually I could buy an item for $18.99 plus $3.99 shipping from another online store, or I could buy the exact same item from Amazon at $24.99 and add on an extra item and get "free shipping". Usually I would buy it from Amazon even though it cost more just because I know they are a company I could rely on and they generally have good customer service. Now I won't be doing that as much, and that is a shame. I have bought a ton of stuff from Amazon over the years, and a lot of it was impulse buys to get me over the $25 point. I won't be doing that now that the price point for "free shipping" is $35. Actually, this was probably the best thing that could happen to me financially. I will save a lot of money this year that would have normally gone to Amazon.

 

[mymeme]

I use Prime all the time!!! The being at my door in 2 days can't be beat! I also have ShopRunner. It is very good, too.

 

[smiths02]

I think that would hurt them in the long run since less people would be willing to pay for Prime.

But, I bet they see an increase in Prime memberships.

The biggest change that annoys me, and nothing that Amazon can control, is that they now have to charge sales tax.

Actually, Amazon now is a supporter of internet sites charging sales tax.

 

[DizzyStitch]

I love using Amazon because I can buy gift cards at my grocery store and get fuel perks plus 2% back on my credit card for Disney. And I don't have to actually use my credit card on Amazon and since it got hijacked on Amazon once I am happy to have an alternative way to buy and save money. Plus the convenience with prime and shipping is amazing!

 

[3boymthr]

What is an add on ? Do they make one do this for Prime for some reason ?

I am on a 30 day trial so I guess I should know what this means before I decide to keep Prime or not.

Thanks

An add on is generally a small item such as a three pack of pink pearl erasers that costs only $1.99 or a single roll of tape or other random item that costs more to ship than the item is worth so they make it an "add on" item and you must spend $25 to get the item, even if you have a prime membership and the item is a prime item. I generally don't buy them as it's just plain cheaper to buy them when I run to the supermarket and pay 50 cents more than to try to find $25 worth of items on amazon that I don't necessarily need right away just to save that 50 cents.

 

[ssawka]

Personally, even if I didn't have Prime, I'd still order from Amazon. I hate going to B&Ms. Where I live it means fighting traffic, dealing with rude people, and the finding that the store doesn't have what I want. If they do have something I want, then I get the privilege of paying more for it!

 

[ssawka]

Actually, Amazon now is a supporter of internet sites charging sales tax.

Wow! I had no idea. On the surface, it doesn't seem like it makes business sense for them to do so, but I guess it's partially an image thing along with giving a big "forget you" to the B&Ms.

It also helps eliminate the competition from smaller e-tailers. Amazon is adding more warehouses to be able to get products to the consumer quicker. As they expand into more states, it was only a matter of time before they'd have to collect taxes anyway. By supporting the online tax, they don't have to worry about smaller e-tailers not having to charge sales tax and there by offering a lower overall price.

 

[disneychrista]

Bummer I was just about to order a couple books but they aren't going to be $35, they were barely $25. Guess I will have to wait until I have another item to buy before I go ahead.