Anti-Hot Deal: Amazon's minimum free shipping now $49 for everything except books!

[Mike64]

About Free Shipping by Amazon

Guess I should be glad I took advantage of the sale on Prime subscriptions last month...

This really sucks. $35 was bad enough, but at least I (before I had Prime) could usually manage to hit the minimum over a reasonable time period, but without buying stuff I really didn't need, by sticking stuff in the shopping cart as I came across it - but +$14 is a big jump...

A glimmer of a silver lining is that if your order includes >= the $25 minimum for physical books, free shipping applies to the entire order, not just the books themselves. But in the "lead lining" department, since Amazon is the 2-ton gorilla in the online retail market, I can't help but assume this will influence other e-tailers' free shipping policies...

 

[bigi]

They want everyone buy their membership which I gladly canceled year ago due to their fvcked up shipping.

 

[lxskllr]

Yea, I ran into that yesterday. I bought a knife I didn't need, but wanted. That got me over the minimum shipping. On the bright side, this will bring independent etailers closer to parity with Amazon. I prefer doing my shopping with small sellers, and it helps keep diversity in marketplace.

 

[waffleironhead]

The last time I used super saver shipping, it took them two weeks just to send the order. All of the items were in stock.

 

[KB]

Not surprising. Amazon gets killed covering shipping costs. Looks like they finally want to make a profit.

 

[KeithP]

They want everyone buy their membership which I gladly canceled year ago due to their fvcked up shipping.

I didn't renew mine either. Eff them....I will just buy fewer and fewer things at Amazon.

-KeithP

 

[soulcougher73]

I order so much from Amazon I probably make the prime fee back in a few months vs paying shipping.

 

[ponyo]

I didn't renew mine either. Eff them....I will just buy fewer and fewer things at Amazon.

-KeithP

Amazon doesn't care about you. They have over 50 million Prime members and growing. Raising the free shipping minimum is brilliant and will help keep current Prime members from leaving. And more will join Prime to get free shipping since the free minimum is harder to hit. The value of Prime membership just went up.

 

[Jumpem]

There are people without Prime?

 

[ponyo]

I order so much from Amazon I probably make the prime fee back in a few months vs paying shipping.

Which is exactly what Amazon wants you to do. Amazon wants you to pay for Prime membership because it keeps you loyal. Since you paid for the membership, you want to feel like you're getting your money's worth. So you shop and order more from Amazon instead of other stores. It's the same model as Costco.

 

[FeuerFrei]

And the possibility of me ordering from Amazon grows even more remote.

F you Amazon - you're just my channel to other retailers.

 

[Jumpem]

And the possibility of me ordering from Amazon grows even more remote.

F you Amazon - you're just my channel to other retailers.

I rarely use other retailers because most all of them want you to pay for shipping.

 

[feralkid]

They really suck on returns; didn't like an item I ordered, requested return, here's what they said:

We are processing your refund. You don't need to return the item back to us!

Those Bastards!

 

[pcslookout]

I didn't renew mine either. Eff them....I will just buy fewer and fewer things at Amazon.

-KeithP

Same here.

If I need the item fast I pay for 2 day shipping.

 

[pcslookout]

One of my friends got Amazon Prime for $50. Good thing too!

 

[destrekor]

Which is exactly what Amazon wants you to do. Amazon wants you to pay for Prime membership because it keeps you loyal. Since you paid for the membership, you want to feel like you're getting your money's worth. So you shop and order more from Amazon instead of other stores. It's the same model as Costco.

Works for me. I get good deals. As long as it stays cheaper to shop for a fair number of things on Amazon, I'll stick with Prime. The Prime video comes in handy from time to time, too.

There are a hoard of things I won't buy on Amazon, because prices are higher than say Target. But I expect that will change in time as Amazon tries to compete more in the grocery and home goods market.

 

[destrekor]

They really suck on returns; didn't like an item I ordered, requested return, here's what they said:

We are processing your refund. You don't need to return the item back to us!

Those Bastards!

Damn, they really do suck, they've always demanded I return the item sometime within 30 days, and if I want something in return, they have the gall to ship me the replacement and return the funds, and expect me have no problem hanging onto the original order until it's convenient to ship it back! Monsters, the whole CSR team!

 

[pcslookout]

Damn, they really do suck, they've always demanded I return the item sometime within 30 days, and if I want something in return, they have the gall to ship me the replacement and return the funds, and expect me have no problem hanging onto the original order until it's convenient to ship it back! Monsters, the whole CSR team!

Yeah they do returns are so horrible.

I get my refund on returns once the UPS picks up the item.

 

[FeuerFrei]

I rarely use other retailers because most all of them want you to pay for shipping.

Typically other vendors sell the item for basically the same price with no tax, no minimum, and shipped "free."

For Amazon to be truly competitive, for my dollar, they have to remove the order minimum and stop charging tax. If they can send the item to my door for the same final price as everyone else, they stand at least a 50% chance of winning my order.

I don't care whether they want to sell me the shirt for $19+4 shipping or $23 shipped "free." Total cost to my door is all that matters. Whether shipping is separated out or included in the price - it's just mind games.

I used to have an aversion to third parties, but these days 9 out of 10 orders are from 3rd parties.

With Amazon's announcement here, they sliced their share of my business from 10% to maybe 5%. We'll see.

 

[lxskllr]

For Amazon to be truly competitive, for my dollar, they have to remove the order minimum and stop charging tax.

Tax is a legal issue, and not up to Amazon, unless you propose they pay the tax for you. Doable I guess, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[zerocool84]

They want everyone buy their membership which I gladly canceled year ago due to their fvcked up shipping.

Fucked up shipping? Even before I had Prime, I almost always got everything before the estimated date. Amazon has some of the best shipping.

 

[destrekor]

Typically other vendors sell the item for basically the same price with no tax, no minimum, and shipped "free."

For Amazon to be truly competitive, for my dollar, they have to remove the order minimum and stop charging tax. If they can send the item to my door for the same final price as everyone else, they stand at least a 50% chance of winning my order.

I don't care whether they want to sell me the shirt for $19+4 shipping or $23 shipped "free." Total cost to my door is all that matters. Whether shipping is separated out or included in the price - it's just mind games.

I used to have an aversion to third parties, but these days 9 out of 10 orders are from 3rd parties.

With Amazon's announcement here, they sliced their share of my business from 10% to maybe 5%. We'll see.

Other companies not charging tax is more of a loophole - Amazon can't stop charging tax if they charge tax in your area.

If they have a business presence in your state, they have to charge tax. That's why you won't get tax from many marketplace sellers, as they have very limited business presences, likely only in a single state.

 

[positivedoppler]

$49 good, I'll stop buy junk with temptation of free shipping

 

[A Casual Fitz]

Amazon Prime made me shop way too impulsively. I'll just not buy things from Amazon now. I miss the days when it was only $25. That was way more reasonable.

 

[gorcorps]

Typically other vendors sell the item for basically the same price with no tax, no minimum, and shipped "free."

For Amazon to be truly competitive, for my dollar, they have to remove the order minimum and stop charging tax. If they can send the item to my door for the same final price as everyone else, they stand at least a 50% chance of winning my order.

I don't care whether they want to sell me the shirt for $19+4 shipping or $23 shipped "free." Total cost to my door is all that matters. Whether shipping is separated out or included in the price - it's just mind games.

I used to have an aversion to third parties, but these days 9 out of 10 orders are from 3rd parties.

With Amazon's announcement here, they sliced their share of my business from 10% to maybe 5%. We'll see.

You're supposed to pay any sales tax the eshops didn't charge you at the end of the year... So taxes shouldn't even come into the equation since they're all equal.