Amazon Getting a Bit Tricky With Their Free Shipping.

Remy

Remy

Well-known Member
Location
California, USA
I just placed an Amazon order. First I notice it's hard to find the free shipping button but I've figured out where it is. Then I noticed it didn't take all the shipping away. All my items were shipped by Amazon and eligible.

I had to click an additional free shipping button for one lone item in addition. I ordered 4 total items. I was afraid one of my items wasn't eligible so I double checked before noticing I needed to click a second free shipping button for that one items. And I almost didn't notice. Wonder if it's trickery to get more shipping because I almost clicked before noticing.
 

Last month I ordered an item, clicked on Amazon Prime (I'm a member), so I didn't check, never needed to, assumed free shipping as usual. Dummy me used buy now instead of add to cart where I would see actual costs after taxes etc, when I checked my mail for confirmation I saw the high price so checked back at Amazon at my order and there it was, 24.99 PLUS 19.99 shipping!. I cancelled the order. Searched again, found item for 25.99 with free shipping. 🙄
 
Yeah, free shipping isn't just tricky on Amazon. A company I've been ordering from for many years advertises "free shipping," but has now added a $1.79 shipping and handling charge to their alleged "free shipping." How is that free shipping? 🤨
 
I bought a small water bottle at Walmart last week for $10.00. It holds 17oz.(y)
Amazon price is $16.99 plus shipping, so no, they are not always best way to shop.
Canadian Tire have same bottle at $11.99 in store pickup.

...like my bottle so much went and got another . Always one in fridge and one around the house.

P. S. The amazon bottle comes with a cleaning brush which I feel is totally unnecessary and not worth the extra money.
 
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Remy said:
I just placed an Amazon order. First I notice it's hard to find the free shipping button but I've figured out where it is. Then I noticed it didn't take all the shipping away. All my items were shipped by Amazon and eligible.
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Yes, I've noticed that I have to manipulate it, too... I have to mark the items separately and make sure I don't press the order button until it's zero shipping on everything. I hope I never forget to do that, but it's probably just a matter of time. I paid their ridiculously high Prime fee for many years and finally stopped it... they need to do better with their set-up.
 
Yeah, I know, Amazon drives me nuts most of the time but since I no longer drive much so either Huzz is driving me or I'm sending him somewhere to get something, I find I'm using Amazon & some other sites more and more to even be able to find what we need in this town. (And sometimes even if you can find the things you need, you're driving all over town to get them.)
 
CallMeKate said:
I stopped Prime and now I just make sure I have my $25 worth in the cart before I check out and it's free anyhow... it's been working great if I remember to make sure everything is marked free shipping.
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That's what I do. Books, which this order didn't contain, and other stuff.
 
officerripley said:
Yeah, I know, Amazon drives me nuts most of the time but since I no longer drive much so either Huzz is driving me or I'm sending him somewhere to get something, I find I'm using Amazon & some other sites more and more to even be able to find what we need in this town. (And sometimes even if you can find the things you need, you're driving all over town to get them.)
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The nice man who lives in the townhouse across the parking lot, shops a lot online. They always seem to have packages at the door. My parking spot is there so I notice the packages. His brother and young son moved in also and there seems to be more packages.

Driving around and looking for stuff can be a hassle and tiring.
 
Items shipped from overseas versus local USA warehouses make that difference. If possible, I'll usually wait till I have enough items to reach their $25 threshold. Amazon acts frustrated since they can never entice me into a Prime account regardless of carrots. Suspect they have a team trying ways to make me accept Prime. Thus send me through Shopping Cart sequences without free shipping even though I carefully avoid any Prime buttons. After deleting an item in the final Shopping Cart phase and starting over selecting an item again, its like they capitulate and allow free shipping.
 
After an investigation by a US-based security agency (can't remember the name), Amazon was notified that several of their Chinese suppliers were committing fraud, so Amazon ended those contracts. Since Amazon, like most businesses, base their market value on projections, they took a financial hit...because they have to subtract their future earnings from those suppliers.

So I wonder if they're trying to make up for those losses. If they are, this might be a temporary situation, just until they get other suppliers under contract or something.
 
Mizmo said:
I bought a small water bottle at Walmart last week for $10.00. It holds 17oz.(y)
Amazon price is $16.99 plus shipping, so no, they are not always best way to shop.
Canadian Tire have same bottle at $11.99 in store pickup.

...like my bottle so much went and got another . Always one in fridge and one around the house.

P. S. The amazon bottle comes with a cleaning brush which I feel is totally unnecessary and not worth the extra money.
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..and Temu is even cheaper, altho' you do have to be a little discerning.. but I've bought a lot from there.. free shipping , no paying for a Prime equivalent.. and I've checked almost everything I've bought against the same items on Amazon, and Temu are always much cheaper.. and also if anything arives damaged or broken.. if you upload a picture to your account they instantly refund your money back into your account.. Also if your goods arrive ( and they do take about a week to come).. after the specified date they will give you money off your next order

of course they don't sell huge items like amazon but for every day things.. I've found them to be excellent..
 
Remy said:
The nice man who lives in the townhouse across the parking lot, shops a lot online. They always seem to have packages at the door. My parking spot is there so I notice the packages. His brother and young son moved in also and there seems to be more packages.

Driving around and looking for stuff can be a hassle and tiring.
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There are literally thousands of other ways to shop on-line and NOT use Amazon, and most are cheaper. I use many of them, since I hate going to town.
 
Chet said:
I never buy enough from Amazon to make Prime worthwhile.
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...but you get so much more than just free deliveries when you have Amazon Prime..

For example.. here in the UK... we get.. for £7.92 per month...all of this..


Benefits of Amazon Prime​

  • Amazon Prime Video
  • Free Premium delivery
  • Prime Day Access
  • Prime Early Access to Lightning Deals
  • Amazon Music
  • Prime Reading
  • Prime Wardrobe
  • Prime Gaming
  • Prime Photos
  • Amazon First Reads
  • Deliveroo Plus
  • Same-day deliveries on select items

What do you get with Amazon Prime?​


Amazon Prime, of course, comes with all the films and TV shows included in Prime Video - but so much more.


The big draw for shoppers will be free next-day delivery on millions of eligible items, with no need for a minimum purchase amount.


This culminates with Prime Day, a two-day sales extravaganza exclusively for Prime members - with deals so good the event often outsells Black Friday for the shopping site. Previous deals have included 20% off Amazon devices, 30% off Amazon Everyday Essentials, several months of Amazon's services for as little as 99p, and huge savings on tech.


That's not all, however - subscribers get access to Amazon Music, which includes over 2 million ad-free songs, as well as access to a rotating selection of eBooks and magazines with Prime Reading and a free Kindle book from the Editors' six picks each month with Amazon First Reads. Oh, and Prime Members also get unlimited photo storage and try before you buy with Prime Wardrobe.


Amazon has continued to add benefits to their already great value subscription service over the last few years - Prime members can now get a free year of Deliveroo Plus, bonus game content with Prime Gaming and same-day grocery delivery on orders over £40 in select areas.


Finally, Prime members also get early access to Lightning Deals, 20 per cent off Alexa in-skill purchases and extra points on the Amazon Platinum Mastercard. Phew.

(Amazon)
Confusingly, there's also a service called Amazon Video (not Prime), which is essentially an online video rental/buying service like iTunes. With this service, you pay for individual TV episodes, whole series or movies, and can either download and keep them or rent them for a limited period.


It can be annoying arriving at a series you like the look of only to discover it isn't included in your Prime subscription – but you quickly get a feel for what's included and what comes extra.


​





I learned that the cost of Prime to US customers is about $20 more than here

£95 if we pay annually here.. $139 in the USA ..or $14.99 per month.. that's a big difference, I don't know if you get more for your Prime membership in the USA
 
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I resisted Prime for years but after I got it I decided I like it a lot (mostly Prime Video). Except the free books they offer usually don't appeal to me, I'd rather have some credit toward books that I really want to read. Also I haven't figured out how to use the digital credits that I supposedly get when I choose the slightly slower delivery option. Perhaps if I made some effort to learn about them, ha ha.

I love the free easy returns. Just today I wanted to return something and it turned out I could take it to a Kohl's store about 9 minutes away and they pack and ship it back free, plus Kohl's gave me a 15% off coupon, unfortunately I didn't see anything in the store that I wanted to buy.
 
I like Prime Video. There’ve been several shows we watched. We really don’t order much from Amazon and it’s two day delivery which is more likely 5 - 7 days.
 
Jules said:
I like Prime Video. There’ve been several shows we watched. We really don’t order much from Amazon and it’s two day delivery which is more likely 5 - 7 days.
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I've only had that happen twice.. almost always it's one day delivery here with Prime.. if I order before 6pm today it'll be here tomorrow..
 

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