To Amazon Prime or not to Amazon Prime... that is the question

hiraeth2018

hiraeth2018

Member
Location
Oregon
Have you resisted the urge?

My daughter has introduced me to Amazon Prime Christmas shopping and I have to say bravo! As long as I did my homework ahead of time, becoming familiar with the product I was looking for, Amazon's prices were hard to beat which included shipping fees. Major gifts are done now and today is only Dec. 4th!
 

I've been using Amazon for many years, both as a buyer and a seller. I finally joined Prime about a year ago, because I liked the idea of free two-day shipping. What I didn't realize was that I also got the bonus of their wonderful streaming TV channel. They have the best series and movies, IMO much better than the Netflix selection, and it's included in the $10 Prime membership. Worth joining just for that!

As far as Xmas shopping goes, why does it all have to be from one source? There's nothing wrong with getting some stuff from Amazon, and other items from the local stores, or other online businesses. (Though there aren't too many local department stores still operating around here, sad to say.)
 
I've had it for several years. I use the Amazon Prime streaming videos on my TV or laptop, usually my TV. Honestly, I don't know anymore because I don't buy like I used to and look at maybe one movie a month. Hmmm.
 

I received Amazon prime for a year when I bought a kindle. I really didn't use it all that much. I then forgot to cancel and had to pay the fee for another year. I've found many of the prices cheaper in our local stores but I must say it can't get any easier shopping. I don't have prime anymore but my daughter does. She tells me what the grand kids want and then she orders the items and has them shipped to me and I pay her for the item and tax when I see her. It the items go over the amount for free shipping then I order them myself.
 
@Sunny I have to say my decision to shop this way was dollar driven... and also saved me time and frustration in finding these items. The remaining time I have I can enjoy the Christmas coffee, decor, celebrations in town without feeling I have over spent. I guess the real question is if one item is $50 on Amazon and the very same item is offered at $65 at another store which would you buy? And that is why some of our retail stores are dying...
 
We have used Prime for several years. The free shipping, and expedited arrivals of merchandise (3-4 days, sometimes) is great. Also the Prime streaming movies and television is a great perk. Funny, at first, I rarely seemed to find things I wanted to watch on the Video, but over time, I have found some good stuff.
There are occasional times when a movie I want is not available for streaming, but as a rental. But then, the rental cost is not much different than when we used to rent videos from Blockbuster..and there is no leaving the house to go get them or return them. We do not often rent, as there is so much we like streaming with prime, but usually for our birthdays, and Christmas, we will treat ourselves to a rental.
 
I finally gave in to getting Prime when Amazon gave me one month free, and I did receive my packages way more quickly than before. However, I don't know if this is going to be always this way or just the period where I would be deciding to keep it or not. Anyway, I did decide to sign on to it for a year. If it goes back to taking a longer time to get things shipped, I won't renew. I really don't use the streaming service much because I just don't watch that many movies and I have stuff already that I haven't watched yet.
 
I guess the real question is if one item is $50 on Amazon and the very same item is offered at $65 at another store which would you buy? And that is why some of our retail stores are dying...
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Probably a rhetorical question, but I'll answer it anyway. I'd buy from Amazon, of course. (Unless the shop owner was a personal friend of mine, or I had some particular reason to want that business to succeed. But usually, shopping is a hardhearted activity. The buyer wants to get the best price for the item, not to pay much more than necessary in order to keep a business afloat.)
 
I shop on Amazon constantly. It is much easier for me and my husband then walking around a store. I have been a Prime Member for years and I love it. Of all the ordering I have done I never was disappointed in the product or the speed of arrival. Honestly I don't know what I would do without Amazon.
 
Don't know if the "Prime" benefits are similar in the US, but I get three or four deliveries a week from Amazon and the free shipping alone more than recovers the cost.
 
I have Prime, use it for streaming and shipping..

I once heard that Prime was Amazon's largest profit!! Say 5 million users at $99 a year equals 500M a year!!
 
I use Amazon rather frequently but I'm a big supporter of local businesses as well. Products that I want to see, feel, try on, &c. always come from brick and mortar stores. I also try to support local businesses where having a knowledgeable salesperson adds value to my purchase. For me, it would be just plain unethical to go into a store, look at the merchandise, get guidance in making a decision, and then go home and buy the item cheaper from Amazon.

I also comparison shop for online purchases. Amazon often doesn't offer the best online price.

As for Prime, it's of no value for me. I keep items in my "Cart" until I have enough for free shipping. Nothing I buy from them is particularly urgent. I don't watch much television, but did I try the free trial of the streaming service. I appeared that there was a charge for almost everything so I passed on it.
 
I've been an Amazon Prime member for many years! When I need something from Amazon, I click on the little button that shows me only Prime items (free two day shipping) and make my selections. Returns are ridiculously easy too. If it's clothes and I'm not familiar with the brand (the way it fits me etc.,) I'll order two or three items in the different sizes, try on and make my selection, then return the other ones. It's as simple as saving the packaging, printing out their return label, putting the unused items back into the same package as they were shipped to me in, and dropping it off at my local UPS or USPS. No charge for shipping!!

I use Amazon for everything! Last week I got a new water dispenser bowl for my cat, a bunch of Xmas gifts, some soap that was in the last airbnb we stayed at that Ron loved so I took the info down and found it on Amazon, and renewed some supplements that I take. A couple of the items were a few cents or a dollar more than I can buy them locally, but the savings in gas alone was worth the extra. By the time I would have driven to Walmart for the dog bowl, the various stores around town for the Xmas gifts, across town for the soap (I only found one store locally that stocked it) and GNC for the supplements, I would have burned through a lot of gas!
 
Sunny said:
Probably a rhetorical question, but I'll answer it anyway. I'd buy from Amazon, of course. (Unless the shop owner was a personal friend of mine, or I had some particular reason to want that business to succeed. But usually, shopping is a hardhearted activity. The buyer wants to get the best price for the item, not to pay much more than necessary in order to keep a business afloat.)
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I would do the same thing. I agree, shopping IS a hardhearted activity.
 
Tommy said:
I use Amazon rather frequently but I'm a big supporter of local businesses as well. Products that I want to see, feel, try on, &c. always come from brick and mortar stores. I also try to support local businesses where having a knowledgeable salesperson adds value to my purchase. For me, it would be just plain unethical to go into a store, look at the merchandise, get guidance in making a decision, and then go home and buy the item cheaper from Amazon.

I also comparison shop for online purchases. Amazon often doesn't offer the best online price.

As for Prime, it's of no value for me. I keep items in my "Cart" until I have enough for free shipping. Nothing I buy from them is particularly urgent. I don't watch much television, but did I try the free trial of the streaming service. I appeared that there was a charge for almost everything so I passed on it.
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You're right. Frequently, WalMart.com has the identical item for less than Amazon.com. And there are several other online vitamin stores that have substantially better prices on the same brand name supplements and vitamins.
 
I don't order enough for Prime to help me. When I do order, I order enough to get free shipping. If I don't have enough for free shipping, I go to Ebay and order with free shipping. This has worked for me for more years than I can remember.
 

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