Amazon Prime Price Increase

I just find it pretty hilarious that Amazon increases the price $20 after not increasing it for what? 9 years? All this time they have accumulated more cost, but kept that price the same, while offering more services. And yet all of a sudden that is enough to make people drop it. Just completely ridiculous imho.
 
sok0 said:
I currently have Amazon Prime and have ordered 7 things from amazon in the past few months, only 2 of them have actually come in 2 days. It really pisses me off that when I order something from amazon, they have a warehouse a hundred miles from me, and when they ship my item, they used the cheapest fricking shipping option possible (UPS Surepost) and my stuff never comes in 2 days.... UPS delivers to my local post office the next day, then my post office delivers it whenever they feel like it. That and now that I have to pay 9.25% sales tax in TN, I wont be renewing.
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You should be complaining to Amazon if stuff isn't arriving in two days like it is supposed to.
 
NoOther said:
I just find it pretty hilarious that Amazon increases the price $20 after not increasing it for what? 9 years? All this time they have accumulated more cost, but kept that price the same, while offering more services. And yet all of a sudden that is enough to make people drop it. Just completely ridiculous imho.
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Mob mentality of spoiled people. Any price increase ever is totally unacceptable.
 
this might just cause more people to share a prime free 2 day shipping per account.

i think you can share 4 extra ppl. so 100 / 5 = 20 dollars per person.
 
Cali3350 said:
Mob mentality of spoiled people. Any price increase ever is totally unacceptable.
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They started charging tax in February. Now I have to price compare locally where there wasn't a chance before of a local store matching their prices. Just that fact makes it not worthwhile to me. Then having to pay $20 more surely doesn't help.
 
The price increase doesn't bother me. I've been enjoying the benefits of prime for a couple years now. My wife watches a lot of the shows/movies through the streaming service. That alone is worth the cost to me.

As for the hiked prices for Prime items, I've not seen that too often. In most cases the cheaper priced items have shipping costs that make them almost equal to than the prime eligible items cost. And then, without prime, you have to then depend on the seller to package/ship the item out in a timely fashion, and you're still not getting the item in 2 days. I'd rather pay a few bucks extra just for the peace of mind that I will get my order in a timely manor. I've had a couple bad experiences purchasing items straight from sellers on Amazon (super slow shipping 3weeks+ for one item)
 
Ah, just reread it to be sure. Missed the part that Amazon is encouraging it. Which I guess can be taken many ways.
 
First thing I noticed when I woke up and checked my email this morning. Ended my 4 year membership on the spot, primarily due to abusive business practises regarding pricing (I've personally witnessed the price increase after I logged on to use my Prime account), tax added in last 6 months, and selection going way down for food with practically no food sales anymore. I'd be lying if I said this price increase wasn't the final nail in the fucking coffin though.

Bye Amazon, it was fun (for a while).
 
My subscription expires April 21st, and I'm already going to be billed the new $99 fee. I've noticed that quite often the price I'm paying for an item with prime is the same as the non prime item + shipping, of course the prime shipping is 2-day, but the difference just doesn't justify that much money a year.
 
It's still cheaper for me to pay Amazon $100 a year for 2 day shipping on most stuff than to drive to Walmart or Target, deal with crowds of people and pay 6.85% tax on everything I buy. I would like it if they did a tier option though. Keep it at $79 for people who would rather use Netflix than Amazon Instant Video and don't use the Kindle lending. One thing that does erk me a lot about Amazon Prime though is how they'll jack up the price on something that would be the same price had you just paid shipping cost. To me, that is bullshit.
 
pothb said:
I do not get this lawsuit. From the sound of it, it sounds like the vendors are the one doing this, not Amazon. If taht is true, WTF is wrong with people?
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yup - it's pretty much some dried up old skank who has no life and sees an easy way to either A) make some money or B) do a lot of attention whoring

If you order 1 thing a month via prime it's already paid for itself. Sure, if you only order 3 things per year you are going to scoff.



I'm not worried about the price hike really, I'm still more pissed about having to pay taxes here in Texas.

For all the computer stuff I order -- newegg is still always the cheapest regularly. No taxes, and I have free 2 day shop runner membership. Means I have the best of both worlds.
 
belfert said:
You should be complaining to Amazon if stuff isn't arriving in two days like it is supposed to.
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Agreed. I haven't had it happen too often, maybe twice in the last year, but every time I've let them know it took longer than two days they've extended my Prime by a month as compensation for the inconvenience.
 
I'm renewing. Love me some Amazon prime - especially free two day shipping. Waiting over a week for free shipping sux. So much better than going to best buy, wal mart, target, etc.
 
NoOther said:
I just find it pretty hilarious that Amazon increases the price $20 after not increasing it for what? 9 years? All this time they have accumulated more cost, but kept that price the same, while offering more services. And yet all of a sudden that is enough to make people drop it. Just completely ridiculous imho.
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Do they have the right to increase, due to rising costs? Sure! Do keep in mind that--like any good company--Amazon has also been lowering costs in all areas over those same 9 years (and every year since inception) and has the option to cut further costs elsewhere to make up the difference on these supposed increased shipping costs or raise prices on their goods/services. Obviously, they chose the latter, but only for Prime members. Did they also announce that their regular shipping costs are going up? Funny I didn't hear anything about that. We're to assume that only Prime shipping has gotten more costly? Or, does that mean Prime members are subsidizing the increased shipping costs for everyone else? Somehow, I doubt that; yet, that's how they're trying to sell this to the public.

Just as they weighed their options and made the decision to raise the Prime price, we also have the same right to re-evaluate whether or not we still want/need Prime at the new cost. As far as the "more services" part, I have yet to find a single movie or TV show on Prime that I wanted to watch and I don't own a Kindle, so the only benefit I get from Prime is "free" 2-day shipping. Now, if they offered their entire streaming collection, I might find the price increase worthy; hell, I might even be willing to pay more! As it stands? Can't say I do.
 
The email they sent me said that I won't get hit with the higher rate until my 2016 renewal. They promised me that me 2015 renewal will stay $79.

I'll still happily pay $99 for the service. I spend so much at Amazon and my girlfriend benefits with her Kindle Fire, as well as our smart tv having Amazon Prime Instant Video built into it.
 
The Gonz said:
Can anyone help me out with this.

I have been a prime member for a couple months now but every time I look up a product the ones that are "Prime Eligible" cost more. It's as if they bake the cost of 2 day shipping into the product.

Has anyone else noticed this or am I just seeing a problem where none exist? :confused:
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Your not seeing things.

It's worse when it's a Prime item that's also a fullfillment item. That's what that lawsuit is all about.

It still usually works out cheaper from amazon under prime, but it's not as good as it used to be.
 
No love for me :(

"We are writing to provide you advance notice that the price of your Prime membership will be increasing. The annual rate will be $99 when your membership renews on May 10, 2014."
 
Skirge01 said:
Do they have the right to increase, due to rising costs? Sure! Do keep in mind that--like any good company--Amazon has also been lowering costs in all areas over those same 9 years (and every year since inception) and has the option to cut further costs elsewhere to make up the difference on these supposed increased shipping costs or raise prices on their goods/services. Obviously, they chose the latter, but only for Prime members. Did they also announce that their regular shipping costs are going up? Funny I didn't hear anything about that. We're to assume that only Prime shipping has gotten more costly? Or, does that mean Prime members are subsidizing the increased shipping costs for everyone else? Somehow, I doubt that; yet, that's how they're trying to sell this to the public.

Just as they weighed their options and made the decision to raise the Prime price, we also have the same right to re-evaluate whether or not we still want/need Prime at the new cost. As far as the "more services" part, I have yet to find a single movie or TV show on Prime that I wanted to watch and I don't own a Kindle, so the only benefit I get from Prime is "free" 2-day shipping. Now, if they offered their entire streaming collection, I might find the price increase worthy; hell, I might even be willing to pay more! As it stands? Can't say I do.
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1) Shipping costs have gone up over the past 9 years. Not sure where you have been during all that time.
2) Amazon's overall costs have both gone up and down, but they have faced a lot of competition in the last few years and even lost ground in the warehousing business. So it isn't like they are or have ever been bilking their Prime Members.
3) Everyone has the right to weigh their options, I just find it funny for people who shell out money for a lot of other services that are far more expensive for less overall options, they would balk at the price increase. It's one thing to say hey, they are raising their prices, might not be as economical now. It's another thing to get all bent out of shape about it like people have done. Especially since at first it was assumed it was going to be double and now we find out its about a 20% increase.
4) You might be able to get some of that streaming content elsewhere, but that doesn't mean its not a viable addition. For you, it might not be as viable, that goes back to #3. For others it is more viable.

In the end my point is people getting all faux outraged or all of a sudden huffing and puffing about a 20% increase after 9 years of no increase is a bit ridiculous.
 
I use amazon because I hate shopping, the hassle and headache of driving around town all day is worth the cost to me. I do get charged tax here in WA so I compare prices before I buy. I agree that the streaming should be separate, its nice to have but i can count on one hand how many times I have actually used it. And according to my statement "On March 21, 2014, you will be charged $79 for another year of Prime. Starting March 21, 2015, you will be charged $99 per year". So I will go one more year at the old price see what happens after that.
 
I like the way they floated the possibility of a $40 increase and then increased it by $20.

MIND CONTROL!!!!
 
mavrocket said:
$99 a year = $8.25 a month

Average cost for 2-day shipping = $20+

Average cost for regular shipping = $5 to $12

Like another person said, my Prime Membership more than pays for itself during Christmas, where I was paying more than $99 to send all my presents in packages out via snail-mail with USPS, I now usually spend nothing for 2-day...

Well worth it to me, and will happily renew next January at the new rate, but will reconsider next time the price rises.
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This is me. Still worth it. Plus I can't argue over a 20 dollar hike after all these years.
 
My biggest gripe is all the post office handoffs now. Mail come late as F compared to UPS and FedEx by me
 
HardUp4HardWare said:
I like the way they floated the possibility of a $40 increase and then increased it by $20.

MIND CONTROL!!!!
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I like the way consumers demand permanent and constant price drops and then complain when all the jobs and product manufacturing move to China or India to reduce costs :p
 
NoOther said:
I just find it pretty hilarious that Amazon increases the price $20 after not increasing it for what? 9 years? All this time they have accumulated more cost, but kept that price the same, while offering more services. And yet all of a sudden that is enough to make people drop it. Just completely ridiculous imho.
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Whoa whoa whoa, stop bringing reason into this thread...it's not looked kindly upon in these here parts...
 
kbrickley said:
I like the way consumers demand permanent and constant price drops and then complain when all the jobs and product manufacturing move to China or India to reduce costs :p
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For most its the constant increases in every little thing in disproportionate manner to most wage increases couple that with other cost like school if you have kids, which costs more for everything now because many reductions in state funding to schools (looking at you state of Illinois). It was a good money saver for many but like TV not a necessity (I don't pay for TV) I'll most likely go back to waiting a few extra days, and luckily I have all the usual stores around me plus a frys and TigerDirect and microcenter near me.

Of course just my opinion.
 
My experience with Amazon has been great and I will renew. It easily pays itself off for me and I hate battling crowds in the stores on the weekends which is about the only time I have to shop.
 
defunctdoormat said:
Subscribe and Save has nothing to do with Prime. They're separate programs. And they don't do that 2 day shipping, either. I have had items take a week to arrive with sub & save. Interesting, though, because my sub & save promotion is only 15%, for 5 items. And I am a Prime member. I've been using Sub & Save since it started, though, and currently have only 2 items ordered, but I'm getting 15% for each of them, instead of 5%, so that may have something to do with it. The program started out at 15%, and it stayed that way for me when the program changed. Just can't find anything else I need on a regular schedule like that.
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I've always had prime shipping with subscribe and save though. They ship according to your schedule, but once they do, everything arrives in 2 days of it shipping. I usually get 10 or so things a month, they all ship within a day or two of each other depending on the warehouse they're coming from and they arrive 2 days after they ship. Plus, you have to have to be a Prime Member to get 20% off.
 
sok0 said:
I currently have Amazon Prime and have ordered 7 things from amazon in the past few months, only 2 of them have actually come in 2 days. It really pisses me off that when I order something from amazon, they have a warehouse a hundred miles from me, and when they ship my item, they used the cheapest fricking shipping option possible (UPS Surepost) and my stuff never comes in 2 days.... UPS delivers to my local post office the next day, then my post office delivers it whenever they feel like it. That and now that I have to pay 9.25% sales tax in TN, I wont be renewing.
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HisSvt76 said:
My biggest gripe is all the post office handoffs now. Mail come late as F compared to UPS and FedEx by me
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If you call up Amazon and complain , do it nicely and politely, about the missed express shipment , 9x out of 10 they will tack on an extra month of free prime to your account . Last year I had 3 months added to my prime account for a few packages that did not come to me on time.
 
Everyone will need at evaluate if it's worth it to them, but for the wife and I on a per-item/ per-order basis the increase is very small. Based on our orders placed during 2013 it'll only be about $0.13 per order placed or about $0.086 per item increase. Not to mention that customer service is great, returns and exchanges are easy. We will likely continue to use amazon prime services here.

With that said, there have also been other changes that have reduced prime's value that people don't mention often. One being the "add-on items" there are numerous items I've ordered previously with free prime shipping that are now add-on items and require a $25 order. With prime one day shipping used to be $3.99 per item now I've seen up to $8.99.

our 2013 amazon order stats: $4006.09 - 154 orders - 233 items

still think it beats my last experience going to wal-mart to save $10 over amazon, can find item, ask 5 people, get pointed all around the store, get told I should of ordered it online and had it site-to-store shipped since they can't find the shelf it's suppose to be on, leave without what I wanted, wasted over an hour in store, 30mins driving, angry.
 
NoOther said:
1) Shipping costs have gone up over the past 9 years. Not sure where you have been during all that time.
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Where was I? Here:

Skirge01 said:
Do they have the right to increase, due to rising costs? Sure!
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NoOther said:
2) Amazon's overall costs have both gone up and down, but they have faced a lot of competition in the last few years and even lost ground in the warehousing business. So it isn't like they are or have ever been bilking their Prime Members.
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When any company faces competition (which would be every company which is not a monopoly) or even when they don't have competition, they target certain areas in their supply chain to reduce costs and eat the increased costs they cannot shave in other areas; it's business 101. Not sure where I said they were bilking us. Again, I refer you to my first statement that they DO have the right to increase prices to cover costs.

3) Everyone has the right to weigh their options, I just find it funny for people who shell out money for a lot of other services that are far more expensive for less overall options, they would balk at the price increase. It's one thing to say hey, they are raising their prices, might not be as economical now. It's another thing to get all bent out of shape about it like people have done. Especially since at first it was assumed it was going to be double and now we find out its about a 20% increase.
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I can only assume this isn't directed at me, since I definitely did not get bent out of shape. I will say that no one can know what someone else's bills are like.

4) You might be able to get some of that streaming content elsewhere, but that doesn't mean its not a viable addition. For you, it might not be as viable, that goes back to #3. For others it is more viable.
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Exactly. Maybe I'm just making my point with more eloquence than others who feel Prime is no longer worth the price?

In the end my point is people getting all faux outraged or all of a sudden huffing and puffing about a 20% increase after 9 years of no increase is a bit ridiculous.
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Honestly, I really only read one reply here which could potentially be seen as "outrage" and even that one wasn't all that bad. Regardless, last time I checked, they do have that right. I don't think the feds have taken that away from us... yet. It's not faux outrage if they are truly outraged. Is some of it a bit over the top? Maybe. But, that's someone else's opinion and both are perfectly valid.
 
"How can we raise the price of Amazon Prime on our subscribers without them getting pissed off?"
-"Tell them you're going to raise it by $60"
"And then?"
-"Then actually raise it by $20, and they will be relieved."


Honestly though you all are making Amazon Prime sound really damn good right now
 
Its' only $20...couple more packages and its paid for...I imagine most use it so often Amazon is losing big time on some customers. Is there a limit at all?
 
Skirge01 said:
I can only assume this isn't directed at me, since I definitely did not get bent out of shape. I will say that no one can know what someone else's bills are like.
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Nope, not directed at you, which is why I said people and not "Skirge01" :). Most of my comments were in general and probably should have done a better job of noting that.

Skirge01 said:
Exactly. Maybe I'm just making my point with more eloquence than others who feel Prime is no longer worth the price?

Honestly, I really only read one reply here which could potentially be seen as "outrage" and even that one wasn't all that bad. Regardless, last time I checked, they do have that right. I don't think the feds have taken that away from us... yet. It's not faux outrage if they are truly outraged. Is some of it a bit over the top? Maybe. But, that's someone else's opinion and both are perfectly valid.
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Others have made valid arguments, but there are also a lot of flippant replies and have been in many Amazon is raising prices the world is ending threads. Its faux outrage when those same people are paying for a number of services that are more expensive and provide less. Also when some people cried over how it was going to be twice the amount, and now its only 20% more and yet even that much is too much. It was a generalized comment and feeling about people over this topic. I mean it wouldn't really be newsworthy if there wasn't a lot of public outcry over it.
 
Can;t believe anyone pays for this anyway.

Almost everything gets here in two days with their free shipping (and I am patient). The only reason I'd even consider it is because they have raised the minimum to $35. Also, I can see how this is attractive to the crowd who are basement dwellers.
 
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