Things have just gone from bad to worse for Amazon shoppers. Yesterday they teased us with what turned out to be an erroneous $70 price drop on the Fire HD 8 (and it was back down to $99 again for a few hours today).
Then Amazon goes and follows that up with a minimum order price hike for free shipping on orders from Amazon.
Previously the minimum amount to get free shipping was $35, which started in October 2013. Before then it was only $25.
So in just over 2 years the minimum order for free shipping has doubled at Amazon.
It’s not all bad though. They did drop the minimum order for free shipping on books to $25 (previously everything fell under the $35 minimum). And once your order has $25 worth of qualifying books, you don’t have to hit the $49 mark for other items in your order.
Obviously Amazon want’s everyone to give them $99 per year for Prime Membership, which grants free 2-day shipping on orders fulfilled by Amazon with no minimum, but it’s also going to send customers elsewhere.
After the last price hike on shipping, I posted an article with 5 Alternatives to Amazon’s Super Saver Shipping (more like super slow shipping). Ever since then I’ve been using eBay for small purchases much more often and it almost always works out cheaper than going through Amazon, plus there’s no threshold for free shipping. Either the seller offers free shipping or they don’t, simple as that. You don’t have to waste time trying to find another $10 item to add to your order to get free shipping to avoid having to pay $10 for shipping.
I’ll never buy Prime. $100 is too much for the relatively few physical items I purchase direct from the site in a year, and their steaming video library SUCKS. Though I appreciate lowering the requirement for books, I can’t take advantage of it. The only time I buy physical books from Amazon is out-of-print books from private sellers, which of course do not qualify for free shipping.
I agree with Techno. Their video streaming sucks. I’m not 16, so I don’t need their music service. I often bought things for friends so they could avoid the minimum threshold. And I COULD get Prime for $49 and I don’t even want it!
I’ll be looking elsewhere for any internet purchases. But, if anything, it entices me to shop locally rather than online. It’s starting to not become worth the hassle and cost. It turns out not much cheaper overall.
I myself am also purchasing a lot more often from ebay now for small minimal things under $20 which consists of the majority of my shopping anyway. Amazon also keeps raising the price consistently for eBay sellers.
I believe Amazon should offer an alternative to Prime four members that don’t want to stream video or audio services such as Amazon prime light for example. Drop that service to $59 yearly which includes free two-day shipping and nothing more. Give people more options and don’t stick them in a one size fits all model.
* For Amazon sellers through FBA i meant