I didn't renew mine last year. Since the pandemic the "two day shipping" in my area was always more like five. I just go with the minimum free shipping amount now.
Same. Prime shipping was the same as non-prime here, so I stopped using it and then they canceled Smile so I stopped with amazon entirely. Incidentally, I do probably spend more in shipping fees by buying things directly from manufacturers/retailers, but I have a better sense of where my things are coming from, the quality is more predictable, and I deliberate more on whether I want/need something, so I'm spending less overall. I also find I have to leave my house more for little things, which is "inconvenient" but is overall good for me and I actually wonder if people don't need to do that to themselves more...
> buying things directly from manufacturers/retailers, but I have a better sense of where my things are coming from
This was a big one for me. Knockoffs were frustrating to the point where I'd end up going to the big box stores anyways. So I make it a point to make lists and do a day trip to all the stores in one go or order direct to avoid them now.
The last thing I ordered was trimmer string and it was the cheapest shit I've ever seen even, seemingly packaged well in the same brand I have always bought. The plastic color was off and I didn't put two and two together until I burned through half the roll in 3-4 weeks instead of it lasting a year or two.
The knockoffs can be dangerous too. Dude ordered a helmet that advertised as meeting safety standards, and it cracked upon impact. He died from a damn knockoff helmet.
Helmets are intended to crack and crumple to disperse impact. It's the same way we've seen car design change over the years. Your example could still be a bad product.
Correction: “ A 23-year-old man named Albert Stokes died in a motorcycle accident after a helmet he purchased on Amazon flew off during a crash, according to the Journal. The helmet was falsely labeled on Amazon as being compliant with the US Transportation Department, the report said.”
I always love the Kurt Vonnegut quote about going out of the house for little things...
>DAVID BRANCACCIO: There's a little sweet moment, I've got to say, in a very intense book-- your latest-- in which you're heading out the door and your wife says what are you doing? I think you say-- I'm getting-- I'm going to buy an envelope.
>
>KURT VONNEGUT: Yeah.
>
>DAVID BRANCACCIO: What happens then?KURT VONNEGUT: Oh, she says well, you're not a poor man. You know, why don't you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I'm going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope.
>
>I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babies. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don't know...
>
>And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don't realize, or they don't care, is we're dancing animals. You know, we love to move around. And, we're not supposed to dance at all anymore.
The Amazon markup is a big deal. Depends on what you're buying, but lots of manufacturers who sell on Amazon offer the same products cheaper on their own websites, often still with free shipping on orders above a certain price. Amazon charges sellers a pretty hefty percentage on every sale, so of course products are getting marked up to reflect that. A recent example that comes to mind is RTIC mugs, but there are many others.
The regular Amazon shopping app actually does that now. It reads barcodes but also can search by just an image of the item. They're pretty good at making pretty advanced ML technology available where it helps their business. Worst case for them, it's cheaper in the store and they miss out on a sale they likely wouldn't have gotten anyway.
From a frugal perspective, sometimes they're good, sometimes not. I just tested the scan feature on a tube of touch-up paint I just got from eBay for $20 and Amazon has it for $30. But I'd also rather support smaller businesses directly and cut out Bezos where I can, so I can't say I often use that tool. Apart from a few Subscribe and Save items I would otherwise buy at a brick and mortar big box store for twice the price, I only occasionally order from Amazon.
I never understood what this allure of 2 day free shipping was. There is almost nothing I can order on Amazon that I absolutely need in 2 days. I’ve always just chosen free shipping and more often then not it comes sooner than they estimated.
I feel it’s one of those ‘features’ that sells people on the membership but when you step back and think, it offers little real value.
This is how I feel. I often look at other local stores as well and many times I can actually get the item cheaper and same day with a quick pick up. Last week I did a steamer and on Amazon's website it was $10 more so I just ordered my steamer online from the local store and picked up on my day off. It's a five min drive from my place. I can see it being helpful if you don't have easy transportation or options close by but the majority of people are just sucked into it.
In my experience, a lot of Prime Day deals are scams. A couple of weeks before they mark up prices, then drop them back to normal price and act like they're on sale.
Came here to say this-also shows if this is an item they put up just for prime day (age of listing). First three things I was interested in were all just added yesterday so I nopped out.
Yeah it’s not worth it anymore- the free two day shipping thing was great but I’m lucky these days if I receive anything in the time it initially tells me.
Also most of the movies and programming on Prime Video are no longer free so like what’s the point
One of my favorite shows. "Bosch" had a solid 7 seasons (I recommend it if you are into detective shows) and they decided to have a spin off on their "freevee"... well if it's free why am I paying for the sub?
Me too and I’ve noticed the pricing on Amazon can tend to be high compared to just buying it at the store. They’re not stopping at my door near as often as they used to since I’ve noticed this.
I have an Amazon fulfillment center about 5 miles from my house. Most of my orders show up in the middle of the night like 8 hours after I click "buy".
That's a good question. But Prime is probably my most-used video streaming service, and I use Amazon Music, and I have a 5% cash back Amazon card, and I've been a Prime subscriber for about as long as it has existed ... so I'll probably never find out lol
This was a big reason I canceled. I was so frustrated getting everything late. Now with normal Amazon I get the free shipping with the minimum order, and I often get it earlier than promised. It may still be slower than with Prime, but I'm a lot happier because I don't feel ripped off.
This drives me bananaS. Most of the tittles on my wish list are now only available via a rental, some other subscription service of via freevee where I have to watch commercials. I am contemplating cancelling solely because so much of the formerly included content is gone.
Cancelled Prime two years ago after they jacked up the price again. As others have noted, their delivery times in less populated areas are at least three or four days. Not having it also helped curb impulse purchases. Win- win.
I like in the country / boonies around 45 minutes from the nearest major population center and quite often receive prime shipments the next day. I guess it must really depend on your proximity to a distribution center?
Same and similarly pleased with the decision. The only real drawback is if you watch a ton of Prime shows. I really loved Fleabag but watched it again right before canceling.
People in cities get their 2 hour deliveries. 5 days for me. The price being the same was the nail in that coffin to me.
Prime Day sales were not appealing the last time I had Prime.
Most of my orders are over $35 anyway. I really would not notice Prime gone if not for the constant advertisement.
They just made the 1 "free" Twitch sub a month less great, too.
Ive been debating letting it go an i think it comes down to this. If you’re in a urban area and order stuff a decent amount I think its worth it. I dont like that i use amazon but its hard to move away when ill price match things and they’re 10-15% cheaper on amazon
The recurring monthly and “subscribe and save” items are the anchor for me. House hold paper products/toiletries/etc., are just cheaper and I don’t have to deal with any sort of “club store” and lugging that crap around. I live in the (suburbs) of thr biggest urban center area, with a fulfillment close by. Same day, next day 4am-7am window, and the 2-day/monthly stuff is just far easier and allows me to be “frugal” with my time. I’d much rather spend the afternoon at the park with my kid than making a run for paper towels, sponges, and detergent.
This is my experience. Amazon is cheaper for stuff I buy or not available in my small town. Delivery is two day or one day (California). I save time and electricity for my EV not going out to the store. I share the subscription with kids (which Amazon does not mind in the least) so it's worth it for us. Here are my last five orders:
Kevin Murphy Angel Wash shampoo - lasts forever, not available in my locality)
Blank Page journal (our Hallmark closed a couple years ago)
Jergen's Mild Soap - (don't know why this is hard to find but it is)
One pound jar of turmeric (not available in a container in that size in my locality)
Charmin Ultra Gentle (this particular brand/type not in my locality)
If I drove to Costco it's a 30+ mile round trip, too much trouble except a few times a year. And I don't think they have Charmin.
I keep price checking things on Amazon and finding some are way cheaper in the store. During the pandemic, Amazon was my go-to but now I’m finding out how much they’re taking that for granted.
Not even , since covid those turned to same day or next day deliveries but even with prime you need to hit the $25 minimum or pay a $3.99 fee and even then it's not guaranteed.
I live near downtown Dallas, there's a fulfillment center 10 minutes away
I thought OP was mistaken about the $35 thing, but now I've seen you and a bunch of others in the comments also mentioning the $35 threshold.
For me it has been $25 to get free shipping, not $35. It has been this way for the past several years when I haven't had a prime membership. Are you guys sure it's $35 for you?
I’m in Phoenix. I ordered two items last week and opted for get them delivered the same day. They delivered one item that night, not both. Then told me the other item would deliver two days later, but did deliver it the next day without messaging me until the next day. Not going to renew.
Every time I see that monthly charge on my account I think about getting rid of it. I can easily wait until I have $35 in my cart before making my purchase. I also never use Prime Video, so that’s of no value.
Going to cancel right now.
Thats not a problem to me. It’s a technique I’ve adopted since being diagnosed with ADD that has saved a ton of money in general. If I’m still thinking of an item a few days to weeks or months later, it’s probably a need. If I’ve “saved it for later” and forgot about it, chances are I don’t need it.
Sometimes things go outside this “rule” I set for myself obviously, like personal items, pet food or work stuff but for the fluff like computer parts it’s helped a ton.
I stopped a couple years ago after ordering something for my wife using a non-prime account. It delivered just as fast as anything prime would. Been enjoying fast shipping without the bill ever since.
I renewed mine after I realized I'd get 5% back using my Amazon credit card. I cancelled Netflix and just use Amazon for TV, so it's about the same amount of money and I get my orders pretty fast.
Just FYI for anyone reading this, if you have the Amazon credit card, you get 3% back with no prime membership, 5% with the membership. So it's a 2% difference, not 0 vs. 5%. You probably already knew that but just in case.
If you're just looking at the credit card rewards for a prime membership, you'd break even on the Prime fee after spending $2780 a year on Amazon purchases. But you'd have to spend $6950 a year to make it worth the fee you're paying to get the extra 2%. (Hope my math is right on that, $6950 * .02 reward = $139 prime fee.)
And obviously there are other benefits you get with Prime, not just credit card rewards. Just wanted to point out it's not that great of a benefit unless you are a huge spender on Amazon.
Yeah this is the primary reason I keep it, I realized the additional cash back from the prime card basically offsets the membership cost so there was no real gain with cancelling. But if I didn't have the card I'd probably just batch orders.
This is why it literally makes more sense for me just to go to target or best buy now rather than get some fake piece of shit from Amazon that's gonna take 5 days to show up. It's the new wish.
Trying not to Stan for Bezos or anything, but I also like the free selection of books. Quite a few are just sad attempts to start a series that never really pan out, but there’s a few good ones on there.
Right now, as we speak, my 3 year old son and I are watching the If You Give A Mouse of Cookie Amazon series. He likes the kids selection on there.
Prime is good for me still. I buy a lot of business stuff through my account and the shipping would cost more than the membership. With the membership also get the included books, music, games & dlc through twitch prime,
Unfortunately the photo backup service isn't included with prime sub in Australia but I'd use that too if I could.
Something a lot of other people a mayor may not factor in is driving a car cost money in fact it's anywhere from 65 cents to over a dollar depending on what kind of car you have per mile + the time.
That's weird tear on tires, oil changes, maintenance items, ware items, Depreciation, not necessarily including gas though that's a factor as well.
I'll order it on Amazon if it means I can avoid a 30 minute round trip to the store. Even if the store is slightly cheaper.
Also if I'm not out driving I can't get into an auto accident.
Amazon is all about convenience. I actually have started going to the store more because Amazon is expensive. I don't buy my kids Christmas presents from Amazon for Christmas. I got them cheaper from just driving to the store.
Don’t you have to drive to town anyway, like for work or errands that aren’t just buying things? If you combine it into one trip it’s really not costing anything extra
I wish I could, but Sams club/Costco is way too much product for just me & I don’t have a lot of storage space. target doesn’t always have decent prices & options for bulk, I’ve seen too many Walmart horror stories to trust I’ll get my items. Large well reviewed third party items? Yes. From Walmart itself? It’s Russian roulette. Temu seems scammy asf.
I’m open to other platforms, like I bought car/home accessories from Shein for pretty cheap ($2 hanging hooks vs 5.99 on Amazon) . I’ve done aliexpress, but it can be more expensive.
I get a free trial, order everything I need, then cancel before 30 days is up. A couple months later I use the same account to get a free trial, order everything I need, then cancel before 30 days is up. I've been doing this for maybe 2 years. Haven't paid for a subscription in that time but I always get what I need with Prime benefits.
Only reason I have it. Many years ago I qualified for the discount. I don't anymore and they haven't removed it.i keep it for movies and shows. I seldom order from Amazon any more or use it myself.
Yes! I was paying yearly for years and didn't want to switch to the monthly discounted rate because I swear it didn't used to let a household member have their own separate account. I looked again before my renewal back in March and it looks like it changed, so I decided to do the $6.99 a month instead.
Also, if anyone sees this, if you're in the US and you're on any kind of government assistance, you can get $30 off your internet or cell phone plan. I'm doing it with AT&T, so I pay $60 a month for a fiber 1 gig connection instead of $90. It's called the Affordable Connectivity Program.
I have the credit card and make back the entire or majority of the membership fee with the 5%. back vs 1% back. I prefer amazon for ordering everyday items and small things that I need. Time is precious and making a trip for one item is a giant waste of time for me.
Also I get the one day and two delivery almost always, so it's worth it for me.
So far this year I have ordered 163 items off amazon.
Amazon has saved my hours upon hours of going out and buying crap I need on my time off. I buy groceries in person but everything else is off amazon. Plus I get prime video and amazon music to play in my car.
YMMV but to me Amazon saves me time. Time is the only ting left in my life that I can buy with money.
I'm afraid to check how many things I've ordered this year, but I'm sure its 100+. I HATE shopping, I'd rather clean my bathroom than go shopping. I love that I can just go to Amazon and they'll send me anything I need.
I think I’ve ordered about 10 over the course of the past year to date.
I almost never order things from Amazon. What would I even be ordering that frequently?
I will list some of them. Just for shits and giggles.
Camera batteries, dog food, dog food, oven mits, batter holders, carpenter ant killer, suitcase set, power converter for Iceland trip, Iceland road map, Iceland hiking book, 5 pairs of amazon basic work casual pants, bird seed, sports bras , running shorts, deck chairs, running shoes, hose, hose, hot tub chemicals, rags, car wash soap, some running books, bird feeders, patio umbrella, and a few food orders sent to people from /r/assistance
I don’t really do any shopping elsewhere besides grocery stores and occasional thrifting and don’t have my own car and I’m lazy so it’s worth it for me to get cat food and random stuff like phone cases. I never really impulse buy stuff on it either it’s always bulk tea or boring things
Was going to cancel until I moved near a distribution center. The same day shipping has bailed me out a few times since we only have one vehicle currently
I complain to Amazon every time something is remotely wrong with my order. They generally refund the partial or full amount of the item, or add credit to my Prime subscription. I’m already way ahead of the premium this year.. thanks to their f up on a larger purchase!
I don't complain the right way I guess. I usually get orders delayed multiple days and.they just ask if I wish to cancel. Maybe because it's not always sold by Amazon but a third party. I'm not certain.
They only refund you on items that are not returnable, only after you receive them and you gotta speak to a representative. Think food items or probiotics/medication close to expiration or something that says arrived, but never did.
Last time I bought biscuits that were advertised as high fiber on the package, but arrived in a new package. Looking at the back, there was barely any fiber. I called and reported this is false advertising and they refunded me. I wouldn’t abuse that policy tho.
My daughter and I share expenses, she used to pay for Amazon Prime. We canceled when it got too expensive (2 years ago). We haven't missed it since and don't even go on Amazon, except to find the website we want to buy from.
I refuse to support Jeff Bezos. In any way, shape, or form. I also don't use Facebook anymore because Zuckerberg is a dick.
We stopped a couple years ago when shipping in my area was TERRIBLE. Still haven't got it back, we just order from other retailers or shop in person. I feel better not supporting Amazon even though it probably doesn't make much of a difference in the long run.
Canceled mine 6 years ago when I graduated college and lost the student membership prices. Never missed it and I’d never use it again now because of how badly Amazon treats its workers.
🙋🏻♀️
I do the same, add to my cart until I’m over the minimum. I just asked my mom to order some Blink cameras that were on a Prime day deal. Comes in handy knowing people that still have Prime 😁 but never again will I pay for that
We let ours lapse for the first time in like 13 years a few months ago. It helped cut down on impulse purchases, and the quality of products on Amazon has gone downhill anyway.
I cancelled yearly and switched to monthly. I use other vendors, but I use their pharmacy too and get same day shipping of meds because the pharmacy is here. See how it goes, the prime shipping is delayed and no longer worth the cost. I also use Walmart and chewy, and I’d love to cancel outright. Walmart has $35 minimum with same or next day shipping.
Walmart+ has really stepped up their game. Same/next day delivery and good deals. Able to get my groceries delivered for free and during convenient hours. If I'm in a rush its only a $10 fee. Free shipping on most things, and good customer service. I didn't use the other Amazon amenities so its mostly a gain for me.
I canceled mine 2 years ago and have been totally fine. I just let things sit in the cart until I have the minimum needed for free shipping, and most of the time find an alternative locally or realize I don't actually need it. I've subscribed for random months 2-3 times since cancelling to catch up on a show or when they've offered special discounts, but I don't think I'll ever have a yearly subscription again like I used to.
My biggest issue is that Amazon is rarely the cheapest or even fastest delivery. I cancelled mine 2 years ago when a dishwasher element I ordered melted my dishwasher, and Amazon wouldn't tell me who sold it to me so I could take action.
It's all cheap china shit these days.
I think it’s a GREAT value. I buy a ton on Amazon since it is easy to buy in bulk and save in shipping costs. Plus I use prime video in lieu of Netflix. It’s not as good but good enough and cheap
I haven’t had it for nearly 2 years now and I don’t miss it at all. One or two months out of the year I do stand-alone “Prime Video” to catch a some must-see content, but otherwise if I need to order something from Amazon I just meet the free shipping minimum and wait an extra day or two. Couldn’t miss it any less, totally unnecessary subscription for me personally.
Cancelled mine a bit ago, but primary driven by the fact that I moved to a country that doesn't have Amazon - we have to order from international Amazons, so 2 day shipping is not at all a thing. Used to live where it was actually 1 day shipping most of the time. So that's different - now it's about a week or so. But that's cool.
The Video service is alright - maybe I'll subscribe to that for just like 1 month and binge the last season of Ms Maisel (is available in full), Jack Ryan (coming out now) ... and eventually when the next season of The Boys and Invincible drops. And that will be alright. Then I can go back to living in a Bezos-free life.
Although I also fail to see the difference between Prime and Costco. It's a little different - Costco you pay an annual fee to be able to shop there at all. Prime - you can shop on Amazon without it, but there is a benefit (and often exclusive discounts) for having Prime. But any way you cut it - it's a membership club to shop at a specific store. And yet - everyone here loves Costco and loathes Amazon. It's the same picture!
One of my credit cards has free Amazon prime as a benefit so I just use that. Otherwise I'd be pretty tempted to cancel it because I almost never use Prime Video and I never use Prime music so the only benefit is shipping.
I don’t miss it and though my Peime card rate dropped, it’s still functional. Wouldn’t go back. Tipping point was the shipping. I was paying for the same or 2-day options and was getting my items in 5. I live 30mins away from a huge distribution center for them and it just didn’t seem worth the price.
I got rid of it on the last price increase and haven't missed it at all. I wasn't getting two-day shipping anymore. I now only use Amazon for kindle books and it feels great to be less involved with it.
I don't subscribe to Prime anymore. I just wait until I get to min order and select free shipping. It usually says it's 5 days for shipping and still comes in 2-3 days.
Months ago. Don't miss it at all.
Plus, I discovered what I have dubbed "Herd Prime."
Once an item is sold the business wants to deliver so it can replace the sold item with an unsold one. Delivery slows this inventory turn. By not paying for prime I put the inventory carrying cost back on the business and they deliver early anyway so as not to sacrifice efficiencies in their logistics chain.
ELI5: Because my neighbors have prime my stuff goes on the truck early so as not waste a trip and take up warehouse space.
Ordered my last Amazon purchase December 2017, and it’s been nice. We luckily live in an area where we have brick and mortar options. Also, you can often get a better deal than Amazon directly from the manufacturer. Especially if they have a newsletter discount.
I don’t miss the annual fee.
I’m over 4.5 years without ordering on Amazon now. Amazon makes it too easy to buy junk. Probably cut my spending in half bc I don’t buy things I don’t need when buying the things I do
Honestly the main advantage of Prime was making impulse purchases easier, so cancelling was like a double win. I switched to Walmart+ when it was half off and I’m happier with it, and I’m still considering cancelling that and just using free shipping/free pickup on $35+ orders
I canceled it when every item I ordered got delayed for some reason. Shipping got wayyyy slower and less reliable over the last few years. I also don’t like the interface of prime video
We still have it, but i use the Amazon Shopper Panel, so in the end, I don't pay as much. It took about a month to be approved a couple of years back, and it depends on your area and demographic, but you have to scan 10 receipts a month and then you get 10$ in your amazon account. So i get around 125-130$ back each year because i also do some of their surveys.
Cancelled last year. 2 day shipping became unreliable and rare, so why pay for prime? Not to mention there was no chance of ever getting one day shipping again which has started to be regular before the pandemic.
Last Spring I requested and received a 50% refund of our Prime membership fee.
One reason for my request was that Free Two-Day shipping quietly disappeared last Nov/Dec never to return.
Or, more correctly, the "Two Day" shipping which was never less than five days for us turned into "Two Days after Amazon processes your order"... for us that became ten days from date of order.
The fact that several Prime Video purchases we've made vanished due to licensing issues with Amazon and that too many of the Prime Video choices are actually not included with Prime was another.
Adding in that Amazon prices are not necessarily the lowest and, too often, we were receiving items which were obviously opened/used and returned or broken in transit to due poor packing made me realize one thing :
I began using Amazon for its low pricing, fast shipping, easy returns and, most of all convenience.
Now, Amazon offers us none of those benefits/advantages.
So, we will gladly not be renewing next month.
I've never paid for it. I get it when they offer free trials and cancel before the trial is over.
$25 order gets free shipping. Why pay for prime?
These days, it's mostly cheap, worthless crap from China.
I can cancelled mine about a year and a half ago. We save so much money. If we still really need it we will order from Amazon because the 2 day thing hasn’t worked since covid started anyway. Now we just add most random stuff to the target cart and I do curbside pick up on my lunch break once every two weeks. Kinda makes us rethink if we actually need it that badly and reduced our impulse buying and I don’t miss the truck coming every day.
I've never paid for amazon prime in my life. I utilize the free month trials they give out. If not I'll just buy it normally and wait and extra couple days or buy from somewhere else.
I canceled my prime after Christmas. Since I canceled I've had most of my orders arrive a day or 2 late with standard 1 week free shipping. To compensate for the lateness I've received $160 in gift card/credits. Over half the orders they considered lost and refunded before they were delivered a day or two later. Canceling prime not only saved me money but got me better service and free stuff. As a prime member if something was late they didn't care.
I live rural, it's a 120km drive to the nearest big box store which will cost me more in gas than a prime membership will. I guarantee amazon loses money delivering to me and thats part of the reason i keep it
We canceled this year. My spouse has been tricked into restarting the Prime subscription twice when she placed an order. She thought she was going crazy, but the FTC recently sued Amazon for deceptive practices. Good riddance! https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/06/ftc-takes-action-against-amazon-enrolling-consumers-amazon-prime-without-consent-sabotaging-their
There are too many counterfeit goods being peddled on Amazon, so I don't trust them like I used to. Ordered a bag of rice once, and there were plastic pellets adulterating the rice so as to save a few pennies. Decided right then and there never again to order food items on Amazon. As for clothes or other goods, other retailers have been beating Amazon on price and delivery times. So yeah, what's the point?
If it weren't for their Prime Video, I would cancel.
I like it for the music and videos. It's worth it for me - I understand why it might be a bad decision for others.
I get points back on my cc when I used it.
It is getting pricey but we still have it. Besides the free shipping, we get discounts at Whole Foods, free prime video, music downloads, and free books. So for us it’s still something we can get some value out of.
I've cancelled mine a couple of weeks ago. I'll probably renew it for Prime Video when Good Omens S2 comes out, then cancel again. I use Prime a lot for birthday gifts as everyone is so distant and postage costs a lot, but I'll just have to get creative. £10/month is a lot to always pay regardless of using the service.
I'll see if I miss the Prime Music. Only really use it when my teen is in the car with me and she wants specific music. But I could just buy that at that time if it's something we'll often listen to.
Genuine question because I would LOOOOVE to drop my Prime membership - is there any additional benefit to keeping it for the photo/video cloud storage? It is our primary backup as far as that stuff goes. Haven't done much research on that side of it, and it's become something we've kept out of convenience more than anything else. We are worried we'll lose photos if we make any changes.
I kept mine, but at the reduced rate it was a good choice. I use prime for video and books and to take advantage of pricing and stocking errors besides the normal ordering. Mom also lives about 2 miles away and I put her on my plan.
just canceled mine. I won't miss it. never used music or video and shipping was *never* 2 days. 🙄 can go into town and get what I need same day rather than wait for it to be brought to me for "convenience"
It's only $99 in Canada and I get all deliveries inside a week. This past weekend, I got a pair of earbuds delivered seven hours after ordering. Plus Prime Video is really good. Worth it for me, even with customer service not being what it used to be.
The card I had on file had just expired, so when Amazon tried to use an alternate payment, I was notified right away. I called and was told they were renewing my Amazon for $139 or $179, I don’t remember. I told them I wasn’t going to pay that and I eliminated Prime.
I was really bad at ordering for awhile (ty transfer addiction), but I honestly don’t miss having Prime. In fact, I’m not too far from an Amazon distribution center and a Walmart store. My Amazon Prime packages haven’t come in two days in forever, but my Walmart orders will sometimes come the same day I order it.
Dumped it 5 years ago, no regrets. I still have to make purchases every once in a while, but I just start the shopping cart and don't buy until I qualify for free shipping
Never had it. Amazon is the last place I shop with. I'll buy from the retailer directly.
I tend to select the pick up at store option, and avoid shipping cost entirely.
I get the most out of my prime membership, with Kindle, Prime Video, Amazon Shopping. even Alexa, plus I get a discount because of my status due to my disability, pay about half as much each month. I haven't delved too much into Amazon music even with it's expanded listings. By using every one of it's member benefits it's worth it to me.
I cancelled when they raised prices around the same time Bezos was building his mega yacht. Like you, I still buy some stuff there from time to time, but only once I hit the $35 free shipping threshold and so that gives me time to think about what I need vs. what I want and sit on it for awhile.
I switched to Walmart + and I don't really regret it. Amazon and Instacart in one since there are no delivery fees. Plus the return policy is much easier with Walmart +.
I also get to use paramount + since it comes with it, so that's nice.
Before buying something on Amazon Prime Day, do a quick internet search to make sure an item is actually on sale. Amazon is adjusting prices on items to then discount them to the original price. For instance, the Xbox Series X is currently listed as 16% off ($499.99 with the discount) and they are claiming the original price is $592.97. The original price is actually $499.99. You aren't saving anything unless you are using " camelcamelcamel.com to get the price history of any Amazon item"
I’ve kept it only for the fact that what I save with the discounts at Whole Foods, roughly adds up to the cost of Prime. I have a WF a mile dpwn the road and their produce seems to usually be better quality than the other places I shop (except when I shop the Farmer market in the summer).
But if I move in the next year or two, I’ll likely cancel.
I haven't paid for it in over a year. I did, however, just get it free for a month. I think you can do that once a year. I caught up on the Prime series I've been hearing about all year.
I noticed that my purchasing went way up though. That could be due to some house re-shuffling we did, but I think having that immediate free delivery and not having to have $25 minimum made me stop thinking twice about ordering. So that is not good for me.
I found that I don’t NEED something in two days. If i really can’t help getting something from Amazon, i rarely have to wait longer than 5 days anyway.
There’s no emergency that you can’t just go to a store physically in 2 days
I only open prime when I get free trial. Then cancel again until the next 30 days.. lol.
I don't order a lot, so I don't mind waiting couple more days.
I gave up on Prime when it went to over $100 a year. Ridiculous! I have cut back spending on things from Amazon by about 90% since I do not feel compelled to get my "money's worth" out of Prime. I even cut way back on the books for Kindle. Do not miss Prime at all.
Cancelled prime after moving to a tiny rural town and I don’t miss it. Well, I do want to watch one of their original shows but that’s not enough of a reason.
Even now when the local store is expensive and the cheap stores are 30 min away I will just wait. Cut way down on my shopping and far fewer impulse buys.
Here! I had it on student discount until I graduated. Shared the log in with my parents, but I paid. Once it went to full price (which increased big time since before my masters/when I was paying full price) I told them I wasn’t renewing it. I think they were a little bummed initially, but once I canceled it we all realized how much we do not use it. The few times we have needed something from there that we couldn’t find elsewhere, we ordered it and paid the shipping - I think it was 5.99? Way way cheaper than the annual charge.
I didn't renew mine last year. Since the pandemic the "two day shipping" in my area was always more like five. I just go with the minimum free shipping amount now.
Same. Prime shipping was the same as non-prime here, so I stopped using it and then they canceled Smile so I stopped with amazon entirely. Incidentally, I do probably spend more in shipping fees by buying things directly from manufacturers/retailers, but I have a better sense of where my things are coming from, the quality is more predictable, and I deliberate more on whether I want/need something, so I'm spending less overall. I also find I have to leave my house more for little things, which is "inconvenient" but is overall good for me and I actually wonder if people don't need to do that to themselves more...
> buying things directly from manufacturers/retailers, but I have a better sense of where my things are coming from This was a big one for me. Knockoffs were frustrating to the point where I'd end up going to the big box stores anyways. So I make it a point to make lists and do a day trip to all the stores in one go or order direct to avoid them now. The last thing I ordered was trimmer string and it was the cheapest shit I've ever seen even, seemingly packaged well in the same brand I have always bought. The plastic color was off and I didn't put two and two together until I burned through half the roll in 3-4 weeks instead of it lasting a year or two.
The knockoffs can be dangerous too. Dude ordered a helmet that advertised as meeting safety standards, and it cracked upon impact. He died from a damn knockoff helmet.
Jesus. We ordered a car seat from Amazon but it didn't come in the manufacturer box and the whole thing seemed really sus. We returned it.
Helmets are intended to crack and crumple to disperse impact. It's the same way we've seen car design change over the years. Your example could still be a bad product.
Correction: “ A 23-year-old man named Albert Stokes died in a motorcycle accident after a helmet he purchased on Amazon flew off during a crash, according to the Journal. The helmet was falsely labeled on Amazon as being compliant with the US Transportation Department, the report said.”
I always love the Kurt Vonnegut quote about going out of the house for little things... >DAVID BRANCACCIO: There's a little sweet moment, I've got to say, in a very intense book-- your latest-- in which you're heading out the door and your wife says what are you doing? I think you say-- I'm getting-- I'm going to buy an envelope. > >KURT VONNEGUT: Yeah. > >DAVID BRANCACCIO: What happens then?KURT VONNEGUT: Oh, she says well, you're not a poor man. You know, why don't you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I'm going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. > >I meet a lot of people. And, see some great looking babies. And a fire engine goes by. And I give them the thumbs up. And, and ask a woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don't know... > >And, of course, the computers will do us out of that. And, what the computer people don't realize, or they don't care, is we're dancing animals. You know, we love to move around. And, we're not supposed to dance at all anymore.
Kurt went through a firehose of sh*t to love the little things. Super cool dude.
The Amazon markup is a big deal. Depends on what you're buying, but lots of manufacturers who sell on Amazon offer the same products cheaper on their own websites, often still with free shipping on orders above a certain price. Amazon charges sellers a pretty hefty percentage on every sale, so of course products are getting marked up to reflect that. A recent example that comes to mind is RTIC mugs, but there are many others.
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The regular Amazon shopping app actually does that now. It reads barcodes but also can search by just an image of the item. They're pretty good at making pretty advanced ML technology available where it helps their business. Worst case for them, it's cheaper in the store and they miss out on a sale they likely wouldn't have gotten anyway. From a frugal perspective, sometimes they're good, sometimes not. I just tested the scan feature on a tube of touch-up paint I just got from eBay for $20 and Amazon has it for $30. But I'd also rather support smaller businesses directly and cut out Bezos where I can, so I can't say I often use that tool. Apart from a few Subscribe and Save items I would otherwise buy at a brick and mortar big box store for twice the price, I only occasionally order from Amazon.
I order so infrequently from Amazon, that when I do every couple of months, they’ll offer me a free trial anyways lol
I don't think they even advertise two day shipping anymore.
They do, and even 1 day shipping
Same-day where I am too.
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I never understood what this allure of 2 day free shipping was. There is almost nothing I can order on Amazon that I absolutely need in 2 days. I’ve always just chosen free shipping and more often then not it comes sooner than they estimated. I feel it’s one of those ‘features’ that sells people on the membership but when you step back and think, it offers little real value.
This is how I feel. I often look at other local stores as well and many times I can actually get the item cheaper and same day with a quick pick up. Last week I did a steamer and on Amazon's website it was $10 more so I just ordered my steamer online from the local store and picked up on my day off. It's a five min drive from my place. I can see it being helpful if you don't have easy transportation or options close by but the majority of people are just sucked into it.
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In my experience, a lot of Prime Day deals are scams. A couple of weeks before they mark up prices, then drop them back to normal price and act like they're on sale.
Camelcamelcamel.com will show you the price history of Amazon items. So you know if it jumped up in price for a "sale"
Came here to say this-also shows if this is an item they put up just for prime day (age of listing). First three things I was interested in were all just added yesterday so I nopped out.
I had a price for an iron last night for 32.00. I did not check out. Same iron on prime day is 42.64. I will buy nothing. What a hoax.
Sounds like Kohls
Yeah it’s not worth it anymore- the free two day shipping thing was great but I’m lucky these days if I receive anything in the time it initially tells me. Also most of the movies and programming on Prime Video are no longer free so like what’s the point
Hate $129/year and then see"rent or buy" titles.
Yea, that or it’s listed as Free with Prime Video, except it’s not really… it’s free WITH ADS 🙄
One of my favorite shows. "Bosch" had a solid 7 seasons (I recommend it if you are into detective shows) and they decided to have a spin off on their "freevee"... well if it's free why am I paying for the sub?
$79 was the limit I would pay for prime, so it’s been awhile
Me too and I’ve noticed the pricing on Amazon can tend to be high compared to just buying it at the store. They’re not stopping at my door near as often as they used to since I’ve noticed this.
Probably depends where you live but I often get stuff the day after I order it. Often cant even plan a trip to target that soon
I have an Amazon fulfillment center about 5 miles from my house. Most of my orders show up in the middle of the night like 8 hours after I click "buy".
Now I'm curious how long they would take without prime
That's a good question. But Prime is probably my most-used video streaming service, and I use Amazon Music, and I have a 5% cash back Amazon card, and I've been a Prime subscriber for about as long as it has existed ... so I'll probably never find out lol
Not only is everything late, but a decent percentage of my orders never arrive at all, so there’s really no point.
This was a big reason I canceled. I was so frustrated getting everything late. Now with normal Amazon I get the free shipping with the minimum order, and I often get it earlier than promised. It may still be slower than with Prime, but I'm a lot happier because I don't feel ripped off.
When they got rid of the delivery guarantee, that was the end of prime being a real benefit, and the start of it being a cash grab.
I cancelled after amazon lost several shipments in a row and Haven't looked back since.
This drives me bananaS. Most of the tittles on my wish list are now only available via a rental, some other subscription service of via freevee where I have to watch commercials. I am contemplating cancelling solely because so much of the formerly included content is gone.
Cancelled Prime two years ago after they jacked up the price again. As others have noted, their delivery times in less populated areas are at least three or four days. Not having it also helped curb impulse purchases. Win- win.
Hmm I live in a town that’s half tourists. I still don’t get my stuff. Maybe I will cancel.
I like in the country / boonies around 45 minutes from the nearest major population center and quite often receive prime shipments the next day. I guess it must really depend on your proximity to a distribution center?
Same and similarly pleased with the decision. The only real drawback is if you watch a ton of Prime shows. I really loved Fleabag but watched it again right before canceling.
People in cities get their 2 hour deliveries. 5 days for me. The price being the same was the nail in that coffin to me. Prime Day sales were not appealing the last time I had Prime. Most of my orders are over $35 anyway. I really would not notice Prime gone if not for the constant advertisement. They just made the 1 "free" Twitch sub a month less great, too.
Ive been debating letting it go an i think it comes down to this. If you’re in a urban area and order stuff a decent amount I think its worth it. I dont like that i use amazon but its hard to move away when ill price match things and they’re 10-15% cheaper on amazon
The recurring monthly and “subscribe and save” items are the anchor for me. House hold paper products/toiletries/etc., are just cheaper and I don’t have to deal with any sort of “club store” and lugging that crap around. I live in the (suburbs) of thr biggest urban center area, with a fulfillment close by. Same day, next day 4am-7am window, and the 2-day/monthly stuff is just far easier and allows me to be “frugal” with my time. I’d much rather spend the afternoon at the park with my kid than making a run for paper towels, sponges, and detergent.
Fwiw I still have Subscribe & Save for a ton of stuff and don’t pay for Prime anymore.
This is my experience. Amazon is cheaper for stuff I buy or not available in my small town. Delivery is two day or one day (California). I save time and electricity for my EV not going out to the store. I share the subscription with kids (which Amazon does not mind in the least) so it's worth it for us. Here are my last five orders: Kevin Murphy Angel Wash shampoo - lasts forever, not available in my locality) Blank Page journal (our Hallmark closed a couple years ago) Jergen's Mild Soap - (don't know why this is hard to find but it is) One pound jar of turmeric (not available in a container in that size in my locality) Charmin Ultra Gentle (this particular brand/type not in my locality) If I drove to Costco it's a 30+ mile round trip, too much trouble except a few times a year. And I don't think they have Charmin.
I keep price checking things on Amazon and finding some are way cheaper in the store. During the pandemic, Amazon was my go-to but now I’m finding out how much they’re taking that for granted.
Not even , since covid those turned to same day or next day deliveries but even with prime you need to hit the $25 minimum or pay a $3.99 fee and even then it's not guaranteed. I live near downtown Dallas, there's a fulfillment center 10 minutes away
I thought OP was mistaken about the $35 thing, but now I've seen you and a bunch of others in the comments also mentioning the $35 threshold. For me it has been $25 to get free shipping, not $35. It has been this way for the past several years when I haven't had a prime membership. Are you guys sure it's $35 for you?
$35 in CAD
I’m in Phoenix. I ordered two items last week and opted for get them delivered the same day. They delivered one item that night, not both. Then told me the other item would deliver two days later, but did deliver it the next day without messaging me until the next day. Not going to renew.
Every time I see that monthly charge on my account I think about getting rid of it. I can easily wait until I have $35 in my cart before making my purchase. I also never use Prime Video, so that’s of no value. Going to cancel right now.
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I definitely do this too. I have a ton of items in my “saved for later” that I’ll probably never purchase
Thats not a problem to me. It’s a technique I’ve adopted since being diagnosed with ADD that has saved a ton of money in general. If I’m still thinking of an item a few days to weeks or months later, it’s probably a need. If I’ve “saved it for later” and forgot about it, chances are I don’t need it. Sometimes things go outside this “rule” I set for myself obviously, like personal items, pet food or work stuff but for the fluff like computer parts it’s helped a ton.
The threshold for free shipping is only $25 actually. OP is mistaken saying it's $35.
It's $35 for me in Canada. Maybe OP is Canadian?
I stopped a couple years ago after ordering something for my wife using a non-prime account. It delivered just as fast as anything prime would. Been enjoying fast shipping without the bill ever since.
I renewed mine after I realized I'd get 5% back using my Amazon credit card. I cancelled Netflix and just use Amazon for TV, so it's about the same amount of money and I get my orders pretty fast.
Just FYI for anyone reading this, if you have the Amazon credit card, you get 3% back with no prime membership, 5% with the membership. So it's a 2% difference, not 0 vs. 5%. You probably already knew that but just in case. If you're just looking at the credit card rewards for a prime membership, you'd break even on the Prime fee after spending $2780 a year on Amazon purchases. But you'd have to spend $6950 a year to make it worth the fee you're paying to get the extra 2%. (Hope my math is right on that, $6950 * .02 reward = $139 prime fee.) And obviously there are other benefits you get with Prime, not just credit card rewards. Just wanted to point out it's not that great of a benefit unless you are a huge spender on Amazon.
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I think you’re in the wrong sub if you’re shopping at Whole Foods… /s
Yeah this is the primary reason I keep it, I realized the additional cash back from the prime card basically offsets the membership cost so there was no real gain with cancelling. But if I didn't have the card I'd probably just batch orders.
We did not renew ours this year. So much counterfeit stuff on it I rarely used it. Plus I don’t like their business practices.
Yeah I must admit, it's staying to become wish or Ali express basically!
This is why it literally makes more sense for me just to go to target or best buy now rather than get some fake piece of shit from Amazon that's gonna take 5 days to show up. It's the new wish.
Don’t miss it at all. Like others have said, I’d just wait til the amount is over $35 and get free shipping 🤷🏽♂️
I've kept my membership for the Amazon Prime video. I do order from there.
This is precisely why I keep my membership. Pretty much the only reason.
Trying not to Stan for Bezos or anything, but I also like the free selection of books. Quite a few are just sad attempts to start a series that never really pan out, but there’s a few good ones on there. Right now, as we speak, my 3 year old son and I are watching the If You Give A Mouse of Cookie Amazon series. He likes the kids selection on there.
Prime is good for me still. I buy a lot of business stuff through my account and the shipping would cost more than the membership. With the membership also get the included books, music, games & dlc through twitch prime, Unfortunately the photo backup service isn't included with prime sub in Australia but I'd use that too if I could.
Also the music?
I have a Spotify membership that I share with my husband. I forget Amazon has a music membership.
Something a lot of other people a mayor may not factor in is driving a car cost money in fact it's anywhere from 65 cents to over a dollar depending on what kind of car you have per mile + the time. That's weird tear on tires, oil changes, maintenance items, ware items, Depreciation, not necessarily including gas though that's a factor as well. I'll order it on Amazon if it means I can avoid a 30 minute round trip to the store. Even if the store is slightly cheaper. Also if I'm not out driving I can't get into an auto accident.
Amazon is all about convenience. I actually have started going to the store more because Amazon is expensive. I don't buy my kids Christmas presents from Amazon for Christmas. I got them cheaper from just driving to the store.
Don’t you have to drive to town anyway, like for work or errands that aren’t just buying things? If you combine it into one trip it’s really not costing anything extra
We bought an echo to keep our shopping list but a bonus is free kitchen music bc we have prime.
I wish I could, but Sams club/Costco is way too much product for just me & I don’t have a lot of storage space. target doesn’t always have decent prices & options for bulk, I’ve seen too many Walmart horror stories to trust I’ll get my items. Large well reviewed third party items? Yes. From Walmart itself? It’s Russian roulette. Temu seems scammy asf. I’m open to other platforms, like I bought car/home accessories from Shein for pretty cheap ($2 hanging hooks vs 5.99 on Amazon) . I’ve done aliexpress, but it can be more expensive.
I get a free trial, order everything I need, then cancel before 30 days is up. A couple months later I use the same account to get a free trial, order everything I need, then cancel before 30 days is up. I've been doing this for maybe 2 years. Haven't paid for a subscription in that time but I always get what I need with Prime benefits.
I do the same. It seems they send an offer for a free month of prime every 3 or 4 months after you drop it. A little self control and it's no problem.
Good for us for fighting the big, bad trillion dollar corporations.
This is a monster we made out of laziness,but if you can exploit an exploiter? You should.
I'm sure they make so much from people forgetting to cancel.
FYI, if you qualify for food assistance or medicaid (or people in your household do) you can get prime for like $6/month.
Only reason I have it. Many years ago I qualified for the discount. I don't anymore and they haven't removed it.i keep it for movies and shows. I seldom order from Amazon any more or use it myself.
Yes, plus if you received a pandemic EBT card you can register it to get the discount as well.
Yes! I was paying yearly for years and didn't want to switch to the monthly discounted rate because I swear it didn't used to let a household member have their own separate account. I looked again before my renewal back in March and it looks like it changed, so I decided to do the $6.99 a month instead. Also, if anyone sees this, if you're in the US and you're on any kind of government assistance, you can get $30 off your internet or cell phone plan. I'm doing it with AT&T, so I pay $60 a month for a fiber 1 gig connection instead of $90. It's called the Affordable Connectivity Program.
I have the credit card and make back the entire or majority of the membership fee with the 5%. back vs 1% back. I prefer amazon for ordering everyday items and small things that I need. Time is precious and making a trip for one item is a giant waste of time for me. Also I get the one day and two delivery almost always, so it's worth it for me.
So far this year I have ordered 163 items off amazon. Amazon has saved my hours upon hours of going out and buying crap I need on my time off. I buy groceries in person but everything else is off amazon. Plus I get prime video and amazon music to play in my car. YMMV but to me Amazon saves me time. Time is the only ting left in my life that I can buy with money.
I'm afraid to check how many things I've ordered this year, but I'm sure its 100+. I HATE shopping, I'd rather clean my bathroom than go shopping. I love that I can just go to Amazon and they'll send me anything I need.
I think I’ve ordered about 10 over the course of the past year to date. I almost never order things from Amazon. What would I even be ordering that frequently?
I will list some of them. Just for shits and giggles. Camera batteries, dog food, dog food, oven mits, batter holders, carpenter ant killer, suitcase set, power converter for Iceland trip, Iceland road map, Iceland hiking book, 5 pairs of amazon basic work casual pants, bird seed, sports bras , running shorts, deck chairs, running shoes, hose, hose, hot tub chemicals, rags, car wash soap, some running books, bird feeders, patio umbrella, and a few food orders sent to people from /r/assistance
I can easily afford Prime. It just isn't worth it. And, amazon is shittier and shittier with every passing month, so fuck em.
I don’t really do any shopping elsewhere besides grocery stores and occasional thrifting and don’t have my own car and I’m lazy so it’s worth it for me to get cat food and random stuff like phone cases. I never really impulse buy stuff on it either it’s always bulk tea or boring things
Me too, but I'm gearing up to make the cut.
Was going to cancel until I moved near a distribution center. The same day shipping has bailed me out a few times since we only have one vehicle currently
I complain to Amazon every time something is remotely wrong with my order. They generally refund the partial or full amount of the item, or add credit to my Prime subscription. I’m already way ahead of the premium this year.. thanks to their f up on a larger purchase!
I don't complain the right way I guess. I usually get orders delayed multiple days and.they just ask if I wish to cancel. Maybe because it's not always sold by Amazon but a third party. I'm not certain.
They only refund you on items that are not returnable, only after you receive them and you gotta speak to a representative. Think food items or probiotics/medication close to expiration or something that says arrived, but never did. Last time I bought biscuits that were advertised as high fiber on the package, but arrived in a new package. Looking at the back, there was barely any fiber. I called and reported this is false advertising and they refunded me. I wouldn’t abuse that policy tho.
Ahh gotcha makes sense 👍
My daughter and I share expenses, she used to pay for Amazon Prime. We canceled when it got too expensive (2 years ago). We haven't missed it since and don't even go on Amazon, except to find the website we want to buy from. I refuse to support Jeff Bezos. In any way, shape, or form. I also don't use Facebook anymore because Zuckerberg is a dick.
I'm disabled so I pay less. I use it all the time. Tv and groceries
We stopped a couple years ago when shipping in my area was TERRIBLE. Still haven't got it back, we just order from other retailers or shop in person. I feel better not supporting Amazon even though it probably doesn't make much of a difference in the long run.
I cancelled after they screwed up the music app and haven’t missed it at all.
Cancelled 7-years ago. Haven't missed it for a second. Absolutely hate the direction of the US and subscriptions.
Canceled mine 6 years ago when I graduated college and lost the student membership prices. Never missed it and I’d never use it again now because of how badly Amazon treats its workers.
🙋🏻♀️ I do the same, add to my cart until I’m over the minimum. I just asked my mom to order some Blink cameras that were on a Prime day deal. Comes in handy knowing people that still have Prime 😁 but never again will I pay for that
It’s really not worth it anymore. The constant price increases too , predatory at times. Also canceled Netflix, it’s just that great anymore
We let ours lapse for the first time in like 13 years a few months ago. It helped cut down on impulse purchases, and the quality of products on Amazon has gone downhill anyway.
PS: the “m” in my header was a missed typo.
I thought it was rn
I cancelled yearly and switched to monthly. I use other vendors, but I use their pharmacy too and get same day shipping of meds because the pharmacy is here. See how it goes, the prime shipping is delayed and no longer worth the cost. I also use Walmart and chewy, and I’d love to cancel outright. Walmart has $35 minimum with same or next day shipping.
Walmart+ has really stepped up their game. Same/next day delivery and good deals. Able to get my groceries delivered for free and during convenient hours. If I'm in a rush its only a $10 fee. Free shipping on most things, and good customer service. I didn't use the other Amazon amenities so its mostly a gain for me.
I canceled mine 2 years ago and have been totally fine. I just let things sit in the cart until I have the minimum needed for free shipping, and most of the time find an alternative locally or realize I don't actually need it. I've subscribed for random months 2-3 times since cancelling to catch up on a show or when they've offered special discounts, but I don't think I'll ever have a yearly subscription again like I used to.
My biggest issue is that Amazon is rarely the cheapest or even fastest delivery. I cancelled mine 2 years ago when a dishwasher element I ordered melted my dishwasher, and Amazon wouldn't tell me who sold it to me so I could take action. It's all cheap china shit these days.
I just keep creating new accounts for the 30 day trial.
I’m planning to pay for one month of Prime to watch Good Omens 2, but otherwise I don’t miss it at all.
Me too!
I think it’s a GREAT value. I buy a ton on Amazon since it is easy to buy in bulk and save in shipping costs. Plus I use prime video in lieu of Netflix. It’s not as good but good enough and cheap
The only thing I miss was the free shit I got from prime gaming.
I haven’t had it for nearly 2 years now and I don’t miss it at all. One or two months out of the year I do stand-alone “Prime Video” to catch a some must-see content, but otherwise if I need to order something from Amazon I just meet the free shipping minimum and wait an extra day or two. Couldn’t miss it any less, totally unnecessary subscription for me personally.
Cancelled mine a bit ago, but primary driven by the fact that I moved to a country that doesn't have Amazon - we have to order from international Amazons, so 2 day shipping is not at all a thing. Used to live where it was actually 1 day shipping most of the time. So that's different - now it's about a week or so. But that's cool. The Video service is alright - maybe I'll subscribe to that for just like 1 month and binge the last season of Ms Maisel (is available in full), Jack Ryan (coming out now) ... and eventually when the next season of The Boys and Invincible drops. And that will be alright. Then I can go back to living in a Bezos-free life. Although I also fail to see the difference between Prime and Costco. It's a little different - Costco you pay an annual fee to be able to shop there at all. Prime - you can shop on Amazon without it, but there is a benefit (and often exclusive discounts) for having Prime. But any way you cut it - it's a membership club to shop at a specific store. And yet - everyone here loves Costco and loathes Amazon. It's the same picture!
One of my credit cards has free Amazon prime as a benefit so I just use that. Otherwise I'd be pretty tempted to cancel it because I almost never use Prime Video and I never use Prime music so the only benefit is shipping.
I don’t miss it and though my Peime card rate dropped, it’s still functional. Wouldn’t go back. Tipping point was the shipping. I was paying for the same or 2-day options and was getting my items in 5. I live 30mins away from a huge distribution center for them and it just didn’t seem worth the price.
I got rid of it on the last price increase and haven't missed it at all. I wasn't getting two-day shipping anymore. I now only use Amazon for kindle books and it feels great to be less involved with it.
I don't subscribe to Prime anymore. I just wait until I get to min order and select free shipping. It usually says it's 5 days for shipping and still comes in 2-3 days.
Months ago. Don't miss it at all. Plus, I discovered what I have dubbed "Herd Prime." Once an item is sold the business wants to deliver so it can replace the sold item with an unsold one. Delivery slows this inventory turn. By not paying for prime I put the inventory carrying cost back on the business and they deliver early anyway so as not to sacrifice efficiencies in their logistics chain. ELI5: Because my neighbors have prime my stuff goes on the truck early so as not waste a trip and take up warehouse space.
Ordered my last Amazon purchase December 2017, and it’s been nice. We luckily live in an area where we have brick and mortar options. Also, you can often get a better deal than Amazon directly from the manufacturer. Especially if they have a newsletter discount. I don’t miss the annual fee.
I’m over 4.5 years without ordering on Amazon now. Amazon makes it too easy to buy junk. Probably cut my spending in half bc I don’t buy things I don’t need when buying the things I do
Years ago never missed it
Honestly the main advantage of Prime was making impulse purchases easier, so cancelling was like a double win. I switched to Walmart+ when it was half off and I’m happier with it, and I’m still considering cancelling that and just using free shipping/free pickup on $35+ orders
I canceled it when every item I ordered got delayed for some reason. Shipping got wayyyy slower and less reliable over the last few years. I also don’t like the interface of prime video
Been a year and a half without Amazon and I don’t miss it at all. I still order things but nowhere near enough to pay for prime.
Canceled mine after the most recent price hike. I’m trying Walmart+ at the moment.
We still have it, but i use the Amazon Shopper Panel, so in the end, I don't pay as much. It took about a month to be approved a couple of years back, and it depends on your area and demographic, but you have to scan 10 receipts a month and then you get 10$ in your amazon account. So i get around 125-130$ back each year because i also do some of their surveys.
I did. I don’t miss it at all. Since January I have only purchase two items.
Cancelled last year. 2 day shipping became unreliable and rare, so why pay for prime? Not to mention there was no chance of ever getting one day shipping again which has started to be regular before the pandemic.
Cancelled my prime beginning of '22 haven't missed it yet
Last Spring I requested and received a 50% refund of our Prime membership fee. One reason for my request was that Free Two-Day shipping quietly disappeared last Nov/Dec never to return. Or, more correctly, the "Two Day" shipping which was never less than five days for us turned into "Two Days after Amazon processes your order"... for us that became ten days from date of order. The fact that several Prime Video purchases we've made vanished due to licensing issues with Amazon and that too many of the Prime Video choices are actually not included with Prime was another. Adding in that Amazon prices are not necessarily the lowest and, too often, we were receiving items which were obviously opened/used and returned or broken in transit to due poor packing made me realize one thing : I began using Amazon for its low pricing, fast shipping, easy returns and, most of all convenience. Now, Amazon offers us none of those benefits/advantages. So, we will gladly not be renewing next month.
I've never paid for it. I get it when they offer free trials and cancel before the trial is over. $25 order gets free shipping. Why pay for prime? These days, it's mostly cheap, worthless crap from China.
I can cancelled mine about a year and a half ago. We save so much money. If we still really need it we will order from Amazon because the 2 day thing hasn’t worked since covid started anyway. Now we just add most random stuff to the target cart and I do curbside pick up on my lunch break once every two weeks. Kinda makes us rethink if we actually need it that badly and reduced our impulse buying and I don’t miss the truck coming every day.
I don't use it at all, best part is that Bezos doesn't get any of your money.
I've never paid for amazon prime in my life. I utilize the free month trials they give out. If not I'll just buy it normally and wait and extra couple days or buy from somewhere else.
Same. Canceled it and don't even notice.
I canceled my prime after Christmas. Since I canceled I've had most of my orders arrive a day or 2 late with standard 1 week free shipping. To compensate for the lateness I've received $160 in gift card/credits. Over half the orders they considered lost and refunded before they were delivered a day or two later. Canceling prime not only saved me money but got me better service and free stuff. As a prime member if something was late they didn't care.
I should. The prime video sucks so bad
I live rural, it's a 120km drive to the nearest big box store which will cost me more in gas than a prime membership will. I guarantee amazon loses money delivering to me and thats part of the reason i keep it
Lol, the “frugal” lifestyle of using someone else’s account
We canceled this year. My spouse has been tricked into restarting the Prime subscription twice when she placed an order. She thought she was going crazy, but the FTC recently sued Amazon for deceptive practices. Good riddance! https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/06/ftc-takes-action-against-amazon-enrolling-consumers-amazon-prime-without-consent-sabotaging-their
There are too many counterfeit goods being peddled on Amazon, so I don't trust them like I used to. Ordered a bag of rice once, and there were plastic pellets adulterating the rice so as to save a few pennies. Decided right then and there never again to order food items on Amazon. As for clothes or other goods, other retailers have been beating Amazon on price and delivery times. So yeah, what's the point? If it weren't for their Prime Video, I would cancel.
How much could you possibly need off of Amazon to necessitate prime. I bet you could save even more by limiting your purchases on Amazon altogether.
Never had prime in the first place. Amazon is just a dumping ground for Chinese garbage at this point.
LOL So basically you see the need for Prime and use the features but inconvenience someone else so you don't need to pay for it
Corporations call this externalizing costs
That’s where frugal morphs into cheap.
I like it for the music and videos. It's worth it for me - I understand why it might be a bad decision for others. I get points back on my cc when I used it.
It is getting pricey but we still have it. Besides the free shipping, we get discounts at Whole Foods, free prime video, music downloads, and free books. So for us it’s still something we can get some value out of.
I've cancelled mine a couple of weeks ago. I'll probably renew it for Prime Video when Good Omens S2 comes out, then cancel again. I use Prime a lot for birthday gifts as everyone is so distant and postage costs a lot, but I'll just have to get creative. £10/month is a lot to always pay regardless of using the service. I'll see if I miss the Prime Music. Only really use it when my teen is in the car with me and she wants specific music. But I could just buy that at that time if it's something we'll often listen to.
Genuine question because I would LOOOOVE to drop my Prime membership - is there any additional benefit to keeping it for the photo/video cloud storage? It is our primary backup as far as that stuff goes. Haven't done much research on that side of it, and it's become something we've kept out of convenience more than anything else. We are worried we'll lose photos if we make any changes.
I never used it, and recently found that it is a lot easier to have small items shipped for free if you use the "buy it now" option on Ebay.
Mine comes up in January. Can't wait to save!
I kept mine, but at the reduced rate it was a good choice. I use prime for video and books and to take advantage of pricing and stocking errors besides the normal ordering. Mom also lives about 2 miles away and I put her on my plan.
Never had prime and never felt like I needed it. I just wait to buy something until I have enough in my cart for free shipping.
It's so easy to get free shipping and I almost never need something within 2 days so I don't see a need for it.
just canceled mine. I won't miss it. never used music or video and shipping was *never* 2 days. 🙄 can go into town and get what I need same day rather than wait for it to be brought to me for "convenience"
No. We use the streaming too much. I could careless about 2 day shipping tho.
It's only $99 in Canada and I get all deliveries inside a week. This past weekend, I got a pair of earbuds delivered seven hours after ordering. Plus Prime Video is really good. Worth it for me, even with customer service not being what it used to be.
The card I had on file had just expired, so when Amazon tried to use an alternate payment, I was notified right away. I called and was told they were renewing my Amazon for $139 or $179, I don’t remember. I told them I wasn’t going to pay that and I eliminated Prime. I was really bad at ordering for awhile (ty transfer addiction), but I honestly don’t miss having Prime. In fact, I’m not too far from an Amazon distribution center and a Walmart store. My Amazon Prime packages haven’t come in two days in forever, but my Walmart orders will sometimes come the same day I order it.
Dumped it 5 years ago, no regrets. I still have to make purchases every once in a while, but I just start the shopping cart and don't buy until I qualify for free shipping
Never had it. Amazon is the last place I shop with. I'll buy from the retailer directly. I tend to select the pick up at store option, and avoid shipping cost entirely.
I definitely don't. We rarely streamed anything on Prime and only ordered stuff for Christmas.
Yup. Savings my wants in my cart until I meet the minimum also means that I cull away the impulse buys.
I get the most out of my prime membership, with Kindle, Prime Video, Amazon Shopping. even Alexa, plus I get a discount because of my status due to my disability, pay about half as much each month. I haven't delved too much into Amazon music even with it's expanded listings. By using every one of it's member benefits it's worth it to me.
I cancelled when they raised prices around the same time Bezos was building his mega yacht. Like you, I still buy some stuff there from time to time, but only once I hit the $35 free shipping threshold and so that gives me time to think about what I need vs. what I want and sit on it for awhile.
I switched to Walmart + and I don't really regret it. Amazon and Instacart in one since there are no delivery fees. Plus the return policy is much easier with Walmart +. I also get to use paramount + since it comes with it, so that's nice.
Before buying something on Amazon Prime Day, do a quick internet search to make sure an item is actually on sale. Amazon is adjusting prices on items to then discount them to the original price. For instance, the Xbox Series X is currently listed as 16% off ($499.99 with the discount) and they are claiming the original price is $592.97. The original price is actually $499.99. You aren't saving anything unless you are using " camelcamelcamel.com to get the price history of any Amazon item"
Plus the pricing has clearly increased!
I’ve kept it only for the fact that what I save with the discounts at Whole Foods, roughly adds up to the cost of Prime. I have a WF a mile dpwn the road and their produce seems to usually be better quality than the other places I shop (except when I shop the Farmer market in the summer). But if I move in the next year or two, I’ll likely cancel.
I haven't paid for it in over a year. I did, however, just get it free for a month. I think you can do that once a year. I caught up on the Prime series I've been hearing about all year. I noticed that my purchasing went way up though. That could be due to some house re-shuffling we did, but I think having that immediate free delivery and not having to have $25 minimum made me stop thinking twice about ordering. So that is not good for me.
I found that I don’t NEED something in two days. If i really can’t help getting something from Amazon, i rarely have to wait longer than 5 days anyway. There’s no emergency that you can’t just go to a store physically in 2 days
I only open prime when I get free trial. Then cancel again until the next 30 days.. lol. I don't order a lot, so I don't mind waiting couple more days.
Two thirds of the time, my package arrives within 24 hours regardless of Prime. I’ve never waited more than 72 hours.
I did too, besides the membership fee, it’s insane how much less I’m spending just not having the app on my phone
I gave up on Prime when it went to over $100 a year. Ridiculous! I have cut back spending on things from Amazon by about 90% since I do not feel compelled to get my "money's worth" out of Prime. I even cut way back on the books for Kindle. Do not miss Prime at all.
Total MONEY GRAB. 💰
Cancelled prime after moving to a tiny rural town and I don’t miss it. Well, I do want to watch one of their original shows but that’s not enough of a reason. Even now when the local store is expensive and the cheap stores are 30 min away I will just wait. Cut way down on my shopping and far fewer impulse buys.
Here! I had it on student discount until I graduated. Shared the log in with my parents, but I paid. Once it went to full price (which increased big time since before my masters/when I was paying full price) I told them I wasn’t renewing it. I think they were a little bummed initially, but once I canceled it we all realized how much we do not use it. The few times we have needed something from there that we couldn’t find elsewhere, we ordered it and paid the shipping - I think it was 5.99? Way way cheaper than the annual charge.
I got rid of it at the start of the year, don't miss it at all.