Author Topic: Quit Amazon Prime  (Read 24770 times)

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #50 on: March 10, 2023, 07:53:03 AM »
I leave my blinds open sometimes looking out into the backyard from my recliner in the living room, to watch the dog etc.. or if I am bbq'ing somethign etc. I like the lights on all the time at night.

TomTX

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #51 on: March 10, 2023, 08:48:00 AM »
If you really wanted to end the lighting discussion, you wouldn't keep trying to get in the last word on it.

I respect getting back on topic - so if you follow your own advice, I will as well.

draco44

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #52 on: March 10, 2023, 12:11:04 PM »
I do the whole Amy Dycyczion (sp) thing and make a price book and buy in bulk from multiple stores, in a single circular route.

Yay Amy Dacyczyn! I feel like whenever a forum member mentions her name, the universe smiles and "It's a Wonderful Life" angel style, someone somewhere maxes out a retirement account.

englishteacheralex

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #53 on: March 10, 2023, 12:26:49 PM »
I do the whole Amy Dycyczion (sp) thing and make a price book and buy in bulk from multiple stores, in a single circular route.

Yay Amy Dacyczyn! I feel like whenever a forum member mentions her name, the universe smiles and "It's a Wonderful Life" angel style, someone somewhere maxes out a retirement account.

LOL.

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #54 on: March 10, 2023, 01:20:16 PM »
If you really wanted to end the lighting discussion, you wouldn't keep trying to get in the last word on it.

I respect getting back on topic - so if you follow your own advice, I will as well.

Okies..
« Last Edit: March 10, 2023, 01:23:48 PM by JenniferW »

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #55 on: March 24, 2023, 12:44:07 PM »
But yeah, most people in my life pay $139/yr very matter-of-factly - you know, like paying the water bill, heating bill, Prime bill. (insert eye-roll here)

What does a Sam's Club or Costco membership cost these days?

We use Amazon b/c it saves us money living in a semi-rural setting. Also, don't have time nor desire to run all over town hunting for some elusive thing I can buy online somewhere. Especially when the specialty suppliers here close at 5PM.

Recently bought a tool that I could source from perhaps three different shops here in town for x3 or x4 more money b/c my local options were all name brands. I bought a generic import tool that is good enough for my DIY project.

We can probably cut off Prime b/c we also load a cart and seldom buy anything for less than $25 - except we still use Prime Video (no cable, no sat).

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #56 on: March 24, 2023, 01:43:25 PM »
But yeah, most people in my life pay $139/yr very matter-of-factly - you know, like paying the water bill, heating bill, Prime bill. (insert eye-roll here)

What does a Sam's Club or Costco membership cost these days?

We use Amazon b/c it saves us money living in a semi-rural setting. Also, don't have time nor desire to run all over town hunting for some elusive thing I can buy online somewhere. Especially when the specialty suppliers here close at 5PM.

Recently bought a tool that I could source from perhaps three different shops here in town for x3 or x4 more money b/c my local options were all name brands. I bought a generic import tool that is good enough for my DIY project.

We can probably cut off Prime b/c we also load a cart and seldom buy anything for less than $25 - except we still use Prime Video (no cable, no sat).

Also with the membership, if you have Amazon Prime credit card, you get 5% cash back instead of 3%. So an extra 2%.

SpinWave0704

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #57 on: March 24, 2023, 02:13:39 PM »
But yeah, most people in my life pay $139/yr very matter-of-factly - you know, like paying the water bill, heating bill, Prime bill. (insert eye-roll here)

What does a Sam's Club or Costco membership cost these days?

We use Amazon b/c it saves us money living in a semi-rural setting. Also, don't have time nor desire to run all over town hunting for some elusive thing I can buy online somewhere. Especially when the specialty suppliers here close at 5PM.

Recently bought a tool that I could source from perhaps three different shops here in town for x3 or x4 more money b/c my local options were all name brands. I bought a generic import tool that is good enough for my DIY project.

We can probably cut off Prime b/c we also load a cart and seldom buy anything for less than $25 - except we still use Prime Video (no cable, no sat).

Also with the membership, if you have Amazon Prime credit card, you get 5% cash back instead of 3%. So an extra 2%.


Sure, I don't dispute that in some cases, Amazon Prime makes sense for some folks - people using Prime as primary cable option or people who benefit with the extra 2% cash back (i.e; > $7K/yr in Amazon purchases).

I shop at Amazon a lot too (convenient and often cheaper that other retailers), but without Prime membership. But I notice that a lot of people don't do the math to confirm Prime benefits are actually worth it, and instead, continue to renew membership without thinking about it. Hence Prime's extremely high renewal rates.

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #58 on: March 24, 2023, 02:17:22 PM »
Also they often offer $1.99 for Prime for a week. When you enable it you get 5% cash back on Chase Amazon Prime card instead of 3%.  So say you are buying an $800 item.  2% of 800 is $16.  It only cost you $1.99 for the prime member ship.  $16-2 = $14 profit.  And you can say binge watch an entire season of Marvelous Ms. Maisel in that week before canceling it :)

stoaX

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #59 on: March 25, 2023, 04:50:47 AM »
I do the whole Amy Dycyczion (sp) thing and make a price book and buy in bulk from multiple stores, in a single circular route.

Yay Amy Dacyczyn! I feel like whenever a forum member mentions her name, the universe smiles and "It's a Wonderful Life" angel style, someone somewhere maxes out a retirement account.

LOL.

Very clever!

JupiterGreen

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #60 on: March 30, 2023, 12:28:49 PM »
I do the whole Amy Dycyczion (sp) thing and make a price book and buy in bulk from multiple stores, in a single circular route.

Yay Amy Dacyczyn! I feel like whenever a forum member mentions her name, the universe smiles and "It's a Wonderful Life" angel style, someone somewhere maxes out a retirement account.

LOL.

Very clever!

I had no idea who Amy Dacyczyn was so I looked it up and for anyone else interested:
Amy Dacyczyn is the former editor of The Tightwad Gazette, a newsletter that ran in the 1990s and promoted a lifestyle of frugality. Her work on the newsletter is collected in several Tightwad Gazette volumes and can be found in full in The Complete Tightwad Gazette

So is the book good? And is it still relevant?

As for Amazon, Ima try to delete it out of my life. Never went as far as signing up for prime

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #61 on: March 30, 2023, 03:04:56 PM »
So is the book good? And is it still relevant?

I am reading it now. Actually just skimming over the stuff that isn't applicable.  Actually for me most of it isn't applicable because I don't eat carbohydrates and I don't have children.  Anything interesting I circle it and bookmark it.  I've learned a few useful things from the book I wouldn't of thought of otherwise.  I think it's worth it to flip through it and read those articles which are applicable.  I see used copies of it for around $10 with shipping from both Amazon and Abebooks.  Local library might have it.

It will take a little time to go through it all since it's around 1000 pages. But not too bad since I don't read most of it.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2023, 03:12:00 PM by JenniferW »

JupiterGreen

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #62 on: March 30, 2023, 08:43:51 PM »
So is the book good? And is it still relevant?

I am reading it now. Actually just skimming over the stuff that isn't applicable.  Actually for me most of it isn't applicable because I don't eat carbohydrates and I don't have children.  Anything interesting I circle it and bookmark it.  I've learned a few useful things from the book I wouldn't of thought of otherwise.  I think it's worth it to flip through it and read those articles which are applicable.  I see used copies of it for around $10 with shipping from both Amazon and Abebooks.  Local library might have it.

It will take a little time to go through it all since it's around 1000 pages. But not too bad since I don't read most of it.

Thanks for this review. I'll keep an eye out for a used copy.

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #63 on: April 03, 2023, 10:09:34 AM »
Okay so my free 30 day subscription with Amazon ended yesterday.  And so I don't have prime now.   I just went to https://amazon.com/prime and they are already again offering me Prime for a week for $1.99!  Seems like they always offer this at a minimum or sometimes a free month.

This is such a good option for when you buy large ticket items -- by getting 5% cashback (compared to only 3% cash back) on the Chase Amazon Prime card, that will more than pay for the $1.99 one week membership. For example a $1000 item will save you an extra $20 by having the $1.99 membership. Just immediately cancel Prime and enjoy the free week of Amazon Prime video -- e.g. Marvelous Mrs. Maisel :)

EDIT: I just calculated that you break even with the $1.99 one week membership if you buy a cart of items from Amazon totaling $99.50 using the Chase Amazon Prime card:  2% * x = $1.99 -> x = $1.99/2% -> x = $99.50.   Anything above $99.50 is pure profit :).   [Difference of Chase Amazon Prime w/ active membership (5%) and the same without membership (3%) is 2%.]  Just subscribe for the week and immediately cancel the membership and it will automatically cancel in 7 days.  There are often times I get carts with total > $99.50, so I'll probably grab this often if they keep offering it. EDIT #2:  This is assuming that they will honor the 5% cashback at the time of purchase with active membership, and not try and say it's only 3% because a week had passed before the reward was given.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2023, 11:59:39 PM by jnw »

browne497

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #64 on: April 24, 2023, 08:16:38 PM »
Saw the post. Thought about it. Followed suit. Thanks for the inspiration!

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #65 on: April 24, 2023, 09:31:16 PM »
Great, let me know how it goes for you later on.

Btw, I am starting to check Walmart.com every time I am about to order something from Amazon.  It seems like Walmart.com is getting more and more stuff and at better prices. 

I've bought the following multivitamin for a few years from Amazon but I noticed they upped the price by a couple dollars.  At like $22 per bottle now.

https://www.amazon.com/NATURELO-One-Daily-Multivitamin-Women/dp/B01FYD6U06/

Then I found it at Walmart.com for $20 instead:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/NATURELO-One-Daily-Multivitamin-Vitamin-E-for-Women-60-Capsules-Female/107454237

So I ordered two bottles from Walmart.com -- since it's over $35 I got free shipping.  I also got it in two days -- seems like Amazon takes longer these days.  [I also got 11% cash back because I used a sams gift card I bought with a new Discover It Cashback card (10% cash back the first year in rotating categories), and got an additional 1% cash back since I visited the walmart.com via rakuten.com.]

So yeah, walmart is definitely looking good and I will constantly double check Amazon.com prices with Walmart -- in addition to all my other checks like: 1) can I get this for free? 2) Can I buy it used for really cheap on FB Marketplace? 3) Do I really need it, does it add value to my life? 4) Can I get it for free couponing? (This is new for me and loving it.. just started couponing hobby this month -- and basically made $70 so far picking up $500 worth of sundries for free.) 5) etc..

EDIT: I've also been checking out sams.com and been getting some good shipped deals as well.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2023, 10:02:10 PM by jnw »

Hawkeye

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #66 on: May 06, 2023, 07:22:18 PM »
bonus trick: delete all payment information from amazon, makes it much more bothersome to purchase, so you buy less

@jnw unless under special circumstances (pregnancy) multivitamins are not worth spending money on - no health benefits. better to spend the $$$ on quality produce like from Aldi

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #67 on: May 06, 2023, 07:40:09 PM »
bonus trick: delete all payment information from amazon, makes it much more bothersome to purchase, so you buy less

@jnw unless under special circumstances (pregnancy) multivitamins are not worth spending money on - no health benefits. better to spend the $$$ on quality produce like from Aldi

Umm there are several reasons I get this particular multivitamin.  One of them is that this multi I get has iodine in it in the form of kelp. I cook with kosher salt and cook everything from scratch not processed.  So I get no added iodine.  I don't eat much seafood either.  It also has several other vitamins in it, in natural forms, other multivitamins don't have. It has folate in the form of methylfolate.  It has K2 in it etc..  I did a lot of research in picking this multi.   It's the only supplement I buy; I agree with you most supplements are just money makers for the corporations, but I don't feel this way about this one.

I do buy a lot of produce from Aldi as well.  We eat a lot of vegetables here and cook everything from scratch.
« Last Edit: May 06, 2023, 07:45:14 PM by jnw »

YK-Phil

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #68 on: May 06, 2023, 08:09:41 PM »
We live in Mexico in a small village, and the closest supermarket or Walmart is a good hour by car, so all our shopping is done at the local "tiendas" where we get everything from tortillas to rice, chicken, fish, and seafood. Even locally-grown coffee beans, milk, and fresh cheese. But once in a while, we crave things from back home that we can't find here or that are overpriced like natural peanut butter, olive oil, raw almonds, that block of parmesan I've been dreaming of, dark chocolate (go figure, cocoa is grown locally all around our village but we can't find good dark chocolate except overpriced stuff at the trendy hippie village next door...), good quality towels and bed sheets and kitchen/home stuff, etc. So far, we've managed without these things and we are still more than satisfied with local offerings, and except for food, we rarely if ever shop for stuff, but the temptation to subscribe to Amazon Prime is real and I am just one click away from the Checkout button to get that dozen or so things I slowly added to my cart over the past year...

If I do break down, I'll just go with the 30-day free trial and cancel a day before paying for the renewal. The struggle is real...

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #69 on: May 06, 2023, 10:26:16 PM »
We live in Mexico in a small village, and the closest supermarket or Walmart is a good hour by car, so all our shopping is done at the local "tiendas" where we get everything from tortillas to rice, chicken, fish, and seafood. Even locally-grown coffee beans, milk, and fresh cheese. But once in a while, we crave things from back home that we can't find here or that are overpriced like natural peanut butter, olive oil, raw almonds, that block of parmesan I've been dreaming of, dark chocolate (go figure, cocoa is grown locally all around our village but we can't find good dark chocolate except overpriced stuff at the trendy hippie village next door...), good quality towels and bed sheets and kitchen/home stuff, etc. So far, we've managed without these things and we are still more than satisfied with local offerings, and except for food, we rarely if ever shop for stuff, but the temptation to subscribe to Amazon Prime is real and I am just one click away from the Checkout button to get that dozen or so things I slowly added to my cart over the past year...

If I do break down, I'll just go with the 30-day free trial and cancel a day before paying for the renewal. The struggle is real...

Amazon Prime seems worth it in your case, being so far away.  I can hit every kind of store imagineable in one 23 mile round trip.

Valley of Plenty

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #70 on: May 07, 2023, 12:36:35 AM »
Glad I came across this thread - reminded me to cancel my Prime subscription that I've been getting near to no use out of for the last several months.

I think my favorite thing about Prime is how easy it is to cancel :D I find more and more these days that when I go to cancel a service, I have to jump through all sorts of hoops to actually do it. In a couple instances I've actually had to email businesses to get them to cancel my subscription. Great way to ensure you never get my business again!

CupcakeGuru

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #71 on: May 07, 2023, 06:25:16 AM »
I finally cancelled our Prime membership 2 months ago. I was finding that amazon was actually MORE expensive than the local stores. And the knock offs - last year about 20% of the items I bought turned out to be knock offs. I am happy that I am no longer feeding the union busting, OSHA violator anymore.

getsorted

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #72 on: May 07, 2023, 06:31:10 AM »
I let my membership expire at Christmas. I still occasionally use Amazon because I earn bonuses at work and through various apps in Amazon gift cards. The prices are not what they were, I agree.

Valley of Plenty

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #73 on: May 07, 2023, 08:42:07 PM »
I finally cancelled our Prime membership 2 months ago. I was finding that amazon was actually MORE expensive than the local stores. And the knock offs - last year about 20% of the items I bought turned out to be knock offs. I am happy that I am no longer feeding the union busting, OSHA violator anymore.

As someone who has spent most of my adult life working in factories and warehouses, I'm always mildly amused by all the public outrage by white collar workers over Amazon's business practices.

Of the 5 companies I've worked for, I could count on 0 hands the number that went to great lengths to abide by all OSHA standards. OSHA compliance is a joke. Nobody takes it seriously, they just do the bare minimum to stay off their radar and avoid audits. One of the five companies I worked for did have a union, and the only thing it managed to do was make the place worse.

Amazon gets so much attention because of their size and because of Jeff Bezos' net worth, but they are absolutely not worse than industry standard as an employer. Lots of people who work in warehousing wish they could get into Amazon's warehouses, because they are by comparison better than most alternatives.

I get it, big corporation bad, but the broader picture is that 95% of warehouses are as bad or worse than Amazon.

There's a saying you might be familiar with: "There is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism." It's true. No matter where you buy your products, it's all but certain that crappy labor practices helped make them, and get them to you.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2023, 08:46:40 PM by Valley of Plenty »

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #74 on: July 06, 2023, 07:25:22 PM »
Five days ago I joined Amazon Prime for a week for $1.99. I immediately cancelled it so it doesn't renew.  I will be able to use the Amazon Prime benefits for two more days.  I did as I said I'd do in this thread: I went ahead and binge watched the final season of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with that one week membership.  (Sad to see the show end to be honest.)

Anyways I bought the $1.99 membership because I needed a pill organizer which would of cost me $7.99 without shipping.  I didn't have anything else to order to make it at least $25 for the free shipping. But then I noticed in the item description If I joined prime the product would be $5.99 instead of $7.99.  So the $1.99 membership didn't really cost me anything.  Got my product in 2 days and watched my show :) I'm happy.

Long live abstaining from annual prime memberships :)  It's been over 6 months that I've quit it and don't miss it at all.  $25 orders come soon enough.. maybe 4 days instead of 2.. works for me.  (Though I now know to check for any discount in the product's price if I join prime.)
« Last Edit: July 06, 2023, 07:29:16 PM by jnw »

Trudie

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #75 on: July 07, 2023, 07:04:41 PM »
I've done an Amazon free trial before, but I absolutely will not pay for it. I'm pretty loyal to Target and Costco for my purchases. I can understand it more for folks who live in rural or isolated areas. I live in a condo building in an area with high density housing and Amazon Prime delivery trucks clog our streets daily while they idle in the no parking zone. And this is often for the delivery of small packages.

lifeisshort123

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #76 on: July 10, 2023, 04:34:40 AM »
We got rid of it a year ago.  We have not missed it.

Dicey

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #77 on: August 20, 2023, 10:59:02 AM »
When our A/C went out, twice this summer, we got the part to fix it the next day, courtesy of Amazon Prime. When the problem proved to be a hidden loose wire, Amazon took both parts back with no hassle. We only use the A/C during heat waves, so of course, we wanted the parts asap. Based on this experience, we will probably pony up for at least one more year, as it's earned its keep. Happily, DH is our repairperson, so no other money was spent solving the problem.

Another shoutout for Amy D. She wasn't just the editor, TTWG was her brainchild and she was the chief writer and illustrator for most of its run. She started with a newsletter, then it became a book, then three. The only copy to buy, IMO, is the fourth book, which is a compilation of the first three, plus bonus material. Unlike the others, it has a blue cover. Some of it is laughably outdated, but much of it is still inspirational. I try to read it once a year.

Fun fact, if you follow The Frugal Girl Blog, there's a copy of TTWG clearly visible in her living room photos. Makes me smile every time I see it.

NotJen

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #78 on: August 20, 2023, 11:31:56 AM »
When our A/C went out, twice this summer, we got the part to fix it the next day, courtesy of Amazon Prime. When the problem proved to be a hidden loose wire, Amazon took both parts back with no hassle. We only use the A/C during heat waves, so of course, we wanted the parts asap. Based on this experience, we will probably pony up for at least one more year, as it's earned its keep. Happily, DH is our repairperson, so no other money was spent solving the problem.

What part of this experience was specific to Amazon Prime, and not just Amazon?

Dicey

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #79 on: August 20, 2023, 11:45:34 AM »
When our A/C went out, twice this summer, we got the part to fix it the next day, courtesy of Amazon Prime. When the problem proved to be a hidden loose wire, Amazon took both parts back with no hassle. We only use the A/C during heat waves, so of course, we wanted the parts asap. Based on this experience, we will probably pony up for at least one more year, as it's earned its keep. Happily, DH is our repairperson, so no other money was spent solving the problem.

What part of this experience was specific to Amazon Prime, and not just Amazon?
Free next day shipping, when the temperatures in our normally cool without A/C house were into the mid-eighties and climbing.

Off topic, but did I mention the A/C is in the attic? Poor DH.

When the interior of a house hits 90, bad things start happening, says the person who owns multiple houses in the in-the-path-of-Hilary desert.

tj

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #80 on: August 20, 2023, 11:59:29 AM »
When our A/C went out, twice this summer, we got the part to fix it the next day, courtesy of Amazon Prime. When the problem proved to be a hidden loose wire, Amazon took both parts back with no hassle. We only use the A/C during heat waves, so of course, we wanted the parts asap. Based on this experience, we will probably pony up for at least one more year, as it's earned its keep. Happily, DH is our repairperson, so no other money was spent solving the problem.

What part of this experience was specific to Amazon Prime, and not just Amazon?
Free next day shipping, when the temperatures in our normally cool without A/C house were into the mid-eighties and climbing.

Off topic, but did I mention the A/C is in the attic? Poor DH.

When the interior of a house hits 90, bad things start happening, says the person who owns multiple houses in the in-the-path-of-Hilary desert.

Is the cost of the overnight shipping cost prohibitive without the prime? If you have infrequent orders, it might be better just to pay for the shipping.

Dicey

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #81 on: August 20, 2023, 12:36:38 PM »
When our A/C went out, twice this summer, we got the part to fix it the next day, courtesy of Amazon Prime. When the problem proved to be a hidden loose wire, Amazon took both parts back with no hassle. We only use the A/C during heat waves, so of course, we wanted the parts asap. Based on this experience, we will probably pony up for at least one more year, as it's earned its keep. Happily, DH is our repairperson, so no other money was spent solving the problem.

What part of this experience was specific to Amazon Prime, and not just Amazon?
Free next day shipping, when the temperatures in our normally cool without A/C house were into the mid-eighties and climbing.

Off topic, but did I mention the A/C is in the attic? Poor DH.

When the interior of a house hits 90, bad things start happening, says the person who owns multiple houses in the in-the-path-of-Hilary desert.

Is the cost of the overnight shipping cost prohibitive without the prime? If you have infrequent orders, it might be better just to pay for the shipping.
That was just one instance. DH fixes everything around here, so it pencils out in the long run. I seldom need anything in a rush, but I've discovered if I buy something via Amazon, any credit he has on the account gets applied to my order. Love that! (Possibly not specific to Prime either, but I don't use it often enough to know the ins & outs; it's just fun when it happens.)

FWIW, we don't purchase anything from Amazon if we can find it for less elsewhere, even if we have to pay for shipping.

Fun aside: We had a problem with our RV. The local dealers wanted $650 for the proprietary part. DH checked around and found it at a dealer in UTAH for $200 less. They charged $75 for expedited shipping, which we paid (we had a rush deadline). What killed us was that we had driven past that dealership (in another vehicle) just two days before DH finally figured out the RV's problem. Grrr!

One fun thing about being FIRE is that we don't have to optimize every penny. Amazon Prime has proved its worth to us. This expense stays as a line item. For now.

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #82 on: August 20, 2023, 09:36:30 PM »
...When the interior of a house hits 90, bad things start happening, says the person who owns multiple houses in the in-the-path-of-Hilary desert.
Aside from the discomfort of living beings & any refrigerating units working harder, what problems could it introduce? Asking for a friend* who keeps the thermostat in an interior part of the house around 86° (meaning several areas almost certainly reach 90°+ regularly.)

*me
(Hi!! Glad all is well with you two)

Dicey

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #83 on: August 21, 2023, 01:29:40 AM »
...When the interior of a house hits 90, bad things start happening, says the person who owns multiple houses in the in-the-path-of-Hilary desert.
Aside from the discomfort of living beings & any refrigerating units working harder, what problems could it introduce? Asking for a friend* who keeps the thermostat in an interior part of the house around 86° (meaning several areas almost certainly reach 90°+ regularly.)

*me
(Hi!! Glad all is well with you two)
We keep the thermostat at 88 when we're not there. Bad things: Cabinets can warp, crack or split, p-traps dry out, which lets critters in. Wax rings can dry out and fail.* Everything plastic discolors and gets brittle. The list is long, but those are a few highlights.

I don't worry about it at home, but the Desert is so much dryer that it does more damage. Before we leave, we always cover the drains, add extra water to the toilet, cover it with plastic wrap, and place a three gallon bucket full of water in the shower.

One of our properties had been vacant for a long time when we first toured it. The wax ring in the water closet failed. It caused the flooring to peel and half of the house smelled like sewage. We made a lowball offer, citing the sewage smell (which the out-of-state seller/heir didn't know). Our offer was accepted, and a new $5 wax ring solved the problem. We knew we were going to replace the flooring anyway.

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #84 on: August 21, 2023, 02:19:10 PM »
When our A/C went out, twice this summer, we got the part to fix it the next day, courtesy of Amazon Prime. When the problem proved to be a hidden loose wire, Amazon took both parts back with no hassle. We only use the A/C during heat waves, so of course, we wanted the parts asap. Based on this experience, we will probably pony up for at least one more year, as it's earned its keep. Happily, DH is our repairperson, so no other money was spent solving the problem.

This is understandable. However, if I personally needed a part for A/C next day I'd just subscribe for the month with Amazon Prime:  $14.99.  Then immediately cancel so it doesn't renew. Then binge watch all the Amazon Prime shows that month :)

[And if I'm lucky, they'll be offering a free month or 1 week for $1.99 :) -- again always subscribe and immediately cancel for me.]
« Last Edit: August 21, 2023, 02:20:41 PM by jnw »

eyesonthehorizon

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #85 on: August 21, 2023, 03:24:21 PM »
@Dicey I suppose I hadn’t considered the risks of dry air!! Now I feel a bit more fortunate at how humid it is here so much of the time. Thanks for sharing this!

lifeisshort123

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #86 on: August 21, 2023, 06:59:35 PM »
We use the Amex Platinum Card to give us Walmart+ for "free".. Don't need to pay Amazon.  Walmart 2 day shipping plus in store pickup gets you pretty far.

tj

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #87 on: August 22, 2023, 05:11:35 PM »
We use the Amex Platinum Card to give us Walmart+ for "free".. Don't need to pay Amazon.  Walmart 2 day shipping plus in store pickup gets you pretty far.

The Amex Platinum has a steep price, so I would hope you  have other benefits besides free Walmart+.

getsorted

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #88 on: August 28, 2023, 11:10:34 AM »
They have made staying off Prime so convoluted! I earn a fair amount of money in Amazon gift cards through workplace incentive programs, so I am frequently buying from Amazon. But even when I have enough to qualify for free shipping, it will still tell me I can save $6.99 or whatever on shipping through Prime, and put the free shipping option in a non-obvious place. It's really irritating.

Must_ache

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #89 on: August 28, 2023, 11:31:31 AM »
Amazon does a lot of dynamic pricing.

On a slightly different subject, my friend was able to get a lower price on a hotel than me with Priceline for the simple reason that he had independently booked a flight on the site in the last month or so.  He wasn't aware of any "deal" but nevertheless we saved about 10% using his account rather than mine.

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #90 on: August 28, 2023, 01:47:46 PM »
They have made staying off Prime so convoluted! I earn a fair amount of money in Amazon gift cards through workplace incentive programs, so I am frequently buying from Amazon. But even when I have enough to qualify for free shipping, it will still tell me I can save $6.99 or whatever on shipping through Prime, and put the free shipping option in a non-obvious place. It's really irritating.

Yeah I am used to it now.  I always expect solicitation every single time and the wrong shipping option to be selected.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2023, 09:19:28 PM by jnw »

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #91 on: August 28, 2023, 08:36:05 PM »
Amazon is trying out raising shipping minimum from $25 to $35.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/28/business/amazon-raises-shipping-minimum/index.html
« Last Edit: August 28, 2023, 09:19:11 PM by jnw »

draco44

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #92 on: August 29, 2023, 04:23:52 PM »
Amazon is trying out raising shipping minimum from $25 to $35.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/28/business/amazon-raises-shipping-minimum/index.html

Interesting - they're onto me! Thanks for posting. One more reason to delay even longer before buying from them.

stoaX

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #93 on: September 02, 2023, 05:20:02 AM »
Amazon is trying out raising shipping minimum from $25 to $35.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/28/business/amazon-raises-shipping-minimum/index.html

Whenever I add another item to my order so that I meet the free shipping threshold, it seems that item never qualifies.  So regardless of whether it's $25 or $35, I think I will be using Amazon less and less
« Last Edit: September 04, 2023, 04:51:14 AM by stoaX »

Fire enthusiast

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #94 on: September 02, 2023, 10:21:44 PM »
I'm also gradually letting Amazon fade out of my life. Maybe I'm a more traditional person, I always find online shopping troublesome and risky for me - if the quality is not good I need to return the item and it wastes a lot of my time. I still prefer to buy offline, and sometimes the offline price is even cheaper than Amazon. I'm not afraid of the hassle when I can do things on my own.

stoaX

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #95 on: September 04, 2023, 04:55:50 AM »
I'm also gradually letting Amazon fade out of my life. Maybe I'm a more traditional person, I always find online shopping troublesome and risky for me - if the quality is not good I need to return the item and it wastes a lot of my time. I still prefer to buy offline, and sometimes the offline price is even cheaper than Amazon. I'm not afraid of the hassle when I can do things on my own.

I hear ya '. There are a few items of lesser quality that I bought from Amazon and I just put up with it because I don't want to go through the hassle of returning them.

JLee

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #96 on: September 04, 2023, 08:32:37 AM »
I'm also gradually letting Amazon fade out of my life. Maybe I'm a more traditional person, I always find online shopping troublesome and risky for me - if the quality is not good I need to return the item and it wastes a lot of my time. I still prefer to buy offline, and sometimes the offline price is even cheaper than Amazon. I'm not afraid of the hassle when I can do things on my own.
I've found the opposite problem - I've spent 45 minutes going from store to store trying to find something, and eventually end up giving up and just ordering it on Amazon because I don't want to spend half a day looking for it.  If the quality of an in-store purchase isn't up to par, I have to go back to the store to return it, wait in line etc -- for Amazon returns, I just drop it off at Whole Foods or a UPS Store and it's done.

jnw

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #97 on: September 23, 2023, 04:52:18 AM »
All the more reason to quit Amazon Prime:

Amazon is bringing ads to Prime Video and will charge you to avoid them
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/22/media/amazon-prime-video-ads/index.html

(aka enshittification)

Just Joe

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #98 on: September 24, 2023, 11:23:01 AM »
I'm also gradually letting Amazon fade out of my life. Maybe I'm a more traditional person, I always find online shopping troublesome and risky for me - if the quality is not good I need to return the item and it wastes a lot of my time. I still prefer to buy offline, and sometimes the offline price is even cheaper than Amazon. I'm not afraid of the hassle when I can do things on my own.
I've found the opposite problem - I've spent 45 minutes going from store to store trying to find something, and eventually end up giving up and just ordering it on Amazon because I don't want to spend half a day looking for it.  If the quality of an in-store purchase isn't up to par, I have to go back to the store to return it, wait in line etc -- for Amazon returns, I just drop it off at Whole Foods or a UPS Store and it's done.

That's been my perspective as well. All the driving, wear and tear on our car, gas money, parking lot damage, etc. It costs me $4 to drive to the hardware store and back in gasoline alone. (25 mpg, ~10 miles each way). I don't order Amazon every week but when I'm hunting for odd stuff - brass water fittings, specific electronic parts, etc. - online wins. 

The commercials - that might get me. ;) Enshittification indeed.

Dicey

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Re: Quit Amazon Prime
« Reply #99 on: September 24, 2023, 11:49:50 AM »
I regret to say that Amazon Prime saved my ass today. That is all. [Dicey runs and ducks for cover.]