Buying from Amazon.

Amazon Prime gives you free shipping (which saves me money by itself) as well as free Video content (which I also use).

If you buy without Prime, you pay for the shipping in most cases.

The $99 a year is well worth it for me.

Okay, but I never use Amazon. This is a one-time thing for me, and since it is a 30 day free trial, I am getting 2-day delivery for free.

So I guess that all's well that ends well.

Thanks.

So, that makes sense then.

Amazon is going to be the death of our local retail merchants.

I don't use it at all.

Amazon Prime gives a range of other services beyond free two-day shipping. Like access to award-winning TV shows that are only available as internet downloads through Amazon Prime. They also offer downloadable reruns of old TV classics.

No, you don't have to sign up for Prime to order from Amazon. Everybody and his uncle want to sign you up for a monthly charge, if I signed up for every $10 membership offered for just free shipping it would deplete every nickel I deposit into our accounts. By the way, depending on the shipping method/dates you choose your items might be shipped free anyway....you don't have to have Prime. Also, not everything you order actually arrives as quickly as it's promised, even when you use next day shipping and pay a boatload. Keep a close eye on delivery and if they don't deliver on time call and get the extra charge reversed.

I use Amazon when it suits me, sometimes it's the only place where you can buy a certain item....I needed an ironing board and didn't want the crappy ones they were selling in big box stores nor a really pricey model from Frontgate...I found one on Amazon that was sturdy and it was delivered almost within 24 hours....I don't know why it came so quickly...I didn't pay for overnight shipping and I wasn't a Prime member. I guess one was handy.

If you try Amazon again, make sure you are not just added to the Prime member list. It can be really useful especially when you want something that is usually out of stock in the stores. Personally, I don't want to drive to eight different places to buy a coffee maker.......however, sometimes you really need to see something in real life, not on the internet. Good luck and be careful of the marketing ploys, they can drain every nickel out of your account if you aren't careful.

Bait and switch.

Thanks for the warning.

"Is there any charge for just buying something on Amazon if you don't sign up for Amazon Prime?"
Other than (in most cases) shipping costs? No.

I love Amazon Prime. In fact, I let other people here at work buy stuff through my account for the free shipping. Than again, I buy enough stuff in a year to justify the $99 and resulting in the free shipping savings.

Plus you get access to the Amazon Prime video catalogue as well.

That Amazon signed you up ... did they ask first? If not... that's slightly disheartening even though you could cancel it. I hate that I would have to go out of my way to cancel one of these yearly memberships if I didn't initially ask for it.

It used to be everybody and their brother. And now you tell me it's everybody and their uncles, too. Holy ****! How long before their sisters get in on the act . . . and then their aunts?

Yeah, well . . . let 'em try. My accounts are full of dollars, and any change might be made up of quarters and dimes. Plus even if the change consisted of only nickels, they'd only get ninety-five cents at the most. Let everybody and their uncles, sisters, and aunts fight over that. Hell, I'd pay ninety-five cents to see that.

Well, they might want to suck up all the business that they can, but I don't think they want to kill anyone. That's pretty cynical thinking.

But seriously, I looked everywhere for a bread-maker. Not one in my home town. And in the nearest city, they don't have the one I want, which is the same one I've had for the last nine years. I'm down to my last two slices of bread. Luckily, the delivery date is tomorrow by 8:00pm.

Also, do you think about what happened to the blacksmiths when you drive a car, or to the cobblers when you put on tennis shoes, or about scribes when you read a printed book? And then, you are right now using a digital computer that is eliminating entire professions.

Do you think about what happened to the blacksmiths when you drive a car, or to the cobblers when you put on tennis shoes, or about scribes when you read a printed book? And then, you are right now using a digital computer that is eliminating entire professions.

There is a certain point where arguing against progress gets silly.

My thoughts exactly!

#thankyou!

I love Amazon Prime too. It saves me money in several ways and is worth far more to me than the $99 a year I spend (damn, they should be paying me for this... ).

The one downside is that it locks me into an "Amazon first" mindset (which is what they want). If I want something quickly, I search for it on Amazon... then if it is expensive or I can't find exactly what I want I will look elsewhere. Amazon does get a lot of my business. But, mostly they are giving me things that I want quickly on the internet at the best price and free shipping.

The free shipping saves me hundreds of dollars a year, and it keeps me from having to make trips to the local Target. I also use the Amazon Video feature to watch several shows I like for free... and they have a pretty good selection of slightly older but still watchable movies.

Get Amazon Prime, or don't get Amazon Prime. It is a good deal for lots of people.

The knee-jerk reaction against modernity is really what I am reacting against.

There is no need to buy the Prime membership if a person doesn't want to. Sort of need to slowly go through when making the purchase, however, if it does happen, it can be cancellated in 30 days.

I've stuck with Prime and have automatic rebilling each year. Among other things , some items I can get on same day delivery.

For people without Amazon Prime, the "shipping page" in the order checkout process makes Amazon Prime appear to be an attractive shipping option, and those who don't know better tend to select it thinking that they are merely selecting a shipping option.

It's easy enough to avoid once you know better though.