Amazon Prime: Worth It?
I posted about some Thanksgiving-themed items over at Work It, Mom! and in doing so realized just how much stuff falls into Amazon’s “Prime” category these days. Amazon Prime is basically a membership program where you pay $79 per year in order to access free standard and two-day shipping on their eligible items.
I signed up about a year ago, and at first I thought it wasn’t a great deal, because most of the things I was buying weren’t part of the Prime program. It seems that they’ve expanded it quite a bit since then, and now almost everything I purchase (if it’s not from a third-party seller) is eligible for the free 2-day shipping.
The part you may or may not find beneficial is the ability to make “one-click” purchases with free shipping. I find this triggers an awful lot of impulse buying on my part (”One click? And I’ll get it in 2 days? OH WHY NOT”), but it’s damn handy when you need to order something quickly.
I give the whole program two thumbs up in terms of providing real value. If you plan to use Amazon for a lot of your holiday shopping, I highly recommend it (you can also share the Prime membership with up to four family members living in the same household, which is pretty cool).
Link: Amazon Prime “Learn More” signup link
Ballpark price: $80 per year
Posted: November 16th, 2007 under Skin care, Baby/Kid's gear, Hair, House & home, Books, Electronics, Music, Movies/Television, Personally recommended by Linda, Kitchen tools.
Comments: 12
Comments
Comment from Moderndayhermit
Time: November 16, 2007, 11:27 am
My husband and I share prime membership with a couple friends. I love it, especially around the holidays.
Comment from thejunebug
Time: November 16, 2007, 11:58 am
My husband and I also have prime, and I am never going back! 1 day shipping for $3.99? I AM SO THERE.
4 thumbs up from us!
Comment from Swistle
Time: November 16, 2007, 12:11 pm
We got a free trial of Prime and I lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvved it. The $79 annual price tag has so far stopped me from ordering it for reals, but every month I get closer to springing for it. I’ve been rationalizing that it’s only $6.60 a month, and that’s NOTHING. On the other hand, since I always order more than $25 worth of stuff at a time, it’s $6.60 more than actual nothing. When I type it out like this, though, $6.60/month really does seem low. Hmm. Think I may have to go sign up. It IS nice to have it around the holidays, when shipping gets so slow and I keep thinking of last-minute ideas for people.
Comment from kdawg
Time: November 16, 2007, 1:17 pm
I love amazon prime. One thing that frustrated me was that there was no way to filter out all the 3rd party items that aren’t eligible for free prime shipping. I use http://www.iprimr.com which allows me to search ONLY for amazon prime eligible items. Try it out.
Comment from Jhianna
Time: November 16, 2007, 2:31 pm
Okay, you deserve a medal! I’ve had Amazon Prime for almost a year now, but didn’t realize I could share it with the hubs. I just signed him up - thanks!!
(Oh yeah, I love me some free two day shipping! But you’re right, it’s sooo easy to justify spur of the moment when you’ve got it.)
Comment from Leslie
Time: November 16, 2007, 4:14 pm
I had the free trial, too, and loved it. But I have a horrible aversion to paying for shipping. Am I ever *that* much in a hurry for a book when I have a zillion dozen on hand I haven’t yet read?
I do, however, pony up the $20 annually for Barnes & Noble membership. A year’s discounts easily cover that, and it has faster free shipping than Amazon and some good discount coupons, too. You just have to comparison shop between the two and try not to think about the independent bookstores you’re helping to close down.
Comment from She Likes Purple
Time: November 16, 2007, 9:50 pm
And, although this may just be my own good luck, I’ve had a few things get to people overnight when I’ve chosen 2-Day. Seriously (no, really) something once got somewhere the SAME DAY it was ordered. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. Amazon is quite awesome with their shipping promises.
Comment from Christina
Time: November 17, 2007, 12:55 pm
I got the free trial of Prime last year, and of course I forgot to cancel it on the last day of the trial - so they signed me up and charged me. Honestly, with that $80, I’ve probably saved hundreds. You can buy SO MUCH STUFF from amazon directly - Nine West shoes, Philosophy beauty products, EVERYTHING. I think Amazon Prime is fantastic.
And, also? Perhaps this makes me a bad person, but I share my membership with 4 of my friends - you know, my “sisters” - who certainly do not live with me. Apparently they see no problem with the fact that these people with whom I “share a household” all have different shipping addresses. Hmmm.
Comment from PT-LawMom
Time: November 17, 2007, 7:54 pm
I accidentally signed up for Prime membership during last year’s 7 day post-Thanksgiving week of deals. I was offered it and clicked without realizing it was kind of a one-click and you’ve got it deal. I was worried that I wouldn’t use it, but, especially with Amazon Grocery, I find that I use it all the time and have probably saved a ton! I will definitely be renewing this year. 
Comment from Connie
Time: November 17, 2007, 9:16 pm
I love Amazon Prime. It really comes in handy when you order for your entire office. I am like “free shipping” come my way. Anyway– I order everything off Amazon and it is definitely worth the money.
Comment from eb
Time: June 8, 2008, 8:17 pm
I live outside the US, and I subscribe to Amazon Prime even though it doesn’t cover international shipping. The spouse and I use it to order things quickly when we’re there visiting, and it’s wonderful for getting gifts to the recipients on time when we’re not.
Comment from ChrisV
Time: July 15, 2008, 8:09 am
Here’s a good website to search Amazon Prime only items: www.amazanian.com
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