Amazon Raises Free Shipping Minimum to $35

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by recycledelectron

3. Amazon collects the sales tax. It is very unusual for any individual to file a tax return saying "I bought ____ from ___ and was not charged sales tax, so here's the tax." (Though I do exactly that.) So any claims of tax evasion seem silly.

It probably is unusual for people to voluntarily pay the sales tax on online/mail order purchases. (Yes, mail order purchases fall under the same rules. Basically the law covers purchases made from a business with no physical presence in the taxing jurisdiction, regardless of how the purchase is made.)

What isn't so unusual is for states to pursue people for failure to pay such taxes. Generally it's on major purchases (i.e. multiple thousands of dollars) but I have heard of them pursuing people for small purchases when the annual total becomes major.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ApK

Who else has it? As someone mentioned above, I've seen many places with a $40 or $50 free shipping deal, but can't recall seeing a $25 deal other than Amazon.

B&N and BestBuy come immediately to mind, but Googling Free Shipping $25 turns up quite a few places.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Another option for free shipping that's available for many B&M stores is free ship-to-store.

I do this occasionally. It allows me to collect Worldpoints or Ebates on the purchase even if I just purchase online and pick-up in store that day.

Ebates gives 6% at Sears, 3% Kmart, 2% Staples, 1.5% Best Buy

Also, I pay the online price rather than the in-store one.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I do this occasionally. It allows me to collect Worldpoints or Ebates on the purchase even if I just purchase online and pick-up in store that day.

Ebates gives 6% at Sears, 3% Kmart, 2% Staples, 1.5% Best Buy

Also, I pay the online price rather than the in-store one.

That's a good idea. I've done ship to store when the item wasn't on hand at the store, but it never occurred to me to use it even if the item WAS there, just for the Ebates. Kind of brilliant, actually.
(Walmart is another candidate for this. Ebates and free Ship-to-store)

ApK

[BeccaPrice]

Isn't there some way that a family with multiple accounts can share a Prime membership? I'm not interested in videos or borrows, but free shipping for both me and my husband would be worth it.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

Isn't there some way that a family with multiple accounts can share a Prime membership? I'm not interested in videos or borrows, but free shipping for both me and my husband would be worth it.

The free shipping benefit can be shared between members of the same household who have separate Amazon accounts. You just sign one up for Prime, then they go to their Prime page and "invite" the others to use it.

My roommate and I used to share Prime before I got my own.

[pidgeon92]

I share my prime account with my mother-in-law and my father, both of whom live at different addresses. This gives them the free two-day shipping only.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Another option for free shipping that's available for many B&M stores is free ship-to-store.

But then I would have to wait for them to get it to the store, go out to the store to pay for it probably with tax and then have to lug it home on public trans!

Nope I'll let Amazon and UPS do all the work for me thank you very much!

[BeccaPrice]

how do you find your "prime" page? I can't see any hook off the Amazon page that would take me there.

ETA: found it. Ignore this message.

[speakingtohe]

I live in Canada so it is a bit different for me. Amazon.ca is seldom the best place to shop price-wise and AFAIK we don't have Prime. They do have free shipping, but the prices are high compared to other places.

I do shop Amazon.com for things that are unavailable from Canadian retailers. Generally costs me a fair chunk of cash for shipping, customs etc. but there are things I can only buy on Amazon that I want so I just pay for it.

I like the ship to store option because I can pick up in store and examine and return if necessary with the benefit of an online receipt for taxes.

Helen

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Another option for free shipping that's available for many B&M stores is free ship-to-store.

I think that is just called waiting.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

The free shipping benefit can be shared between members of the same household who have separate Amazon accounts. You just sign one up for Prime, then they go to their Prime page and "invite" the others to use it.

My roommate and I used to share Prime before I got my own.

If you have Student Prime you don't get this option. So I have to buy on hubby's account for now.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by ApK

Who else has it? As someone mentioned above, I've seen many places with a $40 or $50 free shipping deal, but can't recall seeing a $25 deal other than Amazon.

Deep Discount also has free shipping for orders of $25 or more

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

But then I would have to wait for them to get it to the store, go out to the store to pay for it probably with tax and then have to lug it home on public trans!

Nope I'll let Amazon and UPS do all the work for me thank you very much!

It all depends on the circumstances. I've used this option numerous times. Since all of the online stores I shop at collect sales tax (including Amazon), taxes are never a consideration.

This option comes in handy when minimum order amounts aren't met or when I want to get something before the sale ends. The latter option not only saves me an unnecessary trip to the store, it also guarantees that I get it at the sale price. Since I live in a large metro area, it's easy to get my order at a nearby store the next time I go shopping.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

I think that is just called waiting.

Not always.
Some B&M online sales operations work off store inventory so if the store has it in stock you get it the same day, often within minutes.
Best Buy used to do this.
(Haven't tried it recently.)
Circuit City in its final days had a 20 minute guarantee: you ordered online and if the store didn't put it in your hands in 20 minutes for any reason--long line at pickup, for example--you got a discount. Worked well but by then they were past the point of return.