Prime (US) price increase. Ouch!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by John F

It doesn't look like you can renew early, but googling says you can gift yourself a prime membership. Anyone try this in the past?

I have and I plan on doing it again.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

It's more than just shipping at this point. You get Prime Video streaming (similarish to Netflix), a lite Music subscription service with less songs but isn't horrible, they also give out free video games (sometimes pretty good ones!) and DLC through Prime Gaming, plus other stuff I'm probably forgetting.

Whether it's worth it depends on the individual. I get my monies worth from Prime Video and the music sub IMO.

Here's a listing of Prime benefits:

Prime Membership Benefits

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

It's more than just shipping at this point. You get Prime Video streaming (similarish to Netflix), a lite Music subscription service with less songs but isn't horrible, they also give out free video games (sometimes pretty good ones!) and DLC through Prime Gaming, plus other stuff I'm probably forgetting.

Whether it's worth it depends on the individual. I get my monies worth from Prime Video and the music sub IMO.

Thanks for this info. I have prime and I did not know about the - lite Music subscription service , the free video games and DLC through Prime Gaming

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Simple, cancel and instead buy what you want, when you want from wherever you want.

Vendors LOVE subscription selling as they make much bigger profits than a la carte sales. They charge what the market will bear.

Amazon shipping costs have actually dropped in some cases due to special deals with couriers and postal agencies. Those are or have been under investigation.

I am sure Amazon is doing with shipping costa what every major company does.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Wow, that is a huge jump. We will most likely keep it, we placed just under 100 orders last year, and 115 in 2020. Our Chase Visa more than pays for Prime with the points it earns, and we do use Prime Videos.

But that is a large increase, almost 18%.

It's a 16.81% increase.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's a 16.81% increase.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Apache

What is illegal about negotiating a better price for shipping costs? This is especially true if you pay many millions of dollars a year. The biggest company, for tools, findings, mountings and finished goods, in my industry has always negotiated cheaper deals. They are so busy they have a Fed Ex office in their plant. They also have a dedicated plane at the local airport just for their packages. They also ship worldwide. Did I mention they also pass on the savings to their customers? They have a program that costs me $199.00 a year membership. This program gives me next day air for $8.99 and $3.99 for ground. If I had to pay regular shipping prices, I would spend a lot more than $199.00 a month. I also pass on shipping charges to my customers. I place a regular order every Tuesday, for Wednesday Delivery and do not charge my customers for the shipping. If they want something quicker, I charge them $8.99 for next day shipping.
Apache

Great point. Those 'negotiated' prices include Amazon doing a lot of the work up front, that would be done at the carrier. US Mail has had Bulk rate mail for decades. The mailer Presorts and Bundles the mailings. Doing that by 'Carrier route (the extra 4-6 after the zip), nets another saving
Amazon probably loads the carriers trailers SORTED by destination terminal. Those packages do not get off-loaded at the Local terminal, but just hauled to the next routed terminal. (it is possible a trailer might be loaded on the East Coast and not unloaded until it made it to Oakland,Ca)

[tubemonkey]

There is a bright side to this. The price increase is going down: 25.3% for the first one, 20.2% for the second one and 16.8% for the third one. If Amazon's pattern of raising the price of Prime by $20 every four years holds true, the increase should be down to 14.4% in 2026.

[Tony1988]

I personally only buy from Amazon if I cant find it in a store. I would also never buy something like a 58" tv from Amazon. I dont like returning things and antv would be a pita.
I dont mind paying a few bucks more for something i get that day and can return easily. Plus Amazons prices really are not that better than physical retail stores anymore.

[batpuppy]

I dropped prime a year or so ago when I stop getting two day delivery. At best it became 4 to 10 day delivery and sometimes never delivery. I just sub now for a month or so a year to catch up on what I want to watch on prime. Even with prime I get stuff quicker from walmart. As far as amazon shipping goes, you can get free shipping with smaller orders using prime but shipping time is seems about the same with or without prime.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Amazon Prime

• 2005 --- $79/yr -- Prime launched
  
• 2014 --- $99/yr -- $20 price hike
  
• 2018 -- $119/yr -- $20 price hike
  
• 2022 -- $139/yr -- $20 price hike

2005 -> 2014 25%
2014 -> 2018 20%
2018 -> 2022 17%
2005 -> 2022 76% CPI 2005 -> 2022 42%

amazon prime 2005 -> 2022 3.8% compounded annually
US CPI 2005 -> 2022 3.4% compounded annually

(Of course amazon prime benefits have changed a lot between 2005 and 2022 and amazon needs to take into account projected increased costs between now and the next prime price hike.)

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

I am sure Amazon is doing with shipping costa what every major company does.

They have more clout due to volume and also other services such as AWS. Various governments think they are not doing the same thing.

The point I was making is that any rise in Prime prices are not likely much due to shipping costs, or indeed costs. The price is based on what they think is the most they can charge vs any loss of customers. They don't mind loosing a few customers as long as the price increase sufficiently increases profits. Also they can then appear to offer great discounts to new subscribers. Marketing 101.
They are also in a dominant position and may overtake ebay for 3rd party sales.

[Deskisamess]

The added benefits are substantial when compared with when Prime was only about shipping.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

The added benefits are substantial when compared with when Prime was only about shipping.

Prime Video has come a long way.

[cfrizz]

I spend a whole lot more than $139.00 with Amazon.

For me it's not about the money, it's about the convenience of being able to go on Amazon typing in what I want and getting hundreds of choices of what I'm looking for in seconds. It's about getting that item within a few days with no shipping costs.

It's about saving me from having to go to a store and HOPE that I find what I'm looking for. It's about saving me from having to lug it back home.

It's about the hundreds of books I've gotten from them for free and introducing me to new authors that have become favorites.

I on occasion I watch a movie or listen to their music, but what I mentioned above is what makes Amazon worth that $139.00.

I'm sure their costs have gone up as well. Actually I know they have with them giving their employees an increase in pay.

Everything eventually goes up in cost, that's life get use to it!