I don't see it that way. I'd rather pay $100 a year to avoid going to chains like Best Buy, Target, Bed Bath, Walmart, what have you. Not only are those places

I don't see it that way. I'd rather pay $100 a year to avoid going to chains like Best Buy, Target, Bed Bath, Walmart, what have you. Not only are those places inconvenient compared to online shopping but their products are often inferior, overpriced, or both. Frankly 2 day shipping is awesome, $8/month is totally worth the convenience, no tricks involved. Similarly, does Starbucks trick me when it charges $2.25 for a coffee that I could brew myself for $0.15? Sometimes the convenience is worth it. Amazon Prime makes shopping extremely convenient!