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Amazon raised the price of Prime, and so it was a good opportunity to question the value of it. Two day delivery is great but how often did I need something tha

Amazon raised the price of Prime, and so it was a good opportunity to question the value of it. Two day delivery is great but how often did I need something that quickly? Free delivery and ~5 days is fine. Prime Video seems to target baby boomers; there’s nothing that’s notable except for a few times a year when a hit movie appears and it certainly isn’t worth any amount to me. Amazon itself is a poor experience as I try to avoid doing business with unknown third parties. Whole Foods: after the acquisition I noticed that quality declined with brittle, smaller eggs and milk that expired sooner. Amazon hasn’t been in the best of light in the news in the past year or so. I remember a couple years ago thinking Amazon was the only respectable big tech company. Then, there was a scheduled tissue package delivery that was “lost” by OnTrak. Amazon doesn’t automate the refund, you have to ask. Happened to be at Target and noticed that an 8 pack of 160 tissues each cost $12. I looked up amazon’s and it was $17 when bought, but all of a sudden it was now $13 — also only 120 tissues each box. Why the shadiness? It’s great that you have pricing power, but I wouldn’t want to do business with a coffee shop where I walk in and the barista says, “Bob’s here! Jack up the price!” Amazon feels like some legal version of Wolf of Wallstreet. Anyway, it’s all just anecdotal. At the end of the day I just don’t trust them. Edit: I’ve been off Prime 2 months and don’t miss it.

acdanger 8y ago
Also anecdotally, Prime has become inconsistent and unreliable since I moved to DC a couple of months ago. It's gotten better as we've moved closed to the holidays, but for a while it was taking 3-7 days for Prime-qualified items to arrive. I heard that there may have been some disruptions in service due to the tornado hitting an Amazon warehouse in Baltimore, but never in my contact with customer service was this mentioned. https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/9xebhs/any_updates_on_dmv_area_amazon_prime_deliveries/ https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/9xebhs/any_up...
bredren 8y ago
I think the data sharing is possibly a major problem-to-be in that Amazon probably getting a lot of info about me. A LOT. This is as I ramp down what I allow Google to know as I've taken steps to limit use of their products, particularly search. I think this should be people's primary concern with the rise of this service--especially as it now grows to include data on the foods you consume. Presumably, Amazon will begin private labeling food products, which will put the company in direct line of choosing which farming practices to promote, what diets get discounted and other interesting capabilities. I want to believe this power will be used for good--such as Apple's stance toward Privacy. But benevolence can wax and wane. I haven't heard Bezos talk about the importance of human health and the food chain, but I haven't gone looking for that yet either. To me the delivery service via prime is still amazing. It does matter that products arrive within two days because I often put them into service the moment they are delivered. It matters to me that the product catalog on Amazon is so expansive and has been combed over by previous buyers. The review system is not perfect, but largely I am happy with highly rated, well sold merchandise routed through Amazon's marketplace. I also have been on the selling side of Prime and while it is expensive for sellers, it is an incredible to be able to address potential buyers using Prime with the branding and consistent experience of Amazon all over it. I'm able to sell unusual things with no reviews. Regarding the issues you've had with that tissue delivery, I also had an issue once with a falsely advertised sizing of a ducting tube I needed for a swamp cooler a couple years back. I had to really get through to customer service to show that the product sold was not legit. They did take action on the seller after I spent the time. That said, that was one out of many hundreds of product purchase experiences where I felt wronged and Amazon was involved. I think we're still just getting started with the value prop of Amazon Prime.
- bradknowles 8y ago
  Yup. Amazon Basics is just the start.
fyfy18 8y ago
In the UK, Prime has next day or (for major cities) same day delivery. I've used it plenty of times for things that I could get quickly from the supermarket or high-street shop but know Amazon will have a better quality or better price. I'm now living in Spain where Prime delivery takes a few days and miss it...
- Moter8 8y ago
  Man, before Prime shipping in Spain was a pain, at least anecdotally. It always took 3 business days, whatever the shop. My mum was mad at me for paying for 1 day shipping (eg Prime Delivery - 20€ in Spain - crazy cheap) because "You know that this won't work in Spain!!"

acdanger 8y ago

Also anecdotally, Prime has become inconsistent and unreliable since I moved to DC a couple of months ago. It's gotten better as we've moved closed to the holidays, but for a while it was taking 3-7 days for Prime-qualified items to arrive. I heard that there may have been some disruptions in service due to the tornado hitting an Amazon warehouse in Baltimore, but never in my contact with customer service was this mentioned. https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/9xebhs/any_updates_on_dmv_area_amazon_prime_deliveries/ https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/9xebhs/any_up...

bredren 8y ago

I think the data sharing is possibly a major problem-to-be in that Amazon probably getting a lot of info about me. A LOT. This is as I ramp down what I allow Google to know as I've taken steps to limit use of their products, particularly search. I think this should be people's primary concern with the rise of this service--especially as it now grows to include data on the foods you consume. Presumably, Amazon will begin private labeling food products, which will put the company in direct line of choosing which farming practices to promote, what diets get discounted and other interesting capabilities. I want to believe this power will be used for good--such as Apple's stance toward Privacy. But benevolence can wax and wane. I haven't heard Bezos talk about the importance of human health and the food chain, but I haven't gone looking for that yet either. To me the delivery service via prime is still amazing. It does matter that products arrive within two days because I often put them into service the moment they are delivered. It matters to me that the product catalog on Amazon is so expansive and has been combed over by previous buyers. The review system is not perfect, but largely I am happy with highly rated, well sold merchandise routed through Amazon's marketplace. I also have been on the selling side of Prime and while it is expensive for sellers, it is an incredible to be able to address potential buyers using Prime with the branding and consistent experience of Amazon all over it. I'm able to sell unusual things with no reviews. Regarding the issues you've had with that tissue delivery, I also had an issue once with a falsely advertised sizing of a ducting tube I needed for a swamp cooler a couple years back. I had to really get through to customer service to show that the product sold was not legit. They did take action on the seller after I spent the time. That said, that was one out of many hundreds of product purchase experiences where I felt wronged and Amazon was involved. I think we're still just getting started with the value prop of Amazon Prime.

bradknowles 8y ago
Yup. Amazon Basics is just the start.

fyfy18 8y ago

In the UK, Prime has next day or (for major cities) same day delivery. I've used it plenty of times for things that I could get quickly from the supermarket or high-street shop but know Amazon will have a better quality or better price. I'm now living in Spain where Prime delivery takes a few days and miss it...

Moter8 8y ago
Man, before Prime shipping in Spain was a pain, at least anecdotally. It always took 3 business days, whatever the shop. My mum was mad at me for paying for 1 day shipping (eg Prime Delivery - 20€ in Spain - crazy cheap) because "You know that this won't work in Spain!!"