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Does Prime make a lot of sense in the US? In Germany I don't quite get it, because mail only takes two days anyway. It seems at most I would save a day here or

by Tichy 15y ago

Does Prime make a lot of sense in the US? In Germany I don't quite get it, because mail only takes two days anyway. It seems at most I would save a day here or then with a certain probability. Not enough to warrant the cost, and one book per month doesn't change that much.

smackfu 15y ago
For $80, it's a minor luxury. I could certainly do without it, but it's nice to have since Amazon rarely delivers to here in two or three days without Prime. It's especially useful around the holidays where Amazon's free shipping may get slower, even taking a day or two to ship after ordering, while Prime is still fast.
trobertson 15y ago
It actually makes a lot of sense. The thing you need to remember about the US is that it is huge. Oftentimes, when you order something, it has to be shipped from ~3000 miles away. The 'standard' shipping time is 3-5 days, but is more often closer to a week. Guaranteed 2 day shipping is very convenient, and well worth the $80 a year it costs. Especially when you consider the included streaming of movies, TV shows, and now book subscriptions.
- atto 15y ago
  And it's "free" 2 day (after paying for Prime). That completely changes my purchase behavior to favor more impulse and small orders.
- Leynos 15y ago
  Unfortunately the streaming service seems to be a US only thing which further reduces the value of the service to those elsewhere.
- _pius 15y ago
  Exactly. Plus, it reduces the cost of next day shipping dramatically.
mikeash 15y ago
I live near Washington, and a lot of items with Prime get bumped up to overnight shipping for free. Without Prime, there's a decent chance that something will end up coming from California by ground shipping, which can take a week.
peripitea 15y ago
(Disclaimer: I've been working with Amazon for a while but have been a Prime member for much longer.) It's also the free shipping on any order that's important. It's free shipping on any order, whereas I think normally you need to spend at least $25 or $50 to get free shipping. This enables me to purchase anything on Amazon whenever I want without worrying about added cost and turns shopping into an almost entirely asynchronous experience. It's a huge time savings.

by Tichy 15y ago

smackfu 15y ago

For $80, it's a minor luxury. I could certainly do without it, but it's nice to have since Amazon rarely delivers to here in two or three days without Prime. It's especially useful around the holidays where Amazon's free shipping may get slower, even taking a day or two to ship after ordering, while Prime is still fast.

trobertson 15y ago

It actually makes a lot of sense. The thing you need to remember about the US is that it is huge. Oftentimes, when you order something, it has to be shipped from ~3000 miles away. The 'standard' shipping time is 3-5 days, but is more often closer to a week. Guaranteed 2 day shipping is very convenient, and well worth the $80 a year it costs. Especially when you consider the included streaming of movies, TV shows, and now book subscriptions.

atto 15y ago
And it's "free" 2 day (after paying for Prime). That completely changes my purchase behavior to favor more impulse and small orders.
Leynos 15y ago
Unfortunately the streaming service seems to be a US only thing which further reduces the value of the service to those elsewhere.
_pius 15y ago
Exactly. Plus, it reduces the cost of next day shipping dramatically.

mikeash 15y ago

I live near Washington, and a lot of items with Prime get bumped up to overnight shipping for free. Without Prime, there's a decent chance that something will end up coming from California by ground shipping, which can take a week.

peripitea 15y ago

(Disclaimer: I've been working with Amazon for a while but have been a Prime member for much longer.) It's also the free shipping on any order that's important. It's free shipping on any order, whereas I think normally you need to spend at least $25 or $50 to get free shipping. This enables me to purchase anything on Amazon whenever I want without worrying about added cost and turns shopping into an almost entirely asynchronous experience. It's a huge time savings.