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I’ve had good luck with subscribe and save in the UK. It seems to take the lowest recent price for each product, so there haven’t been many times I was surprise

I’ve had good luck with subscribe and save in the UK. It seems to take the lowest recent price for each product, so there haven’t been many times I was surprised by a high price - but a lot of times that I was pleased with a low price! The trick is to go in and review the order before it’s due to ship (you get an email reminder) and cancel/substitute/defer any items you don’t need or that are priced too high. Occasionally I’ve also noticed items that are showing out of stock on the product page, but they still managed to find stock for my S&S order.

OJFord 2y ago
I am also in the UK (person who you replied to replied to) - your second paragraph is exactly what I mean. It's fine, it's good, but it's not set it and forget it, it's plan a bigger order, and check it nearer the time. It definitely doesn't 'take the lowest recent price', it doesn't even claim to, it gives you whatever discount (either 0/5 or 5/15 percent depending the product, and less/more than five items respectively) against the exact product listing and exact seller for that listing that you set it up against. I've cancelled/skipped them and ordered the same literal product (maybe a different listing) cheaper as a one-off order on numerous occasions. Nevermind all the ones I have set up that are basically just 'salt' or whatever and I don't care about the brand, the cheapest brand can vary a lot and if you're not careful you can end up subscribed to one that happens to go maliciously expensive.
- TylerE 2y ago
  For me it's not so much about price, but availability. I have a couple things that I use at both very consistent rates and aren't available locally. It's about not running out without having to consciously think about it.
  - nucleardog 2y ago
    Yeah I can’t see myself every subscribing for the discount or something, but it has a lot of value as exactly that. The coffee I like isn’t available anywhere near me. And even if it was, it’s just one more thing to stay on top of because I damn sure don’t want to run out. I go through it consistently enough that I just haven’t had to think about coffee in probably two years. Every once in a while I open my door and some has appeared and that’s exactly when I realize I was running low.
  - OJFord 2y ago
    Oh yeah absolutely, but we could also just order them without the subscription for that right. I just notice some items fluctuate in price a lot, or sellers chop and change in having.. not even just the best price but reasonable vs. exploitative. I don't use it for price, at least not wholly, but I do have to pay attention to it if I don't want a surprise ridiculous price. If that makes sense. (Although I just noticed I said in top-level comment that it was just for price, heh. I suppose it's just a mix of things, and I've never really thought much about why I use it. Price can be nice, but definitely convenience too: the prompt to check if I do need more of whatever or can skip it, otherwise I would likely run out and only then order/go out to buy.)
    - TylerE 2y ago
      > but we could also just order them without the subscription for that right. Sure, but then you're losing out on "have the thing on hand at all times without having to think about it".
      - OJFord 2y ago
        Yeah I don't know what I thought your comment said but my reply doesn't make sense! I agree though basically, I've just had some change in price to such an extent that I'd have rathered get it myself, or buy an alternative instead.
- Reason077 2y ago
  I certainly make sure I get the 15% S&S discount. But I've also noticed that sometimes even the base price (before the discount) shows lower than the current price on the product page. Maybe I've just gotten lucky and the price was lower at the time my S&S was processed, which tends to be a week or more before it ships. What happens if the price on an item drops during that window between when the order is processed and the ship date?
whycome 2y ago
> The trick is to go in and review the order before it’s due to ship That basically defeats any advantage of a subscription. You might as well just have a bookmark calendar event that leads to the one-click purchase.
- Reason077 2y ago
  There are several other advantages with subscribe & save: 1. You get a 15% discount. 2. Everything arrives in one shipment, with multiple items in the same box, saving on packaging. 3. It saves time to have the products you use regularly pre-loaded into the Amazon order (I can't think of an alternative way to do a "one click purchase" of multiple items, and its easier to remove items from a pre-filled order than to have to search for them and add them). 4. As mentioned elsewhere, Amazon seems to try to make sure there is stock available for subscribe & save customers, reserving stock even if it's showing as sold out on the product page.
- OJFord 2y ago
  I may as well do the coding myself if I'm going to do a code review? Sibling gave some other clear benefits, but I'd also add it's helpful just to have a basket prepared for you too. Imagine if you walked into the supermarket and someone offered you a basket of things you'd told them you often like to buy. Maybe you don't want them today, there could be all manner of reasons, but you might, it's still helpful.

OJFord 2y ago

I am also in the UK (person who you replied to replied to) - your second paragraph is exactly what I mean. It's fine, it's good, but it's not set it and forget it, it's plan a bigger order, and check it nearer the time. It definitely doesn't 'take the lowest recent price', it doesn't even claim to, it gives you whatever discount (either 0/5 or 5/15 percent depending the product, and less/more than five items respectively) against the exact product listing and exact seller for that listing that you set it up against. I've cancelled/skipped them and ordered the same literal product (maybe a different listing) cheaper as a one-off order on numerous occasions. Nevermind all the ones I have set up that are basically just 'salt' or whatever and I don't care about the brand, the cheapest brand can vary a lot and if you're not careful you can end up subscribed to one that happens to go maliciously expensive.

TylerE 2y ago
For me it's not so much about price, but availability. I have a couple things that I use at both very consistent rates and aren't available locally. It's about not running out without having to consciously think about it.
- nucleardog 2y ago
  Yeah I can’t see myself every subscribing for the discount or something, but it has a lot of value as exactly that. The coffee I like isn’t available anywhere near me. And even if it was, it’s just one more thing to stay on top of because I damn sure don’t want to run out. I go through it consistently enough that I just haven’t had to think about coffee in probably two years. Every once in a while I open my door and some has appeared and that’s exactly when I realize I was running low.
- OJFord 2y ago
  Oh yeah absolutely, but we could also just order them without the subscription for that right. I just notice some items fluctuate in price a lot, or sellers chop and change in having.. not even just the best price but reasonable vs. exploitative. I don't use it for price, at least not wholly, but I do have to pay attention to it if I don't want a surprise ridiculous price. If that makes sense. (Although I just noticed I said in top-level comment that it was just for price, heh. I suppose it's just a mix of things, and I've never really thought much about why I use it. Price can be nice, but definitely convenience too: the prompt to check if I do need more of whatever or can skip it, otherwise I would likely run out and only then order/go out to buy.)
  - TylerE 2y ago
    > but we could also just order them without the subscription for that right. Sure, but then you're losing out on "have the thing on hand at all times without having to think about it".
    - OJFord 2y ago
      Yeah I don't know what I thought your comment said but my reply doesn't make sense! I agree though basically, I've just had some change in price to such an extent that I'd have rathered get it myself, or buy an alternative instead.
Reason077 2y ago
I certainly make sure I get the 15% S&S discount. But I've also noticed that sometimes even the base price (before the discount) shows lower than the current price on the product page. Maybe I've just gotten lucky and the price was lower at the time my S&S was processed, which tends to be a week or more before it ships. What happens if the price on an item drops during that window between when the order is processed and the ship date?

whycome 2y ago

> The trick is to go in and review the order before it’s due to ship That basically defeats any advantage of a subscription. You might as well just have a bookmark calendar event that leads to the one-click purchase.

Reason077 2y ago
There are several other advantages with subscribe & save: 1. You get a 15% discount. 2. Everything arrives in one shipment, with multiple items in the same box, saving on packaging. 3. It saves time to have the products you use regularly pre-loaded into the Amazon order (I can't think of an alternative way to do a "one click purchase" of multiple items, and its easier to remove items from a pre-filled order than to have to search for them and add them). 4. As mentioned elsewhere, Amazon seems to try to make sure there is stock available for subscribe & save customers, reserving stock even if it's showing as sold out on the product page.
OJFord 2y ago
I may as well do the coding myself if I'm going to do a code review? Sibling gave some other clear benefits, but I'd also add it's helpful just to have a basket prepared for you too. Imagine if you walked into the supermarket and someone offered you a basket of things you'd told them you often like to buy. Maybe you don't want them today, there could be all manner of reasons, but you might, it's still helpful.