Author Topic: The Cult of Prime (Read 4890 times)

Balog · « **on:** February 21, 2012, 11:51:55 PM »

www.launch.is/blog/the-cult-of-amazon-prime.html

I admit, my wife and I have been Amazon Prime (and Fresh!) members since they came into existence and we became eligible. And it really has made our lives significantly better.

Ben · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:00:13 AM »

Thanks for the link! I've been in the cult almost since its inception. I still find it hard to believe they can profit from it, at least from people like me. A few years ago, I bought my 52" TV from Amazon, at a cheaper price than I could get it locally, and got it for Prime shipping. That covered my whole prime membership right there.

Sometimes I see small stuff that's a good bit cheaper if I buy it from a 3rd party Amazon seller using free ground shipping, but for most stuff, Prime is the bomb. I have to wonder how good UPS, etc. would be doing if they didn't have all that Prime account merchandise to deliver. :)

Regolith · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:07:08 AM »

I did the trial membership in order to get free shipping on a few times. Didn't reup because I don't order enough stuff from Amazon for it to be worth it.

Nick1911 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:14:23 AM »

I have a free prime account due to my academic email address.

It is awesome. When the promotion expires, I will be very likely to subscribe.

TommyGunn · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:19:29 AM »

And does she approve??

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #5 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:31:23 AM »

Quote from: Nick1911 on February 22, 2012, 12:14:23 AM

I have a free prime account due to my academic email address.

It is awesome. When the promotion expires, I will be very likely to subscribe.

Why was I not told about this?

Balog · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2012, 12:55:45 AM »

Quote from: Regolith on February 22, 2012, 12:07:08 AM

I did the trial membership in order to get free shipping on a few times. Didn't reup because I don't order enough stuff from Amazon for it to be worth it.

But... where do you buy your things? Aside from Craigslist for used stuff, I'd say well over %95 of all Balog family purchases are VIA Amazon. That includes non-prepared food.

Regolith · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2012, 01:14:45 AM »

Quote from: Balog on February 22, 2012, 12:55:45 AM

But... where do you buy your things? Aside from Craigslist for used stuff, I'd say well over %95 of all Balog family purchases are VIA Amazon. That includes non-prepared food.

Other places.

brimic · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2012, 09:13:40 AM »

I recently heard of Prime when I was browsing books on the Kindle. Now that I know what it is, I'll have to join- $79 for 'free' 2-day shipping per year? I'll probably make that up in a month or two.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2012, 09:16:47 AM »

I wish Amazon had more gun stuff/ammunition.

Ben · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2012, 09:38:05 AM »

Quote from: AJ Dual on February 22, 2012, 09:16:47 AM

I wish Amazon had more gun stuff/ammunition.

They seem to have added a good amount of gun related stuff in the last year or so. Once I started keyword searching I was actually quite surprised at the amount of stuff that came up.

SADShooter · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2012, 10:09:00 AM »

I am a recent cult convert. Between shipping and instant video, I have more than saved the price of admission. The downside? As noted elsewhere, the ease of buying has resulted in some impulse buys I might not have made otherwise. Hence the profit.

MillCreek · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2012, 10:18:24 AM »

We got it when my wife got me the Kindle Fire for Christmas. I signed up for the annual membership; watching the free videos on Amazon Instant Video, the free Kindle lending library and the free two day shipping has made it more than worthwhile, in my view.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2012, 10:24:09 AM »

Quote from: Ben on February 22, 2012, 09:38:05 AM

They seem to have added a good amount of gun related stuff in the last year or so. Once I started keyword searching I was actually quite surprised at the amount of stuff that came.

Yeah, I've found there's lots of gun stuff on Amazon, just not quite the stuff I want like ammo, or some of the bulk reloading components.

For instance, this: http://www.amazon.com/FED-12GA-OZ-SUPER-WADS/dp/B000N8OEX8/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1329924004&sr=1-2-catcorr It's the only listing for 12ga wads. And there's no info as to how many it is. And why in the hell is it in "Health and Personal Care"?

You don't even notice the listing brought you over to that section, and then all your firearm related searches get hamstrung until you figure it out.

cordex · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2012, 09:48:18 PM »

We signed up for Prime with one of their "free month" offers recently. I like it, but I'm not sure I $80 like it yet.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2012, 01:34:04 AM »

Quote from: SADShooter on February 22, 2012, 10:09:00 AM

As noted elsewhere, the ease of buying has resulted in some impulse buys I might not have made otherwise.

This is why I Prime not. And Netflix not.

Quote from: AJ Dual on February 22, 2012, 10:24:09 AM

For instance, this: http://www.amazon.com/FED-12GA-OZ-SUPER-WADS/dp/B000N8OEX8/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1329924004&sr=1-2-catcorr It's the only listing for 12ga wads. And there's no info as to how many it is. And why in the hell is it in "Health and Personal Care"?

I find a loaded 12 gauge next to the bed is very healthful. It cares for my person.

Marnoot · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2012, 10:36:18 AM »

I love Amazon Prime. I'm sure they lose money on several of my smaller one-itme purchases, but I spend such an obscene amount of money there in a year I have no doubt they come out ahead in the end.

41magsnub · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2012, 10:40:36 AM »

Quote from: fistful on February 23, 2012, 01:34:04 AM

This is why I Prime not. And Netflix not.

What could you impulse buy on netflix?

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #18 on:** February 24, 2012, 01:18:58 AM »

Quote from: 41magsnub on February 23, 2012, 10:40:36 AM

What could you impulse buy on netflix?

I don't know, but it would be way too easy to spend "just a few bucks" renting a movie. And then another one the next day, and another one, and so on. That's also why I still buy my music on CD. It keeps me from buying too many.

Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas · « **Reply #19 on:** February 24, 2012, 01:52:25 AM »

Quote from: fistful on February 24, 2012, 01:18:58 AM

I don't know, but it would be way too easy to spend "just a few bucks" renting a movie. And then another one the next day, and another one, and so on. That's also why I still buy my music on CD. It keeps me from buying too many.

It's a monthly fee. You can watch every movie they have and you won't pay more than if you'd just watched Zardoz.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #20 on:** February 24, 2012, 07:55:45 AM »

Well now I know that...

AJ Dual · « **Reply #21 on:** February 24, 2012, 09:48:11 AM »

Quote from: fistful on February 24, 2012, 07:55:45 AM

Well now I know that...

Got a Wii or Blue-Ray player with the Netflix client on it?

They have an even cheaper "streaming only" plan where you just watch movies streamed online, and you don't pay for the physical DVD's to be sent to your house in the mail.

MillCreek · « **Reply #22 on:** February 24, 2012, 10:30:09 AM »

^^^ That is what we do. Our enjoyment of it has gone up recently: we found a Sony blu-ray player that has the capacity to show closed captions on Netflix. There are very few such devices out there right now that can do this. Netflix costs us $8/month.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #23 on:** February 24, 2012, 10:35:10 AM »

Yep, exactly the plan we have.

Mrs. Dual can watch all the "Miserable poor people in Ireland", "Miserable rich people in England", "Miserable rich people who can't marry the poor love of their life in Scotland", "Miserable British/English/Irish/Scottish/UK people in Edwardian, Victorian, WWI, and WWII-times" mini-series to her hearts content.

(I never knew this was such an INDUSTRY. I suspect it's because all they need to do is rent some manor for a week, a horse, a buggy, and some costumes, and it's very cheap to produce. Kind of like how reality TV is cheap to produce.)

News:

Author Topic: The Cult of Prime (Read 4890 times)