This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
I've never used any of the prime benefits other than free shipping when I had a big free trial. I forgot about it and I started getting charged, and immediately cancelled.
If I bundle my orders into $35+ ones, I still get free shipping. And with Amazon getting crappier and greedier each year, I get less and less there and more on other online marketplaces.
I've never had prime and never felt the need to get it. I don't order frequently from them so, when I do, I can hit the free shipping minimum easily. I have no problem waiting a bit extra for shipping. When they do get around to shipping my stuff, it usually takes just a day or two to get here.
Shop local, it's actually quite fun
I'll go further, I stopped using Amazon entirely and I don't miss it.
The junky shopping experience is especially clear once you leave and come back.
I only ever order books from amazon anymore, and usually only when I get a gift card or a product isn't for sale elsewhere.
The prices aren't even that good anymore.
The prices aren't even that good anymore.
That's because they have been forcing suppliers/sellers to raise their prices.
The junky shopping experience is especially clear once you leave and come back.
I mean, the junky shopping experience isn't unique to Amazon. You could find it in Walmart and TJ Maxx and any number of other low-income retailers a decade ago.
But that's largely a result of the pivot to Planned Obsolescence as a universal standard for consumer products. Things are junk because if they don't degrade in quality you won't be inclined to buy new ones. Your shoddy kitchen appliances break after a couple of years. Your electronics die just in time for a new release. Your IKEA furniture can't be disassembled without destroying the particle board its made from, so you need something new every time you change residences. Everything from your AC unit to your car radio to your dishwasher is designed to fail inside ten years, because that's how business gets you back in line to shop.
The prices aren’t even that good anymore.
Greedflation, baby. Everyone's got to justify their existence with steadily increasing profits.
How nice for you. you must live near a metropolis and have much time on your hands and not living with something impacting your ability to leave the house. You must have multiple sources for products are already in your area because in many parts of the world amazon is supplying many things that are not sold even at local brick and mortars. And many people who live in disabilities/injuries/disease to not be able to go very far without passing out while they receive home treatment.
There's a great website called geizhals.de which gives you a price comparison for a lot of different online stores for each product and there are almost always multiple stores that sell it cheaper than Amazon.
if you want to try an Amazon alternative of books, try ThrifBooks, they have new books as well as used ones
Most of the books I buy are reference books, that site actually has a decent stock, thanks!
It actually makes your life better!
We just dropped Prime a month or so ago and I can't see ever getting it again.
I just order from aliexpress. 10 day shipping (to canada) is worth the ~30% discount and the mask-off, low-cost chinese product offering. I'm sick of getting ripped off by useless garbage with 5 stars from amazon.
And Jeff, I am coming for you.
But then I also pay for shipping separately
Not when you order over a certain dollar amount.
'Please allow 6-8 weeks shipping from Pueblo, Colorado...'
I had prime for maybe a year or something, but it just seems daft to pay more to avoid shipping charges when half the things ship free anyhow. Buying things remotely through the mail or whatever used to take weeks to get to you and there was no tracking to sit there monitoring the arrival in real time. It sucked, so people would buy things from the store nearby and skip all that. Now take your amazonian primates and get off my lawn...
