sbgrace Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 (edited) Lately I've noticed several things I've ordered via Prime in the past (washable markers being the latest) now available only as an add on to a $25 order. I'm getting annoyed. I pay for prime for the convenience of not needing to wait to have a $25 order to get free shipping. I'm concerned it's going to become more and more items. I'll cancel Prime if so. It's not cheap. Has anyone contacted Amazon? I can't figure out how to even contact them to complain. Edited July 24, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I havent noticed that, yet. I will be really disappointed, because as you said one of the main draws to having prime is not having to make it to the $25 threshold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Yes, I posted my frustration with this in the other amazon thread. I had a feeling that's what would happen, and I've already seen a few products I've ordered via prime in the past creep over into the "add on" program. I suspect we'll see more lower cost items move over to that program over time. I had to hunt around for a while to find the email link. I seem to always have a tough time finding it since amazon buries it on their pages IMO. I emailed and got a canned response, of course. If it continues, I will just cancel my prime. IIRC they pro-rate it, so you can cancel and get any "unused" months credited to you. If they are going to push more products into the add on program, it negates a good bit of the value of Prime for me. I love using Prime to pick up things here and there without having to take all 3 kids to the store. I've also had issues with streaming from amazon using Prime. It starts off with good resolution, then a few mins into whatever show I'm watching, the resolution drops considerably. Supposedly this is due to our connection, but we have a fast, good connection, and have no issues streaming from other sites (hulu, etc) with good resolution. Between those two things, i'm questioning how long I'll stick with Prime. I had the free amazon mom prime membership for over a year (lots of qualifying orders). I didn't think I'd pay for Prime, but I did a few months ago. Now with the add on program and our streaming issues, I'm feeling like I"m not getting what I thought I was paying for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakim Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Oh that's what that is. Crud. I totally agree - that's what I HAVE Prime for :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amydavis Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I haven't encountered this yet...but I'm due to renew mine in just four days. This is making me reconsider, because as others have stated, being able to throw something in the cart and buy it immediately, is the main perk (for me). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Well, I figure it's in response to folks ordering $3 items over and over. One. At. A. Time. :) I don't recall the Amazon Prime program being advertised as in perpetuity, so I'm not bothered. I get it from a business standpoint. And, I think it is reasonable for consumers to decide whether it's enough value for them to renew the service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I have paid amazon prime and I've never had that happen, and I make many "small" orders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommybee Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I have paid amazon prime and I've never had that happen, and I make many "small" orders. It looks like it's a new thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I have paid amazon prime and I've never had that happen, and I make many "small" orders. It is a new policy. They are talking it up, saying they are now going to have more small items available. The catch is that you can only add in those small items if you have an order that will end up totaling 25 dollars. If they were truly adding new items, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but several people have noticed a shifting of smaller items that *were* previously Prime-eligible over into the "add on" (i.e. must have a 25 dollar total, even as a Prime member to order them) program. I expect more items will drift into the add on program over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I haven't noticed it. But if things I want to buy require a 25 minimum even with Prime, I will just cancel prime. I am not ordering every week anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Can you give me some examples of things that are now add ons? I saw their post about it and it mentioned a single lightbulb as an example. I'd like to hear from others what things are now add ons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I noticed that 2 weeks ago. But what I also noticed was that after a day or two, that minimum amount was gone and the product increased by $2.00. That kind of increase would vary of course. Annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 A $5 latch hook was an "add on." I have no idea if it was available (via Prime) previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 A jump rope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 (edited) http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_1-1?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200876660&qid=1343172388&sr=1-1 they claim it is so they can offer small items for which shipping would be prohibitives, e.g. a light bulb or a single jar of paprika. If that is ALL it is about, I can understand that, and I would like to be able to buy a single jar of something rather than a 12 pack. http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Paella-Paprika-Tin/dp/B000NO72TK/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1343172618&sr=8-13&keywords=paprika I searched paprika, and all the others were packs or larger amounts, although the larger amounts were often only 9 bucks. I also searched jump ropes and the first two pages of hits were prime, not add-on prime. We shall see. Edited July 24, 2012 by kalanamak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 A $5 latch hook was an "add on." I have no idea if it was available (via Prime) previously. Cruising through it, it seems the add-on items are in the 5 dollar range, although I did see a non add-on but prime jump rope in the 4 range. Perhaps they haven't done it for all items under 6 bucks yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Ugh. We buy a lot of low priced items. This can't be a good thing for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeille Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Can you give me some examples of things that are now add ons? I saw their post about it and it mentioned a single lightbulb as an example. I'd like to hear from others what things are now add ons. I ordered a replacement charging cable for my iPod, and it was an add-on. I'm not happy with the program, but I really can understand why it makes sense from a business perspective. I may even end up liking the program if it makes it easier to buy small, low-cost items through Amazon. For now, Prime is still worth it for our family (I get it half-price through Amazon Student) - we order fairly often, use the free streaming, and are using the borrow-a-book feature to use Fallacy Detective. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I've placed a few orders over the past few days and hadn't noticed. I still usually use Amazon to buy books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Huh. I just ordered An HDMI cable and a pack of black warrior pencils for a whopping total of $7-something... Prime. I haven't seen anything marked add-on. I wonder if it's because not enough people were biting at the "if you take slow delivery, we'll give you music credits" thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I would imagine the actual profit of the item, v. the list price, would matter to the co. in the decision. So some $5 items are worth still shipping Prime, while others aren't. Also, I wonder if warehousing others' items for sale doesn't impact this. I think my latch hook was from a 3rd party warehousing at Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I ordered a replacement charging cable for my iPod, and it was an add-on. I'm not happy with the program, but I really can understand why it makes sense from a business perspective. I may even end up liking the program if it makes it easier to buy small, low-cost items through Amazon. Out of curiosity, how much was the charging cable? I ask, and am looking into this, because yesterday I finally decided to CONSIDER prime for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Cruising through it, it seems the add-on items are in the 5 dollar range, although I did see a non add-on but prime jump rope in the 4 range. Perhaps they haven't done it for all items under 6 bucks yet. Maybe things are still moving around, but it was Prime eligible when I put it on a wishlist a while back and it moved to an "add on" item. http://www.amazon.com/US-Games-Segmented-Black-6-Foot/dp/B0000BYMX6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1343175323&sr=8-4&keywords=jump+rope I understand why from a business perspective why they are making this decision, but if more products creep into the add on category, I will cancel my Prime. I do use it for small items and will be disappointed if items start becoming add-on only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I ask, and am looking into this, because yesterday I finally decided to CONSIDER prime for the first time. Have you already finished Mom Prime? Mine is expiring soon, and I actually need prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeille Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Out of curiosity, how much was the charging cable? I ask, and am looking into this, because yesterday I finally decided to CONSIDER prime for the first time. It was this one - $4.49, from a third-party seller but fulfilled by Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Few Prime questions: What is student Prime? We have a college student, so we should get that discount. Is there any way to get the movie streaming other than Prime? I got a 30 day trial yesterday, the only difference for me is the item will get here a little sooner, it was over $25. So far, it hasn't been a big deal to save items to reach the $25, but there are times it would be nice to get an under $25 item free shipping in 2 days. Maybe its the 2 days that is becoming too expensive. We would like to have access to movies as well. Movies on cable are expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeille Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Few Prime questions: What is student Prime? We have a college student, so we should get that discount. I can't get to the sign-up page, because I'm already a member, but if you search Amazon for "Amazon Student" you should find a link to the offer. If I remember correctly, it's 6 months of free Prime with the option to renew after that for $39 a year for up to 4 years. When you're on the free months you can't use free streaming or the lending library. It was pretty easy to sign up for; I think all they did was send an email to my school address and I clicked on a link from that message to activate Amazon Student. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orozco Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Like others I understand the business point of view. Each individual's spending habits will determine if the fee for prime is cost effective or not. The minimum I have spent on an order was around eight dollars and my purchases tend to average within $10-$20. For me membership has been great and would gladly renew again in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orozco Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I just have to say that it is a headache trying to contact amazon. They bury the information extremely well. I had just spent that last twenty mins on their site locating the contact info to resolve an issue before I came across this thread. The information finally showed up after I put in a key word search for "amazon contact" in my accounts page. They resolved the issue promptly and to my satisfaction but it was frustrating finding the info to contact them. I have bookmarked that page on my computer for future reference to avoid another anger fest with my computer next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 (edited) I just have to say that it is a headache trying to contact amazon. They bury the information extremely well. I had just spent that last twenty mins on their site locating the contact info to resolve an issue before I came across this thread. The information finally showed up after I put in a key word search for "amazon contact" in my accounts page. They resolved the issue promptly and to my satisfaction but it was frustrating finding the info to contact them. I have bookmarked that page on my computer for future reference to avoid another anger fest with my computer next time. Can you post a link to their contact? I can't find it. Someone asked for things that moved. Just this week I re-ordered 20 ct. SuperTips washable Crayola markers and glue (Elmers liquid). I typically order these 2 to 3 times a year. Both items are now add on and they are via Amazon directly. It even says I purchased this in the past...it's the same thing I've bought before. The order was a total of something like $23 so I had to figure out something to purchase to get to $25 for free shipping. It feels like my pre-prime days of waiting to collect enough for free shipping or buying something I wouldn't otherwise to get free shipping. I guess I still get things faster than free shipping without Prime but, for me, speed isn't usually the Prime draw. I don't need the markers and glue in two days. Edited July 26, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Few Prime questions: What is student Prime? We have a college student, so we should get that discount. I'm pretty sure it is a free prime account for registered college students. Is there any way to get the movie streaming other than Prime? streaming is ONLY available through paid prime - and only the original the paid account. I have paid, and four family members have accounts piggybacked on my account - they do not get streaming. I originally signed up a few years ago for the holidays, and getting faster free shippig. I loved it, and have kept it ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I'm pretty sure it is a free prime account for registered college students. streaming is ONLY available through paid prime - and only the original the paid account. I have paid, and four family members have accounts piggybacked on my account - they do not get streaming. I originally signed up a few years ago for the holidays, and getting faster free shippig. I loved it, and have kept it ever since. So my family can't get streaming, just me? Can they go into my account, or will it only be on the first computer that streams? I am in my free trial period, I don't mind waiting a few extra days for packages and having $25 orders..... the streaming is why I agreed to try Prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 We've had Amazon Student for two years now. The first year was free and the second year was $39. We have streaming, but I don't think our dd has it- she piggybacks off our account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Someone may have already linked this already but this is from Amazon's help page about add on program Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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