# Amazon customers, I need some help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2002, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359 "2002-08-24T10:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/1 "2002-08-24T10:01:58Z")
Amazon has this deal where you get free shipping if you order 49 or more worth of stuff directly from them. I have a slew of CDs I want to order, totaling **5** 9, so I’m ready to go. I checked out all the fine print, and I know I’m good: everything I want to order is eligible. The only problem is, I can’t figure out how to let them know I want the free shipping, which apparently you’re supposed to do, rather than getting it automatically when you go over $49. The instructions say to go to checkout, ship everything to one address, then “Select Super Saver Shipping as your shipping speed” (say it five times fast). But I don’t see it marked as an option anywhere on the page. I’ve sent them an e-mail, but who knows when they’ll answer. In the meantime, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/2 "2002-08-24T10:50:21Z")
I recently made a **single** purchase totaling more than $50 which had a “free shipping” logo on its page. I just completed the checkout process as normal and it automatically billed me at the reduced price. Your case may be different due to the multiple purchases to exceed $50. Try going through the complete checkout process and see what the final total is. You won’t be billed till you confirm. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/3 "2002-08-24T12:24:27Z")
Hm, I’ll try that. See, I recently bought a mess of books (I’m now about to buy a mess of CDs), but the subtotal was $46.91. I also went over my order again, and figured out a way I could have saved myself six bucks. Now I know. Also, thank you to the kind soul who sent me the gift certificate last October, to replace the CD of **Cypress Hill** (their first disk) that was stolen when my car was broken into. I used the remaining $5.05 of credit, and I thank you again. No, wait; it’s **fifteen bucks** I could have saved. :::weeps quietly::: Well, now I know. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/4 "2002-08-24T12:31:27Z")
I would make sure you print out the rules of the free shipping. Amazon has (unintenionally, AFAIK) done some bait-and-switch things with incorrect information on their website, but they almost always make it good if you call/mail to complain. I browse Amazon almost multi-weekly, and I have noticed a definite decline in the quality and accuracy of the information on it. Perhaps they had to have a few layoffs. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/5 "2002-08-24T15:18:33Z")
“Perhaps they had to have a few layoffs.” A few thousand… Anyway, sometimes the free stuff doesn’t show up until you complete the order confirmation page. Its the one just before the last page. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/6 "2002-08-24T15:36:31Z")
Not guaranteed but try these coupon codes (one code per purchase) and get 5.00 off on purchases over 35.00 till 08/31/02. MAPVALLEY535 CHNKBKAMZNLT see [http://www.coupon-codes.net/](http://www.coupon-codes.net/) for more coupons. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/7 "2002-08-25T02:49:55Z")
Thanks, **astro**! And I finally worked it out. It was only $9 that slipped through my fingers. Live and learn. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/8 "2002-08-27T01:20:11Z")
Update: I placed my order and got the free shipping. Unfortunately, the coupon code didn’t work. But two of the Marketplace sellers charged me a dollar less than I expected! So I saved $2 anyway. The thing is, the shipping estimate is **September 19th** at the earliest! Because one of the items has an availability of 2-3 weeks, and I have to have them shipped all at once to avoid fees. I can accept that, though. I wanted to get the most for my money, and I managed to get a lot of stuff I wanted for just under a hundred bucks. I can wait. Paying more to get things here faster is not going to enhance my enjoyment of them after they arrive. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/9 "2002-08-27T02:06:39Z")
Super Saver Shipping, now for orders under $25, has some restrictions: > [@](#): > > Free Super Saver Shipping excludes toys, video games and accessories, baby products, certain oversize items, Target products, e-books and e-documents, software downloads, music downloads, gift certificates, Target GiftCards, items from the Toys & Games store, Baby store, Marketplace (primarily used and refurbished items), Auctions, zShops, Circuit City and other third-party merchants (such as [drugstore.com](http://drugstore.com), [Expedia.com](http://Expedia.com), and Ofoto), and those products that do not include this icon: (representation of a delivery truck). If you qualify for free Super Saver Shipping but your order also contains one or more ineligible items, you’ll be charged shipping fees for those ineligible items. > _©2002 [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com), Inc_ So, as Johnny Cochran might say if he was involved in this, If it don’t have the truck, you’re outta luck. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/10 "2002-08-27T06:57:55Z")
Well, I combed through that before I made my first purchase. But thanks anyway! ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/11 "2002-08-27T14:04:00Z")
BTW, [bn.com](http://bn.com) has free shipping on orders over two items, so it’s sometimes worth checking with them before completing your amazon order. Sometimes their prices even make this cheaper than Amazon, too. Strangely, a lot of times when you choose “ship everything together,” they still ship separately while still not charging you shipping. They do seem to be a bit slower than amazon, however. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-customers-i-need-some-help/125359/12 "2002-08-27T22:33:33Z")
Yes, I noticed that about Amazon. I was all set to conjure up a second item to justify a purchase, but I saw the same item on [buy.com](http://buy.com), which doesn’t charge shipping at all. I just got the first shipment from Amazon proper! (I also have ten Marketplace orders, and another Amazon order.) I also got the announcement that Amazon is reducing the SSS minimum price to $25! Argh! Five days before I ordered and paid shipping! So be it.