On most items. Some indy sellers can add S&H.
I usually check the box to limit the results to only stuff that has free shipping, And yes, I realize that I may be missing out on better prices from third party suppliers.
I do the math quickly- Free from Amazon, or $3.99 but lower price from Indy. If the indy is no more than $1 more expensive, they get my sale, assuming the shipping time works out for me. Years of working at a used book store has given me consideration for those folks.
Regarding delivery speed, I just now ordered something at 5:20pm. Prime claims it will arrive tomorrow. That’s quite a high bar to clear; let’s see if they can make it.
I have had things delivered within less than 24 hours. Ordered one evening, there on the porch next afternoon. It amazed us.
Same to the less than 24 hours and the personal amazement, but I don’t know if I’ve ever had it happen when I ordered so late in the day.
Even without Prime, I have had orders filled in two days. But not always so I just don’t order anything critical.
It seems like I heard something on NPR a while back that said exactly that, that people who have Prime memberships are more likely to just go straight to Amazon whenever they need to buy something, without checking other stores. Part of it is that they’re doing it out of habit, but also it makes you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth out of your Prime membership.
I do that for stuff that I need to buy regularly, and also can’t seem to find locally. Like the cardboard refills for my cat’s scratcher, which is like the only scratcher he will use. None of the pet supply stores around here seem to stock them anymore (at least as of the last time I checked), nor can I find them on Chewy even. But Amazon has them. It would be inconvenient to need to accumulate just under $25 worth of other items every time I needed to replace a cheap cardboard cat scratcher.
Why not buy a year’s worth of cardboard cat scratchers all at once?
Because I didn’t think of that.
I’ve certainly been guilty of this as well, so I hope you take this in the spirit I offer it. But please stop doing this. I really think this instant gratification consumerism is really bad for so many things - the environment, the economy, our state of mind, etc. We are trying to do a better job of building a a cartload a couple times a month, rather than whenever we need something. I doubt it makes much of a difference (especially when Amazon still sends things separately in their own packaging, via their own delivery driver, etc.), but I hope it helps even a little.
Well I have a Prime membership for the next year. I think what I will do is only order things in batches of $25 or more and see how we do. It could be that Prime shipping is just not necessary for us.
Of course the main thing this will affect is my impatient need for instant gratification. But as @Munch says, that’s not a great way to be, anyhow.
I did it. I just actually canceled. I can still use it for 44 more days until it actually expires.
Interesting that they didn’t offer a discount to renew.
I’ve also found that when I order things early in the week, I seem to get more free digital credit offers to delay my shipment. Is everyone else’s “prime shipping” day on Friday, or does that vary by location? I’ve bought a number of movies that way, which is a nice perk.
Mine’s Monday.
You can still do that on occasion so long as the total doesn’t add up to $139/year you are still coming out ahead.
Mine’s Saturday.
Wednesday
This, exactly. This is going to be easy to do, is less consumerist, is more environmentally friendly, will probably save me bundles in impulse purchases I’ll end up skipping, and will subsidize fewer Bezos joyrides in space. Win/win/win/win/win.