I was wondering if anyone here had Amazon Prime, and could tell me what they thought of the service.

I've been looking at it for a while now, and on the surface it seems like a great idea, but after doing a little digging I have one major concern: selection.

Sure, free two-day shipping and $4 one-day shipping sounds great, but then I tried checking out which items were available, and it's not that much as far as I can see. According to Amazon:


I've yet to see items from 3rd party merchants that are eligible, and so much of Amazon has converted to the marketplace that it almost seems difficult to find a product actually sold by Amazon.

Now, I'm still considering trying it out. I figured that around mid-November I'll start the one month trial, so any Christmas shopping we do has a chance of including Prime items. I also plan, if we go ahead with the membership, to bring my mother and mother-in-law in on it, splitting the cost. I'm sure that, even with the limited selection of eligible items, I could make up $26 a year. Not so sure about $79.

So is there anyone here who has it?

I'm also curious if there's anyone here who partakes in the Amazon subscription service.

I've used it during the one month trial but only to get Dark Knight on Blu-ray via 2-day. When I canceled they warned I may be ineligible for future promotions. Just keep that in mind if that matters.

Stu

I have Amazon Prime. I love it. No fidgeting about deciding whether the shipping is worth it or not. Lately, they've added an "Eligible for Prime" filter.

There are a few merchants whose shipments are fulfilled by Amazon, though they are not very many.

I've had Amazon Prime since they introduced it. I tend to order more stuff from Amazon now and less stuff from random other websites. The items do need to be sold by Amazon but most of the stuff I want is. I also love that I can order something from a friends wishlist and 2 day ship it to them for free.

Great to hear, thanks for the responses.

If you wouldn't mind, what general kinds of stuff do you guys buy from Amazon that makes the Prime membership worthwhile? (I realize I sound like an Amazon survey with a question like that)

What I mean is, I've been having difficulty finding products that are even eligible, even with that search filter.

I think that part of the problem is that sadly, I am brand loyal. I've been looking around Amazon for some of the things I usually use, and they either aren't there or they're there for far too much money (a 24-pack of Bounty Select-a-size for $55? Seriously?).

I'm definitely going to test it out though. It's worth a shot

DVD's, Books, Groceries, Clothing, Home & Garden, Video Games, Computer related items. I have paid for multiple items in each department except the Kindle. I used to be brand loyal but then I found that brands not sold in supermarkets can be much better and cost way less.

Another positive vote for the Prime service here. Mostly ordering books, with a CD or two thrown in now and then. Sometimes computer supplies.

Yeah, see my problem is that I don't buy CDs anymore, and I've vowed to not fall into the DVD collecting trap that held me for 7-8 years. My BluRay collection is about eight movies and I suspect it might get up to 20 before I stop, far short of the 200 or so DVDs I have.

For computer supplies, I have a hard time using anyone other than Newegg. Amazon can't beat the shopping experience of Newegg, let alone the selection.

But still, I'll give it a shot. Like I said, I'd have to make up for $26 in shipping on eligible items. I think I can make that.


By the way, have you Prime members seen that Amazon now offers same-day delivery on Prime items to certain cities for $6? That's crazy! And for once my city is one of them (hopefully they count the suburbs of D.C.).

Back when Amazon started in the UK I used to often get same day deliveries for the price of their standard postage. Their warehouse at the time was nearby and if the warehouse was having a quiet day, instead of putting the local orders in the post they'd stick them in a van and deliver them by hand

On occasions you'd place and order in the morning and it would arrive by lunch time

In my case, random stuff, but specifically not groceries.

This year, in addition to books, CDs, and movies, I've purchased:

• some internal hard drives for my new home server
• a BluRay/HDDVD drive, also for my new home server
• some windshield wipers
• a "fitness ball"
• a pair of work gloves
• a PS3
• a vacuum cleaner air filter
• a Radio Flyer wagon (No, I don't have kids. Shut up.)
• a Wacom tablet
• a USB/Firewire hub
• a 12-outlet power strip
• a set of screwdriver bits for my Leatherman
• a Bluetooth speakerphone
• multimeter leads
• a memory upgrade for my MacBook Pro
• blank journals
• automobile bumper dye
• a pillow
• a windshield cleaner
• plus whatever my wife ordered

I'm addicted to amazon prime. The difference between "It will be here Wednesday" and "It'll be here sometime soon" doesn't seem like much, but it's saved me plenty of trips to the store. The overnight shipping for a reasonable upcharge really comes in handy too. Christmas shopping without amazon prime would be a real challenge. I often remember some book that would be perfect for someone a day or two in advance, not a week or two in advance when it's not at the top of my mental stack.

It's probably a topic for a different post, but Newegg's service has gone downhill in the last few years, if amazon has it for a similar price you're much better off getting it from amazon.

They're also not too strict on what a "household" is, if you get what I mean. Maybe you know someone else who would like a membership?

Matthew

I've used Amazon Prime since it was introduced and love it. I buy a lot of random stuff off Amazom, including books, some groceries (depending on the price compared to local), movies, pre-order games, etc. For hardware, I'll use Newegg to find what I want, then compare the prices (including shipping/handling) with that on Amazon.