Free Amazon Prime Music - Worth it? - Comments Page 1

Not worth it to me. I wouldn't use it since I don't have a lot of electronic leashes tying me to Amazon.com. I signed up for Prime partially to check out their video downloads. They then cut way back on what they had available for free. If I have to buy what I want to view, exactly what am I getting "Prime"? And I agree about the marginal advantage of the system. I won't be renewing my membership.

I don't have Amazon Prime. I wasn't going to pay $79 let alone the current $99. When I purchase from Amazon I make a minimum $35 order (it use to be $25 minimum) and take the free slow boat shipping. Also I do online comparison shopping against ArkivMusic, Walmart, Best Buy, Barnes & Nobles, etc. (even eBay) first.

BTW for classical music I do a lot of purchasing from ArkivMusic. For $9.95 a year I get free standard shipping. Believe me I have used much more than $9.95 worth of postage.

I want to know where you got the shrimp. I'm allergic to seafood, but it made both my sons hungry.

Seriously, been pondering if Prime is worth it. I'm a member now, but that extra 20 is on my nerves.

Agree with the do we really save shipping.

As far as the music service. I looked up some standard classical music and it was sorely lacking. (They only had Renee Fleming singing Lord of the Rings...HELLO?????)

Just so you know that genre seems to be a let down too.

Thanks!!

Pati

Whether or not you want to spend the $99 on Amazon Prime or not depends on where you want to put your entertainment dollars. I buy quite a few books [besides Kindle books] a year plus a few other things. But it isn't the "free" shipping only that I like. No one in my town carries vacuum cleaner bags that fit my vacuum. Amazon does. I don't have to drive miles to get them. I don't have cable TV. I cut my entertainment bill in half by only using an internet connection + ROKU + HD antenna for local channels. I can watch a lot of amazon TV and movie videos for the $99 fee. My cable fee ALONE was $99 a month. So, I get entertainment I like to watch [as opposed to cable's 1000 channels with nothing to watch] for a yearly fee that the cable company was charging me for one month. I call that a good deal.

Plus Prime video streaming does NOT work with android (Nexus 5). I canceled my Prime subscription during the trial period.

I signed up for Amazon Prime primarily for the streaming video. I'm not one of those people who is willing to pay upwards of $100 every month for the premium networks, so even though I'm getting older television programs and movies, I'm still saving a bundle. Since they recently signed a deal with HBO, there will be more to watch. The so-called free two-day shipping hasn't been all that great. During the holiday shopping season, they used a company called LaserShip which was not very good. Packages appeared on my front porch late at night more often than not. The streaming music will probably get a try, but I doubt it's worth the extra $20. The streaming video is what will get me to renew for another year. After that, who knows?

I don't have Prime, It was too pricy before and is even more so now. I was OK when items over $25 dollars shipped free, but that has changed also to $35 dollars. Amazon is looking to the profit column, and in doing so is losing customers. I shop locally first, now or shop eBay for free shipping. Makes a difference to me.

We use Prime a great deal (UK - next day delivery). Where it's useful is when you are making lots of purchases, provided they are all Prime you don't have to save up and group them together to save on postage. You can order single items as they take your fancy. I also make use of the video, I don't care too much about the latest releases, it's good to watch films I wouldn't buy.

Not worth it to me. I get streaming video through Netfliks & primarily buy books from Audible. (My sight is going so I can't read the Kindle screen unless the text is so large only 3 lines fit on the page.) What would make Prime worth $99/year? If the free shipping was on everything instead of just select products.

I've been a prime subscriber from the beginning. I definitely make money on the shipping, whether at $79 or $99/mo. And that's good, since I don't use any of the 'free' media services.

I like(d) the no-brainer free two-day shipping as you said, and didn't care about the gravy. But also, as you said, I recently noticed the same thing about the shipping now apparently being bundled into Prime price. This will probably be my last signup for Prime.

Without re-reading the article, I believe the one thing Bob omitted is that the shipping included in PRIME is two-day, which can add up more quickly than the standard type.

Personally I do think that PRIME sounds pretty good. They do keep adding perks to it, and I'm sure their music library will grow over time. And the content Amazon carries is more to my interest. I'm a history buff, and IMO Amazon carries much more than any other service available as far as streaming videos for folks like me are concerned.

When my finances improve, PRIME is first on my list and probably followed by Amazon's Fire TV device. And considering that this is the first increase in PRIME's cost in-how many years?-overall it doesn't look all that bad.

P.S. As far as the regular free shipping for items over $25.00, Amazon kept that minimum amount for many years as well. In fact, it surprises me that they haven't raised their prices way before this.

My husband has Prime but I've avoided it. The whole game is to lure people into buying. They get back their shipping costs many times over, as people develop an addiction to Amazon ordering. They could not charge a fee at all and still make a mint. More importantly, Amazon engages in predatory business practices. They're now punishing publishers who don't play according to their rules.
See this: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-amazon-time-warner-hachette-20140611-story.html
Almost everything on Amazon is still available elsewhere, including brick and mortar stores like Copperfield's Books, individually-owned hardware stores, pet food stores, and independent pharmacies. I try to buy locally when possible. Even better if the items are actually made here. If you must go online, try Powell's for books; CDBaby, CDUniverse or musicians' own web sites for CD's and music downloads. Etc.

I wouldn't buy Prime membership for any reason. usually I find better deals on eBay. As for the music, I never listen to it, and I don't understand the obsession people have to have music pumping into their ears virtually 24/7. So...

I originally signed up for Amazon Prime for the free shipping. My two daughters, who no longer live at home, are also getting free shipping. We get our money's worth from the free shipping without having to spend $35 on every order, so everything else is a bonus.

I like the instant movies,and the TV shows. I have a Kindle Fire, so get a free book each month. Ill try the music streaming later.

Your comment ... "I've found that on some "free shipping with Prime" items, the shipping costs seem to be built into the price. For example, an item that other vendors are selling for $10 plus $6 shipping, sells for $16 on Amazon with "free shipping."..." I found this to be true even during the first year I was a member. It did induce me to check Amazon first and Amazon was helpful in listing other sources where the item could be found. And, the other vendors were often the same price or less after paying shipping costs. Needless to say, I no longer shell out money for the Prime membership.

I was paying close to $100/mo for satellite plus $8 for Netflix. Stopped them both and could not be happier.
I don't know why people complain over the $99/yr for
Prime. It is a bargain for the streaming videos alone + "free" 2 day shipping and now "free" music.
Also like the one comment, you don't have to spend the time or gas shopping and then have to put up with rude sales people.

I was paying close to $100/mo for satellite plus $8 for Netflix. Stopped them both and could not be happier.
I don't know why people complain over the $99/yr for
Prime. It is a bargain for the streaming videos alone + "free" 2 day shipping and now "free" music.
Also like the one comment, you don't have to spend the time or gas shopping and then have to put up with rude sales people.

We signed up for Prime years ago and have used it a lot. Our subscription runs out in a few days and will not be renewed.

The reasons are numerous, including -

Not getting next day delivery (UK).

Add on items only being available with 'qualifying orders'

Having to email 3 and even 4 times to get the added month of prime free when they don't deliver 'next working day' as promised.

Many, many items being excluded from next day delivery even when on Prime.

We never have and never will use the 'free downloads' of DVDs and Kindle books - being Welsh (we make the Scots look like spendthrifts) we don't pay for stuff we don't want - frugal as me old Nan used to say!

They avoid Tax in the UK being based in Luxemburg.... No really check, they don't pay much tax there but Luxemburg is cheaper than the USA or the UK.

When we use Amazon USA we are treated as if we are not Prime members and expected to pay TWICE.

Whatever we need we will get elsewhere if Amazon work out more expensive and they have lost a good few thousand pounds (1GBP = 1.6USD) that we spend every year.

What would tempt us back? Basic Prime at £35 (about $55-60) Without all the exceptions on goods sold by Amazon.

Thanks for the chance to get all that off my chest!

Jon

I have had Amazon prime for several years now and am Grandfathered in for several more years. It is well worth the $79.00 I pay for not only 2 day free shipping and I like the books, videos and other perks.

For example I ordered a new Recliner and it was delivered the next day. The same one from any dealer or Big Box Store cost more and a $49.95 Trucking fee. Also they would only deliver it to the curb. Imagine an elderly person or woman trying to wrestle it into the House.

Mine came in a very large box via UPS about 78 lbs. The Driver brought it up 9 steps and put it inside my enclosed porch. Walmart had a similar one but not in the color I wanted. One was a $50.00 trucking fee and the other delivery was only $2.95.