# WSJ reports possible change to Prime



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

http://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-DGB-43224

Believe it if you want to. Some third party vendors might not have to guarantee two day shipping if they are part of Prime. I can well believe Amazon wants to cut shipping costs on Prime.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Interesting!  Thanks, Claw.

I tend to believe it.  As you say, Amazon is trying to hold shipping costs down which have been killing them!

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

As it is, not everything IS available for prime shipping.  BUT . . . there are also some things available for same day shipping, depending on where you are.  I've mostly been taking advantage of the $1 store credit for choosing NOT two day shipping . . . though the last few times I bought a physical item the credit wasn't for ebook but for groceries. Which I'm not likely to use, so I went with the 2 day anyway.

I guess they're always experimenting to maximize service while controlling fixed costs.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> As it is, not everything IS available for prime shipping. BUT . . . there are also some things available for same day shipping, depending on where you are. I've mostly been taking advantage of the $1 store credit for choosing NOT two day shipping . . . though the last few times I bought a physical item the credit wasn't for ebook but for groceries. Which I'm not likely to use, so I went with the 2 day anyway.
> 
> I guess they're always experimenting to maximize service while controlling fixed costs.


Yeah, there have always non-Prime items; and there currently are Prime items sold by 3rd party merchants. What I get from the article is that for certain third party merchants, something may qualify for Prime shipping (not same day, just Prime) depending on where you live.

I'm thinking that maybe the hot water heater we were looking at--that had free shipping under Prime--may eventually be one of those items. 

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yeah, there have always non-Prime items; and there currently are Prime items sold by 3rd party merchants. What I get from the article is that for certain third party merchants, something may qualify for Prime shipping (not same day, just Prime) depending on where you live.
> 
> I'm thinking that maybe the hot water heater we were looking at--that had free shipping under Prime--may eventually be one of those items.
> 
> Betsy


If it adds 'prime-eligible' items that would be good. It would NOT be so good if it removed 'sold by Amazon' items from Prime for east coast people because they're stored on the west coast. But it doesn't sound like it will affect 'sold by Amazon' stuff at all . . . .

I'd also be interested in the 'deliver on one day' service briefly mentioned later in the article . . . and I know my son would. His issue with ordering from Amazon, no matter the shipping speed, is being home when it arrives. There's no place to leave it at his apartment so a lot of the time he has it shipped to the school. But in summer, the mail room has days they close so sometimes he'll see that something's been delivered, but the mail room is closed and he has to wait a day or two to be able to ACTUALLY get it.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I agree that the way the article is written, this shouldn't affect items sold directly by Amazon at all. Though I could see Amazon adopting it if it works for third party vendors without too much outcry.

I often take the dollar credit, but often use the two days if I  want the item quickly or just feel cranky! It would be sad if;free two day shipping became like many of the bennies of frequent flyer programs--heavily promoted,  but seldomavailable when and where you actually want it!


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

I've always considered the two-day shipping as a sort of bonus. My main reason for being a Prime member is the free shipping. I like the idea of designating a specific day for delivery.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

HappyGuy said:


> I've always considered the two-day shipping as a sort of bonus. My main reason for being a Prime member is the free shipping. I like the idea of designating a specific day for delivery.


Confused: The 'free shipping' _was_ the two-day shipping in my brain. Though I always thought of it as 'pre-paid all-you-can-ship' shipping since the program does have a fee. Of course you can pay extra for one-day delivery, and I suppose there always was a 'regular' option, but if 'regular' and 'two day' is the same price, I can't think why one would use 'regular'.

O'Course, they changed that a bit when they made some things eligible only as 'add-on' items -- which makes sense: why should they absorb the $6 shipping cost of a $3 item. And it changed a bit again with the $1 credit for choosing no-rush. That, effectively, made the regular shipping, again, cheaper than two-day.

ANYWAY . . . . it's a good program. Not surprised they're tweaking it. I can't see it going away, though.


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## MichelleB675 (May 27, 2012)

The main point of it was free 2 day, but it also makes standard shipping free without having the $25 or $35? minimum purchase.


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