I just took Amazon up on their offer for Amazon Prime. If you haven’t ordered from them lately (they pop up the offer every time you check out), it’s basically free 2-day shipping on almost every product (maybe no big appliances?), with no minimums, and you can upgrade to next-day air for $4.
It’s nice to not have to pad your order with crap you don’t need, just to come up with the $25 minimum for free shipping. And then get annoyed that instead of using a slower delivery method for free shipping, they’re delaying shipment for several days. It’s more frustrating to see your stuff sitting in a warehouse than it is to see it being slowly delivered.
The cost for Amazon Prime $80/year, which might not be bad if you’re splitting it among your family. The free trial lasts 3 months. If you want the service, there is a gotcha! If you read the fine print, at the end of your trial, if you don’t quit, you are automatically upgraded to 12 months of service. This means your service is extended by 9 months, not 12, but you still pay the full amount. So take the time to quit before your trial ends, then pick it up on your next order. Then you get 15 months for $80, not just 12.
Hey, glad you took advantage of the offer!
Although, I think I only used it twice it was great while it lasted. $80 a year does seem steap for one customer (not sure how the family plan works, but that could be great for Christmas). It could be worth it if you’re shopping there for all your books and music.
On a side note, Amazon makes it extremely easy to cancel the 3 month trial with a friendly email reminder before they automatically start the service and an easily accessable link on their website.