Amazon Says Its Prime Deliveries Are Getting Even Faster 64
Amazon says its deliveries are getting even faster, announcing that it delivered over 2 billion items the same or next day to Prime members during the first three months of 2024, breaking its record for 2023. From a report: The company says it delivered almost 60 percent of Prime orders the same or next day in 60 of the biggest metropolitan areas in the US.
$199? (Score:4, Insightful)
Sounds like they're about to do a massive price hike.
They've started reminding me that I've "saved $11 in shipping costs" when I order a 6-pack of pencils like I'm a drunken fool who has no idea how costs are structured.
No better way to garner good customer will than to end every single transaction with a bald-faced lie!
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Well, this started at $99 for 2-day on most items like books and housewares, now food is delivered within 8 hours for $199.
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WoW!!
Is amazon prime now really $199???
I had no idea...
I have no idea which CC it is billed to....guess I need to go check.
I knew it wasn't $99 anymore, but didn't know it had basically doubled...
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Amazon Prime is $14.99/mo, $139.99 if you pay a single annual payment.
That includes delivery as well as their movie/TV service.
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Ok that sounds more like what I thought the price was....where'd people get the $199/yr?
Is that maybe for foreign countries?
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$199 is the price of a family (up to 5) account.
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$199 is the price of a family (up to 5) account.
I see. I have two adults on my account for the $139/yr price.
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Of course I would have got 2% back using my normal cashback card anywhere, so the Prime is really only netting me 3/5 of that $225.
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I just checked and in the last year I've received $225 cash back by getting 5% back from my Amazon Prime Visa.
Of course I would have got 2% back using my normal cashback card anywhere, so the Prime is really only netting me 3/5 of that $225.
Congrats - you're getting Prime for almost free. Is it worth it? ;-)
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of course, the simple amazon account which doesn't require prime is also 5% back . . .
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Where are you guys getting these incorrect numbers at? Family of 5? Discount? Nothing of the sort is mentioned in the article, summary or the source, Amazon Prime's membership fee page. It's either $14.99 per month or $179.88 for the year or $139 for the year if you pay for the full amount.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help... [amazon.com]
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Maybe I'm looking at a Prime+Music sub here...
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My general perception is that shipping is incredibly cheaper and faster than it was 30 years ago. I guess it's mostly due to automation in logistics (tracking and routing), but really it is hugely improved. As a kid I'd mail order things and they'd say "allow 2-4 weeks for shipping."
It helps to buy the postage online for some reason. I recently shipped a fairly large 20 lb package by UPS ground to another state and it was only $19, vs. a quote from the counter at
Re: $199? (Score:4, Informative)
UPS has wildly different rates for different customers. If you do all the work yourself and drop off a labeled box to your local store then you can maximize those savings. They advertise programs where you "receive a discount of 82%".
Re: $199? (Score:2)
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Well I know when I watch train webcams there are a shocking number of Prime containers on railcars. I think they have just scaled up massively.
Ten years ago, I did a weekly road trip from San Jose to San Diego, traveling the 182 mile through the central valley every Friday and Sunday, for about 18 months for a contracting gig. It was one truck after another. Usually agricultural or just random trucking company.
Last weekend I did the same trip to see a friend. I swear that every third truck appeared to be an Amazon Prime truck. Absolutely nuts.
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>when I watch train webcams
uhm . . . is there a lack of paint drying in your neighborhood?
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Shipping anything from UPS to any other location seems to start at about $25 here. It cost me about $70 to mail a teeshirt to Arizona with UPS.
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Although I'm not understanding the $70 because you can ship an "extra small" 8x6x2" box anywhere within the US for a flat rate of $10.85.
https://www.ups.com/us/en/supp... [ups.com]
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My general perception is that shipping is incredibly cheaper and faster than it was 30 years ago. I guess it's mostly due to automation in logistics (tracking and routing), but really it is hugely improved. As a kid I'd mail order things and they'd say "allow 2-4 weeks for shipping."
Heck, I remember "allow 6-8 weeks for shipping."
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I canceled Prime years ago and haven't missed it.
If I need to order anything from Amazon, I just wait until I have a list of items and then get free shipping anyway.
Anything I need *now* I just go to a local retailer.
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Likewise. Plus up here in not-very-northern Canada (BC Sea to Sky corridor), next day is really best-endeavour, and if they use BNI then it's "who knows?"
Re: $199? (Score:2)
At this point, Amazon with Prime is generally cheaper than shopping in my local neighborhood. We pretty much get all household stuff from Amazon now. Better for the environment than driving out of the neighborhood to get a better deal. I'm actually a bit surprised they've managed to get heavy items like laundry detergent to a competitive price when drop shipped.
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All I can figure is, the heavy stuff at the store still has to be delivered to the store by somebody. And then stocked on the shelf. Automation seems to have drastically reduced the premium for shipping things individually (to your house) instead of in bulk (to the store).
Re:$199? (Score:5, Interesting)
I cancelled mine when they started advertising on Prime Video unless I paid additional extortion money.
I've never bought anything on their platform and thought, "Damn, I wish this would arrive faster!" What I have thought though is why do I have to wade through a sea of mediocre products from companies named AAXSYZBBTAN skirting trademark delays, all selling the same product from the same manufacturer. Why is Amazon making products and selling them in an attempt to put the vendors who pay for Amazon services out of business. Why after requesting my unshipped product sold on Amazon using FBA, did 60% of my products come back damaged?
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What is $199? I don't see mention of that in the summary or article, let alone a price of any sort. Prime is currently $139/year
I've noticed it's faster... (Score:2)
I just got a 90+LB Chamber Vacuum Sealer in...big, HEAVY unit...and it was delivered a day early.
I've been impressed lately....damn that thing was a bitch to drag into the house.
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No problem.
I got the Avid Armor GS53 [amazon.com]
I did a LOT of research..this was one of the few chamber vacs I could fine with a 12" wide sealer AND the ability to add the hose onto it to do external sealing on mason jars and vac containers.
It also was long enough and with bubble on top, tall enough that I figure I could vac seal whole Boston Butt (Pork Shoulders) roasts...
In the New Orleans
Re:I've noticed it's faster... (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm actually leaving Amazon because they keep delivering our groceries to the wrong apartment and despite zillions of phone calls they still won't do anything to fix it.
Oh and they're trying to make their phone # go away so you can talk to their unhelpful AI instead.
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Speed of delivery seems utterly unimportant to me. If I want something fast I go to a store. I would far rather Amazon increase accuracy! Ie, when they say 6 days for delivery that they don't deliver in 1 day (or are the cheating the people who paid extra for 1 day delivery?). Also, deliver to the right house; and if it says "don't leave on porch" then they shouldn't leave on the porch.
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Not their fault that you live in an apartment.
Re: I've noticed it's faster... (Score:2)
Yes. It is. They keep accepting the work and saying they'll fix it.
Amazon is not worth it (Score:3)
My Amazon deliveries have been slow (4-7 days) since COVID and haven't improved.
I finally cancelled Prime "free" delivery.
I now look on eBay for items and have discovered that they are usually much cheaper on eBay (and usually have free shipping). Lots of the time shipping from eBay uses USPS and that is usually faster than my Amazon shipping.
Re:Amazon is not worth it (Score:4, Interesting)
It's a very regional thing. The only things I order from Amazon that take more than 48 hours are drop shipped from a third party, and I can get most things next day (or even same day). But I live close to a massive Amazon warehouse.
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The irony is that it isn't all that long since they tried to weasel out of 2 days.
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For the first year of Covid, my deliveries were sometimes nearly next-day. I don't know how they did it: I could order something at 10pm and I'd have it the next day by 5pm, generally. Note: I'm 6 or 8 hours (depending on which way you're going) from the nearest distribution center.
Now, it's not uncommon for Prime items to take a week to get to me. Due to the added cost of most things on Amazon, I've been using AliExpress more often. It's the same shit, and you'll pay a lot less.
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I have been usng eBay a lot more recently as well.
I have a PayPal line of credit and everything I buy off of eBay comes with 0% interest if paid within 6 months, which I always do.
From my Personal Experience (Score:3)
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its more random for me some are faster (then listed) some are days slower(then listed), sample size of 1. maybe they are averaging it out and calling it good.
i also just left Amazon prime.
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I can't see any difference. (Score:4, Interesting)
I've tried both free account and Prime deliveries and I can't see any difference in delivery times. I usually choose free shipping or, if unavailable, I choose to deliver to a locker round the corner - delivery option that is usually free as well. Even without Prime, the parcels are always ready for me the next day as if Amazon churns out all the orders out of their warehouse as soon as they can regardless of whether you paid extra for shipping or not.
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I suspect this is kind of a scam. If they offer 3 different shipping prices, and they ALL come in one day, then those different shipping prices should be labeled "voluntary donations".
The enshittification is real (Score:3)
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A large fraction of 3rd party merchants use Amazon fulfillment and therefore offer the same shipping speed as Amazon's products, assuming they are at the local warehouse, which for me they usually are.
I will say our Prime delivery experience is better (Score:3)
On the other hand, it seems like recently more of the stuff we've purchased on Amazon has turned out to be absolute crap quality - or has other problems - and ends up being returned.
We've easily done more Amazon returns in the past year than in the previous 20.
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Yep, lot more scammers on Amazon now than in the past, and the prices are massively inflated.
It's usually cheaper and faster to get something delivered from Walmart or Target for us, and we know it's not going to be a knockoff piece of crap.
If it's not needed immediately, I'll just use AliExpress.
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On the other hand, it seems like recently more of the stuff we've purchased on Amazon has turned out to be absolute crap quality
Well they are just giving you what you want. You are shopping on Amazon so it's clear that you have a strong bias towards cheap and fast. Cheap, fast, good, pick any two, but you're a fool to expect all three.
We've been watching this race to the bottom for close to a decade now. Ebay then Amazon, in the never ending desire to give you, the highly price conscious buyer, the cheapest possible thing. And it works. You're clicking buy like crazy, so crazily that you're complaining about a massive number of retu
Amazon is so fast... (Score:2)
Amazon is so fast that after discussing an item with my wife, the doorbell rang before I could order it, and there it was on the doorstep.
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Your wife has a credit card you do not know about :)
No Prime, Same Lighting-Fast Delivery (Score:3)
Considering that I pay Zero for shipping (always choosing the Free Shipping option even if it's across multiple items or warehouses) and sometimes get my packages within 48 hours (that 2-days-early feeling), I'm ok with NOT upgrading to Prime.
I've actually begun to think that Amazon employs dark patterns to subversively convince people that Prime is a valuable upgrade by secretly offering them expedited shipping (usually when they advertise an upsell for 90-days for Prime or whatever during checkout) then purposely lagging behind the next orders within 30-60 days from that upsell attempt... often hoping that the next upsell offer, "it's faster with Prime! buy now so your shipping doesn't lag!" really sticks and they can convert shoppers since we've experienced both expedited and crappy delivery times.
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This has been my experience as well.
To be fair, whenever I order anything online, it is not something I need/want *right away*. So, I don't really pay close attention, but it does seem as though everything I order, regardless of retailer, shows up within a week, and usually a few days.
I am not sure why Prime is still a thing, honestly.
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Yep same here. Typical orders arrive in 3 days, without Prime. I thought long and hard about dropping Prime, but when their price went up to $140 a year, that was too much. I've never looked back.
Also Walmart.com has pretty much the same selection, and no need to pay for their + service either.
"Same Day" Never Is (Score:2)
I've never once had anything arrive the same day I've ordered it, even when I've ordered at 5am.
maybe in pretends land (Score:2)
are deliveries actually faster? (Score:2)
It's been my experience that delivery speeds have slowed, and I've gotten quite an increase in late deliveries. I just picked up a package today that was supposed to be here yesterday. Rather pissed me off since I could have used it yesterday but my next opportunity is next weekend. And I was offered a $1 "no rush" digital reward if I had let them deliver a little later. But since I wanted it for Sunday, so I passed on the digital credit so I would have it on Sunday, but they still delivered late anyway
Too Fast (Score:2)
I actually wish things would ship more slowly. I might order a few small things, and I end up getting a package delivered every day of the week. 90% of the time I would be fine if they just put it all in one box and deliver it all at once.
But, the faster they deliver, the faster you buy more. It actually costs them money to deliver more slowly. If an item is paid for, they want to get it out the door as soon as possible to make room for more stock. At this stage, the idea that you should pay more for faster
First Rule of Hole Digging (Score:2)
For those of you who don't realize this, all that super fast delivery options Amazon has been giving you for a low monthly fee are almost entirely subsidized by investor funds. It's part of a monopoly bid to drive competitors out of business before the bill comes do so they can leverage their monopoly to jack up prices and service the debt they've accrued. Amazon isn't actually innovative. It's the Sears catalog with a website. Lots of places do drop shipping. Hell, Ali Express exists. But they all make you
Faster than what? (Score:1)
But faster than BC (before COVID)? No way. Before, I used to get same-day delivery on lots of stuff and only rarely had to wait more than two days for other stuff.
Now, I don't get same-day delivery and I often have to wait more than a week for some deliveries (that are supposed to be covered under Prime).
If they are using this propaganda to raise prices, they might be in for a rude awak
I wonder (Score:1)
I wonder how many people, like me, didn't like that the annual fee went up after Prime became a two-day delivery rather than next day?
I wonder how many decided, like me, that 3 day free delivery without an annual fee was better than 2 day free delivery with a fee that made it not really free?