Amazon Prime increase

I started to watch the Jack Reacher series on Amazon Prime yesterday. I started reading JR books in the early noughties and after book 12 there was much talk about a Movie. Lee Child came to our local International Literature Festival and I was there in a large audience about 1500. That morning there had been an announcement that a Movie deal was set. Before Lee Child started his presentation. He thought that he would tell us what had been agreed to get it out of the way. He then told us Jack Reacher was to be played by Tom Cruise after the initial laughter, the audience booed loudly. Eventually, Lee Child was able to continue. The Tom Cruise Film was as bad as we feared. We could not understand why Lee Child did not insist on a suitable actor. Jack Reacher is 6ft 5inches and 18 stone of solid muscle. Tom Cruise is 5ft 7 inches and 12 stone a complete mis-match. They have now chosen a new guy for the part Alan Ritchson who is 20 years younger than Tom Cruise but 6ft 5 ins and 15 stone and very muscular. He has a squarish head which also fits a US military Policeman. The first two episodes worked really well and Alan Ritchson plays Jack Reacher just as described in the books. While Tom Cruise may be a good and popular actor even he has realised that he was not physically big enough for the part. I understand that a second series is underway as Amazon state that Reacher ranked in its top five most-watched series ever.

Dave
 
Where are all these Free Prime Kindle books? I haven’t noticed them — suspect it some kind of Hobson’s Choice ;).
 
I know they exist as I am often offered free books but I choose to buy them and read when it suits me. Having said that I frequently look at the special offers and generally pay 99p for my books. Sometimes I do splash out and pay the going rate but that is when someone has given me an Amazon Voucher.

Dave
 
While I regret the price increase I have to offer thanks to Amazon for holding the current price for many years.
I have been on Amazon Prime since Moses was a boy ;) and consider it the best value 'out there'
My current mmbership tell me in the last 12 months I have:-
Received 97 parcels at no cost.
Watched 54 Movies & TV shows. N:B I also have Netflix and NOWTV.
Listened to 408 songs on Prime music. I mainly listen to Spotify.

I think the biggest attraction is the superb customer service. Whether this transfers to non-prime members I don't know.
When I return a purchase via Hermes (now EVRI) I always receive an email the same day the parcel is barcoded into the returnee informing me my refund has been issued.
No waiting for it to get back to Amazon. Within 2 or 3 days the refund is back in my bank.
I have many example of this 'Legendary' (imo) customer service, I will recount one.
I purchased a TACX NEO Smart Trainer (Cycle use) in Aug 2016 at a cost of £1,021.00.

i-MPv8msd-S.jpg


This failed in Dec 2017 (approx 16 months old) but covered by a 2 year warranty.

Amazon replaced this with new within a couple of days.

In April 2019 after 16 months ! this replacement Tacx Neo failed.

Now you may not all be aware but standard practice is the 1st replacement Neo wouldn't qualify for a new full 2 year warranty, but just the remaining 8 months that was left on the original purchase. I made representation to Amazon who while pointing out the 2nd failed Neo was no longer under warranty, as a gesture of goodwill agreed to supply me with a 3rd New Neo at a massive saving of £334.00.
I am happy to report this 3rd Tacx Neo is still 'churning' out the miles 3 years and 4 months later.

As an aside, I am even happier to report I then contacted Tacx in Holland (Since bought by Garmin) to moan about my 2nd Neo failing at 16 months old. Tacx sent me a box and paid for shippping of 2nd failed Tacx to Holland.
They then returned to me a 'good as new' working Tacx Neo at No Charge. :D
So now I have two virtually new Tacx Neo's
I sold the Tacx supplied Neo which left me comfortably in profit even after paying Amazon £334.00.

I hasten to add I never planned this outcome. Amazon never wanted the 2nd failed Neo returned. Contacting the makers was a profitable afterthought.

I could relate many more instances of great customer service from Amazon going back to 2001 but you are probably sick of me now ? Caio.
 
badlywornroy said:
While I regret the price increase I have to offer thanks to Amazon for holding the current price for many years.
I have been on Amazon Prime since Moses was a boy ;) and consider it the best value 'out there'
My current mmbership tell me in the last 12 months I have:-
Received 97 parcels at no cost.
Watched 54 Movies & TV shows. N:B I also have Netflix and NOWTV.
Listened to 408 songs on Prime music. I mainly listen to Spotify.

I think the biggest attraction is the superb customer service. Whether this transfers to non-prime members I don't know.
When I return a purchase via Hermes (now EVRI) I always receive an email the same day the parcel is barcoded into the returnee informing me my refund has been issued.
No waiting for it to get back to Amazon. Within 2 or 3 days the refund is back in my bank.
I have many example of this 'Legendary' (imo) customer service, I will recount one.
I purchased a TACX NEO Smart Trainer (Cycle use) in Aug 2016 at a cost of £1,021.00.

i-MPv8msd-S.jpg


This failed in Dec 2017 (approx 16 months old) but covered by a 2 year warranty.

Amazon replaced this with new within a couple of days.

In April 2019 after 16 months ! this replacement Tacx Neo failed.

Now you may not all be aware but standard practice is the 1st replacement Neo wouldn't qualify for a new full 2 year warranty, but just the remaining 8 months that was left on the original purchase. I made representation to Amazon who while pointing out the 2nd failed Neo was no longer under warranty, as a gesture of goodwill agreed to supply me with a 3rd New Neo at a massive saving of £334.00.
I am happy to report this 3rd Tacx Neo is still 'churning' out the miles 3 years and 4 months later.

As an aside, I am even happier to report I then contacted Tacx in Holland (Since bought by Garmin) to moan about my 2nd Neo failing at 16 months old. Tacx sent me a box and paid for shippping of 2nd failed Tacx to Holland.
They then returned to me a 'good as new' working Tacx Neo at No Charge. :D
So now I have two virtually new Tacx Neo's
I sold the Tacx supplied Neo which left me comfortably in profit even after paying Amazon £334.00.

I hasten to add I never planned this outcome. Amazon never wanted the 2nd failed Neo returned. Contacting the makers was a profitable afterthought.

I could relate many more instances of great customer service from Amazon going back to 2001 but you are probably sick of me now ? Caio.
Click to expand...

There are lots of good things about Amazon, as you say, the problem though is their plan for world domination :(
 
badlywornroy said:
I could relate many more instances of great customer service from Amazon going back to 2001 but you are probably sick of me now ? Caio.
Click to expand...

Me too - this is why I stick with them and use them more than any other company, even though I seriously dislike a lot of their business practices. (y)
 
sphexx said:
There are lots of good things about Amazon, as you say, the problem though is their plan for world domination :(
Click to expand...
Sadly Richard it seems companies have to keep growing or perish ? don't ask me why :(
 
badlywornroy said:
Sadly Richard it seems companies have to keep growing or perish ? don't ask me why :(
Click to expand...

Fortunately, so far, they keep growing and then perish ;)
 
whiteflyer said:
Yesterday I went to buy something and the delivery was £3.99, or I could have a week prime trial for 99p

I took the trail purchased the item got my free delivery, then cancelled prime and got a 50p refund for unused prime.

Looks a strange business model to me
Click to expand...
Seems to work for Jeff Bezos. ;)

I've bought a couple of things tonight on Amazon and got offered the trial for 99p, I declined. I have used the free trial option in the past, and actually used the trial to watch stuff a couple of times. And a couple of times I have forgot to cancel the trial, so Jeff's business plan has got be a couple of times. ;) :rolleyes: :headbang: :LOL:
 
I saw a story a few weeks ago that Amazon are getting close to running out of new people to employ in the US, :oops: :$ and you would think once that happens they will have to increase pay and improve working conditions to attract people to stay working for them, and entice those that have worked for them before to go back. All that will probably increase costs and be passed on to users. It may not be as long for the next price increase of Prime. ;)
 
redhed17 said:
I saw a story a few weeks ago that Amazon are getting close to running out of new people to employ in the US, :oops: :$ and you would think once that happens they will have to increase pay and improve working conditions to attract people to stay working for them, and entice those that have worked for them before to go back. All that will probably increase costs and be passed on to users. It may not be as long for the next price increase of Prime. ;)
Click to expand...
Or they’ll get more robots?
 
jerry12953 said:
Good thinking. How much storage do you get?
Click to expand...
Hi Jerry, sorry for the late response to your question - I'm surprised no-one else has chimed in.

As an Amazon account holder everyone gets 5GB of video storage and Prime members get UNLIMITED storage space for photographs as part of Amazon Drive. I have a backup routine set up to automatically copy new raw files from my PC to my Amazon Drive storage and currently have in excess of 87,000 RAW files stored there.

Hope that helps :)
 
Amazon prime membership is subject depending upon the individuals needs.

Personally I do a reasonable amount of orders and the free P&P makes a big difference to the end price.
The video streaming service is pretty reasonable and I do watch prime video.
I believe the price increase was inevitable. My only issue is that most streaming service have gone up and salary is unchanged for the last 5 years !

Amazon is killing the high street as I have purchased a 32gb 170mps sd card much cheaper than the curry's just over a mile from me. Plus I ordered it apx 4pm ish on a Saturday and it turn up the following Sunday at 1pm ish !
Why would I was time, effort, petrol going to currey's !
 
Tysonator said:
Why would I was time, effort, petrol going to currey's !
Click to expand...

Not to mention the fact that they'll try and charge you £25.00 for a USB cable that you can get for £3.00 on Amazon. At least that's what they tried to do to me about fifteen years ago - that was the last time I ever went into one of their branches . . .
 
Sky said:
Not to mention the fact that they'll try and charge you £25.00 for a USB cable that you can get for £3.00 on Amazon. At least that's what they tried to do to me about fifteen years ago - that was the last time I ever went into one of their branches . . .
Click to expand...
And try to sell you insurance on it ;).
 
sphexx said:
And try to sell you insurance on it ;).
Click to expand...

After a very unpleasant experience buying a OLED TV via currys online and arguing with currys South Africa call centre. I will never buy any thing expensive again with currys.
|Story so log and evolved it would be page of text on this thread ! ! ! lol
 
Bristolian said:
Hi Jerry, sorry for the late response to your question - I'm surprised no-one else has chimed in.

As an Amazon account holder everyone gets 5GB of video storage and Prime members get UNLIMITED storage space for photographs as part of Amazon Drive. I have a backup routine set up to automatically copy new raw files from my PC to my Amazon Drive storage and currently have in excess of 87,000 RAW files stored there.

Hope that helps :)
Click to expand...
Can I ask how your back up routine works.

Thanks
 
Tysonator said:
After a very unpleasant experience buying a OLED TV via currys online and arguing with currys South Africa call centre. I will never buy any thing expensive again with currys.
|Story so log and evolved it would be page of text on this thread ! ! ! lol
Click to expand...

I had an issue with them after buying a washing machine during lock down. They never answered any calls or emails. Never again. The problem is finding another supplier, there is such limited choice.
 
Brentor said:
I had an issue with them after buying a washing machine during lock down. They never answered any calls or emails. Never again. The problem is finding another supplier, there is such limited choice.
Click to expand...
I dislike Curry’s but my brother bought a cooker hood to teplace an existing one and it was advertised as having a carbon filter. For reasons that are irrelevant, he didn’t unbox it for 2 years but then found it was not as described. It was still being misdescribed online so he got in touch with the shop and asked for a refund, it was escalated locally and they agreed to a refund and then after a few days refused. He got in touch with head office “compliance department” by letter and after a short interval got his full refund. ㋡
 
I dislike Currys/Dixons/PCWorld/SmartphoneWarehouse aka Currys but occasionally it has its uses when you want to walk into a shop, buy something and walk out with it. Amazon doesn't offer that, and most times when I order from Amazon even now without Prime, there is a free delivery option - just maybe not quite as quick. For those of us who are in the "I don't actually need it right now" department, that is fine.

Companies grow to survive but also grow to perish. My nephew once worked for a book seller that used the same model as Amazon but was a smaller UK version, growing slowly and steadily. Amazon made the owners an offer they couldn't refuse, subsumed the business but kept the company name running so as not to lose customers that were loyal to the brand, fulfilling by Amazon.

So for me, I use Amazon if I am too lazy to shop around or can't easily find something, but usually try to avoid it so as to, in my very small way, support local businesses especially if they are privately owned.
 
I checked and apparently by paying for a year 'now' I get it for £79 i.e 12 months for the price of 10.

I might do that and see about next year???
 
sphexx said:
I dislike Curry’s but my brother bought a cooker hood to teplace an existing one and it was advertised as having a carbon filter. For reasons that are irrelevant, he didn’t unbox it for 2 years but then found it was not as described. It was still being misdescribed online so he got in touch with the shop and asked for a refund, it was escalated locally and they agreed to a refund and then after a few days refused. He got in touch with head office “compliance department” by letter and after a short interval got his full refund. ㋡
Click to expand...

I had this same problem with my OLED TV,
Curreys agreed to collect it on a said day, so my wife stayed in all day only to find out that they cancelled that morning and the refund as well with out informing me !
This happen 3 times and I had to quote the distance selling act as the time window deadline was only a few days away, and I believe currys were deliberately delaying collection to get pass this window to refuse refund.
In the end I went to my local store and told I will be dropping it off that day even though they told me they are not Currys Online but Currys retail ! ! !
In the end an assistant manager phone curreys Sheffield Customer service center and not the rude south African one and I got a new collection and refund.

So I sent in an e mail of complaint and I did get a phone call offering me discount vouchers for future curreys sale/purchase if I would keep the TV, I refused and mentioned my wife wants her days leave refunded she waste !

Me and curreys part ways un-amicably ! !

I have never had a retail organisation / company talk to me like a spoiled child, telling what I am thinking and UK retail does not apply, being lied to too, and to a low level extent deceived ! !
I went to John Lewis and purchased the same TV and got my discount vouchers as a result as I have JL customer card,...sweet ! !
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sky
Tysonator said:
I had this same problem with my OLED TV,
Curreys agreed to collect it on a said day, so my wife stayed in all day only to find out that they cancelled that morning and the refund as well with out informing me !
This happen 3 times and I had to quote the distance selling act as the time window deadline was only a few days away, and I believe currys were deliberately delaying collection to get pass this window to refuse refund.
In the end I went to my local store and told I will be dropping it off that day even though they told me they are not Currys Online but Currys retail ! ! !
In the end an assistant manager phone curreys Sheffield Customer service center and not the rude south African one and I got a new collection and refund.

So I sent in an e mail of complaint and I did get a phone call offering me discount vouchers for future curreys sale/purchase if I would keep the TV, I refused and mentioned my wife wants her days leave refunded she waste !

Me and curreys part ways un-amicably ! !

I have never had a retail organisation / company talk to me like a spoiled child, telling what I am thinking and UK retail does not apply, being lied to too, and to a low level extent deceived ! !
I went to John Lewis and purchased the same TV and got my discount vouchers as a result as I have JL customer card,...sweet ! !
Click to expand...
I would have reported them to trading standards! Also, perhaps in these social media times.......FB???
 
Brentor said:
Can I ask how your back up routine works.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Now that's a very good question and to be honest I don't actually know the intricacies as the program was developed by a friend of mine. When I purchased my Synology NAS it came with an app that did this but Amazon killed the link between Synology and their site so it stopped working. My mate is a software developer who devised an app that runs in the background on my PC and whenever there is a change to my primary image storage folder it logs into my Amazon Drive and mirrors the changes. Sorry, but that's all I know :(
 
I have found the section to make a 'Household' and add members...

Are there any downsides to be aware of or not as the case may be???
 
Box Brownie said:
I have found the section to make a 'Household' and add members...

Are there any downsides to be aware of or not as the case may be???
Click to expand...

I have not had any problem. As long as they don’t break the rules you should be ok.
 
Brentor said:
I have not had any problem. As long as they don’t break the rules you should be ok.
Click to expand...
Only SWMBO ;)

Are the purchases private between the household members and are any purchases on her card i.e. her added membership is for buying separate from my account .....so to speak?
 
Update

I have setup the household with SWMBO ;)

Also, the current monthly is £7.99 and due to increase soon......but as I think I mentioned I noted that I can get 1 year for £79 and next year the figure will be £95 i.e. 12 x 7.99 (less 88p).

So it would appear based on the info that by doing this I will avoid the previously advised monthly increase :thinking:
 
Box Brownie said:
Are there any downsides to be aware of or not as the case may be???
Click to expand...

The only downside that I've found is if you use Alexa devices. You can make them work to your advantage, but I found it to be a Royal PITA and had to stop it.
 
Last edited:
My son set up a Prime account and mine is linked and has been for several years. There was an initial confusion with Alexa in that she informed about his deliveries but not mine. We soon sorted this. I have since disconnected my Alexa; it felt a little like 2001 A Space Oddessy where Dave shut down the HAL 9000 which was pleading with Dave. I still have Alexa but without power she cannot even listen let alone speak now. I did not have any real use for her though it was amusing when a couple of teenage nephews made suggestive comments and she handled them well.

The only link is that I get all the Prime benefits but our Kindle reading libraries are separate; we could share if we wished.

Dave
 
I'll be keeping it. I use Amazon multiple times a week and I'd end up paying loads in delivery otherwise.
 
I use it some, and to be fair not bothered about next day. My more expensive orders in fact went through regular business account so can't see any reason why that would be a dealbreaker. Things get somewhat downhill from there. I ended up cancelling most subs after they either doubled the price or failed to even find stock. A quick look on ebay always came back with cheaper and better alternatives.
Prime video was a nice bonus, but things being the way they are I pretty much ran out of interesting content and new ones tend to be either very poor or slow to come. .
I reckon if you barely use it is not worth £100 for several slightly faster deliveries and a few movies. Better to support SMEs directly instead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top