View Full Version : Amazon changing free shipping rules
Now you have to spend $35 per order to get free shipping, rather than $25.
Then in 2014, we have to start paying sales tax on everything we buy there, right?
Bummer.
frugalone
10-23-13, 3:52pm
Well, that certainly sucks.
:(
Do you ever feel like you're walking out of the ocean, and a big wave hits you, and you try to get up, but another one hits, and then another, and another?
(I wish I could take credit for this description but I can't).
That's how I feel about money, all the time, anymore.
Every time I turn around there's another increase somewhere, or another bill.
Or, you can look at it as Amazon's attempt to incentivize people to sign up for Prime. Yes, it costs $79/year, but then you also get access to all kinds of books, movies, etc. for "free". Yes, I know it isn't free, but for many people the difference in out of pocket costs will be minimal.
$35 is still not an awful lot of money to get stuff delivered to your door in a few days for no extra charge. Of course here in China the free delivery limit is something like $2, and you often get stuff the same day, or at the very latest within 24 hours. There are a few perks to living here and that is definitely one.
Yeah, I shouldn't be whining! I'll whine more when we have to start paying sales tax on the stuff.
We've been riding high at Amazon for quite awhile........I guess it just couldn't last.
This won't really affect me monetarily. I've always just added stuff to my cart when I see soemthing I want and then when the cart got to $25 I'd order. Now I'll just wait until it hits $35. It's rare that I NEED that book or whatever right away...
Now you have to spend $35 per order to get free shipping, rather than $25.
Then in 2014, we have to start paying sales tax on everything we buy there, right?
Bummer.
Why am I paying sales tax??
ApatheticNoMore
10-24-13, 12:01am
Why am I paying sales tax??
Because of particulars in your state. This state fought Amazon over the sales tax issue and won (or negotiated to get sales taxes charged at any rate, Amazon surrendered and even set up distribution centers here). That's why I'm paying them.
ETA: did research and Oregon doesn't even have a sales tax, in that case I have no idea why you are paying sales tax if your state doesn't even have a sales tax.
Because of particulars in your state. This state fought Amazon over the sales tax issue and won (or negotiated to get sales taxes charged at any rate, Amazon surrendered and even set up distribution centers here). That's why I'm paying them.
ETA: did research and Oregon doesn't even have a sales tax, in that case I have no idea why you are paying sales tax if your state doesn't even have a sales tax.
Well, that's my question. If my state has no sales tax, I wouldn't pay one, would I?
sweetana3
10-24-13, 5:33am
Each state is handling differently. Indiana gave them a short extension. Probably because of all the $$$ we get from them.
Sorry....I didn't realize it was a state-by-state thing.
There is an effort to initiate nationwide state sales tax enforcement but it is still just an initiative.
There is an effort to initiate nationwide state sales tax enforcement but it is still just an initiative.
An effort for whom? Amazon? I actually don't know what you mean.
Each state is handling differently. Indiana gave them a short extension. Probably because of all the $$$ we get from them.
Well, I will go with the assumption it doesn't include Oregon.
My order is $.04 short of $35.00. Know of anything I can buy for $.04? Any Penny candy?? :)
I bit the bullet and got a Prime account. I think I've paid for it several times not paying for shipping. I buy gifts (birthday, Christmas) for out of state grandchildren and Amazon ships it to them for me, wrapped if I want, free.
I have a VISA with my credit union, and I've probably earned in reward points, $2,000 in cash in just 2 years........so I don't want to switch.
No big deal to me. Since I hate shopping and driving to shop, I love Amazon. They seem to have everything ever made and I only have to give my credit card number to one place. Sometimes if you look through the various places that are selling a certain item you can get free shipping for the same price as something sold and shipped by Amazon, although the return policy may be a little different.
Cathy, you don't have to have an Amazon credit card to get Prime. You can use your regular card with it.
You might want to sign up for it. YOu can cancel it within 30 days. I signed up to get free shipping on a time-sensitive order of stuff for my son. CAncelled on day 31 and they refunded the entire fee.
Cathy, you don't have to have an Amazon credit card to get Prime. You can use your regular card with it.
You might want to sign up for it. YOu can cancel it within 30 days. I signed up to get free shipping on a time-sensitive order of stuff for my son. CAncelled on day 31 and they refunded the entire fee.
I did that to get free 2 day shipping when the power supply in my computer died, although I ended up keeping it because I started watching the free stuff that comes with Prime on my Roku box.
An effort for whom? Amazon? I actually don't know what you mean.
"Amazon supports federal legislation for nationwide state sales tax enforcement"
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/21/usa-tax-amazon-idUSL1N0I818T20131021
"Amazon supports federal legislation for nationwide state sales tax enforcement"
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/21/usa-tax-amazon-idUSL1N0I818T20131021
Well, thanks, but I still don't think that will create a tax from where I live. After all, who would decide the tax for a State that has no sales tax. ...
federal legislation is the only way to resolve the sales tax issue and protect states' rights to make their own revenue policy choices,...
Wikipedia article on Amazon & state sales tax:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_tax
I'm in IL. Amazon doesn't charge sales tax when buyers are from IL. Interesting bit about IL in linked Wikipedia article.
I'm an Amazon Prime member and have been for 3-4 years. I've just begun watching the streaming video.
Some of the things on Amazon are so much cheaper than what I would pay locally - lots of items I can't find - that it would still be cheaper if I had to pay IL sales tax.
ApatheticNoMore
10-27-13, 2:00am
I really only use them for things I can't get in stores (and one can get a lot of things in stores - but not always of the quality one would like), because I'd really rather go to the store. So I use them for used books (usually buy books used), and stuff like a mattress pad/cover made of organic cotton .. also I've bought things like blender parts and so on, no stores carry that.
ToomuchStuff
10-27-13, 11:06am
Well, thanks, but I still don't think that will create a tax from where I live. After all, who would decide the tax for a State that has no sales tax. ...
That is part of the point of wanting it to be federally legislated, I would think. Do you have local taxes (for example a local sales tax that goes towards road maintenance)? The average of those could be used for your state, since it has no tax. (or they could opt out)
In the end, this is more about a central point to collect,rather then millions of points, via a states USE tax. (and the costs associated with it)
ApatheticNoMore
10-27-13, 11:48am
That is part of the point of wanting it to be federally legislated, I would think. Do you have local taxes (for example a local sales tax that goes towards road maintenance)? The average of those could be used for your state, since it has no tax. (or they could opt out)
That's just silly, why use the average, this is just likely an API call to find out what the local tax is and actually use the local tax. Really I wouldn't think it would be that complex. It's just based on city and county and state right? It's a database lookup and Amazon doesn't have to maintain it (although since they sell IT services anyway ..). Yes the government could maintain the rates, they maintain lists of "terrorists" not to sell to afterall (yes that's the Patriot act) and those have to change more than the tax rate I'd think. It is a cost that might be something to some mom and pop maybe (so costs on mom and pops of buying some software that allows them to do this, versus citizen's ability to set *local* taxes locally).
"Amazon supports federal legislation for nationwide state sales tax enforcement, but other online retailers, including eBay Inc and Overstock.com Inc, have fought it."
Oh one need not wonder why that is. It's obviously not an ideological position. Most eBay retailers, eBay specifically yes, are exempt from California state sales taxes now and Amazon is not. Maybe it's the same elsewhere. The push for federal legislation is to end the exemption. So Amazon just wants fairness now, now that it has built it's entire business partly (only partly but one can't pretend such things play no role) on the unfairness of local businesses having sales taxes and them not!
I've noticed that free shipping on Amazon often isn’t free at all, be sure to do your math. The price of most free shipping items is marked up, and it’s occasionally cheaper to buy the item from an associated seller and pay to have it shipped. This is especially true when buying more than one of the same item; independent sellers almost always reduce shipping cost per item when you buy multiples, but the mark up for items shipped free remains constant.
Miss Cellane
11-8-13, 7:30am
I've noticed that free shipping on Amazon often isn’t free at all, be sure to do your math. The price of most free shipping items is marked up, and it’s occasionally cheaper to buy the item from an associated seller and pay to have it shipped. This is especially true when buying more than one of the same item; independent sellers almost always reduce shipping cost per item when you buy multiples, but the mark up for items shipped free remains constant.
That's a good point. I usually do the math to figure out which is cheaper--Amazon Prime or another seller with low shipping costs. You also need to factor in when you need the item by. Prime delivers in two days; other shippers can take a week--so the higher Prime cost is partly for the speed factor. If you don't need the item quickly, Prime is not always the best deal.
Sometimes the prices with shipping/Prime are more or less the same--less than a dollar's difference.
I only compare prices with other sellers who I would do business with. One of Amazon.com's strongest aspects is their exemplary customer service. While they do impose some significant rules on their sellers, their own superior level of service is something that you only get when you purchase from them directly. That criterion typically trumps other considerations for us. It often isn't worth it to us to do business with Joe Blow from Podunk.
I agree regarding Amazon's customer service. On the rare occasion something in a shipment or service has gone awry they have immediately corrected the error. It is a pretty amazing business model.
ApatheticNoMore
11-10-13, 4:18am
I was thinking today and I think Amazon has squared the circle. Like what do you do when your consumers are so time-starved that they don't even have time to leisure shop for much (even food feels like a chore to make time to shop for and I don't mind food shopping, just there's no time). Enter: online shopping.
In a world gone wrong I may not even have time to shop and be a good little consumer and buy the things the economy needs us to buy to keep us all working so hard so that we have no time! But have them magically appear at my doorstep .... :~)
(of course it follows if one thought they were doing too much online shopping, to make oneself shop in person, to reintroduce the time cost ... would kind of disincentivize that. They make it very very easy afterall ... even if you aren't doing 1-click). Really most of what I buy is used books or stuff I can't get at the store, but it is a bit too easy ....
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