Warning: Amazon Prime Membership increasing to £79

[Deleted User]

So what's the best way to view LoveFilm/Amazon video? I've got a smart TV that runs it as an app, but it's slow as hell. I've got an Apple TV (that runs Netflix very nicely)

ivavoucher

I have just cancelled auto renew on my prime membership.

A £30 hike when I have no interest in streaming the films etc is too much.

Annabee

SimonSays wrote: »

I'll pay the £79 doesn't bother me.

I hope they remove the free trials too. See too much abuse of it.

A bit of an odd attitude to take for a user of a consumer-oriented website??

I didn't previously have Amazon Prime (way too expensive as my purchases are mostly downloads for Kindle) or LoveFilm, though I have wanted to try it. However as what was effectively a year of LoveFilm plus Prime was on offer at £49 up til the 26th I have taken it out. I suppose you think I should have insisted on paying the full price? And previously I have taken a month's free trial of Prime a couple of times, usually for Xmas shopping. Shock, horror. If Amazon didn't want to offer it they wouldn't. They are hoping to entice people to spend more with them. And usually it works. I spend far too much with them, TBH, even without the Prime.

Having tried out the video streaming now, I have to say it is inferior to Netflix, though. I doubt I will renew next year at £79 as its just not worth it.

In Amazon's own forums there are pages and pages of customers complaining about being forced to pay this big increase (about 60%), usually people who have no interest in the streaming, or don't have a good enough broadband connection to access it. There are going to be a lot of cancellations. Think Amazon have misjudged this one. (although it suits me for a year).

aliama

Annabee wrote: »

In Amazon's own forums there are pages and pages of customers complaining about being forced to pay this big increase (about 60%), usually people who have no interest in the streaming, or don't have a good enough broadband connection to access it. There are going to be a lot of cancellations. Think Amazon have misjudged this one. (although it suits me for a year).

Have they though? Or will they actually not give a !!!!, because they misjudged the cost or basic prime and in fact people cancelling their subscriptions is exactly what they want to happen?

I suspect the latter, although I hope I'm wrong and they back down and offer a cheaper alternative. I bet they won't.

Annabee

This is what I don't get though - I have seen the opinion expressed before that Prime is 'costing Amazon too much'. But I don't see why that should be. First of all most customers with Prime would have been using Amazon extensively to get their money's worth from the Prime - so greatly increased sales to those customers. Then they were collecting the fairly hefty £49 fee annually from each Prime customer. (Some of whom had bought Prime accidentally and so hardly used it).

Until a few weeks ago there were offering slower SuperSaver delivery on practically everything for non-Prime customers (now it has been restricted to orders over £10, but is still available). This suggests to me that delivery is not such a drain on them. Plus of course many other online companies seem able to offer free delivery.

The loyal Prime customers who were going straight to Amazon, and not shopping around are exactly the sort they are driving away. Why would they be engineering this deliberately?

Have a look at this article from the USA about a year ago, suggesting how beneficial Prime is for Amazon:

http://www.wired.com/business/2013/03/amazon-prime-could-soon-cost-next-to-nothing/

pinkteapot

WARNING: There's also something that I haven't seen mentioned yet...

Members of the same household have previously been able to share a single Prime account. Under the new scheme, I can still share my husband's membership to get free delivery, but I CAN'T access any of the instant video from my Amazon account. If you each want to watch video, you each have to pay £79 per year.

We're cancelling our Prime renewal. We'd hardly every use the video option anyway and £79 per year is just too much for free delivery.

Speedster2

I knew I wouldn't be renewing Amazon Prime as soon as I was informed of the price hike. I've been keeping this decision under review as I regularly order and like the ease of free Next day delivery. But I've also been keeping an eye on the selection on Prime Instant video and there's nothing much there to justify the £79. I've never streamed a film or TV show off there yet. Easiest money-saving decision ever!

SimonSays

I get my £79 worth on the deliveries alone.

As for Amazon loosing money because people will shop around. So what maybe these "excellent customers" are costing amazon money.

Azari

SimonSays wrote: »

As for Amazon loosing money because people will shop around. So what maybe these "excellent customers" are costing amazon money.

And maybe they are not.

It's always good news for competition if people are prepared to look at other suppliers. For each person who drops Prime it means that Amazon have lost an effective 'lock-in'.