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I quit Prime. And it’s okay.
as i stated in Wednesday’s newsletterThis makes me weird. About 98 percent of Americans who have been members of Amazon’s shopping club for at least a few years continue to renew. Prime is one of the most durable consumer products in the United States.
I was a Prime member for about three years until it stopped renewing in 2019. My friends and colleagues are often baffled when I tell them this. But don’t worry. I will be fine.
That doesn’t mean I live without Amazon. Here’s a secret: You can order from the site legally without being a Prime member – but getting orders delivered without shipping costs takes a little more planning.
Why am I infecting my shopping habits with strangers? (While On Tech readers are no strangers!) Each of our personal experiences is a way of reflecting on whether we’re attached to Prime out of love or out of habit. For me, when I questioned the value I got from the subscription, it was relatively easy to stop.
This is not advice for you to quit Prime. You’re doing. And my experience is not representative. I don’t have kids and live in New York, it’s usually a short walk away from most things I might need quickly – a roll of aluminum foil or a new phone charger.
I know that many Americans live far from stores, have caring responsibilities, live with a disability, or have other conditions that do not give them shopping flexibility.
More than 300 readers Wrote On Tech about Primeand many said they felt they were getting more than their money’s worth from the convenience, reliable shipping and other benefits of Prime.
“I got my Prime membership when my husband was sick and I was his caregiver” Carol Stream wrote a reader on Ill. “I couldn’t go shopping and this was perfect for me.”
I was a relatively late comer to Prime. I signed up in 2015, I think I was moving and evaluating streaming entertainment services. I mostly signed up for Amazon’s Prime Video service and thought the ability to get faster shipping at no additional cost was a bonus. (I hope my memory isn’t faulty. I can’t quite remember my 2015 brain.)
Most Prime members in surveys say free shipping is the biggest reason they sign up and stick with it. Quite a few On Tech readers said Prime Video like me helped make the membership worth it.
In the first few years I became a member, I shopped more on Amazon. This is typical Prime member behavior. But over time, I realized that I was ordering less and less.
My renewal arrived and I just shrugged and stopped paying. This changed my behavior. In 2020 and the first months of 2021, as many people go through the roof of online shopping trying to avoid stores, my order history shows I’ve bought myself nothing but a few Kindle ebooks from Amazon.
I regularly buy online from Walmart, Target and other websites. I shopped at local stores because I didn’t want only Amazon and other giant retailers to stay after the pandemic. Without feeling like I needed to derive value from a Prime membership, Amazon was just an option rather than the only store I was considering.
For me, online shopping now requires more patience. I keep a list of things I might need on my phone and order several items at once to reach minimum order quantities for free shipping from Amazon and other websites. (An Amazon order over $25 is usually eligible for free delivery.)
The list currently includes a non-stick frying pan, light bulbs, a toilet brush, puzzles and a pair of earplugs. My life is very exciting, yes. I may not receive the package in a few days but that’s fine with me.
I guess I buy less stuff without being a Prime member because it’s not that easy to buy from my couch. Some Ten Tech readers said they had the same experience.
The real magic of Amazon, and Prime in particular, is that they take the thought out of shopping. Prime members reflexively tend to go to Amazon and this often works out great for them and the company. For me, the absence of Prime makes me pause for a minute before purchasing. This is perfect.
Tip of the Week
Sell that old junk!
If you’re like me, you have unused electronics that don’t sit at home. Brian X ChenPersonal tech columnist for The New York Times tells us what to do with this pesky mess.
It’s getting hard to ignore my family’s unwanted tech gear. My old PlayStation has been collecting dust for over a year. My wife’s iPad has been living in a drawer since I’ve known her.
In my experience, the simplest way to do this clean unwanted electronics Drop them off at a Best Buy that offers free electronics recycling or donate them to a charity like The Salvation Army. (Please check first. Charities don’t tend to accept all electronics.)
But if you’re hoping to save money, there are other options. I’ve had some luck selling old iPhones and iPads. Gazelle, a company that buys and sells used electronics and Amazon’s Trading Program. Both sites require you to answer a few questions about electronics before submitting them with a prepaid tag.
I’m also surprised by the success I’ve had on eBay lately. Last week, I sold my eight-year-old PlayStation 4 console on the site for around $230 – pretty good considering it cost around $400 when it was new in 2013.
It only took 10 minutes to take a few photos and write a short description. I reused an old Amazon box to ship it, printed a label, and dropped the package off at the post office.
Then I plan to list my wife’s iPad. Regardless, I estimate I’ll make about $500 off my electronics cleaning. In addition to the reward of having a cleaner home, it’s a pretty nice return.
Before you go …
hug this
It boy comforting a fish, and it really is the best.
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