+- Punaweb Forum (http://punaweb.org/forum)
+-- Forum: Punaweb Forums (http://punaweb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: Punatalk (http://punaweb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=10)
+--- Thread: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? (/showthread.php?tid=15716)
Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - macuu222 - 03-21-2015
I've been trying to justify signing up for Amazon Prime to save some money on items that I normally purchase here. And I can't seem to come to a decision.
First there is the $100.00 yearly fee. That gets me free shipping right to my home in HPP of anything "Amazon" sells. They also have free movies and music which I'm not interested in and will probably never use. The shipping (which in the continental US is 2 days) is between 3 and 7 business days to Hawaii. So if I need a product very soon...Amazon may not be the answer. If I plan ahead...it can save me some money. But I also get free shipping if I order $30.00 or more without paying the Amazon Prime fee. But the shipping is 7 to 10 business days. My thinking is that if you can wait 3 to 7 days...you can probably wait 7 to 10 and save the $100.00 yearly fee. And if you need it right away...Amazon is not an option unless you want to pay for expedited shipping and that defeats the whole purpose of saving money. Anyone else here use Amazon prime and care to comment why you use it?
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - lavalava - 03-21-2015
Well, first off - the free movies, songs, books, apps, etc. are a big part of my prime membership. Secondly, not having to make every order be over $30 is convenient.
I have noticed that non prime shipping to Hawaii uses the USPS parcel post shipping which can take up to 3 weeks or more! My prime shipping come in many flavors from Fedex and UPS 2 day, to USPS priority and rarely takes more than 5 biz days.
My favorite Amazon feature is the subscribe and save which, when planned correctly can save you 15% on the stuff you use the most.
On the topic of shipping to HI, Target.com ships to HI for free, charges tax, but gives you 5% off every order if you use a Target card.
Prime also has a deal whereby students or faculty or anyone with a .edu address can get a discount ($50/year?).
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - leilanidude - 03-21-2015
The Prime membership is absolutely worth it. I have purchased tires, car parts, computer parts, food, toilet paper, paper towels, everything you can imagine. I have reduced my once weekly trips into Hilo to one a month, if that.
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - Lin W - 03-21-2015
I love Amazon Prime. I have subscriptions for all my paper goods (TP, kleenex, paper towels) as well as pet foods and catchment filters. There is a substantial discount if you subscribe to five items or more. I did it mostly because I was sick of driving to Hilo only to find the shelves bare and no one able to say when another container might arrive. During our recent mainland dock workers slowdown/strike, FedEx brought my TP to my door, what could be better than that? My subscriptions kept coming right on schedule even in the aftermath of Iselle. I also use the instant videos and free Kindle books so that's a bonus. I probably save the membership fee+ just in the gasoline it would take to keep running to town hoping the shelves had been stocked. Well worth it for me.
I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - cwoods61 - 03-21-2015
They also offer discounts on faster shipping options.
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 03-21-2015
So if I read the responses here correctly, Amazon Prime is like car pooling to Hilo for groceries and supplies except:
* You don't have to coordinate a convenient time for all of the car poolers
* You don't have to chip in for gas
* You won't sit in traffic on Highway 130
* You can watch a free movie while the FedEx truck brings your order directly to your door. (Not Cast Away with Tom Hanks or you might worry about your box arriving)
FedEx and UPS might do just as much to reduce the afternoon commute time as the Hele On Bus.
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - rainyjim - 03-21-2015
...brought my TP to my door...
...hoping the shelves had been stocked...
Really... I've never not been able to buy TP in Hilo or Pahoa or Keaau for that matter
If having prime is convenient for you - well great
Have you seriously not been able to find TP here before?
Nuts.
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - punafish - 03-21-2015
I'm on the Amazon Prime bandwagon too. It pays for itself many times over.
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - DTisme - 03-21-2015
Since I don't stream, I don't use Prime. But I order from amazon at least once a month and have no problem hitting the $35 minimum for free shipping. I use amazon mostly for convenience of shopping and selection, sometimes prices. They don't shop parcel post, as said above, but they ship Parcel Pool (International Bridge is company name) - this is a company that ships to Hawaii and Alaska for amazon in quantity, then passes your package on to your local post office. A lot of people find it slow, but I haven't had problems - usually get stuff within 2 weeks. So not for something I need quickly, just conveniently. So for us, we couldn't justify the cost. Then again, hubby loves his kindle, but the books he chooses aren't usually in the program. Altho there's some new kindle program, which we would consider. It all just seems an extra pain in the butt if you ask me. Get yourself over $35 in your cart - put stuff in over a period of time - then get the free ship.
RE: Is Amazon Prime to Hawaii really worth it? - terracore - 03-21-2015
Frankly, I don't know how Amazon can afford to do it. Sometimes we get 50# sacks of parrot food shipped via prime and pay MUCH less for the parrot food and free shipping than JUST the shipping cost would have been.
Amazon does use a service called "Parcel Pool" which is a freight forwarder that takes the packages from the amazon warehouse to the USPS sorting facility in Honolulu. From there it enters the mail stream. It adds about 3-5 days to the shipping time compared to using priority mail. If you order 10 different things via Prime they may ship using different services and arriving at different times. Some stuff may come first class or Priority Mail and get here in a few days, others get diverted to Parcel Pool and take extra time. They have warehouses scattered all over the country and some of them stock different items than the others so they can't always combine things into one box.
To us it was initially worth it because there are some things they will ship via Prime that they will not ship to Hawaii even if you hit their free shipping order threshold.
We also watch some Amazon Prime programming.
Subscribe and save is awesome. For example I was offered 5% discount if I "subscribed" to get a car air filter delivered every 6 months. So I got the filter and then cancelled the subscription.
They can also have fantastic grocery sales. We got bottles of BBQ sauce for 36 CENTS with free shipping. You have to look for deals like that. But just a few clever orders pays for your Prime membership for the entire year.