EDIT: And in retrospect, I wouldn't say it's much like Costco, where you approach it knowing full well that you can't even peruse the goods inside without a paid membership. It's more like shopping in grocery/drug stores & coming across an item that is discounted only for those enrolled in their card programs, except that 1) non-members can still buy the items directly at the regular price, and 2) said membership cards are free (AFAIK).
Ideally it reiterates what people should already be doing in looking up their other sellers listings and using their Prime to better use.
Well, how annoyed would you be if you walked into a Safeway for a specific item & found you couldn't even buy it without being a member? Or that in order to buy it at at full price as a non-member, you had to go to a different part of the aisle for it? It's just not something you'd come to expect when shopping at a store that historically makes its wares available to everyone.
It's not like I'm saying to boycott Amazon or anything, but this certainly doesn't make shopping there any easier.
Yeah, it should still be possible to get games with free shipping through other sellers; though I'm betting games only sold by Amazon are eligible for that release day delivery, right?
Eventually the metaphor breaks down because going to a different aisle in this instance is just checking the sellers page, wherein the purchasing process for the end user plays out identically moving forward.
Amazon is a retailer and can do whatever they want. I'm sure no small amount of market research and planning went into this decision; Amazon is not the type of company to make non-data-driven decisions.
For those outraged: just buy games elsewhere, or get Prime. Even at full price ($99/year), it's a terrific value and there are tons of savings and convenience to be had in switching most of your shopping to Amazon.
Thats true. I wonder what the data found for them. Maybe it will save them money by not serving non-prime customers or finding that more people will sign up for prime.
I can see why this would be upsetting for people if they use Amazon ONLY for games. The one thing I got from Best Buy using GCU was delivered two days late and I buy a ton of stuff from Amazon as is
Amazon is a retailer and can do whatever they want. I'm sure no small amount of market research and planning went into this decision; Amazon is not the type of company to make non-data-driven decisions.
For those outraged: just buy games elsewhere, or get Prime. Even at full price ($99/year), it's a terrific value and there are tons of savings and convenience to be had in switching most of your shopping to Amazon.
Thats true. I wonder what the data found for them. Maybe it will save them money by not serving non-prime customers or finding that more people will sign up for prime.
I can see why this would be upsetting for people if they use Amazon ONLY for games. The one thing I got from Best Buy using GCU was delivered two days late and I buy a ton of stuff from Amazon as is
I also work for Amazon and think this is just swell. We are so proud of our Amazon Prime benefits that we take away pre-existing shopping options available to all shoppers and make them a new Amazon Prime member benefit.
Generally speaking Amazon operates on very thin margins but very high volume. It's possible the games in question have an even slimmer margin than most other games, so it's not worth it to deliver to non-Prime members? Who knows; it's also possible they're looking to "add" value to Prime by removing value from regular shoppers.
But yah, at least if you're in NA, GCU would be a good alternative at $30/year for ONLY games: 20% off ALL games and launch day store pickup, plus it stacks with promotional prices. I have both Prime and GCU and just use whichever one is cheapest/most convenient for what I want.
GCU is $30 for two years.
I realize everyone's online shopping habits differ, but I personally only browse Amazon for products sold by it or its affiliates (I value their customer support & return policy). Running a search, seeing the Amazon price, then clicking on the link only to find I'm ineligible for purchase & must resort to other sellers is nothing but a bother. And even if it is carried by a fulfillment partner, if the price is anything but the same it leaves me disappointed. If they want to adopt a supposed Costco/Sam's model they could go about it better, because in its current state it adds *nothing* to my Amazon shopping experience.
GCU is $30 for two years.
I realize everyone's online shopping habits differ, but I personally only browse Amazon for products sold by it or its affiliates (I value their customer support & return policy). Running a search, seeing the Amazon price, then clicking on the link only to find I'm ineligible for purchase & must resort to other sellers is nothing but a bother. And even if it is carried by a fulfillment partner, if the price is anything but the same it leaves me disappointed. If they want to adopt a supposed Costco/Sam's model they could go about it better, because in its current state it adds *nothing* to my Amazon shopping experience.
What exactly is your shopping process in retail physical stores? I can't imagine any scenario in which shopping around for competing prices (which continues to be mitigated here by having all prices listed out on a single page) for identical products is a bother rather than just the way the average person conducts business.
I think you're misunderstanding a point I'm making somewhere, fulfillment through Amazon means the process is completely the same, including support after purchase. Do cheaper available prices on Amazon also negatively affect you the same way if there weren't a wall in place? Why does the Costco model remain relevant if you're solely now looking at this from the perspective of someone not making that membership investment in the retailer to begin with? Would your last statement remain the same if you had Prime?
I also work for Amazon and think this is just swell. We are so proud of our Amazon Prime benefits that we take away pre-existing shopping options available to all shoppers and make them a new Amazon Prime member benefit.
Just to be clear, I'm speaking on this from the perspective of one doing some recreational/window-shopping on Amazon. If I am making a more vested purchase that warrants me doing some research, then I approach it with a different & more patient mindset. But in these cases, ease & convenience are tantamount & can mean the difference between me completing an order or just closing the page.
And again, when I go to a Costco there is already an understanding that I need to provide membership before even getting through the doors, let alone see what's inside. To date, Amazon has never imposed such a members-only policy, nor (AFAIK) ever announced any inclination to do so. So until that day arrives, I go there with the general expectation that I'll be able to buy anything they have in stock.
Going to suck for importers like me. Like in Canada, Gravity Rush PS4 and Uncharted 4 Collectors edition are not sold in Canada. I have to use Amazon.com to get these.
Not in the UK. There's no such thing as a Prime discount like in the States.Isn't This just for the Prime discounted price and any member, Prime or not, can still purchase it at normal price?
If there is no such thing as Prime in the UK, that means this does not even apply to the UK if there is no Prime. No?Not in the UK. There's no such thing as a Prime discount like in the States.
[Editor's Note: This article was initially a bit misleading -- while certain games will only be available to Prime members when purchased directly from Amazon, all games will still be available for purchase from third-party sellers via Amazon regardless of your Prime membership status. The headline has since been changed and IGN regrets the error.]
If there is no such thing as Prime in the UK, that means this does not even apply to the UK if there is no Prime. No?
So I believe what I said still holds true.
Isn't This just for the Prime discounted price and any member, Prime or not, can still purchase it at normal price?