Amazon Prime Video will soon come with ads, or a $2.99 monthly charge to dodge them::Amazon’s Prime Video will begin showing ads during shows and movies early next year.

149 points

The only reason I used prime video was because it came with prime. I’m just going to stop using it altogether if there’s ads

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88 points

I’m probably just going to cancel prime. It’s only gotten worse and worse. I can wait a week for shipping

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42 points

I think Prime is up to $140 a year now. They used to promise 2 day delivery, but that is now 2 day shipping, and delays prior to shipment aren’t counted. We are not renewing when it comes up later this month. It’s no longer worth it.

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9 points

I like the same day delivery stuff. A lot of their catalog gets to me in a couple hours if my cart is over $25

Honestly, that’s the only thing keeping me paying for prime. Most of the shit in their catalog comes in less than a week without prime. But if I need something today, Prime is cheaper than a lot of the competing same-day delivery services.

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23 points

I swear the actual gain from prime is virtually indecipherable. The less you understand it, the less you can actually complain about what you are paying for.

It also does not boost my confidence when they use deceptive patterns to sneak you back into prime, or keep you from leaving.

The average person doesn’t give a hoot though, and will get actively upset at you for pointing out deceptive patterns when it’s a brand they use, so I we can probably expect things to get worse whenever physically possible.

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9 points

I have appreciated Amazon’s tactics in trying to get me back to subscribing to audible. I’ve gotten 4 books this year for free, I just set a reminder to cancel the sub once the free month is almost over.

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19 points

Fun fact. If your cancel prime and dont order that frequently they will offer a month free over and over no matter how times they’ve given you free months. Then i do a whole buncha ordering in that one month and cancel prime. Free prime forever.

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6 points

Sounds like what they do with my audible account, nice

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10 points

We cancelled back in 2022. It was noticable for about a month, then we got used to buying much less and going to a store for what we needed. I feel better about buying directly from a company’s site when I need to get their product online and most places offer free shipping anyway.

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4 points

Exactly, also its better to cancel to send a message that this shit won’t be tolerated

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2 points

We cancelled lasted year and haven’t really missed it.

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5 points

same tbf, but this might be the reason they are doing it, they know a majority of the users only use it cause it’s there, and the ones who will care enough would buy the ad free. Less cost on bandwidth and more money from ads or subscriptions. It’s a win-win for them

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3 points

Right? Or maybe watching the first part of a show until the first commercial to determine if I want to take the time to find it elsewhere.

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2 points

During COViD, I did get addicted to Prime, so I guess they’re just trying to help with the cure? Anyhow, now I can goto stores again, plus my kids are off on their own so it’s just me, so it does seem excessive. Actually,Prime TV has already gotten harder to watch, as they keep steering g you to ad supported networks. Just when I get less use out of it, they raise their prices and add ads?

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78 points
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“Amazon gross profit for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023 was $244.974B, a 18.22% increase year-over-year.”

“Amazon operating income for the twelve months ending June 30, 2023 was $17.717B, a 15.81% increase year-over-year.”

Poor company. I can see how they have been forced to do this as a last resort effort to salvage their struggling corporation.

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-20 points

Prime Video isn’t profitable and they need it to be. They included it with Prime to build a user base but they were always going to charge or make you watch ads after that. And that’s perfectly fine because running a service that’s never going to make any money is fucking stupid.

If you don’t like it, don’t pay but stop with that “big corp makes enough money so keep giving me shit for free” bullshit.

Would love to read your pitch for a streaming service that doesn’t charge money and doesn’t show any ads though

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14 points

The multi-billionaire owned Amazon (A company that pays no taxes) already charges for their service.

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-5 points

They charge for Prime (Delivery) and until now, Prime Video was included in that price. I hate Amazon as much as the next guy (don’t even haven an account) but all i read from you guys is exactly this kind of unconstructive rambling.

What the fuck do you expect? That a listed mega corporation just goes like “Oh you know what we make billions, what does it even matter if one of our services doesn’t make any money, let’s just keep going, not like we have shareholders to answer to”.

Remember when people used to pay 5 bucks to rent a VHS for ONE DAY and no one lost their mind about it? Without constantly whining about Blockbusters profit margin?

But thanks for clearing up that Amazon is a billionaire owned company, only read that for the 500th time this week.

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10 points

Sure, but pointing out that this strategy of carpet pulling isn’t the best consumer feeling is valid. And, um, Prime isn’t free.

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-8 points

Not what they pointed out though. It’s just the usual, mindless big corp rant you can’t escape on here.

Existing Prime users got all this content without additional charges for years, that’s what I meant when I said free but you probably know that. If you think that’s a sustainable way to keep producing content for billions of dollars, it’s very naive imo.

But feel free to point out what would have been a better strategy and maybe actually start a discussion

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2 points

Wow. You need to Netflix and chill.

I have been a Prime member since 2014 and joined exclusively for Prime Video access. Of course nothing is free. I am now going to pay more, yes you heard right, and will choose to continue being a paying member even at the higher cost, so that I can receive the SAME service and not have it degraded with ads. I hate ads and for all the services I subscribe to, 4 video streaming and 1 music streaming, I always pay the premium to not see ads.

You need to have a good hard look at yourself if you think defending Amazon puts you on the right ethical side of the fence. These cheap extra ad based profits, that deliver no new customer value, will not go to raising the low salaries many of their workforce endure, or relieve the pressure with their mandated 6% non-regrettable attrition policies, or stop their practices of stealing designs from small businesses and undercutting them with Amazon branded equivalents, or ensure taxes are paid in the relevant countries, or prevent further large scale lay offs.

This additional subscription cost is a first world problem for me but Amazon is not only an easy target for constant criticism, but a deserving one.

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-1 points
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You guys just keep throwing everything in the same pot. I don’t like Amazon and don’t even have an account.

To raise the price (by 3 measly bucks) for a service that doesn’t make money is something a listed company IS REQUIRED to do. That’s all I am saying.

It has nothing to do with how much money the company makes in other areas and is a completely separate issue from the horrible working conditions, which is a political one.

But i guess it’s easier to just cry about everything while still throwing money at them and then jerking each other off because you commented “aMaZon SuCks”. Talk about the right side of the fence

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1 point

Church.

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66 points
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Deleted by creator
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19 points

I never stopped. It’s been obvious for ages that if you don’t have the data on your drive, you may not get it again.

I do pay for Prime, but all I care about is saving on shipping. Even if a show is on Prime, I’ll pirate it if I want to watch.

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6 points

Where do all whippersnapper young pirates go on these days? I’ve been out of the sea too long but I can hear its call.

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7 points

Google Real Debrid (Torrent-Service) in combination with Stremio (App) and Torrentio (Addon for app). No VPN needed, low cost (€16/180days) works on PC, FireTV…

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2 points

Same, I started because amazon used to show me ads for other shows while trying to binge something, which was very annoying.

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18 points
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Deleted by creator
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7 points
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Deleted by creator
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53 points

in Bird Culture this is considered a dick move

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10 points

In dick culture this is considered a Richard move.

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52 points

Amazon enshitification continues. The 2 day prime shipping expectation is already decaying, and now this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification

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16 points

Amazon is actually phasing out 2 day delivery because of too high order volume I am delivery driver for them.

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10 points

Interesting inside scoop, thank you. I look forward to them reducing the prime annual fee accordingly! ;-)

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5 points
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Deleted by creator
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2 points

Yeah was supposed to be but the have way too much volume for that to be possible with a 90% turn over rate with drivers because are routes are insane.

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4 points

Thanks for letting us know. Then what’s the point of prime?

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3 points

Free shipping during Christmas time? Idk, that’s all I will be using it for.

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