HBO on Amazon Prime

[Nate505]

I have no idea why Amazon isn't selling their video service as a standalone streaming service instead of only bundling it with their Prime membership.

I'd consider ordering the streaming service by itself. I have no interest in the shipping part of it. I might order 1-3 things from Amazon a year.

 

[AtheistPreacher]

I have no idea why Amazon isn't selling their video service as a standalone streaming service instead of only bundling it with their Prime membership.

I'd consider ordering the streaming service by itself. I have no interest in the shipping part of it. I might order 1-3 things from Amazon a year.

I'd imagine that it's simply to entice people like you who otherwise don't buy much from Amazon to use it more. They figure you're more likely to buy things if you get shipping that's fast and free.

 

[VINYLONE]

I'd imagine that it's simply to entice people like you who otherwise don't buy much from Amazon to use it more. They figure you're more likely to buy things if you get shipping that's fast and free.

Im guessing that as well. Their margins are so tight, this is all they have to survive.

 

[Nate505]

I'd imagine that it's simply to entice people like you who otherwise don't buy much from Amazon to use it more. They figure you're more likely to buy things if you get shipping that's fast and free.

I guess, but it seems like they are losing out on revenue by not offering a service they could easily offer stand alone for the folks like me who have no real interest in ordering a lot of things thru amazon. At what point does the service become worth it to me (for example). So if Prime membership is $99, and say your average 2 day shipping cost is $8, that's a little over 12 orders I need to make to break even. Admittedly if I'm willing to pay $8 a month for the video service as it is, it's like getting the shipping for free basically. However, I'd prefer to pay monthly instead of annually and they won't do that for Prime because of the shipping component.

Fast is also a relative word. In terms of online shipping, I agree, 2 day shipping is pretty damn good and fast. But most things I need I'd prefer to just go to a brick and mortar store and get it that hour (not to mention the last time I ordered something from Amazon the post office screwed it up...Amazon has the best customer service in the world so they fixed it and I'm not mad at them at all, but it's another risk of home delivery). It's pretty much the reason I don't order a lot of stuff online that needs to be delivered. However I own a Kindle Fire so I order a ton of stuff that can be delivered instantly (ie games, books, songs, renting some movies, etc.)

I have no major issues with the business philosophy, but to me it doesn't make much sense to offer the video service as an extra to prime and not just sell it in general. Does the company really make more revenue from saying "damn I'd love to watch Justified online so I'll pay $99 a year and get free shipping...hell I might make a lot of purchases now" vs. losing revenue from people like me who say "damn I'd love to watch Justified online but don't feel like dropping $100 all at once to use a service that I've historically not used very much."

 

[AtheistPreacher]

I guess, but it seems like they are losing out on revenue by not offering a service they could easily offer stand alone for the folks like me who have no real interest in ordering a lot of things thru amazon. At what point does the service become worth it to me (for example). So if Prime membership is $99, and say your average 2 day shipping cost is $8, that's a little over 12 orders I need to make to break even. Admittedly if I'm willing to pay $8 a month for the video service as it is, it's like getting the shipping for free basically. However, I'd prefer to pay monthly instead of annually and they won't do that for Prime because of the shipping component.

Fast is also a relative word. In terms of online shipping, I agree, 2 day shipping is pretty damn good and fast. But most things I need I'd prefer to just go to a brick and mortar store and get it that hour (not to mention the last time I ordered something from Amazon the post office screwed it up...Amazon has the best customer service in the world so they fixed it and I'm not mad at them at all, but it's another risk of home delivery). It's pretty much the reason I don't order a lot of stuff online that needs to be delivered. However I own a Kindle Fire so I order a ton of stuff that can be delivered instantly (ie games, books, songs, renting some movies, etc.)

I have no major issues with the business philosophy, but to me it doesn't make much sense to offer the video service as an extra to prime and not just sell it in general. Does the company really make more revenue from saying "damn I'd love to watch Justified online so I'll pay $99 a year and get free shipping...hell I might make a lot of purchases now" vs. losing revenue from people like me who say "damn I'd love to watch Justified online but don't feel like dropping $100 all at once to use a service that I've historically not used very much."

Yeah, it really does depend on where you live and what your situation is. My brother lives in an apartment complex with a crappy manager that is never around to accept packages, and the delivery services won't just leave them outside the complex. So my brother has typically had to go to UPS/Fed-Ex facilities to pick up packages.

But for me they're usually fine. And as you say, their customer service is excellent. I've never had a problem with an order that they haven't quickly fixed to my satisfaction. So I end up ordering stuff from them just for the convenience of having it delivered to my door (and particularly books; I'm a PhD student, so I end up needing a lot of oddball books that are hard to find elsewhere).

 

[UGLI baby]

I guess, but it seems like they are losing out on revenue by not offering a service they could easily offer stand alone for the folks like me who have no real interest in ordering a lot of things thru amazon. At what point does the service become worth it to me (for example). So if Prime membership is $99, and say your average 2 day shipping cost is $8, that's a little over 12 orders I need to make to break even. Admittedly if I'm willing to pay $8 a month for the video service as it is, it's like getting the shipping for free basically. However, I'd prefer to pay monthly instead of annually and they won't do that for Prime because of the shipping component.

Fast is also a relative word. In terms of online shipping, I agree, 2 day shipping is pretty damn good and fast. But most things I need I'd prefer to just go to a brick and mortar store and get it that hour (not to mention the last time I ordered something from Amazon the post office screwed it up...Amazon has the best customer service in the world so they fixed it and I'm not mad at them at all, but it's another risk of home delivery). It's pretty much the reason I don't order a lot of stuff online that needs to be delivered. However I own a Kindle Fire so I order a ton of stuff that can be delivered instantly (ie games, books, songs, renting some movies, etc.)

I have no major issues with the business philosophy, but to me it doesn't make much sense to offer the video service as an extra to prime and not just sell it in general. Does the company really make more revenue from saying "damn I'd love to watch Justified online so I'll pay $99 a year and get free shipping...hell I might make a lot of purchases now" vs. losing revenue from people like me who say "damn I'd love to watch Justified online but don't feel like dropping $100 all at once to use a service that I've historically not used very much."

So are you signing up for Prime or no?

 

[LogGrad98]

I guess, but it seems like they are losing out on revenue by not offering a service they could easily offer stand alone for the folks like me who have no real interest in ordering a lot of things thru amazon. At what point does the service become worth it to me (for example). So if Prime membership is $99, and say your average 2 day shipping cost is $8, that's a little over 12 orders I need to make to break even. Admittedly if I'm willing to pay $8 a month for the video service as it is, it's like getting the shipping for free basically. However, I'd prefer to pay monthly instead of annually and they won't do that for Prime because of the shipping component.

Fast is also a relative word. In terms of online shipping, I agree, 2 day shipping is pretty damn good and fast. But most things I need I'd prefer to just go to a brick and mortar store and get it that hour (not to mention the last time I ordered something from Amazon the post office screwed it up...Amazon has the best customer service in the world so they fixed it and I'm not mad at them at all, but it's another risk of home delivery). It's pretty much the reason I don't order a lot of stuff online that needs to be delivered. However I own a Kindle Fire so I order a ton of stuff that can be delivered instantly (ie games, books, songs, renting some movies, etc.)

I have no major issues with the business philosophy, but to me it doesn't make much sense to offer the video service as an extra to prime and not just sell it in general. Does the company really make more revenue from saying "damn I'd love to watch Justified online so I'll pay $99 a year and get free shipping...hell I might make a lot of purchases now" vs. losing revenue from people like me who say "damn I'd love to watch Justified online but don't feel like dropping $100 all at once to use a service that I've historically not used very much."

I have had Prime for years now, and use it a lot, both in streaming and in shipping. It is made for people like me, I supposed, and not for people like you. And the fact that they don't offer a different service tells me their current model is making them enough money and they are not losing any sleep over the people who won't pay for the current model. No matter how you slice it, for me it is a win-win. Even in your scenario you pay for the shipping you may do during the year all at once and get a bonus of being able to stream their content when you want to. Turn it around and it is still a win, if you like the content and get it because you might stream 2-3 movies and some other shows per month, which at standard rental fees pretty much pay for it, then as a bonus you get the shipping for free. If you do any combination of the above you are money ahead. I think it is a very solid model, and obviously one that works well for them.

 

[UGLI baby]

What's this streaming thing? No idea what yall are tom bout.


£¥£

 

[Nate505]

So are you signing up for Prime or no?

At first my answer was going to be "Nope, I already have HBO. "

But I found out that they offer Prime to students for $49 a year, and since I'm a perpetual student I think I might get it now. Seeing Justified alone will hopefully be worth it. It may also convince me and my fiance (who will be my wife by xmas) to order stuff for xmas on it.