Report: Amazon in Talks to Offer Free Mobile Service to Prime Members

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Amazon Prime already boasts a long line of benefits, including free one-day shipping, a streaming service, and monthly games, but that list may be set to expand with something huge. Per a Bloomberg report, Amazon is reportedly in discussions with Verizon, T-Mobile, and other wireless carriers to explore the possibility of offering low-cost or free nationwide mobile phone service to Prime subscribers. The negotiations are said to have been ongoing for about six to eight weeks, and Amazon is doing this to enhance customer loyalty among its most significant spenders. Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year, while a standalone membership to Prime Video costs $8.99/month.

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I don't see how they make that happen without substantially increasing the cost of Prime membership
 
If it's just basic voice/SMS, I could see it being provided so long as you use an Amazon-branded phone
 
Niner51 said:
Just another way for them to track you essentially.
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I don't see this as something you move your phone services to and more as a. For your new kindle or new fire tablet as long as your prime membership is current anywhere in the world you go with sby cell coverage you're online at no additional charge.

This really shouldn't be shocking. They did it with a model of kindle giving it basic data services for life so you could always access your online library.
 
Will make for a great burner you can give out to crap you know is going to be seedy
 
They should focus on expanding prime benefits to the rest of the world instead, because here prime is DOA, it costs the same as in the US, but offers none of the benefits except for a highly incomplete prime video library.
 
MadMummy76 said:
They should focus on expanding prime benefits to the rest of the world instead, because here prime is DOA, it costs the same as in the US, but offers none of the benefits except for a highly incomplete prime video library.
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Honestly I don’t know that you’d want it. They keep adding “stuff” to it so it seems like a good deal, but it really isn’t. I’m about to drop mine because the biggest reason I got it (2-day shipping) doesn’t work most of the time and 95% of the “benefits” are crap. The Prime video library is really about the only thing they have going, and as you mention, even that is lackluster.
 
Brian_B said:
Honestly I don’t know that you’d want it. They keep adding “stuff” to it so it seems like a good deal, but it really isn’t. I’m about to drop mine because the biggest reason I got it (2-day shipping) doesn’t work most of the time and 95% of the “benefits” are crap. The Prime video library is really about the only thing they have going, and as you mention, even that is lackluster.
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I'd probably have prime and order much more from amazon if we had free shipping. But no free or 1 - 2 day shipping for us Eastern European scum. Literally all I get if I sign up for prime is the video library, which is missing half the shows due to georestrictions. At least now they offer the video service separately at a lower price, but as I've said the only reason I'd sign up is the free shipping.
 
MadMummy76 said:
I'd probably have prime and order much more from amazon if we had free shipping. But no free or 1 - 2 day shipping for us Eastern European scum. Literally all I get if I sign up for prime is the video library, which is missing half the shows due to georestrictions. At least now they offer the video service separately at a lower price, but as I've said the only reason I'd sign up is the free shipping.
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I pay for Prime. I'm supposed to get Free 2-day shipping.

Most stuff takes 4-5 days, as they drop it off at the post office and they dick around with it for 2 days... and they call it "2 day" because they handed it off to another carrier.

And 2-day shipping only applies to "Prime" products - with their 3rd party sales, not everything is Prime, most things aren't 2-day, and not even everything is free shipping 2-day or otherwise.

Rural America may as well be Eastern Europe for a lot of things.
 
Brian_B said:
I pay for Prime. I'm supposed to get Free 2-day shipping.

Most stuff takes 4-5 days, as they drop it off at the post office and they dick around with it for 2 days... and they call it "2 day" because they handed it off to another carrier.

And 2-day shipping only applies to "Prime" products - with their 3rd party sales, not everything is Prime, most things aren't 2-day, and not even everything is free shipping 2-day or otherwise.

Rural America may as well be Eastern Europe for a lot of things.
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I thought 2 day shipping meant they send it within 2 days, not that it arrives in 2 days, that would be full utopia. Sometimes it takes 4-5 days for stuff to get here even if I order domestically. From amazon though? If it gets here in 2 weeks that's already a win, so I only use them for stuff I really really want, with absolutely no way to get elsewhere.

Not to mention their insane shipping cost calculation. If I order 5 of the same item they make me pay 5x for shipping, despite it being sent in a single package. I really- really hate amazon.
 
Wow yea for us in the Suburbs of a major city... I'll order stuff on prime that shows up THAT DAY.
 
MadMummy76 said:
Not to mention their insane shipping cost calculation. If I order 5 of the same item they make me pay 5x for shipping, despite it being sent in a single package. I really- really hate amazon.
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I have to admit - that's worse than what we have in Rural America.

That said, Amazon used to be amazing. Now that they are the 800lb gorilla they have become more like the retailer of last resort.
 
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