In January Amazon offered select customers a free Kindle of sorts they had to pay for it, but if they didnt like it they could get a full refund and keep the device. It turns out that was just a test run for a much more ambitious program. A reliable source tells us Amazon wants to give a free Kindle to every Amazon Prime subscriber.
Just as soon as they can work out how to do it without losing money.
Amazon Prime is a subscription product that gives customers free two day shipping on everything they buy from Amazon. The current fee is $79/year.
These are Amazons very best customers the ones who tend to make multiple purchases per month. And they are also likely to buy multiple books per month on their Kindle devices. If those users buy enough books, and Amazon gets the production costs of the Kindle down enough, Amazon can get Kindles into millions of peoples hands without losing their shirt. At least when the goal is to break even or better over the course of a couple of years, the expected lifetime of a Kindle.
I'm a Prime member.. if I got a kindle I'd give it to my parents.I wouldn't want one even for free
I don't shop at amazon enough to make prime worthwhile...that would be nice for prime members though!
You might if you HAD Prime though. I've been a prime member since 2005. I placed 18 orders in 2004, 54 orders in 2005, and 86 orders in 2009. Having Prime makes Amazon a more attractive place to shop. I buy stuff there instead of driving to Target.
Sounds like I'm exactly the kind of customer they want to give a free Kindle to - sign me up!
Unfortunately I also buy most of my books used... I've been on the fence with the Kindle because I'm not sure if it'll get me to read more or if it'll just be a tech toy I never use and regret buying.
Obviously they'd have to have some date cutoff if they did this, otherwise people would sign up for Prime just to get the Kindle.
You might if you HAD Prime though. I've been a prime member since 2005. I placed 18 orders in 2004, 54 orders in 2005, and 86 orders in 2009. Having Prime makes Amazon a more attractive place to shop. I buy stuff there instead of driving to Target.
Sounds like I'm exactly the kind of customer they want to give a free Kindle to - sign me up!
Unfortunately I also buy most of my books used... I've been on the fence with the Kindle because I'm not sure if it'll get me to read more or if it'll just be a tech toy I never use and regret buying.
Obviously they'd have to have some date cutoff if they did this, otherwise people would sign up for Prime just to get the Kindle.
Same here. I've always been an Amazon shopper, but I was very picky about what I bought because I didn't always have a cart full of stuff to reach the $25 mark for free shipping. So I'd end up driving to the store to get the item or paid the $2 or $3 shipping.
Now with Prime, I just sit back and order whatever I want whenever I want. And because of the 2-day shipping, my orders with Amazon have increased about 5x or 6x.
During Christmas time, I bought all of my presents from Amazon. Didn't even have to leave the house. Not dealing with malls/best buy/target/etc. during Christmas time is worth my lowered blood pressure
I just got Prime and it does not impress me. Too many things I want are not available through Amazon, and none of their partner stores have shipping deals (that I've found). Will probably not continue it.
And if shipping & handling continues the way it has been, I wont be using Amazon much more at all.
If I got a Kindle somehow I'd give it to my mother.
I've had Prime since close to the beginning. I'd love a free Kindle - might make me reconsider using only my Costco membership
Seriously, though, Prime pays for itself at Christmas if your family isn't all in one place or if you have to mail ahead and travel.
I love my kindle... it's awesome for when I need/want a book "now" and it saves me a ton of shelf space. it's also a lot more portable.You might if you HAD Prime though. I've been a prime member since 2005. I placed 18 orders in 2004, 54 orders in 2005, and 86 orders in 2009. Having Prime makes Amazon a more attractive place to shop. I buy stuff there instead of driving to Target.
Sounds like I'm exactly the kind of customer they want to give a free Kindle to - sign me up!
Unfortunately I also buy most of my books used... I've been on the fence with the Kindle because I'm not sure if it'll get me to read more or if it'll just be a tech toy I never use and regret buying.
Obviously they'd have to have some date cutoff if they did this, otherwise people would sign up for Prime just to get the Kindle.
What are you trying to buy that isn't on Amazon? I've almost never run into that kind of problem using them.
What are you trying to buy that isn't on Amazon? I've almost never run into that kind of problem using them.