Is this something I want or is it one of those things they give you "free" but you have to cancel later if you don't use it...?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

It all depends on how much stuff you order from Amazon. I use it quite a bit as they almost always have a "free 2nd day delivery" deal.

Yes, you have to cancel it after you use it before the end of the trial period or it's one of those subscription deals.

Bezos didn't get to where he is by giving stuff away.

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

I do not order from Amazon anymore. I started, then cancelled my account when they abused my email inbox. It was far more difficult to stop getting email from them than it was to start.

Thanks guys! I think I'll pass too.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

One thing to consider is when you go out shopping, just about everything you drive to the store for is available on Prime without having to leave the house.
Most of the time, cheaper too, plus eliminating the cost of fuel and insurance driving to and from the store.

I was under impression Tom liked to drive.

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Jim

Twenty years ago, Amazon was a cheap discount bookseller. Because online offered low overhead, they under priced traditional retailers and dominated the market. Then they forgot about books, and reinvented themselves as the retailers of everything, the E-Bay alternative, the rocket boys, the giant computer timeshare service bureau, the grocery store, and a bunch of other stuff. None of which they do particularly well. Nor are they any longer particularly cheap. Their main stock in trade is logistics. By dominating transportation and delivery market share, they dominate all markets which depend on transportation, which is to say all markets. Like Standard Oil in the 1890's, it's not about the price of the goods, it's the way they manipulate shipping cost. Why it's tolerated I couldn't tell you.

Their prices are routinely 10-20% higher than the shop-around competition, and worse, the price may vary based on customer profile. It's really astonishing that they have so many ardent defenders.

No. Their main profit center is web hosting and services. It's like 97% of their profit. AWS is an industry juggernaut.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

No. It's like the blind men and the elephant. AWS can be accurately regarded as their logistics chain for virtual products. The goal there as with physical delivery is market dominance. And since when did they give a hoot about profit? As long as the next fool is willing to shell out ever more for stock, they don't need no stinkin profits.

"accurately regarded as logistics chain for virtual products". That makes no sense, can you explain? They own and have developed AWS over quite a few years. Some homegrown some acquisition, but their platforms are very widely adopted and well established.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I buy a lot of the "used" stuff from Amazon which usually means open or damaged box. If I don't like it I ship it back for free. You can't beat Amazon's return policy.

A few examples from the last couple of months:
Driver's side w124 front control arm lemforder $36
LG LCRT2010ST microwave $93 ($199 retail)
Castrol 0w40 synthetic 5qt $18 (prime day)
Bosch 5275WS w203 air filters $5/ea
Lemforder w203 transmission mount $7
KYB 553178 w124 rear shocks $18 ea

People abuse the hell out of Amazon's free return policy and most of that stuff gets resold as used for much less. The prime subscription pays for itself in no time. Add to that the 5% back on the Amazon card and it's a no brainier.

Given enough time and effort you'll probably find a physical or online store where any given item is cheaper than amazon. The thing is my time is money and Amazon saves me a lot of time. If I can wait 2 days for any item I'll buy it on Amazon and save myself a trip to the store.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

they have now started the Data mining angle with their web hosting and their little digital spy alexa or whatever its called JUST LIKE GOOGLE, but to guys like you TBO there is no concerns, because there is no such thing as privacy anymore anyway,




this is why google has started the massive move to get their hooks into as many as possible ahead of having to comply with the new EU regulations on privacy,, cant really keep track of whatever I used to do that was hijacked --the operating systems were GUTTED and now if you want to do anything you "have to _uPgrade_ to chrome" in other words you have to sign away your right NOT to have google sucking up any and all of your data, and sending ot to their data processing center to decide whats sellable to the brokers............................................................................................. .................................

You have literally no idea what you're talking about, that much is apparent.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

So persons personal data is --Not the oil of the 21st century?


Google is NOT mining as much personal Data from the populace as they possibly can ?




Google does not have huge "data centers".........


and Facebook does Not have huge "data centers"..........


And they are Not selling persons data to data brokers?

Really, why then did the EU put a stop -set limits- to the tech companys personal data mining abuses?