Amazon Prime Free Shipping Scam: Lawsuit Claims Cost Offset By Inflated Prices
Amazon Prime is a popular service, but that may soon change. Currently priced at $79.99, the service offers access to thousands of Amazon Instant Video feature films and TV programs. You also get to borrow a ton of books through Kindle. Prime also offers free shipping on items bought on Amazon's vast online marketplace.
So when compared to competing services like Netflix and Hulu, Prime is a stellar deal. It's about 16 bucks cheaper over the course of a year and also includes the aforementioned shipping perks. But the inexpensive membership is about to be history. Prime is undergoing a pricing structure change that's sure to infuriate some longtime customers of the service. The service will now tip the scales at a cool $99.99. Think that's bad? CNN reports that Amazon was looking into raising the price to a wallet draining $119.99.
But that's not all! Bad news continues to swirl around Amazon Prime. A customer by the name of Marcia Burke is suing Amazon. She alleges that Amazon Prime's free shipping guarantee was nothing more than a well-marketed farce.
"The bottom line is the free shipping that Amazon offered to its Prime members wasn't free," said Kim Stephens, the plaintiff's attorney. Stephens went on to say that he was personally "shocked" by the alleged price-fixing.
"For example, if the price of an item is advertised for $10 with $3.99 shipping and the [vendor] wishes to match or top their price, the [vendor] would charge $13.99 or higher," Burke argues.
If these allegations turn out to be true than Amazon has "some 'splainin' to do!"
"An item included in its stated price the cost of shipping, but you thought you were getting it free," Stephens remarked.
Adding insult to injury, non-Prime members apparently purchased the same exact items at a lower cost!
"But together they would roughly equal the cost Amazon is charging Prime members for so-called free shipping," he said.
Amazon is in the woods now!
After these incidents, would you consider signing up or renewing your Amazon Prime membership? Let us know what you really think in the comments section below.
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