If you’re an addicted Amazon shopper and ‘online shopping’ means books, not clothes then you must be thrilled that Amazon Prime has been made available in Canada! Amazon Prime is Amazon’s paid service which gives you VIP perks like unlimited free two-day shipping, Kindle e-book lending and Amazon Instant Video. Since Canada is the 6th country to adopt the Prime model, Canadian bibliophiles have been well aware of what wealth of upgrades they are in line to receive from Amazon. Surprisingly, the feedback can more readily be filed under backlash as opposed to support.
Unfortunately, when Prime launched, Canadians were, putting it mildly, let down. Although the price for the American version of the service is the same as the one released in Canada ($79), Canadians are looking hard to find the value in this package.
Furthermore, the Canadian Prime package is only valid for amazon.ca….which seems rational…but still, hasn’t amazon.com always had the bigger selection – come on, let’s be honest. Another downfall of the system, as if the above mentioned were not enough, is the fact that Amazon can’t actually promise that customers in rural areas of the Great White North will be able to take advantage of one of the only features Canadians are actually getting – two day shipping.
However, some customers of Prime in urban environments have been raving about the new free quick-ship option. The niche gets too tight however, because what this is really saying is that Amazon.ca Prime is for you if you:
a) live in a city
b) literally buy everything off Amazon (books, batteries, backpacks, earphones and….even underwear)
c) you won’t miss the instant video option (one of the most popular in the U.S – free movies, free movies, free movies!)
It seems that Canadian patrons of Amazon are being offered too little for too much money and the Amazon honchos have some re-working to do before the Canadian Amazon Prime can become a product of mass appeal.
Tell us why you think/ don’t think this is an attractive option? Comment below!
