I just started watching it 2 weeks ago for the first time. Only got to season 1 episode 20. The only other streaming service I have is Hulu with ads (because it’s free with my Spotify). Now im sad.

Edit: No longer sad! It’s free on Hulu! 😂

I haven't listened to the pod much lately, listened to today for SVP, and the Amazon version was full of ads. Did I miss something?

Apparently it's ok to snack on stuff at HEB before you've paid for it. This is literally what the mom let's her kid do in the commercial.

Full disclosure, I have Amazon Prime. I have had Amazon Prime for over a decade.

Anyone else planning on pirating this show just so you don't have to endure Amazon stuffing ads in your face before during and after each episode? I am literally sick of it. Pre-roll ads I can just about stomach, but stopping what I am watching to show me ads, get lost.

I will not be a Prime subscriber next year...

I've got Amazon set up as a recurring merchant for the annual prime membership renewal. It's configured with the date, 1 year frequency, and price of the membership. However, every time I have an Amazon purchase Monarch marks it as recurring even though it's not anywhere close to the membership renewal date or cost. It's getting old having to manually remove the recurring tag on every Amazon transaction, and I can't even create a rule to do it for me.

It's nice having the calendar view to see upcoming and past recurring transactions, but the current "smart" identification of recurring transactions is just bad enough to be annoying. I'd rather have more controls to manually configure recurrence rules with specific date windows and price ranges than what is currently offered. Things like being able to set twice monthly recurrences on the 7th and 21st instead of just 1st/15th/last day of the month, or support for an expected range of transaction amounts for things like utilities that aren't going to be the same dollar amount month to month. I know credit card billing is a feature being worked on on the roadmap, so hopefully some of these improvements to recurrence tracking can be improved as part of adding support for that.

Tried Prime Video for the first time in a long while and straightaway I noticed framerate matching isn't working.

I knew about the impact on Dolby Vision/Atmos but I haven't seen this being talked about, other than a few posts on AVForums that I've now found.

If it had been any other company, it would be hard to believe this was an intentional change.

Is anyone else experiencing delayed Amazon Prime deliveries? Prime is advertised as two day delivery, but it’s been the norm recently (over the last few months) to take 5ish days.

Is anyone else experiencing that?

It’s a first world problem for sure, but you pay for a Prime account and they’re not following through with the marketing.

As a side note, I called and complained and the front line employee issued a 20% discount on the account ($30ish dollars.) Quick and easy small win there.

I've been away traveling, so didn't buy anything from Amazon Prime for almost a month.

Logged in today, clicked my cart. Got this message:

33 items in your Saved Items have changed price.

Saucony Men's Guide 16 Sneaker, Agave/Marigold, 14

has increased from

$65.00

to

$74.95

Here's To Life: Shirley Horn with Strings

has increased from

$15.10

to

$17.10

HP Paper Printer | 8.5 x 11 Paper | Premium 32 lb | 1 Ream - 500 Sheets | 100 Bright | Made in USA - FSC Certifi ed | 113100R

has increasedfrom

$14.99

to

$19.98

Drano Max Gel Drain Clog Remover and Cleaner for Shower or Sink Drains, Unclogs and Removes Hair, Soap Scum and Blockages, 80 Oz, Packof 2

has increased from

$11.47

to

$15.98

The White Pill: A Tale of Good and Evil

has increased from

$23.75

to

$27.50

Cowboystudio Timer Remote Control Shutter for Canon EOS

has increased from

$14.87

to

$17.16

MZOO Sleep Eye Mask for Men Women, Zero Eye Pressure 3D Sleeping Mask, 100% Light Blocking Patented Design Night Blindfold, Soft EyeShade Cover for Travel, Black

has increased from

$15.99

to

$21.99

Smead Standard File Folders, 100 Count, Red, 1/3-Cut Tabs, Letter Size (12743)

has increased from

$16.99

to

$24.61

Amazon Basic Care Nighttime Sleep Aid Tablets for Adults, Doxylamine Succinate 25 mg, 96 Count

has increased from

$8.40

to

$10.07

ARTIFY 24 Pieces Paint Brush Set, Expert Series, Enhanced Synthetic Brush Set with Cloth Roll and Palette Knife for Acrylic, Oil, Watercolorand Gouache (Birch)

has increased from

$21.99

to

$29.99

Vicks NyQuil Cold and Flu Relief Liquid Medicine, Powerful Multi-Symptom Nighttime Relief for Headache, Fever, Sore Throat, Minor Achesand Pains, Sneezing, Runny Nose, and Cough, 48 Liquicaps

has increased from

$17.83

to

$19.92

Haggar Men's Travel Performance Tailored Fit Suit Separates-Pants, Dk. Heather Grey-Jacket, 44 Tall

has increased from

$72.25

to

$88.73

Made for Amazon SanDisk 256GB microSD Memory Card for Fire Tablets and Fire -TV

has increased from

$24.53

to

$29.82

Lutron Maestro Companion Multi-Location Dimmer | Not for Standalone Use | MA-R-WH, White, 4.5Lx2.5Wx2.5H

has increased from

$17.23

to

$22.07

Panasonic Eneloop Pro K-KJ17KHCA4A Battery Charger AA NiMH X 4 (SPKKKJ17KHCA4A)

has increased from

$25.03

to

$36.98

Metal 16 Outlet Power Strip, Extra Long Power Strip With10ft Cord, BTU Heavy Duty Power Strip Wall Mount, Garage Power Strip withSwitch for Work Shop, Workbench Industrial Commercial Use (Black)

has increased from

$29.29

to

$36.99

Lucky Brand Men's 181 Relaxed Straight Jean, Ol Wilder Ranch, 38W X 34L

has increased from

$44.55

to

$54.23

Heating Pad for Back Pain Relief, Extra Large 33 x 17, Portable Heating Pad for Shoulder, Neck, Cramp, Menstrual Pain, with Upgraded 6Timer & 6 Temperature Controller

has increased from

$29.99

to

$39.99

Van Heusen Men's Big Stain Shield Never Tuck Stretch Button Down Shirt, Iron Gate Solid, 2X-Large Tall

has increased from

$28.85

to

$33.76

Bedsure Queen Sheets Grey - Soft Sheets for Queen Size Bed, 4 Pieces Hotel Luxury Queen Sheet Set, Easy Care Polyester Microfi ber CoolingBed Sheet Set

has increased from

$13.99

to

$19.99

Invisible Glass 92164 22-Ounce Premium Glass Cleaner and Window Spray for Auto and Home Provides a Streak-Free Shine on Windows,Windshields, and Mirrors is Residue and Ammonia Free and Tint Safe

has increased from

$3.19

to

$4.36

Weber Turpenoid Natural, 946ml Bottle, 1 Each (1814)

has increased from

$25.63

to

$37.92

HOLY MOLY. I didn't spend the time to calculate all the items together... but that's like 20% inflation in one month on all the saved items from before I left.

Hey all,

I know that we're all aware of the delivery times for Prime right now, but I'm wondering how much different it is for those who don't have prime. Those of you who don't have it, how long is it taking your packages to reach you since the start of the year?

I'm really considering just going with Walmart+ for $8/month as it includes Paramount+ with it, rather than paying around $12/month for 5-7 day shipping and ads on Prime Video now.

Didn't see it listed for a while and that's because they spelled it Baton Rouge.. Sigh. ANYWAY just incase some of you where looking

I doubt it will but it would be really cool if the show got the attention it deserved and got a new season. Especially with the AI surge in recent years.

How do you think they would handle it since its been so many years?

I am annoyed by the excessive ads on my Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. Every time I turn on my TV, it automatically plays a promotional video for Amazon Prime with sound. How can I stop this?

Background: I am a 3rd party seller who sells private label goods on Amazon. I gross annually between $1-2mil in revenue. At first many sellers and I kind of brushed off this new policy change that was initiated on March 1st, 2024. However once digging deeper into it and making shipments to send into Amazon, I realized how much of a vulture Amazon truly is. As much as I absolutely hate these changes, and I hope FTC investigates the shit out of them, this is extremely bullish for Amazon's cashflow perspective.

Analysis:

Amazon's recent strategic adjustments are poised to enhance its profitability significantly through the expansion of the Amazon Global Logistics Program and modifications to its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) policies. Here's a breakdown of why these changes will benefit Amazon financially:

Expansion of Amazon Global Logistics Program:- What it is: Amazon Global Logistics is a comprehensive shipping and logistics service that facilitates international shipping for sellers on Amazon's platform. It handles cargo from the point of origin to Amazon warehouses worldwide, including sea, air, and land transportation.

- Impact: Given that 60-70% of Amazon's third-party sellers are from China, and a substantial portion of private label goods on Amazon are imported from China, the expansion of this program positions Amazon as a key logistics provider for international sellers. By handling sea shipping directly, Amazon eliminates the need to pay third-party shipping companies, thus capturing more revenue from the logistics and shipping process.

"Voluntary" Use of Amazon Warehouse Distribution (AWD) for FBA Sellers:- What it is: Amazon's policy now encourages third-party FBA sellers to use its Amazon Warehouse Distribution system, compelling them to store inventory in Amazon's warehouses, which incurs storage fees, inbound fees, and other charges. Amazon will then automatically distribute its inventory to FBA warehouses as it deem fit.

- Impact: This move ensures a consistent revenue stream from storage and handling fees paid by sellers. Additionally, sellers are faced with significant penalties for not using AWD, such as high inventory placement fees or the logistical burden of distributing inventory across multiple locations in the USA. (Before this, sellers can usually send all its inventory to one warehouse to save on cost, but that's no longer the case). This strategy not only generates more revenue from fees but also reduces Amazon's costs by shifting the inventory distribution burden to sellers. The average inventory placement cost per box will be about $25-$50. This is absolutely ridiculous.

Implementation of Extra Fulfillment Fees for Low Inventory:

- What it is: Amazon has introduced an additional fulfillment fee for sellers who maintain less than 28 days of inventory in Amazon's warehouses. This fee, a minimum of $0.89 per unit, penalizes sellers for not keeping a sufficient stock, especially for high-demand items.

- Impact: This policy directly impacts sellers' profit margins, especially for those selling products at lower price points. For example, a $9.99 item with a profit margin of $2, selling 10,000 units a month, this extra charge significantly eats into profits. The intent behind keeping inventory levels lean—to avoid excessive storage fees—now results in additional costs through fulfillment fees.

This policy effectively forces sellers to either risk running low on inventory and incurring extra fees or overstock to avoid these penalties, leading to higher storage fees. What's even more fucked up about it is that Amazon fulfillment centers usually checks in our shipments late. This means that if I have shipment that was delivered to Amazon Warehouse (Say enough inventory to cover 40 days) but not checked in, and I only have 30 days of inventory left, now I will have to pay extra fee because of "low inventory" even though it takes forever for Amazon to process your inventory. I have multiple shipments that's been delivered for about 3 weeks now, and they are still not checked in.

- Strategic Benefit for Amazon: By charging extra for fulfillment when inventory levels fall below a certain threshold, Amazon not only generates additional revenue but also pressures sellers to maintain higher inventory levels, thereby increasing the use of Amazon's storage facilities. This policy, combined with the "voluntary" use of Amazon's Inventory Placement service for restocking, which incurs additional fees, further ties sellers into Amazon's logistics ecosystem. It incentivizes the use of Amazon's AWD system, underlining Amazon's strategy to centralize control over logistics and distribution, enhancing its revenue streams from logistical and warehousing services while also potentially reducing operational complexities and costs.

**Overall Financial Impact:**These backend changes significantly reduce operational costs for Amazon by streamlining logistics and warehouse operations. Simultaneously, they increase revenue through logistics services, storage, and handling fees. By centralizing control over logistics and storage, Amazon not only saves on the costs of dealing with external logistics providers but also capitalizes on the fees charged to sellers. This dual approach of cutting costs and boosting revenue streams is poised to enhance Amazon's profitability in the competitive e-commerce and logistics sectors.

Again, I hope Lina Khan investigates the shit out of Amazon for using this bullshit tactic, but it is what it is. This is going to be extremely bullish for Amazon as it cuts costs while strengthen its global logistics empire.

Bonus: Amazon Advertising is also a bunch of bullshit (In terms of as a gigantic cash cow for them). The suggested bids for keywords are usually 2x higher than the actual bid needed to get top spots. This makes uninformed sellers spend a crap on advertising everyday. Just for perspective, I have about 12 products in my private label brand, and I spend on average $300-$500 a day. YES EVERY SINGLE DAY. That's about $110k to $190k a year just in ads. This is extremely high margin business for Amazon because they don't have to do anything. In addition, by Amazon running Ads on most prime video accounts, they will make on average $10/month per user. They also signed deals with NFL to exclusively stream their games. As much as I hate them, the future for Amazon is only up.

Extra bonus: Amazon already handles majority of packages in the US. By a click of a button, they can easily start taking marketshare from both UPS and Fedex by offering shipping to everyday people. They can utilize their wholefoods or kohl's location to receive and ship packages. Or they could also offer franchise opportunities to mom-pop shipping/packaging stores just like how UPS and Fedex has it.

Position: 20% of my portfolio is now in AMZN. Even at ATH, I plan to change to 50% weighted in Amazon... This is pissing me off, but I gotta find a way to get my money back somehow.