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Amazon Won't Sell Non-Prime Members Certain Popular Movies and Video Games (businessinsider.com)
An anonymous reader writes: If you're not an Amazon Prime subscriber, you will no longer be able to purchase certain popular game titles and movies, according to a report on game blog Videogamer. One of the benefits of Amazon's Prime program is that it gives members exclusive access to some items. This selection includes a rotating roster of popular video games, Blu-rays, and DVDs. Non-Prime members in the US can't buy titles such as Oscar-winning "Birdman" on Blu-ray or "GTA V" for PS4 from Amazon. This initiative, which has been going for quite some time, affects customers in the UK as well (though the selection is different). Non-Prime customers can still buy these titles from third-party sellers on Amazon's platform, but not from Amazon directly.
I'm a prime member, and I find it to be immensely useful. When I calculate how much money we save, prime membership is clearly worth it. On average, the items my family (i.e. my wife) shops for cost significantly less through Amazon than through a brick-and-mortar store. The only advantages that a brick-and-mortar store hold for us are the absence of shipping fees and delivery times. With prime membership's included 2-day shipping, those shipping fees become a small fraction of the prime membership cost, and 2-day shipping delivers the items sooner than I can schedule a trip to the store and buy them. Altogether we save time and money. It's true that their prime streaming catalog sucks, but that's not the main reason for most people to purchase a prime membership. Prime streaming, by itself, is definitely not worth $100/year.
If you have a newborn at home it is a lifesaver to not have to go to a store.
Are there statistics on how many lives were saved by online shopping?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
I'm glad I signed up for Prime. I signed up and I buy some of those items. Thanks, Amazon!
Oh piss off.... Sh*t like this isn't going to get them any fans and in fact, as of the most recent update, they've back pedaled on the Video game lock out thing. Being a Prime member should be about getting better prices, faster shipping and such.. Not f*cking non-Prime members from buying items completely.