this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
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It’s Surprisingly Easy to Live Without an Amazon Prime Subscription (slate.com)
submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/technology
420 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 
  • The author canceled their Amazon Prime subscription on a whim and realized they didn't really need it.
  • Leaving Prime meant slower shipping but the author was happy to wait and still found the selection and delivery speed satisfactory.
  • Many people love Prime for its fast shipping and convenience, but some readers expressed ambivalence and considered canceling.

Archive link: https://archive.ph/3M27c

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[–] UnderpantsWeevil 5 points 11 months ago

The junky shopping experience is especially clear once you leave and come back.

I mean, the junky shopping experience isn't unique to Amazon. You could find it in Walmart and TJ Maxx and any number of other low-income retailers a decade ago.

But that's largely a result of the pivot to Planned Obsolescence as a universal standard for consumer products. Things are junk because if they don't degrade in quality you won't be inclined to buy new ones. Your shoddy kitchen appliances break after a couple of years. Your electronics die just in time for a new release. Your IKEA furniture can't be disassembled without destroying the particle board its made from, so you need something new every time you change residences. Everything from your AC unit to your car radio to your dishwasher is designed to fail inside ten years, because that's how business gets you back in line to shop.

The prices aren’t even that good anymore.

Greedflation, baby. Everyone's got to justify their existence with steadily increasing profits.