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[EoinOL]

I noticed this a while ago - I had Far Cry Primal in my basket since it launched (since that's the easiest way to track price changes) and it changed to Prime-only on April 8th and stayed that way (it was still Prime-only a few days ago when it got a massive price increase and I removed it from my basket). If it's expanding to other games then that's a big reason to relegate Amazon to a secondary choice for online shopping.

I don't know what Amazon are thinking here. It will reduce sales, so earning potential is limited. It might push a few people to subscribe to Prime, but I think most people are more likely to feel annoyed, with a few perhaps wondering why they'd subscribe to a service that was seemingly so incredibly poor that it needed artificially-created incentives to push people to subscribe.

 

[Ludens]

I'd love to know why prime in the UK is £79 a year yet prime in Japan is only £24 a year that's a huge difference. Thankfully i don't buy domestic games so Amazon UK can't do shit to bother me. I'll start been more concerned when Japan follows suit but seeing as Japan is it's own entity compared to the rest of Amazon i'm not too worried.

Different Amazon stores offer different services along with Prime. In Italy Prime is 20€, but you have zero services except free shipping on everything, while Amazon US Prime also offers streaming and other stuff if I'm not wrong.

 

[jediyoshi]

They only handle stock for vendors that are willing to use them for that. Not all the items affected are necessarily going to have vendors that have.
And even if they have, they're still third party vendors. It's pretty clear and not at all misleading that the topic is titled to reflect items actually sold by Amazon themselves. And it's a scummy move.

So you don't think it's possible that someone read the headline and becomes under the assumption that it is now impossible for someone in the UK on Amazon without Prime to buy certain video games?

Only a fraction of them. Many third-party sellers handle fulfillment themselves, and charge extra for delivery costs.

I'll go with danowat's "Nit picking."

You should be more upset at Amazon for charging higher than the other vendors.

 

[axisofweevils]

This makes no sense.

 

[El_Cinefilo]

I noticed this when I was going to order a couple of Disney infinity characters for my son (Hulk and hawkeye, which seemed to be the only two this rule applied to annoyingly) but I never thought they'd do it with big retail titles. I find that really consumer unfriendly. I've been using Amazon less and less over the last year.

 

[Impotaku]

Different Amazon stores offer different services along with Prime. In Italy Prime is 20€, but you have zero services except free shipping on everything, while Amazon US Prime also offers streaming and other stuff if I'm not wrong.

Did not know that, i thought all primes were the same. That might explain it then.

 

[c0de]

My country doesn't offer anything prime related (i mean their streaming service) - so why would I take prime.

wtf indeed.

But does Amazon also block items you want to buy?
OT: this is a dumb move from Amazon as a store should offer as much as possible to customers and not limit them. But I also don't see a big problem as people can get games everywhere else so it's only hurting Amazon.

 

[hohoXD123]

Yes Amazon, a raft of people will now subscribe to Prime in order to pay more for a game they can get from other outlets, even from sellers on your own site. I'm subscribed to Prime anyway so it doesn't affect me, but damn that's a stupid move.

 

[Fady K]

This is terrible. I actually had this problem with Amazon US a couple months back. I could not buy either Tearaway Unfolded or Divinity on PS4 at the time - only for Amazon Prime members.

 

[jediyoshi]

Great, Amazon aren't selling it still. It doesn't need to say "Only Amazon stock!", Amazon are still blocking their own sold stuff.

So if you buy it from them now, fulfilled through them, and shipped from them using Prime, who did you buy it from?

 

[JaseC]

Can they do this without the publishers permission?

Seems like something they'd want to avoid, unless Amazon is kicking some money their way...

They're physical copies, not digital keys. The stock is Amazon's to do with as it pleases.

 

[Huggers]

Gotta pay Jeremy Clarksons wages somehow I guess

 

[Breakfast at Noon]

Is it all 18 rated games?
Because if so you need to be 18 to be a Prime member, their way of a legal check.

 

[ShogunDarius]

So if you buy it from them now, fulfilled through them, and shipped from them using Prime, who did you buy it from?

the third party seller who supplied it, just because amazon dealt with the logistics of a item doesn't make them the seller

 

[Solaire of Astora]

Really hope they don't start locking PSN cards behind this BS. I live overseas and use Amazon for PSN codes all the time. Not going to pay for prime when I'm never going to get anything delivered.

 

[oni-link]

That's about the one thing they could have done to force me to take my business elsewhere

So I will

 

[boredandlazy]

I've seen items go 'Prime Only' on both UK and US Amazon sites. Usually it's just a temporary thing though.

 

[Chris1]

Is it all 18 rated games?
Because if so you need to be 18 to be a Prime member, their way of a legal check.

Nope. Halo 5 too


Shitty move. I buy all my games on amazon but if this is how they're going about it I'll take my business elsewhere

 

[jediyoshi]

the third party seller who supplied it

Do I get to play the nit picking card now? When you've bought from a third party seller on Amazon, fullfiled by them, who would you contact for support? Is your experience distinct on whether you have Prime or not?

 

[EoinOL]

Is it all 18 rated games?
Because if so you need to be 18 to be a Prime member, their way of a legal check.

Not just 18-rated games. Minecraft on PS4, for example, is Prime-only.

 

[Acorn]

Amazon aren't cheaper or that much cheaper than other online places here especially if you factor in shipping costs that other places don't have. So lol nice try amazon.

I'll continue to avoid your employee abusing selves, thanks for making it easier.

 

[ShogunDarius]

Do I get to play the nit picking card now? When you've bought from a third party seller on Amazon, fullfiled by them, who would you contact for support? Is your experience distinct on whether you have Prime or not?

not really, when an item is fulfilled it is always the third party you are buying from, amazon are just handling the logistics of them item etc. If the third party decided not to sell an item, the item wouldnt be there at all.

 

[danowat]

Not just 18-rated games. Minecraft on PS4, for example, is Prime-only.

And FIFA 16

 

[Skele7on]

They should call this service condo.

As it's saving me from getting fucked from buying those awful as all hell games.
Alas you probably lose a few good ones too.

I'm willing to bet this will only be on old/non selling games and not on any new releases as that'd just be straight up stupid.

 

[Breakfast at Noon]

Nope. Halo 5 too


Shitty move. I buy all my games on amazon but if this is how they're going about it I'll take my business elsewhere

Not just 18-rated games. Minecraft on PS4, for example, is Prime-only.

Well that's fucked up.

 

[jediyoshi]

not really, when an item is fulfilled it is always the third party you are buying from, amazon are just handling the logistics of them item etc.

You've found third party sellers willing to front the cost of Prime shipping?

 

[v1ncelis]

Prime is not available in Ireland, right? So why I'm blocked from buying stuff?

 

[DancingNalwood]

This is a terrible move. Why would we all not just pop to game or another outlet instead? It's not like we save anything in the long run.

 

[Audioboxer]

What the fuck? Crazy move.

Maybe this means Amazon will now be paying the right amount of tax to governments so making customers pay for it? lololol

 

[Moze]

Bollocks to em. Not that they ever have any good deals anyway. The only time they have a good deal on a video game is when they are price matching Game or Tesco.

 

[MooMilk2929]

The amazon fulfilled orders are usually more expensive that 3rd party orders anyway. I worry this could affect something I wanna order tho.

 

[Sheentak]

Any good alternatives

 

[jediyoshi]

This is a terrible move. Why would we all not just pop to game or another outlet instead? It's not like we save anything in the long run.

Seeing as you can still purchase it through Amazon from another seller and still use your benefits, it doesn't look like it phases them.

 

[King_Moc]

I basically stopped using Amazon when they doubled the price of prime, forced their shitty video service into it and put the free delivery amount upto £20. Shit company.

 

[Bots are better than you]

Hey Amazon.de, if you're looking into Prime exclusive stuff to bring over from the other outlets .... bring over that 20% stuff from the US and keep the Amazon.uk shit out, thanks.

 

[Skele7on]

just did a search I am not signed into amazon and can add all these games to basket.

 

[jediyoshi]

Hey Amazon.de, if you're looking into Prime exclusive stuff to bring over from the other outlets .... bring over that 20% stuff from the US and keep the Amazon.uk shit out, thanks.

It's existed in the US even longer, there are multiple GAF threads on it.

just did a search I am not signed into amazon and can add all these games to basket.

The headline isn't meant to be taken literally.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

Well that's fucking stupid, who are the most reliable sites these days? I usually use Amazon for everything but looks like I may need a backup in the future.

 

[Meia]

They should call this service condo.

As it's saving me from getting fucked from buying those awful as all hell games.
Alas you probably lose a few good ones too.

I'm willing to bet this will only be on old/non selling games and not on any new releases as that'd just be straight up stupid.

I dunno. Just bought a new PS4 so looking to fill out library a bit. Wanted to get FFX HD on it, but it's one of those games you can't buy without Prime and it's not a year old yet...



There's a lot of shitty things amazon's doing lately. Upping the free shipping barrier to $49 when it used to be $25 was another one. Loved getting their cables, but now it's just cheaper to go to a best buy and get them again(since they charge $8 shipping for one cable, it comes out to the same price).

 

[Fady K]

What do you guys recommend as an alternative to Amazon USA for international deliveries? With similarly low prices?

 

[AHA-Lambda]

woah!!! That is some serious BS O_O

 

[ShogunDarius]

You've found third party sellers willing to front the cost of Prime shipping?

I dont use prime so I dunno. I just know that fulfilled by Amazon is not the same as being sold by Amazon

 

[toythatkills]

There's really not much value in Prime any more, regardless of this shit, which ultimately doesn't matter because it's not like these are amazon exclusive items. It'll affect literally no one getting GTAV who wants to get GTAV.

The music service is pathetic next to Spotify, the video selection is awful, you don't even get "free" next-day delivery any more - not that you ever did since Amazon Logistics is so bad they probably wouldn't deliver the next day. They've removed the £1 digital credit you get for not selecting Prime delivery as well. There's basically no part of this service which is good.

Pretty much no way I'm re-subscribing.

 

[Heartfyre]

Prime is not available in Ireland, right? So why I'm blocked from buying stuff?

Because it turns out our population of only 4.5 million isn't worthy of the acknowledgement of Supreme Overlord Amazon. Still good enough to use us as a tax haven, though -- just not good enough to offer all their services. In many respects, we're better off using one of the continental Amazons for the euro pricing, but the .co.uk is supposed to be our Anglophone option, yet it seems to see us as second-class.

And it's still better than any Irish games retailer.

 

[Moze]

While we are at it, Amazon also killed the brilliant Lovefilm rental service for games.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Glad I canceled my Prime subscription some time ago. Was a huge fraud for me anyway. Amazon mostly didn't deliver within 1 day as promised and often I wouldn't even get my preorders in time but a few days after release.

I mean, Amazon's exchange service is the bet I've ever seen but practices like this eave a sour taste in my mouth. What the fuck Amazon?

 

[jediyoshi]

I dont use prime so I dunno. I just know that fulfilled by Amazon is not the same as being sold by Amazon

Except that they house the merchandise, provide support, and you can continue to use your identical benefits? What is the distinction you're making that it's not an identical process?

 

[Yarbskoo]

Sounds like a great way to get people to buy games from somewhere other than Amazon.

 

[HazySaiyan]

No worries Amazon, I'll just buy my games elsewhere. It's not as if you're the only game in town.

 

[jediyoshi]

Sounds like a great way to get people to buy games from somewhere other than Amazon.

Right, they encourage it by having other sellers sell for cheaper and handling fulfillment while letting you use your Prime.