>" The service is stellar, shipping both ways is free as long as you buy products covered by prime. Refunds are with no questions asked"
This is my exact experience in Canada so far. But they did something else weird. I wanted to buy Google Store gift card from Amazon and as soon as I made the purchase my account was suspended. It had taken me few hours including lengthy phone call to sort things out. I was told that gift cards are widely used in fraud. Sure, whatever but then why FFS they sell those?
shipping both ways is 100% not free in canada. I went to price match a power supply I had just purchased and they said they don't price match. I said no worries since it's unopened I'll return it and buy it again and they quoted me $30 shipping to return it. I had prime and it was a prime item.
I've also reported businesses who sneak 'give us a 5 star review and we'll give you $30' cards into their parcels and amazon did absolutely nothing.
Amazon is amazing until you realize it isn't. I got rid of prime and suddenly I found myself spending less money on junk because I wasn't incentivized to get junk by the prime membership. If I have to wait to have enough stuff for free shipping minimums I can wait enough to look locally and 1/2 the time I can find it locally for similar cost and the other 1/2 it turns out I never needed it just wanted it.
Highly recommend getting rid of prime and taking a couple months off ordering anything from them - you'll find out not only is amazon not worth it, they're easily replaced.
>"suddenly I found myself spending less money on junk"
I do not buy "junk" just what I really need (mostly for business), so do not have this problem. I buy some things locally as well but it is not my goal to favor either.
>"Highly recommend getting rid of prime"
I am very service averse person and am trying to use as little as possible. My phone for example does not even have data plan. If I do use some however (Amazon in this case) it means I need it as it saves me money / time whatever.
This is my exact experience in Canada so far. But they did something else weird. I wanted to buy Google Store gift card from Amazon and as soon as I made the purchase my account was suspended. It had taken me few hours including lengthy phone call to sort things out. I was told that gift cards are widely used in fraud. Sure, whatever but then why FFS they sell those?