My First Amazon Prime Now Experience
I looked into the cabinet for some NyQuil because I had fallen sick, but there wasn’t any there. This would be a great time to try the Amazon Prime Now service, I thought. I definitely didn’t want to be outside in the elements and if I could get it delivered to me why not? So, I went about having an amazing first Amazon Prime Now experience at a not so amazing time. I opened the app and added the following products to my cart:
- Vick’s NyQuil & DayQuil Severe Cold
- Liquid Plumr Pro Strength Clog Remover
- Simply Orange with Calcium, Medium Pulp
- Aveeno Clear Complexion Blemish Treatment
- Nature’s Path Organic Instant Hot Oatmeal
Was It Worth It?
I felt like crap and didn’t want to be out and about, so it was perfect, except for some expectations I originally thought. I thought the whole process would be within 2 hours, but an order I put in at approximately 8:30am did not arrive until 11:23am. This was still within the time-frame they stated between 10am – 12pm. I also had to be available for the drop off due to the perishable nature of items ordered, which was OK for me given the state I was in. Considering all things, this was cool. The driver rang the door bell and delivered the items in brown bags which I could recycle. I know that I will be using this service more often as I see how the timing works. If I have my choice of going to store and going through all aisle searching, I would rather someone else do that for me and deliver it to me.
You must have Amazon Prime to access this service. Amazon Prime currently cost $99 per year and/or $10.99 per month, but this is worth it. When I actually went to Walmart to do research on if there was a markup of prices here is what I found.
Walmart Prices
NyQuil – $14.97
Liquid Plumr – $3.88
Simply Orange Juice – $3.87
Aveeno – $13.47 (not the exact same product but comparable)
Nature’s Path Oatmeal – $2.97
Total: $39.16 (excludes tax and tip)
Walmart competes on price and will price match, but as far as I know it’s Savings Catcher app doesn’t compare against Amazon’s Prime Now online service.
Amazon Prices
As you can see the prices are pretty even, but for time and convenience, Amazon wins this battle.
Drawbacks
The drawbacks to the service is that I’m not able to apply coupons and/or get rebates. I am usually able to do so on apps like Ibotta that I normally use. Orders have to be at least $20.00 or more for delivery. Amazon obtains tons of information on your shopping behavior and preferences because they know exactly who you are because you have a login.
In Closing
Bottom line, despite some of the drawbacks, if you have about 3 hour lead time you can plan and make the convenience of this model work for you and use your time for more important things. In this instance, for me, it was to get well again, but at other times it will be to allow for me to continue to work on content for this blog or other enjoyable experiences. My first Amazon Prime Now experience has been great, and it is more likely not to be my last.
