Watch Out For Amazon’s Subscribe And Save Program!

Whoa! Amazon may not be the lowest-price online retailer anymore?  After years of buying everything online because it was easy to use, shipping was free (with Amazon Prime), and it was always the least expensive option, I’ve found Amazon is – sadly – using unsavory sales tactics.  For instance, they are promoting the “Subscribe and Save” that has become known as the ‘Bait and Switch” program by disgruntled customers.

By trying the capture the automatic resale customer, Amazon entices people by offering a 5-15% savings by automatically reordering an item.  Sounds good, right?  In the old Amazon world, yes that would be great because they were already the least expensive option and delivered quickly.  So to find that you get all the above and a possible 15% discount on something you need to order anyway would be a no-brainer.  But, Amazon doesn’t give you the 5-15% discount on your great price that you originally got on your purchase – instead, they don’t guarantee the same great price, as a matter of fact, they actually have increased the prices of the items!

WHY?

Amazon, like other retailers are banking on the fact that most consumers become lazy once they think they have the best price for their products.  I’m guilty of that, too.  They don’t check the prices to compare once they have their low-price solution, which gives retailers the ability to increase the price with automatic refills without consumers knowing.  What’s worse is that Amazon promises further savings when in reality they’re actually increasing the prices.

So, you really need to continue to check prices whether you buy once or set up an automatic resale.  You’re your best advocate!