Amazon has twice increased the minimum order value to 39 euros, only to call the change “wrong” a little later and reverse it. The third time, however, the decision is apparently final.
There’s a lot of back and forth behind the scenes at Amazon these days. At least when it comes to minimum order values and return policies. Amazon only changed the latter a few days ago, only to collect it again (another mistake: Amazon extended the return period – and is now talking about a misunderstanding).
There was even more uncertainty when it came to the free minimum order value, which has been 29 euros for years. Amazon had already raised it to 39 in mid-January, but then lowered it again. Another increase followed, followed by another statement that it had been a mistake again. This statement lasted around two weeks – because now it’s official: The new minimum order value is finally 39 euros.
The new cost structure can be read on Amazon’s official website. The changes that appeared there in January can now be found again on an information page. Unlike a few weeks ago, Amazon made an official statement this time. The company writes on request: “We did not take the decision to raise the limit for free shipping lightly. In fact, this is the first adjustment since 2017 in Germany. However, like every company, we regularly review our price structure and adjust it if necessary. We are implementing these changes to our shipping fee structure due to the general increase in delivery costs resulting from external circumstances beyond our control, to ensure we can offer customers consistent, fast and quality delivery.”
Shipping costs remain the same – for now
The shipping costs remain unchanged for the time being. They are between 2.99 and 9.99 euros, depending on the goods and the selected delivery period. For many products, these costs can still be saved completely if the delivery is not delivered to a private address but to a pick-up station (Amazon without Prime: How to save shipping costs).
Above all, the increased minimum order value could help Amazon to increase the number of Prime subscriptions – because there are no limits or shipping costs for paying members, but the faster and free delivery of most goods remains. Most recently, Amazon increased the monthly price to EUR 8.99 in September 2022.
The question now remains whether Amazon will soon take back the “error” in the supposedly generously extended return period – or actually implement it. After two denials of this story, doubts about other statements by the company are quite appropriate.
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