Blink:                                                                                                                                       Remember*

*Take time to read the fine print.

The above is the closing line to an old post titled Speed, On Sale.  The spine of the post was about the effective marketing tools companies use to lure consumers into ownership.  Beware of Amazon’s subscription program.

Read On:                                                                                                                                      Amazon’s subscription program, Subscribe & Save was first introduced in 2007.  It enables registered consumers to have their favorite consumable items like household staples (e.g., coffee, paper goods, etc.) refilled automatically and delivered on a regular basis.  Buried in the terms and conditions is that the program’s 5 percent discount is applied to the price of the item at the time that the order is place.  Anyone that is an Amazon regular, knows their prices can fluctuate over time, especially for those subscribers that have utilized the service for a couple of years.  An example, is Folgers Coffee.  In June a 30.5-ounce tub cost $6.64, but by late August it had risen to $12.50.  Today’s price is back to $6.64.  Another example is a 3-pack of Lysol disinfecting wipes which were $8.95 at its lowest before it peaked at $17.91; an 100% increase.

Bottom-line: Amazon prices are always shifting.  Whether you save money through their subscription depends when your order is placed.  Regardless, Subscribe & Save is a classic example of a company’s marketing ploy to lure consumers into ownership.

Beware: Always read the terms and conditions of any marketing promotion before signing on the dotted line.